Great Ocean Walk - advice please

[Peta]

My husband and I are flying down from Mackay, Qld to Melbourne in April 2024 and we are looking for the best and most cost effective way to transfer from Melbourne airport to Apollo Bay.

We are also trying to work out how to get gas canisters for our Jetboil stove, as we are unable to bring them with us, as we are flying. Has anyone else flown down and been able to get some gas canisters delivered to their accommodation in Apollo Bay.

Any information or advice will be very much appreciated.

[Baeng72]

Take all of this with a grain of salt, as I've not done it, and am only going on 2nd hand info/internet searches...

You can get a train (Melbourne to Geelong)/bus to Apollo bay and then the Twelve Apostles (termini of the walk) from Southern Cross (Spencer Street) station.
You don't need to book this bus to get on, so you can train/bus to the start of your walk at Apollo bay, finish at Twelve Apostles (near Port Campbell) and wait for the next bus heading back to the city, just pay (somehow, I haven't done it) when you board.
There appears to be a change at Apollo Bay, and in true Victorian public transport fashion, the connecting service will have left 15 minutes before you arrive.

Melbourne is marvelously woeful in public transport options from Airport to City, unlike Brisbane, due to vested interests, so you'll need to taxi or get a Sky Bus type transport.

Gas could be acquired at a Kmart, if the city store stocks it, or somewhere nearby like Paddy Palin.
(both are in Bourke Street according to Google, who never lies, but both are the wrong end of Bourke street for a 5 min stroll. Maybe Taxi to top end of Bourke Street, get gas, tram (free in city center) down to Southern Cross, then catch your train?)
https://www.vline.com.au/getattachment/ ... Ocean-Road)
https://www.kmart.com.au/store-detail/Melbourne+Cbd/
https://www.paddypallin.com.au/store-locator/melbourne/
https://www.paddypallin.com.au/equipmen ... e/gas.html

[Peta]

Thanks for all of that advice. We will check it all out.

[Baeng72]

TMaybe Taxi from the airport to top end of Bourke Street, get gas, tram (free in city center) down to Southern Cross, then catch your train?)

If you get SkyBus to Southern Cross, then take free tram to other end of Bourke Street, it's perpendicular to Spencer Street - but not at the 'station/kiosk' end -, get gas, then tram back.
Apologies, there's a lot of assumptions in my previous post.
I'm not you, so I can only imagine what I - someone familiar with Melbourne and Western Victoria but yet hasn't done the journey - would do. So, your 'mileage' may vary.

[Lophophaps]

Tickets for the bus from the airport need to be bought before you get on the bus. I think that there are machines near the departure points, not advertised so that the customer prints the tickets. It may be possible to have a ticket on a phone.
https://airport-transfers.tickets-melbo ... %20-%20All

At Southern Cross railway station, get off the bus and go south, wall on the left, buses on the right. Go through a few doors past the toilets and the country trains are on the right.

In the Melbourne CBD trams are free.
https://www.onlymelbourne.com.au/free-tram-zone

[peregrinator]

My husband and I are flying down from Mackay, Qld to Melbourne in April 2024 and we are looking for the best and most cost effective way to transfer from Melbourne airport to Apollo Bay.

We are also trying to work out how to get gas canisters for our Jetboil stove, as we are unable to bring them with us, as we are flying. Has anyone else flown down and been able to get some gas canisters delivered to their accommodation in Apollo Bay.

Any information or advice will be very much appreciated.

A key question is, what time of day do you intend to arrive at the airport? Depending on the answer to that, you may need to stay in Melbourne on your first night. (This could probably make purchasing gas easier.) There are limited public transport services to the Otway region. But you will be able to find a satisfactory one. (For good views, make sure you sit on the coast side of buses in both directions.) Specific information is available from the Public Transport Victoria website. For example:

https://tinyurl.com/bddcu87f

Note that the bus connections at Apollo Bay do allow a changeover time gap. For initial information on walks and camping see:

https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to- ... ocean-walk

As others have I think suggested, you could start at either end based in what your overall time-frame allows.

[Eremophila]

To my knowledge, tickets for the V-Line bus between Geelong and Apollo Bay / Twelve Apostles need to be purchased beforehand, and either posted to you or collected at a V-Line outlet. The driver won't have any facility to accept payments.

Regional fares in Victoria were capped earlier this year which is a bit of good news.

You can view departure/arrival times by entering your trip details here: https://www.vline.com.au/Plan-trip-buy-tickets

[Baeng72]

To my knowledge, tickets for the V-Line bus between Geelong and Apollo Bay / Twelve Apostles need to be purchased beforehand, and either posted to you or collected at a V-Line outlet. The driver won't have any facility to accept payments.

Regional fares in Victoria were capped earlier this year which is a bit of good news.

You can view departure/arrival times by entering your trip details here: https://www.vline.com.au/Plan-trip-buy-tickets

Apologies for spreading misinformation about tickets. I'm sure i've read people saying you can just get on and pay, but there you go...

[Lophophaps]

To be certain of a seat it's best to book.It is possible to just turn up and pay, but there's no guarantee of a seat.

[Bush_walker]

Hi All,

I am planning on doing the Great Ocean Walk and want to skip a couple of campsites and finish in 5 days. Any other suggestions are also welcome!
Also, can I do food drop myself before I start the walk in midway at any of the campsite!

I am an experienced solo bush walker and do multi day hikes regularly.

I will be parking my car at the 12 Apostles and take the V line bus back to Apollo Bag or Marengo to start the walk.

Thankyou!

[peregrinator]

I'd be reluctant to leave anything at a campsite as it may be tampered with. And many campsites involve a longish walk from a road. But there are other spots where you could safely leave a food drop. An easy one to access is near the Castle Cove Lookout at Glenaire. There is a large car park on a sweeping bend on the Great Ocean Road. Walk east or west for a relatively short distance, leave the walking track and hide your cache in the low vegetation. You'll need to create a GPS waypoint because there will probably be no significant features available as visible markers.

[Bush_walker]

Hi,
Thanks for advice and info, sure I will follow your suggestion.

Thanks

[ChrisJHC]

I wouldn’t bother with a food drop because:

Assuming you carry about 800 g of food for each day, you’re talking about a total of 4 kg.
Plus the weight reduces each day.

The first few days are easy, flat walking so the weight won’t be as noticeable.

By the time you get to the more strenuous section, you’ll be down to half your food weight.
This is where you’d be picking up your food drop anyway.

Have lunch at Apollo Bay before you start - I strongly recommend the pie shop on the Main Street .
One less meal to carry.

Finally, what is your plan if you get to your food drop and find it’s missing or been attacked by animals?

[peregrinator]

I wouldn’t bother with a food drop because . . .

Fair enough. But how about water?

[Bush_walker]

Hi Chris,
Thanks for explanation and advice, it make sense and agree that first few days are not hard I will consume the food every day and will reduce the food weight every day.

I checked with Park staff, and they said there will be enough water at each campsite.

Also is there any private shuttle service from twelve apostle to apollo bay, I have booked V line buss but like to know if I can start early then how much it will cost me!

[peregrinator]

Also is there any private shuttle service from twelve apostle to apollo bay, I have booked V line buss but like to know if I can start early then how much it will cost me!

You might find something here:

https://www.greatoceanwalk.info/transport-to-and-from-the-walk/

[Bush_walker]

Thanks

[ChrisJHC]

I wouldn’t bother with a food drop because . . .

Fair enough. But how about water?

Tanks at each campsite.

[peregrinator]

Chris, I know there tanks, but I like to carry some of my own just case it's required.

[CraigVIC]

There are private shuttles available and you'll pay two hundred something apostles to apollo bay. I've used Alan Dow who has been doing it for years. You can find him on the Facebook group "Tips For Hiking the Great Ocean Walk" for a quote.