The Great Ocean Walk (Castle Cove to Milanesia Track)
Day Eight - Australia & the Great Ocean Walk - 2025
A long day from sea to summit along the Great Ocean Walk, featuring a walk along Johanna Beach and a steady uphill towards the track’s highest point.
1. Castle Cove to Milanesia Track #1
The distance between Castle Cove and Milanesia Track along the Great Ocean Walk is 17 kilometers / 10.6 miles.
After yet another great meal at the homestay, we returned to Castle Cove and began our day out on the trail. Before long, we were high above the ocean again, getting an excellent view back across the terrain we covered the day before.
Also: this viewpoint is the halfway point of the trek!
2. Castle Cove to Milanesia Track #2
Depending on your opinion of beach walking, this day might be your favorite of the trek as it features a 2-kilometer / 1.2-mile stretch on the sands of Johanna Beach. I’m not overly fond of beach walking myself, and -while it is pretty to look at- I usually just look forward to it being over. To help me along, I usually use my hiking poles so I’ve not no photos from this part of the track, for better or worse.
3. Castle Cove to Milanesia Track #3
At Johanna, we passed right by our cottage’s property (it’s the behind the trees on the right). We also took an opportunity to have coffee and tea, and -of course!- anyone who wanted to head back to the cottage for the day had the chance to do so.
4. Castle Cove to Milanesia Track #4
After Johanna Beach, the track heads both far inland and high above the sea (reaching the trail’s highest elevation at around 275 meters / 900 feet). The cliffs along this stretch of coast and wide swath of privately-owned land makes this unavoidable.
5. Castle Cove to Milanesia Track #5
At lunchtime, we got one last view of the sea. From here, the trail follows the Old Coach Road past driveways and large farm properties until it turns back towards the sea via the Milanesia Track. The roadway is well-worn and not easy on the joints, and while the long uphill is not particularly steep, it does continue for 4 kilometers / 2.5 miles. At some point along the Milanesia Track you’ll reach a large vehicular gate - that is the tour van pick-up point. We were particularly motivated this day and finished around 1400.
Given that we had some extra time, we made a quick stop at a small restaurant / cafe in Lavers Hill for some coffee and snacks on the way back to the cottage. Following a shower, and after a failed attempt to see some platypus in the nearby Johanna River, I decided to take a walk back down to the Great Ocean Walk track near Johanna Beach to capture sunset from an overlook we passed earlier in the day … I felt like I hadn’t really been walking enough the last several days….
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6. Johanna, Victoria #1
I was pretty happy with the clouds and knew the sunset was not going to disappoint!
7. Johanna, Victoria #2
Johanna Seaside Cottages sits on a large farmstead with cows. One early morning during our stay, the cows even wandered right up to the house!
8. Johanna Beach Kangeroos
Making my way to the overlook, I passed by these two kangaroos who were, to say the least, surprised by my presence.
9. Johanna Beach Sunset #1
Thankfully I made it down to the overlook just in time for an absolutely top-notch sunset!
10. Johanna Beach Sunset #2
Wow! For better or worse, I got so wrapped up in the moment having this view entirely to myself that I completely lost track of the time; I had to walk rather briskly back to the cottage in order to catch the group dinner. Before long, I turned in for the night.
