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Wreck Beach, Moonlight Head and Castle Cove on the Great Ocean Walk, Victoria. January 2010 Experiencing the Great Ocean Walk has been on the list of “must do’s” for a while. The complete walk takes about 9 days, but we only had time for a couple of small sections last week. We identified a circular route along Wreck Beach near Moonlight Heads that would enable us to walk some of the more spectacular parts of the coastline. I was looking for something that wouldn’t be too taxing. Those who are unfit like me and struggle on any slope that remotely resembles a hill will understand why. The walk down to Wreck Beach and along the coastline was amazing. The scenery was spectacular and these photos don’t do it full justice.
The sense of being far from the world in a place untouched by everyday life was very strong. The bush was incredibly thick in areas and from various vantage points we could see it extending for kilometres through a trackless landscape. My walking companions commented on the fact that we were looking at land that people may never have walked through or touched before. Let’s hope it remains that way as our footprint doesn’t need to extend everywhere. The track wound through varying and beautiful habitat - magnificent and unspoilt coastal heathland teeming with insects and tiny butterflies that appeared whenever the sun emerged from the clouds; windswept bays with beaches that contained the remains of old ships that were wrecked along this treacherous stretch of the south-west Victorian coastline; amazing rock formations, including cannon-ball type rocks that have emerged as sandstone cliffs eroded; overhanging messmate and manna gums that shaded the track as we walked.
After an overnight stay in Princetown we headed back the next day to the eastern side of Moonlight Heads and then on to Castle Cove. Spectacular beach vistas and rugged cliffs dominated the views.
Continuing along the Great Ocean Road to temperate rainforest of Mait’s Rest , a quick walk around the ancient rainforest finished a perfect couple of days.
Bernie Lingham. |
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Wyld By Design |
