The cat’s about to leap out of the bag. Wilson’s Promontory, one of Australia’s most locally beloved national parks, is proliferating in popularity with adventure and even calm-seeking international travellers. This gem of coastal wilderness at the southernmost tip of mainland Australia, with its white sand beaches, mountain views, granite boulders and open heathlands, has much to offer. That it’s just a two-and-a-half-hour drive from big city Melbourne, makes it easy to heed its siren call.
At the outset, a good way to get a dramatic overview of the Promontory (referred to fondly by locals as “the Prom”), is to sign up for a journey on an amphibious boat that navigates sand and sea. From aboard, you’ll be greeted by a host of visual knock-outs. Here a marine park. There a seal colony and the monolith that is Skull Rock. Everywhere is unique birdlife. What becomes apparent is the enormous number of plant and animal life, which are as common to the Prom as to Tasmania.
The guide explains that the Prom once formed part of the land bridge to what is now a large island. While I enjoy snorkelling in the Marine Park, the activity that the Prom is a paradise for is bushwalking, with over 80 km of walking tracks. From multiple walking options, I opted at first for the Prom Wildlife Walk, a 2.3 km loop trail, through open grasslands. Exploring solitary places is certainly better with a mate. Kangaroos, wallabies, wombats and emus are part of the odd menagerie of creatures I befriend. Rather than flee when approached, they seem content to potter around, turning their heads playfully as if offering the camera their best angle. Although the wildlife is relatively tame, the standard rule of not feeding animals or birds, nor getting too close to them, stays constant.
Interpretative signs illuminate all I see. For instance, research on the factors that influence the change in Eastern Grey kangaroo population over time is currently being undertaken at the Wilson’s Promontory National Park. Collars worn by the adult kangaroos allow a monitoring of their movements around the park. The unique ear tags they wear, help determine population size.
Another walk that comes highly recommended is the Lilly Pilly Gully Nature Walk. High rainfall and varied terrain on the Prom, implies vegetation of all permutations, that keeps morphing on the varying trails I take. On this 5 km track, I encountered all kinds of ecosystems from stringybark forest to lush rainforest and eucalyptus forest. For stunning, panoramic views, scaling the 585-meter-high granite peak of Mount Oberon is a possibility.
Everywhere you look you’ll see turquoise water and sandy shores. No matter which walk one opts for, there are plenty of welcome distractions to sharpen the eyes and focus the senses.
On my stroll to Pillar Point across the Tidal River footbridge, I chanced upon crimson rosellas, rainbow lorikeets and a wedge-tailed eagle. A journey through a tunnel of tea trees took me to the granite outcrops that define the Point.
From here, views of Squeaky Beach, Mount Oberon, and Norman Bay greeted me. And that’s the other feature of the Prom...superlative beaches. Norman, down below is clearly a heart stealer.
Families come with beach towels to relax on golden sands. Children splash about in nearby creeks. Adventure seekers are out swimming and surfing. It’s a short walk from here to Squeaky Beach, so called for the way the white sands squeak underfoot when you walk.
You can spend a few days on the Prom easily, hiking to fairy book places like Sealer’s Cove, (book your campsites/stays beforehand, if you’re opting for an overnight hike), which takes you through pristine forests, which lead to a sandy cove. Or you could hike to the Prom’s 19m lighthouse, not far from the southern tip of the mainland. Free from the cloned monopolies of supermarkets or stores, if you’re hiking, it’s best to stock up on food from the cafés around Tidal River or en route to the Prom.
Every season has its own special grace. Summer tends to be most popular, so travelling in the opposite direction of the herd frequently throws up more tranquillity and rewards.
Spring is remarkable as wildflower displays pepper the granite-strewn landscape. Autumn is a haven of wildlife. And winter is when the Southern Right Whales make their annual pilgrimage north to these warmer waters. It’s also time when the birdwatchers are out in force, treading the beaches and dunes lightly, eager for a vision of the nesting Hooded Plover.
If it’s just the day trip you’re making (although with the numerous ecosystems and beauty that doesn’t let up, it would be good to apportion more time), stay until the evening at the very least. Some travellers swear by the Big Drift walk.
If you can be at the sand dunes by sunset, they become more beautiful with every passing minute of the golden hour. But whichever way you choose to see Wilson’s Prom, luminous unforgettable images and an abiding sense of peace and oneness are the gifts you’ll take away.