Twelve Apostles Walk and Mornington Peninsula - January 2025

An amazing week in Victoria. It started with trying out the wine regions of Yarra Valley and the Mornington Peninsula. We stayed at the luxurious Jackalope. Jackalope was the perfect base for 2 days on the Mornington Peninsula. On the way there from the airport we went through Yarra Valley and lunch at Herd and dropped into Giant Steps Cellar Door. Both were amazing.
While on the Peninsula we stopped in at Sorrento, Point Nepean National Park, had lunch and a wine tasting at Foxeys Hangout and tastings at Paringa Estate and then back at Jackalope at the Rare Hare Cellar Door. We then drank bubbles and cocktails by the pool overlooking the vineyard until after 8pm. Both nights we ate at Jackalope at both Doot Doot Doot and Flaggerdoot. Everything at Jackalope was amazing!
On the way back to drop the hire car back at the airport we again detoured through Yarra Valley were we had lunch at Soumah overlooking their vineyard. That was well worth the detour.
That night we had an amazing feed of steak and wine at Rockpool in Melbourne.
The next morning we were picked up by Bruce, our awesome guide for the next 4 days, for the main reason for our trip - a four day escape with Tasmanian Walking Company along the Great Ocean Walk.
Day 1 we had a brief stop at Apollo Bay where we picked up our other guide - the amazing Jasmine, before being dropped off to start the walk at Blanket Bay. We finished the walk at Cape Otway Lighthouse and headed back to the lodge, but not without stopping on the side of the road to see what was probably the best sighting of koalas we have seen in the wild. Our accommodation for the next three nights was awesome. We were greeted by the resident kangaroos, enjoyed daily foot spas, unlimited Victorian wine and amazing meals prepared by the vary talented lodge hosts, Jasmine and Em.
On Day 2 we did Milanesia Track to Moonlight Head. We got to head down to Milanesia Beach and had lunch at Ryan's Den Camp Site and finished the day with a big climb to Moonlight head.
On Day 3 we headed back to Moonlight Head where we started and hour long immersion walk towards the Gables Lookout where we had morning tea. We then descended to Wreck Beach and explored the historic shipwreck ruins of both the Marie Gabrielle and the Fiji. We had lunch at Devils Kitchen Camp Site and then a walk back to the bus and then travelled to Melba Gully.
On Day 4 we headed to Princetown to start our walk to the Twelve Apostles
These fabulous Twelve Apostles slowly revealed themselves as the trail track along the coastline. After spending a bit of time at the Twelve Apostles themselves we then headed up to Lock Ard Gorge. We then headed to Timboon where we visited Schulz Organic Dairy for lunch before returning to Melbourne.
The Tasmanian Walking Company put on an amazing and faultless experience for us which was made better by the awesome group of fellow hikers that we met. Thank you to Guy and Meaghn, Martin and Anne, Rose and Raphael for the amazing company (and putting up with us).