My Great Ocean Walk Journey: A First-Time Solo Hiker's Tale

This is the journal of my first-ever solo multi-day hike, my first time camping, and to top it all off, I planned to complete it in just six days—two days less than recommended for beginners like me. This adventure took place at the end of March 2025 on the Great Ocean Walk in Victoria, Australia.

My Itinerary: Day 1: Elliot Ridge Day 2: Blanket Bay
Day 3: Cape Otway Day 4: Aire River Day 5: Johanna Beach Day 6: Ryan's Den Day 7: Devil's Kitchen

Preparation: Learning as I Went#

I prepared for this trip using information I collected from the internet, as this was my first solo multi-day hike and my first time camping. Here's what I learned:

Phone:

• Telstra prepaid SIM only plan: Casual plan $39, lasts 6 months
• Use airplane mode to conserve battery

Shoes:

• Hiking boots (must be tied well to avoid them getting loose)
• Boot gaiters to protect against snakes (I didn't bring these but realized they were necessary)

Water:

• Untreated rainwater—don't be shocked when it looks more yellow than a pilsner beer!
• Bring chlorine tablets (1 tablet treats 1L of yellow water)
• Bring a bottle with a filter: filter first, then add chlorine tablet

Clothing:

• Shorts are fine
• Bring flip-flops for walking around the campsite
• Bring two changes of everything (socks, t-shirt, shorts)
• Avoid cotton—it gets super wet
• Use wet towels to clean, apply deodorant after cleaning
• Swap wet clothes daily
• Underwear is optional
• Merino wool, anti-blister socks are essential

Food:

• Essential to bring lightweight, high-energy dehydrated food (salami sticks, beef sticks)
• Nuts, trail mix, oatmeal
• Dehydrated food packs (rice, chicken—just add hot water)
• Cooking: Jetboil Sumo

Navigation:

• AllTrails subscription ($39 annually) is enough; works without internet, maps are very accurate
• Use phone GPS if necessary, but the track is well-signposted

Medical:

• Bring antiseptic cream
• Bring a medical kit with all necessary items for wounds or blisters
• Bring Voltaren to treat muscle pain
• Take care of blisters immediately

Tools:

• Duct tape
• Extra zip-lock bags
• Rope (helped me improvise a drying line inside the tent)

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The Journey: Day by Day#

Day -1: On the Way to Apollo Bay#

• Must-do: Stop and buy delicious empanadas at Papelón
• Stayed at the International Motel near the bay—super clean with great customer service

Day 1: From Apollo Bay to Elliott Ridge#

• Walking in the sand sucks
• Be careful crossing the rocks right after leaving Marengo—they're super slippery with algae. You could easily sprain an ankle or get stuck there.
• The last 2km to Elliott Ridge is hard—uphill for 1km
• Campsite was clean and empty
• Toilets with plenty of toilet paper
• Weak phone signal at Elliot Ridge campsite
• Not much to do, so I took a Panadol, relaxed, and napped to recover for the next day

Day 2: From Elliott Ridge to Cape Otway#

• The track to Blanket Bay can be slippery; careful hanging from vegetation as it's very spiky
• Blanket Bay is beautiful—worth staying overnight
• Walking from Elliott Ridge to Cape Otway is over 23km, taking around 7 hours
• Be careful with snakes—I saw a tiger snake near Cape Otway
• Cape Otway Lighthouse has a small café where you can buy clean water
• My feet kept hurting—I was close to quitting. I had to drain blisters on both feet and could barely walk. I didn't know if I'd make it to Johanna Beach like this.

Day 3: The Hardest Day—Cape Otway to Johanna Beach#

• Views are scenic; I felt the peace and quiet in those mountains—almost spiritual
• Started noticing footprints and signs of people ahead; finally caught up with three nice ladies who took my photo and gave me candies for energy
• The pain in my feet was bad—I was walking like a granddad
• The pain from the heavy backpack was unbearable; I was so close to giving up. I kept thinking tomorrow would be better and shorter, but today I had to finish 24km.
• I ran out of water; fortunately, another group behind me gave me some. I was exhausted and thirsty. Good humans.
• Finally made it to Johanna Beach—beautiful, almost idyllic—but the pain in my shoulder and feet was too much. Thoughts of my family crossed my mind; I missed them. It was super hard with swollen feet and pain.
• Refilled water again
• Forced myself to eat some food and put bandages and antiseptic on my feet
• At some point, I thought this was way over my league, but I was going to finish because I'm not a quitter
• Today was a fight of mind versus body. Mind won.

Day 4: Johanna Beach to Ryan's Den#

• Hard because of the climbing, but I loved it. I'm more attracted to farms and mountain views than the beach.
• Stood over a snake without noticing; fortunately, it was small and she was more scared than me
• I don't like heights, and this track had plenty—spectacular ocean views from a tiny line of track across the mountains
• Crossed paths with two folks also doing the GOW. The older guy ran out of water, and his friend had to go to the campsite and return with extra water.
• The last 3km were the hardest—took almost 3 hours to complete
• I was tired but not as much as yesterday. Decided to throw away extra food I didn't need.

Day 5: Ryan's Den to Devil's Kitchen#

• Certainly challenging, but starting at 7am paid off
• By far one of my favorite sections—inland with lots of different vegetation and views
• The Gables Lookout was excellent; I stopped there to rest
• Found lots of kangaroos on the road today
• A massive kangaroo stood in the middle of the road, refusing to let me pass
• Views of the biggest farm in the region were outstanding
• Saw what looked like a snake or lizard—not sure and not keen to find out
• I miss my family, especially my little kid. Tomorrow I'll depart before sunrise to reach the Twelve Apostles before lunch.

Day 6: Devil's Kitchen to Twelve Apostles#

• Woke at 5am, packed, and started walking by 6:30am before sunrise
• Super dark, but my energy was high, plus the big desire to go home today—decided to jog a bit. Ran 5km with my backpack in the dark—awesome!
• Had a break at the bridge in Princeton—beautiful place
• After the bridge, terrain became irregular with small ups and downs across hills until reaching Gibson Steps and the tunnel leading to the Twelve Apostles Information Centre
• Sat to rest; a tourist guide started talking to me about the trip and recommended walking to the platform to photograph the Twelve Apostles
• Kevin, the taxi driver, was waiting. We traveled back to Apollo Bay, stopping for a quick drink and apple at a café along the road.
• Back at the hotel, took a shower for 1-2 hours—felt like I was carrying all the dirt of the road. Finally closed this adventure with a well-deserved beer and burger at the brewery pub next to the hotel.

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Closing Reflections#

The day I suffered most was the trek to Johanna Beach—the pain didn't allow me to enjoy it, and I was so close to quitting. But the last two days, despite the difficulty due to elevation, were the very best.

What I'd Improve Next Time:

1. Ensure I have suitable boots—my feet swelled because my boots were too tight
2. Carry less weight by using a butane kitchen and more dehydrated food (oats and similar)

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Special Thanks#

To Papelón Latin American Food (https://www.instagram.com/papelonmelbourne/?hl=en) for their warm food at the end of the journey. This food was my motivation to keep walking 110km until the end.

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Planning Resources#

Shopping List: https://lighterpack.com/r/kckx37
Itinerary Idea: https://www.inspirationoutdoors.com.au/tours/great-ocean-walk-tours/
Book Campsite: https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/parks/great-otway-national-park/things-to-do/great-ocean-walk

Reddit Discussions:
https://www.reddit.com/r/UltralightAus/s/vCf4JkY1u8
https://www.reddit.com/r/CampingandHiking/s/UfIM46LLhP

Other Information:
Tides: https://www.tideschart.com/Australia/Victoria/Colac-Otway/Apollo-Bay/
Distance Difficulty: https://www.greatoceanwalk.info/distances-difficulty/
Map: https://www.maptopia.com.au/recreations-maps-and-guides/bushwalking-maps-around-australia/guide-bush-walk-outdoors-victoria-hiking/great-ocean-walk-information-guide-map-parks-victoria
Full Guide: https://brookebeyond.com/apollo-bay-to-twelve-apostles-a-complete-guide-to-solo-hiking-the-great-ocean-walk

—A personal account of overcoming physical limits and discovering inner strength on Australia's Great Ocean Walk