There are more incredible seascapes as the Federation Track wanders past Loch Ard Gorge and Sherbrooke River to Port Campbell, a picturesque seaside town, nestled alongside a beautiful, protected bay and beach. The Track then follows walking paths and country roads to Peterborough at the mouth of Curdies Inlet.

The walk from Peterborough to Boat Bay is incredible as every turn in the path reveals another stunning panorama of wave-twisted rock stacks against a background of sea and sky. At Boat Bay, the Track wanders through Bay of Islands Coastal Park. The rarely seen view of the Bay of Islands from its western headland is an opening blast in a symphony of seascapes. Sinkholes, karst country and mobs of kangaroos frame a series of incredible views. Seascapes from Lovers Nook; the rugged coastline near Antares Rock; the panoramas from Flaxman Hill; the protected inlet of Stanhope Bay; and the stunning scenery from Dogtrap Bay to Childers Cove make this one of the best and least known coastal walks in Australia. Beyond Childers Cove, there are views towards Warrnambool and the gravity-defying geometry of “The Stack” is astonishing. You return to civilisation with a thud at Lake Gillear but the road walk to the Hopkins River is improved by a visit to Logan Beach’s whale nursery during the season.

Beyond Warrnambool local tracks take you along wave-carved cliffs and small beaches before swinging inland along the mysterious Mahogany Track to The Cutting where the Track follows beaches, fire trails and road verges into Port Fairy, a town packed with colonial buildings and stories of its roaring days

The magnificent coastal scenery from The Crags is a prelude to a fascinating beach walk. Legendary Lady Percy Island seems to float above the waves and through the sea haze Portland Harbour takes shape. Flocks of seabirds whirr off across the surf while wallabies occasionally peer down from the sand dunes. There is a sense of limitless sense of space and light; ocean and beach. At Allestree, the Track leaves the beach behind to join the Great South West Walk as it climbs up Maretimo Steps, through the Old Portland Cemetery and along the cliff tops past the Lighthouse and the historic Ploughed Field to the Portland Maritime Centre.