Great South West Walk

Details

Walk name/location

Great South West Walk

Walk grade

Extended Walk 2

Description

Come and join us for a week of hiking the interesting bits of the Great South West Walk. Saturday 16th to Saturday the 23rd March 2024

Two days of travel and 6 days of hiking fun. Plus a rest day with a planned adventurous/fun activity.

Travel to Portland is in your own vehicle, but we will be transported to and from each walk from the NRMA Portland Bay Holiday Park (cliff-top caravan park). Phone 03 5523 1487

Once you have booked onto the walk if you contact this caravan park and mention you are a part of  Friends of the Heysen Trail group walking the GSWW They are offering us 7 nights for the price of 6. Also they are placing a hold on cabins for a short time, to assist us. The park has a camp kitchen plus a regular evening fire pit.

On the final Saturday morning as you drive home you may like to join us to see some additional sites in Mount Gambier.

Contact Bill on 0466981945  Paul on 040878772 if you have any queries.

11klms A1 loSome of what we might encounter are - The Blowhole Lookout, Petrified Forest, Bridgewater Bay, Seals, Whales, Dolphins, Cape Nelson – coastal cliffs, diverse birdlife, picturesque walks, Gannets, Cape Nelson Lightstation, Soap Mallee, Rufous Bristlebirds. See Victoria’s floral emblem – pink or white heath, Old timber milling history signs, colourful fungi (autumn and winter growing), Surry River, Rufous Fantail, Rose and Pink & Robins.

A much needed, fun-rest day. Then, a one day walk in Rain forest where you will likely come across animal scats and scratching (Echidna & Potoroo) in the soil along the track edge, Powerful Owls roosting in Blackwood trees, Potoroo (dusk to dawn), Bleeding trees with scratched sap patches – feed posts for gliders. Signs of past fires: Silver Banksia – older woody cones burnt and open/closed, Different seed pods and how they may have responded to bushfire, Blackened bark and fresh green growth of forests regenerating from bushfire, Older trees and burnt bark, Hollows burnt out to create homes for wildlife to shelter or breed in.

Cost is $180 per person. Be quick to book as numbers are limited due to coach size.

A private Facebook group "GSWW with the F.O.H.T" has been created to enable photos to be shared after the walk. This group can also be used before the walk by people wanting to share accommodation, cars, etc.

SPECIAL CANCELLATION POLICY - If you cancel less than 60 days prior to the walk you will not receive any refund unless the vacancy is filled by another. If you are not happy with this policy then please do not book this walk.

Walk Difficulty - The GSWW walks are demanding and suitable for experienced walkers who have walked regularly in various terrain consisting of long-distance trails with some steep inclines/declines, irregular surface with loose uneven, slippery base. They have a walking time of about 5 to 7 hours and will require a good degree of physical fitness.

SPECIAL RISK - a risk we do not encounter in South Australia that you will have on the GSWW is leeches. Leeches are abundant in the forest sections. An application of insect repellent that contains DEET is also a handy way of warding off the parasites or if you avoid DEET products then a eucalyptus or tea tree based spray will be good protection also.

BIOSECURITY MEASURES – Please ensure you thoroughly clean your footwear, clothing, walking poles and other equipment before and after each walk to remove all seeds, dirt and other debris. Removed seeds should be bagged and disposed in a ‘to landfill’ garbage bin.

Start

Saturday 16 March 2024

End

Saturday 23 March 2024

Walk Leaders

Bill Van riet
Peter Clark
Paul Delaine