On 9 January 2006, the Great Ocean Walk was officially launched by the Hon. John Thwaites, then Victorian Minister for the Environment.
Twenty years on, this remarkable coastal trail has become one of Australia’s most iconic long-distance walks — attracting visitors from across Australia and around the world to experience the wild beauty of Victoria’s Otway coast.
But the Great Ocean Walk’s story didn’t begin in 2006. Its journey to becoming a world-class trail was shaped by local vision, years of planning, and hands-on work long before the first official walker set foot on the track.
Local Insight from Walk91
This guide is written by the Walk91 team, locals based in Apollo Bay who live and work on the Great Ocean Walk. We support walkers on this trail each walking season and share practical, first-hand knowledge to help you plan safely and confidently.
Read on to see why we are celebrating 20 years of hiking such an amazing trail. And, if you are inspired to walk this amazing trail yourself, check out our pack-free, self-guided walks with accommodation and catering, from 10-Days, 7-Day, 5-Days or even just 3-Days!
A Vision Born Long Before the Walk Opened
The idea for the Great Ocean Walk dates back to 1994, when a small group of Cape Otway locals began talking about a bold concept: linking bush tracks, beaches and old logging trails into one continuous coastal walking experience.
What started as informal conversations gradually evolved into a shared vision for a trail that would showcase the Otways and the Shipwreck Coast in a slower, more immersive way — on foot.
By the late 1990s and early 2000s, Parks Victoria began formal planning, supported by environmental experts, cultural heritage advisers and experienced track builders.
If you’d like to explore the deeper story behind how the Great Ocean Walk was planned, designed and built, you can read our detailed History of the Great Ocean Walk here.
Years of Planning, Care and Craftsmanship
Designing the Great Ocean Walk took more than five years, guided by extensive:
- Environmental assessments
- Cultural heritage investigations
- Geotechnical and coastal erosion studies
- Risk and safety planning
- Hundreds of hours of on-ground surveys
Before construction began, informal tracks near Station Beach were closed and rehabilitated to protect sensitive dunes and cultural sites.
Built by Hand on the Otway Coast
Between 2002 and 2005, specialist track crews from Victoria and Tasmania — many with experience on iconic trails such as Tasmania’s Overland Track — worked alongside Parks Victoria rangers and volunteers to bring the Great Ocean Walk to life.
Much of the trail was built entirely by hand, using mattocks, shovels and crowbars to blend the track naturally into the landscape.
Crews spent more than 100 nights camping in the Otways, constructing:
- Over 1,200 hand-built rock steps, some weighing more than 300 kg
- Major staircases at Ryan’s Den and Cape Volney
- Timber bridges, boardwalks and on-ground steps
- Drainage and erosion control structures
Materials for remote campsites were flown in by helicopter, and every decision balanced durability, safety and environmental protection.
Launch Day: January 2006
After more than a decade of ideas, planning and construction, the Great Ocean Walk was officially launched in January 2006 as a 91-kilometre trail, stretching from Apollo Bay to Glenample Homestead.
At the time, walkers couldn’t yet reach the Twelve Apostles on foot. Completing the journey required a shuttle from Glenample to the Apostles viewing area — a practical solution, but one that left many dreaming of a true on-foot finish.
Even so, the walk quickly gained a reputation as one of Australia’s most spectacular coastal hiking experiences.
Walk91: Named at the Beginning, Walking Ever Since
When the Great Ocean Walk officially opened in 2006, Walk91 chose its name to reflect the original 91-kilometre length of the trail.
Founder Mark Kininmonth helped build sections of the track while working as a Parks Victoria Ranger, long before Walk91 became the first local operator to assist walkers on the trail.
In the early years, Walk91 supported walkers by meeting them at Glenample Homestead and transferring them to the Twelve Apostles — helping people complete their journey at a time when finishing on foot wasn’t yet possible.
Twenty years later, the Great Ocean Walk has grown and evolved — now stretching approximately 104 kilometres as it finishes at the Twelve Apostles — but the name Walk91 remains a proud nod to the walk’s beginnings and our long-standing connection to the trail.
Completing the Dream: Reaching the Twelve Apostles on Foot
In later years, the trail was extended beyond Glenample Homestead to the Twelve Apostles car park, allowing walkers to complete the entire journey on foot.
Today, with side trips and lookouts included, the Great Ocean Walk measures approximately 104 kilometres, finishing at one of Australia’s most iconic natural landmarks.
For many walkers, reaching the Twelve Apostles on foot — after days immersed in the Otways — is the perfect finale.
Caring for the Walk: A Thank You to the Rangers
As the Great Ocean Walk celebrates 20 years, it’s also a time to acknowledge the people who have quietly cared for it behind the scenes.
We’d like to sincerely thank the Parks Victoria rangers based in Apollo Bay, whose dedication, local knowledge and commitment have helped look after the trail since its earliest days. From track maintenance and safety planning to environmental protection and visitor support, their work has been fundamental to the Great Ocean Walk becoming what it is today.
Walk91 has loved working alongside so many passionate rangers over the past two decades — sharing a common goal of protecting this remarkable coastline while helping people experience it safely and responsibly.
Looking Ahead: The Next Chapter of Coastal Walking
The success of the Great Ocean Walk has helped inspire the next generation of coastal walking experiences in Victoria.
Work has now commenced on the Great Ocean Road Coastal Trail — a nationally significant new multi-day walk being delivered by the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority, in partnership with the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, Parks Victoria, and the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation.
Traversing Gadubanud Country along the Otway coast, the proposed trail will extend approximately 76 kilometres from Fairhaven to Grey River, offering a wide range of walking experiences from short loops and day walks to multi-day hikes.
The long-term vision is to one day link the Surf Coast Walk, the Great Ocean Road Coastal Trail, and the Great Ocean Walk — creating an extraordinary continuous coastal walking journey from Torquay to the Twelve Apostles.
20 Years On — and Still Walking
From a local idea shared in the 1990s to an internationally recognised trail, the Great Ocean Walk has become a defining way to experience Victoria’s wild southern coastline.
As it turns 20, we celebrate not just a track — but the people who dreamed it, built it, cared for it and continue to walk it today.
Here’s to 20 years of footsteps, stories, sunsets and sea air — and to many more still to come.
Great Ocean Walk – FAQs
The Great Ocean Walk was officially launched on 9 January 2006 as a 91 km coastal trail between Apollo Bay and Glenample Homestead.
Today, the walk measures approximately 104 kilometres, including side trips and lookouts, and finishes at the Twelve Apostles.
Walk91 is named after the original 91 km length of the Great Ocean Walk when it first opened in 2006.
The walk was built by Parks Victoria rangers, specialist track builders from Victoria and Tasmania, and volunteers, using predominantly hand-built construction methods.
Yes. The trail was later extended beyond Glenample Homestead, allowing walkers to complete the entire journey on foot at the Twelve Apostles.
The Great Ocean Walk remains a standalone trail, but it has inspired future coastal walking projects, including the Great Ocean Road Coastal Trail, which is currently under construction.
Thinking about walking the Great Ocean Walk?
If the Great Ocean Walk is on your list — or has just jumped to the top — our local team in Apollo Bay is here to help you plan the perfect hike.
đź“Ť Locally based. Highly experienced. Walk with confidence.
If you have any questions, or if one of our Great Ocean Walk tours has caught your eye, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Choose from 3 Days to 10 Days to suit your walking pace perfectly.
About the Author
Walk91 is a locally owned Great Ocean Walk operator based in Apollo Bay, Victoria. Our team lives and works on the Great Ocean Road and provides self-guided Great Ocean Walk support throughout the walking season, drawing on first-hand knowledge of trail conditions, logistics, and safety planning.
CONTACT US to start planning your Great Ocean Walk Adventure!
T: +61 3 5237 1189 Or BOOK A CALL Email: info@walk91.com.au
