Great South West Walk
A 262 km loop from Portland in south-west Victoria, inland through forest to the Glenelg River and back along the beaches and cliffs of Discovery Bay.
At a glance
- Loop from and back to
- Portland
- Length
- 262 km
- On foot
- ≈ 10–13 days
- Countries
Australia
About the trail
The Great South West Walk was built by the people of Portland, in south-west Victoria: staff, students and families from Portland High School laid out the first 200 km on public land between 1980 and 1982. The Friends of the Great South West Walk, formed in 1983, extended it into a 262 km circuit and still maintain it as volunteers under Parks Victoria.
From Portland the loop heads inland through forest to the gorge of the Glenelg River and the village of Nelson, then returns along the long beaches of Discovery Bay, where steep sand cliffs back the shore, and round the capes near Portland.
The Friends' website describes 262 km with 14 campsites, and the circuit can be walked in one go or in sections, such as the Trewalla to Murrells stretch on Discovery Bay.
No source gives the days on foot, so they are worked out from the length at 20–25 km a day.