Back Roads: July 17

Lisa Millar is guest presenter tonight on Back Roads, taking a journey along Victoria’s spectacular Great South West Walk.

This hidden gem of a walking trail, on Gunditjmara country, weaves its way through four distinct landscapes, from the dramatic cliffs and wild coast to the tranquil rivers and surrounding ancient forests.

The 250 km path begins in the town of Portland in the state’s south west and loops through the fishing village of Nelson and back again.

Guest presenter Lisa Millar dons her hiking boots to join a group of walkers along capes and stunning clifftops from Portland to Cape Bridgewater.

She learns the Great South West Walk has its own community, an ensemble of about 100 passionate volunteers.
What started as a school project by former high school principal and living treasure Bill Golding 40 years ago, now has a dedicated band of volunteers who help maintain the track and 14 campsites.

Bill, who is 90, can still be found wielding a rake out on the trail two or three days a week.

For some hikers and volunteers the experience isn’t just a chance to connect with nature, it’s also about a sense of belonging and new beginnings.

Part of the trail turns into what some trekkers now call the “Aussie Camino”.

As Lisa ventures deeper into the trail along gentle riverbanks and through lush forest, the people she meets reveal it can also be a place of healing.

8pm Monday on ABC.