That is the only word I was able to use to sum up the Great South West Walk, an amazing walk that 14 others and I completed in March 2015. The 250 kilometre walk meanders around the south-west corner of Victoria, taking in forests, rivers, the ocean, beaches and cliffs.

Discovery Bay, Victoriaby Lynne Outhred

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The Great South West Walk (GSWW) is spectacular. Having grown up locally I had done a few sections. I can remember being young and going out with my family helping in a working bee to build part of the track. To finally walk the whole walk in one go was incredible, but not as incredible as how it came to be, and how it exists today.

While sitting around the camp-fire after a day’s walking we were visited by some of the volunteers of the Friends group that maintain and manage the walk, alongside Parks Victoria. They told us the story of the walk. In 1980, the National Park’s Chief District Ranger, the late Alan (Sam) Bruton and the Principal of the local Portland High School, Bill Golding were seeking to utilise the outstanding natural assets of the area to help stimulate and educate the local students.

They were told they were mad, but the two persisted with their dream and managed to organise a co-operation between Portland

High School, the Education Department, the Lands Department, the Forestry Commission, National Parks, Local council, Commonwealth Transport Department and local landowners. Anyone who has had anything to do with a few different departments will appreciate how hard this is. The dedication they must have had. Work on the track began in 1981.

Teams of school children were transported into the scrub and varying landscapes and tasked with carving a track in the direction they were given. And from these humble beginnings, the GSWW has become one of Victoria’s largest, community initiated and run projects, attracting, school groups, bushwalkers and nature lovers from all around the world.

For the past 35 years and today the GSWW has been maintained by volunteers, the Friends of the Great South West Walk. Three times a week teams of mainly retired men travel out onto the track and do maintenance.

And once a month the Friends have a committee meeting to coordinate fund raising, plan walks, organise maintenance and discuss and plan the general welfare of their beloved Great South West Walk.

So as I walked on with my fellow hikers, we really appreciated the work these volunteers do. I walked in a group of 15. It was the Friends of the Great South West Walk’s Long Walk. We had a trusty team leader, Gordon, who carted our food and bedding in his custom modified ute and trailer between the

The eager 2015 group Sue Hanson

Cobboboonee Forest Sarah Sharp

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camps. Gordon is one of the volunteers and knows every step of the track. We were also accompanied by our guide, Nevan, whose late father was Sam (one of the instigators of the walk). This left us able to enjoy the walk with only a daypack.

So after a briefing at Gordon’s house we were taken to the start and set on our way. There was quite an array of us. Experienced hikers from Sydney and Melbourne, up to the age of seventy, a few couples, and a few local people, like myself, that had managed to organise time off work.

We set off, busily introducing each other, and chatting excitedly amongst ourselves. We walked along the cliff tops and beaches of Portland Bay, before we started a steady climb, inland and into the local Cobboboonie Forest, leaving the daily grind of everyday life behind us.

It wasn’t long before we found our rhythm, and started enjoying the sounds and calmness of the forest about us.

By mid-afternoon we had reached camp, to be greeted by Gordon and a boiling billy on a

Burnt Forest Rita Burridge

Glenelg River, Patterson Camp Sarah Sharp

Waking up on the Glenelg River Lynne Outhred

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camp fire. What a pleasant surprise. Our food boxes were laid out and our, tents, bedding and bags all in easy reach. The camps are nearly all in National or State Parks, and consist of a shelter, picnic table, fire pit, eco loo, and fresh rainwater tank. There was plenty of room for our tents, which we set up before we relaxed into our evening camp.

After waking to the sound of the fire crackling, we cooked our brekky, made our lunch, packed up our tents, and continued on. This became our routine for the next two

weeks, and we all became very efficient.

The walk made its way in a north-easterly direction, through the forest to the Glenelg River. The water was an absolute delight to walk beside after the dryness and heat. The trail traces the weaving path of the river downstream to Nelson, with views of the river slowly opening up. The river has carved its way through limestone gorges up to 50 metres high and is extremely beautiful, with many lovely swimming holes and secluded campsites.

We reached Nelson, a sleepy coastal village and enjoyed a meal at the pub, and a shower at the local caravan park. Nelson sits on the edge of the river and estuary, which has an abundance of birdlife and lovely views to the river mouth.

The next section of the walk was Discovery Bay. Walking easterly along an ocean beach to the sound of the crashing waves and the flocks of seabirds, and the salty wind blowing against our backs is invigorating. And there are many interesting things to discover, whale bones, ropes, floats.

Shade hunting on Discovery Bay Lynne Outhred

Climbing the first cape Sarah Sharp

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The camps along this section are in the shelter of the dunes, beside freshwater lakes, and we saw remains of ancient middens and signs of volcanoes. The huge dunes transport you to another world, extraordinary.

Then we headed inland again to Mt Richmond National Park, with delightful bush, vast stands of grass trees and views of the surrounding lands, before coming back to the coast. The views of the ocean are spectacular. We walked along rugged

(highest in Victoria) seacliffs. But beware, the weather can change. We were pounded with heavy rain and what felt like gale force winds. While some struggled with the conditions and their poorer quality coats, I found it exciting, wild. We viewed blow holes, petrified forest, a seal colony and passed through the delightful Bridgewater Bay. More beach and cliff top walking led us to the

Rest stop Sue Hanson

The Springs, Cape Bridgewater Lynne Outhred

Cape Nelson Lighthouse Lynne Outhred

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Map of Great South West Walk

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