The Walk91 Journey

My years as a Park Ranger on the Great Ocean Walk

I’m Mark Kininmonth and my passion for the Great Ocean Walk was ignited when I first helped build some of the track as a Parks Victoria Ranger in the early 2000s.

During this time, I was in charge of several projects but the real highlight was working on a new trail Parks Victoria were planning on opening… the Great Ocean Walk!

With a shovel and a few power tools, we worked as a team clearing bush and helping the contractors to build this now world-renowned trail. The other rangers and I are really proud of how popular the Great Ocean Walk has become over the years and I look back on those days as a real highlight of my time living and working here in Apollo Bay.

Once the walk was complete, Nancy and I created Walk 91 in order to help walkers navigate the logistics of this amazing trail and to offer local support and back up for hikers. We were the first tourism business to offer this service, and are still the only locally owned business based in Apollo Bay offering this support.

If you have any questions about us, our Great Ocean Walk Package Tours, our custom Great Ocean Walk tours, or anything else related to the Great Ocean Walk, please feel free to get in touch(opens in a new tab).

A Little History About Me (Mark) and Nancy

Nancy loves looking up the history and wonderful stories to share with our walkers. She has popped many of these stories into our walking notes, so think of her whilst you are reading them. However, we have had to cull them a bit so they are not a hundred pages long!

I have come from a tourism background, working in London, Egypt, Central America, and on the Barrier Reef (in offices, clam farms and on scuba dive sites); Nancy is from a fashion design background. After travelling extensively (Nancy & I met whilst working on the dive boats in Cairns) Nancy worked in production and design rooms in London and China, and has developed a real attention to detail. She takes pleasure in making sure all our walks run seamlessly. (Excuse the pun!)

Working Together on the Great Ocean Walk

It has been really rewarding creating unforgettable experiences on the Great Ocean Walk and we have had so much fun offering our ‘Walk91’ service for over 16 years. As a result, we have a few good stories to tell too! (One of the best was when an eagle dropped a huge koala on the roof of one of our buses when it tried to get airborne with more than it could chew!)

The Walk91 Name

When the walk first opened to the public in 2005, it was 91 kilometers long, hence our name. We did not realise at the time that the walk would be extended to 104km, due to its soaring popularity. It was wonderful to see the trailhead marked with local sculptures in Apollo Bay (see us holding the old sign) and to see the walk extended to end at the iconic 12 Apostles from its previous endpoint at Glenample. We were blown away when the 12 Apostles kiosk and lookouts were built, along with the Great Ocean Walk underpass and the Glenample viewing platform.

Another highlight was having the privilege of taking part in the filming of ‘The Art Of Walking’ movie, where we got to spend time with the planet walker, John Francis. John is an environmentalist and truly believes that when it comes to walking “It is the journey and not the destination” that matters.


Walk91 - Our Passion, Our Community, Our Environment

Along with our love of the Great Ocean Walk (we got married at the start of the trail!) we also love our local community of Apollo Bay, our ‘Paradise-by-the-Sea’, and in the last 20 years we have learned so much about the local environment, met some wonderful people and had two children. We have been proud to create jobs for the local community and to support our tremendous local clubs.

Cape Otway Conservation and Ecology Centre

The Cape Otway Conservation and Ecology Centre was founded with the intention of restoring diversity and protecting the unique species that call Cape Otway home, such as the Tiger Quoll and Long-nosed Potoroo. We hope that, with the support of our walkers, we can join the Ecology Centre in their goal of protecting the Otways forever as a healthy and resilient environment. If you are in town, remember to check out ‘Wildlife Wonders’ as it is a fabulous cause. http://www.wildlifewonders.org.au/

Indigenous Literacy Foundation

Australia’s Indigenous people have an important place in building strong and resilient communities across our country. The Indigenous Literacy Foundation was formed after a desperate need was recognised among remote Indigenous communities for access to literacy education and culturally appropriate stories with a focus on their first language. We have been supporting this cause through donations with every booking we take through Walk91.

“Being able to read opens so many doors. But in very remote Indigenous communities, books are all too scarce and literacy levels are so much lower than anywhere else in Australia. Our purpose is to make a difference to the lives of Indigenous families by not only gifting thousands of new culturally appropriate books – with a focus on early literacy and first language – but also by running programs to inspire the communities to tell and publish their own stories.”

We would like to take this opportunity to pay our respects to the Gadubanud people, the traditional custodians of the Cape Otway Coast, and to elders past, present, and emerging.

Apollo Bay Football and Netball Club

This not-for-profit community club plays an important role in our small town, and has done so since even before 1935. It not only helps local kids and adults stay fit, but also helps nurture lasting relationships within the community. Without the financial support of local businesses this club would not be able to function.We are proud to be able to support the friendly and inclusive atmosphere generated within the club.

We appreciate the support and trust every single one of our walker’s place in us when they book one of our walks and we promise that everybody who chooses Walk 91 to assist them on their Great Ocean Walk will take away a special memory from our truly wonderful little piece of Victoria.


Meet the Team

1

Susie

Susie patrols for the Apollo Bay Surf Live Saving Club & loves being a part of the local ocean swimming group. Susie will often be here to meet & greet you on arrival, and be your driver on the trail.

3

Peter

‘Captain’ Peter loves the great outdoors and is an avid member of the Apollo Bay Sailing Club. Peter will shuttle you along the trail & answer any questions you may have.

Brad

Brad is a lover of the great outdoors. He is an expert on local flora and fauna and he is a wonderful sculptor too. Just look at the wonderful carvings on the Apollo Bay foreshore!

A Final Note From Mark and Nancy

You probably don’t need much more info on us (Mark and Nancy), but we would just like to point out that we are really keen on keeping the water and local area rubbish free. Walk91 helped our son raise the money for a seabin in Apollo Bay and it is the first on the Great Ocean Road.

LOOKING FOR MORE? WE'D LOVE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS