An epic new multi-day hike is coming to the Great Ocean Road!

Elizabeth Whitehead Elizabeth Whitehead
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The world’s greatest road trip region is about to become one of the world’s greatest hiking regions with the opening of the 7-day Great Ocean Coastal Trail.

The Great Ocean Road is a once-in-a-lifetime road trip and one of Australia’s biggest drawcards. But an upcoming multi-day hiking trail along the Otway Coast means that there will be another exhilarating way to explore the region’s world-class surf, charming beach towns and dramatic limestone cliffs. Named the Great Ocean Coastal Trail, this major hike is just on the horizon, with the first stage of construction taking place this year. Here’s the lowdown on what we know so far.

The vvastness of Fairhaven Beach at Aireys Inlet
Fairhaven is known for having some of the best waves on the Great Ocean Road.

Where is it?

When completed, The Great Ocean Coastal Trail will run over 90 kilometres from Fairhaven to Skenes Creek, passing through the towns of Lorne, Wye River and Kennett River. It will be a seven-day, six-night walk that takes in the heathland, amazing beaches and rainforest. The project aims to link the Surf Coast Walk and the Great Ocean Walk, to create an ultra long network of trails. The Great Ocean Coastal Trail will run inland from the Great Ocean Road, so hikers can immerse themselves in the distinctive nature of the region. Forget the whooshing of cars and tune into the crashing of waves, the call of birds and the sounds in the landscape.

The planned 90-kilometre track will take hikers from Fairhaven to Skenes Creek over the course of seven days.

What is it?

The trail will follow some of the trade routes and traditional walks of the Eastern Maar Traditional Owners, offering an opportunity to educate the broader community about Gadubanud Country and its history.

The trail was planned in collaboration with the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation. “Along this ‘Otway Coast’, our heritage can be seen in the form of coastal shell middens, stone artefacts and locality names given by our Ancestors … We welcome this plan and the opportunity it provides for a holistic approach to Caring for Country for the benefit of all," the statement reads. Ultimately, the trail offers an alternative to driving, and a way for people to connect more deeply with the Country.

The new walk will be a way to truly immerse yourself in the region. (Image: Unsplash/Cassie Lafferty)

Where to stay?

The trail passes through major towns, with an array of accommodation options already existing, from caravan parks to hotels and BnBs. For hikers with a little bit more of an adventurous streak, you’ll be able to camp along the way at pre-existing campsites, with two more campsites planned for construction.

the view from the bedroom at La Perouse Lorne
There are plenty of comfortable accommodation options along the route, such as La Perouse Lorne.

The country has benefitted from a flurry of new multi-day hikes in the last few months, such as the Southern Headlands Walk on NSW’s South Coast and the Snowies Alpine Walk in Kosciuszko. And the Great Ocean Coastal Trail is yet another boon for hikers.

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Elizabeth Whitehead
Elizabeth Whitehead is a writer obsessed with all things culture; doesn't matter if it's pop culture or cultures of the world. She graduated with a degree in History from the University of Sydney (after dropping out from Maths). Her bylines span AFAR, Lonely Planet, ELLE, Harper's BAZAAR and Refinery 29. Her work for Australian Traveller was shortlisted for single article of the year at the Mumbrella Publishing Awards 2024. She is very lucky in thrifting, very unlucky in UNO.
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This luxe trawler tour is redefining Victoria’s seafood experience

    Chloe Cann Chloe Cann
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    Victoria’s ‘mussel capital’ is the source of exceptional shellfish used by top chefs far and wide. Step aboard a beautifully refurbished trawler to see how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

    A curtain is slowly winched from the placid, teal waters just off Portarlington, like a floating garland beside our boat. The ropes heave with blue mussels, the star attraction of our tour. But as we reach to pluck our own, it’s quickly clear they’re not alone; a mass of weird and wonderful creatures has colonised the ropes, turning them into a living tapestry. ‘Fairy’ oysters, jelly-like sea squirts, and tiny, wriggling skeleton shrimp all inhabit this underwater ecosystem.

    We prize our bivalve bounty from the ropes, and minutes later the mussels arrive split on a platter. The plump orange morsels are served raw, ready to be spritzed with wedges of lemon and a lick of chilli as we gaze out over the bay. They’re briny, tender and faintly sweet. “This wasn’t originally part of the tour,” explains Connie Trathen, who doubles as the boat’s cook, deckhand and guide. “But a chef [who came onboard] wanted to taste the mussels raw first, and it’s now become one of the key features.”

    A humble trawler turned Hamptons-style dreamboat

    inspecting bivalve bounty from the ropes
    Inspecting the bounty. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

    It’s a crisp, calm winter’s day, and the sun is pouring down upon Valerie, a restored Huon pine workhorse that was first launched in January 1980. In a previous life she trawled the turbulent Bass Strait. These days she takes jaunts into Port Phillip Bay under the helm of Lance Wiffen, a fourth-generation Bellarine farmer, and the owner of Portarlington Mussel Tours. While Lance has been involved in the fishing industry for 30-plus years, the company’s tour boat only debuted in 2023.

    holding Portarlington mussels
    See how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

    It took more than three years to transform the former shark trawler into a dreamy, Hamptons-esque vessel, with little expense spared. Think muted green suede banquettes, white-washed walls, Breton-striped bench cushions, hardwood tables, bouquets of homegrown dahlias, and woollen blankets sourced from Waverley Mills, Australia’s oldest working textile mill. It’s intimate, too, welcoming 12 guests at most. And yet there’s nothing pretentious about the experience – just warm, down-to-earth Aussie hospitality.

    As we cruise out, we crack open a bottle of local bubbles and nibble on the most beautifully curated cheese platter, adorned with seashells and grey saltbush picked from the water’s edge that very morning. Australasian gannets soar overhead, and I’m told it’s not uncommon for guests to spot the odd seal, pod of dolphins, or even the occasional little penguin.

    The sustainable secret behind Victoria’s best mussels

    blue mussels off Portarlington
    Blue mussels sourced just off Portarlington.

    Connie and Lance both extol the virtues of mussels. They’re delicious. A lean source of protein and packed with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, iron, selenium, and zinc. They’re cooked in a flash (Connie steams our fresh harvest with cider and onion jam). And they’re also widely regarded as one of the most sustainable foods in the world.

    Portarlington mussels with lemon and chilli
    Mussels served with lemon and chilli.

    “Aquaculture is [often] seen as destructive, so a lot of our guests are really surprised about how environmentally friendly and sustainable our industry is,” Lance says. “[Our mussels] would filter 1.4 billion litres of water a day,” he adds, explaining how mussels remove excess nitrogen and phosphorus from the water. “And through biomineralisation, we lock carbon into mussel shells.”

    a hand holding a Portarlington mussel
    Mussels are a sustainable food.

    Despite their glowing list of accolades, these molluscs have long been seen as the oysters’ poorer cousins. “It was a really slow start,” explains Lance, who says that in the early days of his career, “you could not sell mussels in Victoria”.

    But word has slowly caught on. Chefs as globally acclaimed as Attica’s Ben Shewry and even René Redzepi of Noma, Denmark, have travelled to these very waters just to try the shellfish at the source, sharing only the highest praise, and using Lance’s mussels in their restaurants.

    guests sampling Portarlington mussels onboard
    Sampling the goods onboard. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

    According to Lance there’s one obvious reason why the cool depths of Portarlington outshine other locations for mussel farming. “The water quality is second to none,” he says, noting how other regions are frequently rocked by harvest closures due to poor water quality. “We grow, without a doubt, some of the best shellfish in the world.” And with Lance’s bold claims backed up by some of the industry’s greatest names, perhaps it won’t be much longer until more Aussies uncover the appeal of Portarlington’s mussels.

    An epic new multi-day hike is coming to the Great Ocean Road! - Australian Traveller