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Victoria’s Great South West Walk

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Victoria’s Great South West Walk

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Description

Discover the dramatic scenery of Victoria’s South West, from rocky sea cliffs to remote bushland, on this 5-day walking trip of the region. White sandy beaches littered with shells, petrified forests, limestone caves and the beautifully secluded Cape Nelson lighthouse are some of the highlights you can expect to encounter. Not to mention the wildlife – from emus, koalas, kangaroos and seal colonies, as well as a staggering variety of seasonal orchids and wildflowers which enhance the forest floor. Your local leader will help you uncover all the natural wonders of one of the states’ most underrated regions.

Trip Name
Victoria’s Great South West Walk
Last Updated
2020-11-30
Days
5
Capacity
10
Highlights
  • Take a First Nations guided tour of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Budj Bim Cultural Landscape site.
  • Explore Mount Richmond National Park and keep an eye out for emus, kangaroos, koalas, echidnas and wallabies.
  • Climb to the mouth of the Tarragal Caves, a network of ancient limestone caves within the Discovery Bay Coastal Park.
  • Enjoy a private dinner at the Cape Nelson Lighthouse with your fellow travellers and local leader.
  • Visit Australia’s only mainland gannet colony at Point Danger Coastal Reserve.

Itinerary

ITINERARY CHANGES Our itineraries are updated regularly throughout the year based on customer feedback and to reflect the current situation in each destination. The information included in this Essential Trip Information may therefore differ from when you first booked your trip. It is important that you review this information prior to travel so that you have the latest updates. Due to weather, local conditions, transport schedules, public holidays, or other factors, further changes may be necessary to your itinerary once in-country. The order and timing of included activities in each location may also vary seasonally to ensure our travellers have the best experience. Your tour leader will keep you up to date with any such changes once on tour. OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES A selection of optional activities that have been popular with past travellers are listed in the day-to-day itinerary. This isn't an exhaustive list and should be used as a guide only for some of what might be available. Prices are approximate, are for entrance only, and don’t include transport to and from the sites or local guides unless indicated. All activities are subject to availability, and maybe on a join-in basis. It may not be possible to do all the activities listed in the time available at each destination, so some pre-planning for what you are most interested in is advised. When it's recommended that travellers pre-book these activities, look for a note in the Special Information section of the day-to-day itinerary. For most, they can either be organised independently on the day, or let your leader know you are interested in the Group Meeting and they can assist. Where activities are considered medium or high risk, we work with operators whose safety and credentials we have sighted and assessed. Although it is possible that you may find the same activity cheaper with another operator on the ground, we cannot vouch for the safety or quality of that operator. Medium and high-risk activities not listed above have not been assessed by us and as such our staff and leaders are unable to assist you with organising these activities. Activities that contravene our Responsible Travel policies are also not listed. Please remember that the decision to partake in any activity not listed is at your own discretion and risk.

Day 1 - Melbourne - Portland
Welcome to Melbourne! Your day will start bright and early as you’ll meet your local leader and group at 7.15 am at the Melbourne Arts Centre. From here, you’ll spend the morning driving to Port Fairy with a few stops along the way. Grab lunch and stretch your legs in Port Fairy and enjoy the town’s charming ambience. After lunch, you’ll continue driving to Lake Condah, the traditional land of the Gunditjmara people. Here you’ll take a two and a half-hour guided tour of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Budj Bim Cultural Landscape site, which is older than Egypt’s pyramids. You’ll arrive in Portland around 5 pm to check into your beautifully renovated historic hotel in the heart of town, before enjoying dinner with your fellow travellers and local leader.
Day 2 - Mount Richmond National Park - Bridgewater Lakes
After breakfast this morning, you’ll be heading out to explore Mount Richmond National Park, known to the Gunditjmara as Benwerrin, meaning ‘Long Hill’. The park was established in 1960 and is home to around 450 plant species and vibrant bird-life including emus, Crimson rosellas, Gang-gang cockatoos, thornbills, robins and currawongs. Today’s walk will total 17 kilometres. Beginning with an uphill climb to enjoy views from the summit, the path will widen onto flat open trails allowing for easy hiking (just make sure you keep a look out for kangaroos, koalas, echidnas and wallabies). You’ll then cross Bridgewater Lakes Road to enter a small section of quiet secluded bushland. From here the trail takes you high over farmland with great views over the Bridgewater freshwater lake system through to the blue-green water of Discovery Bay.
Day 3 - Bridgewater Lakes - Cape Bridgewater
Today, after breakfast, you’ll start your 18 kilometre walking day with a short climb to the mouth of Tarragal Caves, a network of ancient limestone caves within the Discovery Bay Coastal Park. From here a gentle walk through sand hills will bring you to the beginning of a day of sensational cliff-top walking, two large seal colonies, a surreal petrified forest, ocean blowholes, kangaroos, pristine lakes and remote rugged coastline. At lunchtime you’ll eat surrounded by a moonscape of petrified trees, then continue exploring the glorious coastline, including a stop at the aptly named ‘Perilous Parapet’. You’ll also encounter Australian and New Zealand fur seals who interestingly refuse to mingle even though they live in close proximity to each other. Today will end with a well-earned private dinner at the Cape Nelson Lighthouse before returning to your accommodation.
Day 4 - Cape Bridgewater to Cape Nelson Lighthouse
This morning after breakfast you’ll set off on a 23 kilometre walking day from Cape Bridgewater along Shelly Beach. The coastline is alive with birdlife including Pied Oystercatchers, Sandpipers, Hooded Plovers, Terns and Pacific gulls. The mostly pristine beach is subject to small patches of debris bought in by strong tides and coastal storms, so bring a bag if you’d like to collect up any rubbish along the way. The sand can be a little soft in places but the walking is pleasant and it’s possible to take your shoes off and appreciate ‘grounding’ with the earth. You’ll then leave the beach and climb a sturdy wooden stairway to the top of the cliffs for spectacular views over the Southern Ocean. After a pretty grove of coastal Tea Trees, the trail becomes more rugged as you’ll tackle the final stretch back to the Cape Nelson Lighthouse.
Day 5 - Point Danger Coastal Reserve - Melbourne
This morning after breakfast you’ll drive to Australia’s only mainland gannet colony at Point Danger Coastal Reserve just a few kilometres from Portland. These striking birds can have a wingspan of up to two metres and dive fully submerged into the ocean in search of prey. After this, you’ll begin the journey back to Melbourne, with a stop on the way for lunch and other breaks, before arriving back in the late afternoon, where your trip comes to an end.

Trip Dates

StartEndPrice FromRoom Type
27-01-202131-01-2021AUD $ 1,696-
10-02-202114-02-2021AUD $ 1,696-
23-02-202127-02-2021AUD $ 1,696-
02-03-202106-03-2021AUD $ 1,696-
25-03-202129-03-2021AUD $ 1,696-
21-04-202125-04-2021AUD $ 1,696-
27-04-202101-05-2021AUD $ 1,696-
13-05-202117-05-2021AUD $ 1,696-
26-05-202130-05-2021AUD $ 1,696-
02-06-202106-06-2021AUD $ 1,696-
16-06-202120-06-2021AUD $ 1,696-
07-07-202111-07-2021AUD $ 1,696-
21-07-202125-07-2021AUD $ 1,696-
04-08-202108-08-2021AUD $ 1,696-
11-08-202115-08-2021AUD $ 1,696-
21-09-202125-09-2021AUD $ 1,696-
05-10-202109-10-2021AUD $ 1,696-
27-10-202131-10-2021AUD $ 1,696-
03-11-202107-11-2021AUD $ 1,696-
24-11-202128-11-2021AUD $ 1,696-
08-12-202112-12-2021AUD $ 1,696-

Accommodation

Hotel (4 Nights)

Transport

Private Vehicle,Walking

Map

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