The Great Ocean Walk (Parker Inlet to Castle Cove)

Day Seven - Australia & the Great Ocean Walk - 2025

The longest walking day of this Great Ocean Walk tour, we hug the edges of the cliffs above the ocean, passing Cape Otway and its lighthouse before crossing the Aire River en route to rejoining the Great Ocean Road.

1. Parker Inlet to Castle Cove #1

Waves crash into rocks beneath small green plant-covered cliffs along The Great Ocean Walk, Victoria, Australia.

The Parker Inlet to Castle Cove stretch of the Great Ocean Walk is 23 kilometers / 14.3 miles.

Waking early in the morning, we had an amazing breakfast at our cottage (during which I broke the coffee machine despite receiving clear instructions) before heading back to Parker Inlet. This would be our longest day of the trek, but would remain relatively flat aside from a drop down to and out of Aire River.

2. Parker Inlet to Castle Cove #2

A wide sand beach underneath cliffs gives way to rocks and surf along The Great Ocean Walk, Victoria, Australia.

Pressing forward, we passed by Point Franklin and Seal Point past several beach coves.

3. Parker Inlet to Castle Cove #3

Waves crash along rocks beneath small bush-covered hills along The Great Ocean Walk, Victoria, Australia.

Soon, we passed above Crayfish Bay.

4. Parker Inlet to Castle Cove #4

Atop a shrub-covered cliff high above the Southern Ocean, the white spire of the Cape Otway Lighthouse rises, The Great Ocean Walk, Victoria, Australia.

Built in 1848, the 90 meter / 295 foot Cape Otway Lightstation is Australia’s oldest existing lighthouse and was constructed without use of cement.

About an hour into our walk, we could see the giant white spire of the Cape Otway Lightstation reaching up above the surrounding cliffs.

5. Parker Inlet to Castle Cove #5

Kangaroos rest in a brown grass field along The Great Ocean Walk, Victoria, Australia.

Along the way, we passed a mob of kangaroos which marked the first time I had ever seen them in the wild!

6. Parker Inlet to Castle Cove #6

A wallaby hides behind green shrubs along a sandy track high above the Southern Ocean along The Great Ocean Walk, Victoria, Australia.

Only a few minutes later, we caught this wallaby high above the ocean below.

7. Parker Inlet to Castle Cove #7

The white spire of the Cape Otway Lighthouse rises above Cape Otway, as seen from The Great Ocean Walk, Victoria, Australia.

On 8 November 1940, the SS City of Rayville was sunk off of Cape Otway by a German mine, marking the first American ship lost during World War II. Yes, you read that right: an American ship was sunk by a German mine off Australia in 1940….

Quickly, the lightstation and Cape Otway Telegraph Station came into view. This location is symbolic for a variety of reasons: first, it means you are about one-third of the way complete with your Great Ocean Walk trek, and, second, this marks the location where the Bass Strait and the Great Australian Bight separate.

This was the location of our morning coffee and tea break, as well!

Want to support this ad-free web page?
Considering giving us a follow on Instagram - it's free!

Thanks for your support!

8. Parker Inlet to Castle Cove #8

Waves lash against the beach beneath low cliffs along the Southern Ocean adjacent to The Great Ocean Walk, Victoria, Australia.

Moving onwards, we moved earnestly along the cliffs high above Station Beach, which is an alternate route along the Great Ocean Walk …

9. Parker Inlet to Castle Cove #9

Storm clouds roll over the shore above the Southern Ocean in the distance from The Great Ocean Walk, Victoria, Australia.

… However, the tide was coming in so -unfortunately- we weren’t able to pass along it.

10. Parker Inlet to Castle Cove #10

The Aire River runs into the Southern Ocean near The Great Ocean Walk, Victoria, Australia.

About two hours after departing the lighthouse, we were upon a bluff high above the Aire River.

11. Parker Inlet to Castle Cove #11

The Aire River runs through a flat stretch of land containing green bushes and trees, The Great Ocean Walk, Victoria, Australia.

After descending down the long, sandy track, we crossed the Sand Road Bridge over the Aire River and met up for lunch. Given the long distances covered, the group was a bit spread out but -of course- we all arrived safely in due time.

A great upside of meeting up with the van for lunch at Aire River -and, frankly, a great thing about doing an organized tour along the Great Ocean Walk- is that we had the option of coming off-track early if we wanted to. I continued on, but at least one member of our group decided to return for a relaxing afternoon at the cottage instead.

12. Parker Inlet to Castle Cove #12

The white waves of the blue Southern Ocean crash against tall brown cliffs along The Great Ocean Walk, Victoria, Australia.

After lunch, we pressed onwards again, soon passing the Sentinel Rock Lookout.

13. Parker Inlet to Castle Cove #13

A wooden staircase descends towards the Southern Ocean beneath a tall green shrub-covered cliff along The Great Ocean Walk, Victoria, Australia.

Past Sentinel Rock Lookout, the track dropped down to a narrow gap between the sea and the green-covered cliffs - this was one of my favorite stretches of the whole Great Ocean Walk.

14. Parker Inlet to Castle Cove #14

A wide pink beach runs dead-end into tall white cliffs on which are green trees and shrubs, The Great Ocean Walk, Victoria, Australia.

Soon, the vast sandy beach of Castle Cove was seen in front of us and we knew we were close to completing the longest day of the trip. We arrived about two hours after leaving our Aire River lunch location.

15. Parker Inlet to Castle Cove #15

A wide brown sand beach stretches along The Great Ocean Walk, Victoria, Australia.

At Castle Cove, the Great Ocean Walk meets up again with the Great Ocean Road, and it was here that we met our van driver who returned us back to Johanna and our cottage.

16. Johanna Beach Kangaroo

A kangaroo standing in manicured grass in front of a wood and wire fence looks forward, Johanna, Victoria, Australia.

Right off our cottage’s property, we passed by this kangaroo super close to the roadway.

This was another evening of relaxing both mind and spirit at the homestay, accompanied by another amazing home-cooked meal. Seriously, 10 out of 10. Most folks turned in early, but I decided to take advantage of a clear, incredibly dark, moonless sky to do some quick astrophotography.

17. Johanna Beach Southern Night Sky

Star clusters and galaxies are seen in the nighttime sky, Johanna, Victoria, Australia.

Overall, I am very pleased with how this composition came out, particularly considering it was a short session as I needed to get some good rest before tackling another day on the track.

Previous: The Great Ocean Walk (Shelly Beach to Parker Inlet) - Day Six

Next: The Great Ocean Walk (Castle Cove to Milanesia Track) - Day Eight

Back to Australia & the Great Ocean Walk - 2025