Australia's best long distance hike: 700km Solo Great South Coast Walk - Sydney NSW - Mallacoota VIC
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- Опубликовано: 5 авг 2024
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In November 2016, I set out alone to hike the Great South Coast Walk (Sydney, NSW to Mallacoota, VIC) covering 700km over 25 days. Along the way I caught up with lots of old friends, some I hadn’t seen in years. It was a natural wonderland, with whales, an echidna up at tree, yellow-bellied gliders, a bush fire, a tumble down a small cliff, an epic storm that collapsed my tent and sea caves in the remote Nadgee wilderness. I’m an ultralight hiker so I was tarp camping along the way in formal and stealth campsites.
The south coast of NSW crosses some of the most spectacular coastline in Australia. With massive eucalypt spotted gum forest that meets crystal clear waters, superb fairy wrens as natures alarm clock, whales migrating south to keep you company, epic sea cliffs, folded rock formations and hidden beaches that make you feel like you are the only person on earth.
This walk links up many popular trails but it also requires a lot of navigation and imagination to find the best and most enjoyable track. I tried to avoid highways, walking along bush tracks, beaches and local trails. There are several river crossing to be navigated, I either paddled them at slack water, floating my pack on my air mattress or I waved down fishermen, boats and jet skis to help me cross. I’m so grateful to friends who put me up for the night, picking me up at some of the big river crossings and dropping me on the other side the next day.
The Great South Coast Walk includes the following formal trails:
Royal National Park costal walk, NSW, 30km, 2 days
Light to Light walk, NSW, 30km, 2 days
Nadgee Howe wilderness walk, NSW/VIC, 55km, 3-5 days
Most of this coastline burnt during the 2019/2020 Australian bushfires, my thoughts are with all the people and unique wilderness impacted during these devastating fires.
If you enjoyed this video please subscribe and leave a comment to let me know what your favourite coastal hike is.
Thanks for watching
For details on my hiking gear: www.australianhiking.com/gear....
Contact information:
Personal website: www.kategrarock.com/
Instagram: / kategrarock
twitter: / kategrarock
Massive shout out to David and Pennie Briese who completed the hike in May 2004 and gave me much needed advice - they have created a website for the walk greatsouthcoastwalk.net/ and are working with local councils to make this a formal Australian hiking trail.
Music
Swoop by The Mini Vandals -RUclips Audio Library
Rolling With The Punches by Joshua Wellington
The Brumby by by Joshua Wellington 
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I absolutely love your love of life, respect for land, living in the moment and looking at things and seeing them. Thanks so much for sharing, this time and previous one.
Thanks so much for the lovely message. Hope you are finding the joy in life too
Fantastic to see someone with so much knowledge and positive attitude enjoying this amazing part of the country, great walk Kate thanks for sharing the adventure
Thanks so much for the beautiful comments. It is such an amazing place.
What an achievement! 700km of coastline!
Thanks it was such an adventure. Would love to do it again sometime. Happy hiking
Any day you see wildlife is a good day! Absolutely loved your pics of the whales
Glad you enjoyed it Fayley. Thanks for the comment and couldn’t agree more.
well how did i miss watching this lol. thing i got the most from this Kate, was that bloody grin you had from ear to ear, rain hail or shine, you loved every moment, cheers Debs xx
haha thanks Deb - hiking sure does make me happy. Happy trails to you. loving your videos
@@KateGrarock back re watching vids 😉😉
@@DebOxy hope this gets ya walking down the coast. I’m so keen to do this one again
700 kms! wow, impressive effort! That looks like an amazing walk. Was fantastic to see your positive attitude.
Loved the way you edited it with a mix of photos and video, worked really well.
Thanks so much. Yes such an incredible part of the world. I’ll have to do it again one day 😀
WOW ! ! ! Well done Kate. What an awesome trip. I couldn't even imagine doing that distance. Great job on the video edit. It left me wanting more of things that I'd only caught a glimpse of.
thanks so much - it was a big trip thats for sure. It's funny when i was editing it I kept thinking wow how on earth did i do this. I guess i just took it one day at a time - i really struggled at the start in like the first week but I set myself little goals and then one day I just got there. hahaha. I'd love to do it again one day they are looking to make this a formal trail one day.
Katie! I'm in awe. So many great shots. Highlights were definitely Dolphin Point, Nudgee walk, the river swims and of course the two cute dogs you met.
Thanks so much Anne so happy you enjoyed it 😀 and lovely to hear your favourite bits. How amazing is dolphin point and nadgee. I’d never been there before. The dogs were such a highlight too as I had to leave snoop dog with his grandma 👵🏼
What an awesome hike with some amazing pictures and wildlife. Some great memories there for you. 👍🏽 thank you I Thoroughly enjoyed the video
Thanks so much for watching and your lovely comments. Hope you are getting out into nature also
I bushwalked the Howe range area back in the 80's. Lovely tough country.
l214laus so cool. I’d love to go back there and walk up mt Howe. It’s such spectacular remote country. I saw a dingo just trotting up the track.
Thankyou! I thoroughly enjoyed watching this. Great music too.
thanks so much - so glad you liked it. I'll pass on the music love to Josh :)
amazing job well done.. now you have inspired me. all ready looking flights to Sydney🥰
Amazing have fun. It was life changing. Just watch out for the river crossings. But local fishermen often helped me.
That was awesome Kate! You're a dead set legend 🙌 I loved that hike so much. You are an inspiration mate 👍
Wow thanks so much what an amazing comment, it made my day. Cheers Kate
Brilliant I love this ❤️ thanks for sharing your adventure. Highlights were echidna up a tree, lyre birds, nadgee coastal cave and that white snail 👀 you've a great eye for capturing nature. I've only completed one solo walk, the Yuraygira Coastal walk NSW. I have a very amateur video if you care to watch....
I'm doing Canarvon Gorge next, so I'm off to watch your video now 🤩
Nice one thanks for the lovely words. So excited for you as you begin your hiking journey. I’m sure you will love carnarvon. It’s really special. Sunrise and sunset is spectacular. Let me know how you go. Can’t wait to see your video 😀
Fantastic to watch your hike Kate. Looking forward to seeing what you’re up to over the coming months as Corona balls hopefully just drifts away. I like doing long distance hikes too and also did the Kangaroo Island wilderness trail before it very sadly burnt. Keep posting your adventures!! ... so much fun to watch especially as you have such a connection with and knowledge of the flora and fauna of the areas you go through. Cheers mate!
Thanks Nadine so good you got to do KI how good is that walk. Hope they fully rebuild it. My next vid I’m of on a three day adventure that gets a little more adventurous than I had planned 😜 thanks again for the kind words and encouragement I really appreciate it 😀
great adventure and great video, loved the footsteps montage at the end!
Thanks heaps mate.
Great video! Thanks for filming 🙌🏻
Any time! Thanks so much for commenting
so good , so natural and down to earth , what a video , thank you so much
Glad you enjoyed it! thanks for watching
This is an amazing vid. Its full of fantastic footage, absolutely inspirational. And through my favorite part of Australia…far south coast of Australia. Thanks 🙏
Brilliant thanks for the comment. How darn good is the south coast hey. They are trying to make it a formal trail now - this will have to be one of Australia's best. Cheers
Well this just improved my day, I had no idea this walk was possible and I live in the area! I will be following your footsteps soon.
It’s such a wonderful hike. So glad you found it. It’s is such a great mix of lots of little towns an wilderness areas. I truly think it will be one of Australia’s best hikes one day.
Amazing scenery, thanks for sharing👍
Thanks a lot. So nice to get these lovely Messages
Wow Kate! what an adventure. Your positivity is infectious. There's times in there that I wouldn't be so happy. You must of seen parts of the country we can only dream about
Thanks mate. Yes it was so amazing living out there for a month. Would love to do the trail again one day.
Kate is hardcore ....what a legend!
Haha thanks Marion
Wow 🤯 700km! Great video Kate... that montage of your feet and tracks was very cool! I can't believe you sleep under a tarp with no bug net on the east coast... too many deadly spiders to risk it I'd have thought!
Thanks Amy. Such a great track and yeah love the lightweight tarp camp. I was lucky there weren’t any mosquitos when I went through and I was so tired of an evening the spiders didn’t scare me. Had a couple of possums wander in a few times. Also watching whales jump from bed was a huge bonus.
That was EPIC 🙌
Thanks mate. I did an overnight section the other day and I have no idea how I traveled so many km last time. Hahaha
Such a great and inspiring video!
Thanks so much - im still dreaming of this trail.
Amazing. My knees aren't up for the challenge these days, but that looked like a life changing experience.
Totally - such an amazing experience. Cheers
Loved watching this! I am hoping to walk to Wollongong for a start!
Thanks a lot. So good you absolutely should. It’s such a great trail for section hiking. Enjoy and let me know how you go.
I really enjoyed the video, would love to give this a go. Thank you 🇦🇺🤠
Thanks. It’s a wonderful trail. Even fun to do in sections. Hope you get to do it one day.
What an awesome adventure! Thanks for sharing it :)
Thanks I’m so glad you like it. Cheers Kate
@@KateGrarock loved it! will show it to my daughters this weekend as well to inspire us to bushwalk further on our next trip into the mountains. Thanks for sharing the handy packing list too! :)
Elias Hallaj thanks so much. The main reason I wanted to make videos was to inspire people to love nature more. So thanks a bunch
Brilliant vid ❤️
Thanks a lot
Amazing!
Thank you! Cheers!
Inspiring Kate!
Thank you!!
Wow, Kate 👏 wonderful. you are amazing
Thanks mate. Would love to do it again one day
Wow didn't even know this walk existed I've walked around Mallacoota and the Cape to light track..awesome
It’s such a great hike. There is a great Facebook page about it too. Still a few navigation issues to iron out but such a magnificent adventure
@@KateGrarock ok cheers for the heads up it's a beautiful part of the world ..I'm in Tassie now not so keen to go back any time soon...😳
@@m.o.bishere3324 oh yes plenty of walking down your way. Enjoy.
@@KateGrarock yeah it's beautiful here ...
You are a machine! 👏👏👏
Thanks a lot. It's a bloody long way. I'd love to do it again someday but maybe at a slower pace
Gosh I loved this! I forwarded to hubby and I'm inspired to get my fat butt off the couch and walking and then out into nature again. Loved all of it, but because I lived in Ulladulla and worked in Murramarang National Park (and once upon a time used to do work down Bega/Eden way on rivers) I loved those bits. I loved the sea caves too and I'm even inspired to camp :-)
Thanks so much Ingrid, I’m so glad you liked it. It’s such a magnificent part of Australia. I’ve been doing lots of hikes but I still come back to this one as a favourite. Happy to help you get your camping kit together 😀
Lucky you got past the low lying rockshelf just north of that headland. It not passable once the tide/swell envelop it. Ive tried. The guy i spoke to living in a shack above it said theres a crevice in the hillside above it and someone tried to cross it and died.
wowzers yes it can get a bit scary at the wrong tide. Some days I just had to sit and wait.
Was the boarder open or closed when you went? Always wondered how they would enforce that area. Its literally the middle of nowhere and the most remote part of the NSW coast.
Such a great vid! Preparing to set out in 3 weeks time and finding clear directions for the GSCW less accessible. I've previously done the great north walk but that's an incredibly well sign posted trail. Where did you get your information for routes, water crossings and distances from? Thanks in advance :)
So cool. Check out gang gang website the greatsouthcoastwalk.net/ the resources tab has previously walked peoples gpx coordinates to help with nav
Kate!! I love this you tube.. you have inspired me! Love your positive attitude. Just wondering where you got your information to plan this trip?? Did you piece together maps from local shires or is there a full trail map? I’d love any advice on where to go for trail maps n notes.
Thank you so much for sharing your adventures x😀😀🤗
Thanks so much. A bit of both. Local councils are now looking to create a formal trail but it’s still in the works. Some sections are a bit annoying to nav but it’s getting better every day. A huge wealth of knowledge comes from greatsouthcoastwalk.net this couple did it a few years before me and there. Hit the resources tab and there are links to several others that have done it. I basically downloaded 3 peoples (gang gang, the Americans and Maurines) they each took different routes and it helped me plan the best one. There were a few shit times where I ended in a headland I couldn’t get around at higher tide or rivers that were a bit too large to swim. But I hitched a heap of lifts from fishermen over rivers. It’s a cracker. So much opportunity for staying in nice hotels too or getting off the beaten trail. Enjoy. Happy to chat more as you get deeper into planning.
BRILLIANT 💚💚
Thanks a lot. It’s a spectacular part of the world.
Amazing effort - well done! I've always wanted to read the journal of those guys from the first fleet/convict era who were shipwrecked somewhere down past Mallacoota and had to walk back to Sydney along this coast before any white man settlement. They had hardly any provisions and faced some aboriginal groups that helped them, others who attacked them. Only a handful survived - would be a great read.
Absolutely such an epic journey back then. Makes my trip feel very basic.
So good! I've wanted to do it for years, guess I'll wait now until the area recovers somewhat from the fires. How did you go with finding water sources? That's my biggest worry with that trail.
thanks a lot. Yes so sad to see the area burn but hopefully it is on the way to recovery. Water was pretty easy as most days you pass a small town - so I filled up there. The only times i had to go searching was at the very end at Nadgee Wilderness but apart from that i was filling up in towns and then moving on. There is normally water at saltwater creek on the light to light. But Just pop into a local cafe have a great lunch and ask if they can fill your water :)
@@KateGrarock Well that is good news on the water report!
Really enjoyed watching your adventure; this hike is on my to do list for sure. Glad to see your comments below about water!
At the risk of sounding like a total loon- where did you get the purple/turqoise shirt from? It's really pretty and looks like it fits super well while wearing a pack...!
Thanks so much Demelza. It’s a great walk. I think each year local councils are adding to it. Making it even nicer to get rid of some of the navigation issues. I believe the top cake from mt. designs. It’s pretty funny one of my friends has the same top and we once both wore them on the same hike.
Just wow
Thanks Glenn would love to do it again one day
And I’m trying to get myself ready for the 3 Capes hike🤣🤣🤣
@@glennallan3659 oh that’s a great hike. Let me know how you go.
awesome
Thanks a lot. Happy hiking
Wow… what a stunning trail. How did you provision or get water… it all looks like sea water.
Thanks a lot. There are a lot of little towns along the way so I would fill up there, butt there are also a few freshwater lakes and creeks that i took advantage of. You have to be a little careful as some lakes tast ok but are still a bit salty. Therefore I had to keep walking inland away from the high tide mark to make sure it was fresh. But not a big issue in the northern section as there are so many towns
How did you go with the tarp? Did you have any bug protection with you?
The tarp was good - it was so nice to have such a lightweight option. I took a head net but thankfully there were not many bugs.
looking into doing this hike after your inspirational journey! Any tips for navigating/ logistics ?
Thanks a lot. Check out the great south coast walk website greatsouthcoastwalk.netand www.gang-gang.net/nomad/southcoast/index.htm this guy helped with all his notes etc. I downloaded the tracks of a couple of other hikers from this website and then picked my own route combining them all. Also get good strategy to swim the rivers or have a flexible timeframe while you wait for fishermen etc to give you a lift
And best of luck. Hope you love it
I'm going to start this walk tomorrow, any tips?
Im hoping Victoria will be open when I get there!
OMG best of luck - keep an eye out for whales and watch the tides- swimming the rivers at high or low tide is so much easier. I loved waving down fishermen and others (even surfers) helped me cross. People tend to be super friendly and so happy to help when you tell them what you are doing. Enjoy
Oh and shoes for the swim are good too - I had a couple of close calls with oysters as I was climbing out of the water
Slovensko Okej videjko 💯💯💯💯 💖💖💖💖
Happy hiking
can you post a list of where you got water. or how? keen
All of the little towns make getting water pretty easy. The only areas I didn’t get water was in the royal national park. I was doing big enough days 30k that most days I went through a town and would fill up and take enough for that nights camp and early the next day. The light to light has water tanks. This time of year with all our rain there is little streams everywhere, just treat it first. I really can’t remember water being an issue
What's the story on camping? Did you find yourself stealth camping or there are good campsites each day? Thanks
A bit of both. Couple of caravan parks but I much preferred the stealth camp. People don’t really care either. An USA couple camped in areas like on grass near surf club. The set up i the evening and we’re gone pretty early. The trail is kinda new enough that there aren’t many rules. But yep I really did love camping off the beaten trail a bit. So many great sites.
Where is the image at 11:47 ? Looks freakin awesome!
thanks so much - its just north of Bermagui where Wallaga lake meets the sea from Murunna Point. This is such a special place. I was trying to cross the fast flowing river here when a lovely surfer helped me by putting my pack on his board and paddling across with me. such amazing friendly people down the south coast. the walk from there into Bermi is amazing - totally recommend it as a day hike too :)
@@KateGrarock :) Thanks. Glad the surfer protected you from being washed out to sea or becoming a tasty shark snack
Human Chiming In haha me too and he worked at the local cafe so was nice to stop in for a coffee.
Amazing. Should have got a charity behind you. This walk could have been a good little earner for a cancer research charity.
Thanks mate. I did think of doing this but I guess I was just trying to keep it simple and make sure I made it all the way there. Would love to do a repeat journey and do something like that one day.
@@KateGrarock awesome effort. I love your outlook on life. You really are an amazing woman. Keep up the great work.
@@jimfatyakmcgregor8867 thanks mate. Happy hiking to you 😃😀😀
@@KateGrarock ❤️