Fast forward to November 2023 and I thought I would catch up with the GSWW and say howdy.
Getting to Portland:
Thanks to Vline and a generous passenger fare cap I hopped a train and bus for $10 to Portland from Southern Cross Station, travel time around 5 hours. Plenty of loud bogans to endure on the journey but that's uber cheap public transport.
Track condition and signage:
The volunteers from Friends of the GSWW have done a fantastic job maintaining and promoting this walk. For the most part the track is very obvious, well cleared and markers are prevalent. A smattering of road walking out of Portland (I chose to wander anti clockwise) then into fire trails and single track through mostly flat dry forest. 2 sided shelters with rainwater tanks are sprinkled along the path every 15 to 20 kilometres. You wind along the green Glenelg River and pop out at Nelson on the coast for a resupply then follow the sands and wild coastline East to Cape Bridgewater and wind farms and the Cape Nelson lighthouse and eventually back to Portland. Hard to get lost on these well maintained trails and a great variety of landscapes and natural environment. I carried a large paper map but only peeked at it in my tent at rest.
Wildlife:
This was the kicker for me; a smorgasbord of iconic Australian native animals jumping out everywhere, hanging off trees and bushes. Koalas feasting in a rain storm, a lone juvenile seal lopping away into the ocean in Discovery Bay, noisy parrots urging me to get up in the pre dawn. I was surprised and quite chuffed at how much wildlife was constantly sighted on my walk.
Difficulty:
I cruised around in a leisurely 8 days. Most people I met were taking 14. It's one of those trails where you do you, you are only limited by how much you are prepared to carry, what your time bank allows. I would rate the GSWW as easy due to lack of elevation gain, well marked pathways and proliferation of shelter campsites to be utilised if needed. Saying that, if the weather decided to chuck a wobbly then the maritime Southern Ocean location could probably feel a tad bleak. I kept my rain jacket handy, just in case.
Final thoughts:
It was really cool to experience this loop trail nearly 25 years later. I couldn't really remember most of it but it seemed kind of familiar anyway. If that makes sense. I am super stoked that the Friends of the GSWW have continued on with an fabulous stewardship of this track and although it's popularity nowadays was slightly irksome (I only met one other person in 1999) I am grateful it hasn't suffered the fate of other long walks in Australia that are half forgotten and overgrown and lacking love and maintenance. Looking at you Myall Tops and the Hume and Hovel.
Thank you volunteers, maybe I'll return in 25 years for a third swing around the loop... I'll be the cranky 74 year old geezer in 2048.
Details and photos on my blog post: http://www.safarihiker.com/
