The Great Ocean Walk (Gibson Steps to Twelve Apostles)
Day Eleven - Australia & the Great Ocean Walk - 2025
An excellent ending to an excellent trek, with a walk along Gibson Beach followed by visits to Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge.
1. Gibson Steps to Twelve Apostles #1
The distance between Gibson Steps and Twelve Apostles along the Great Ocean Walk is about 2 kilometers / 1.25 miles, not including the distance down to the beach itself.
In the morning, we returned to the Walk Victoria’s Icons Lookout to resume our trek. First order of business, however, was to get a photograph down towards Gibson Beach in the soft morning light …
2. Gibson Steps to Twelve Apostles #2
… And, for good measure, a photograph back towards the cliffs we spent several days walking!
3. Gibson Steps to Twelve Apostles #3
We walked to the Gibson Steps and headed down to Gibson Beach. Like the other beaches on this trip, it is imperative you time this walk with low tide; if you do, you are treated to a great up-close encounter with the nearby limestone pillars.
4. Gibson Steps to Twelve Apostles #4
The two pillars at Gibson Beach are named Gog and Magog, after the religious figures.
5. Gibson Steps to Twelve Apostles #5
The waves began rolling into quite violently (seriously, this beach can be very dangerous under the wrong circumstances!) so we made our way back up the 86 Gibson Steps (whew!) to continue our walk.
6. Gibson Steps to Twelve Apostles #6
Despite the name, there have never been twelve limestone stacks at Twelve Apostles; since the formation’s naming, there have ever been nine, with two having collapsed, one most recently in 2005.
The walk between Gibson Steps and Twelve Apostles is reasonably short and flat. After passing through the Visitor Centre, I headed down to the lookout platform. Several members of the group took an optional helicopter ride past the Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge (they enthusiastically endorsed it, for what that’s worth.)
Four more photographs of Twelve Apostles follow.
7. Gibson Steps to Twelve Apostles #7
8. Gibson Steps to Twelve Apostles #8
9. Gibson Steps to Twelve Apostles #9
10. Gibson Steps to Twelve Apostles #10
This moment was honestly one of the most satisfying moments I’ve ever had traveling. While the Great Ocean Walk was not tremendously difficult, it was a long journey. I could have just driven the Great Ocean Road between Melbourne and Twelve Apostles, but -unlike those visitors arriving via motor coach- I truly felt I earned this view! I can say without exaggeration the Great Ocean Walk was one of the absolute greatest travel experiences I’ve ever had.
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11. Loch Ard Gorge #1
The scenic area and viewpoint called Loch Ard Gorge is named after the ship Loch Ard, which shipwrecked here in 1878.
Before heading back to Melbourne, we had one last stop: Loch Ard Gorge. While obviously not the main star of the show on that day, it was certainly a worthwhile stop!
Two more photographs from Loch Ard Gorge follow.
12. Loch Ard Gorge #2
The middle section of the Island Archway collapsed in 2009, leaving two limestone stacks, afterwards named Tom and Eva after Loch Ard’s two survivors.
13. Loch Ard Gorge #3
Despite my tour being done, my day didn’t get any less hectic. Arriving in Melbourne in the late afternoon, I had to take my luggage across town on a streetcar from our drop-off point (National Gallery of Victoria) to Southern Cross Train Station and catch the bus to Melbourne Tullamarine Airport. When I planned out this trip, this was the part I was most worried about: what if there was a tour van breakdown or a cancelled flight? Thankfully all went well and I was soon back at Sydney Airport. It was insanely late in the evening by the time I made it to my airport hotel, so I immediately tucked in for the evening.
After all, I had one last massive day in Australia planned!
