Wilsons Promontory National Park

Looking forward to a bit of time off the bike and chance to see some wildlife, we planned to stay two nights in Wilsons Promontory National Park. Wilsons Prom is one of Victoria’s most popular National Parks (NP) and one of the best places to see… wombats!! We stayed at Tidal River campground, which sits on the SE coast of Wilsons Prom.

Initially aiming to camp, the forecasted heavy rain and strong winds caused us to re-think and we plumped for renting a little hut - a place where we could escape the worst. As the weather was due to be bad for a while, we opted to extend our stay to three nights.

The area was first occupied by the indigenous Koori people, over 6000 years ago, and is mentioned in Dreamtime stories and myths, the names remembered in some of the trails and features of the park. The Prom is still important to the Gunai/Kurnai and the Boon wurrung people.

The peninsula has had various incursions to exploit sealing, tin mining, and other resources. It later suffered from farming - with controlled burning to create pasture for livestock, and experienced drought, and rabbit infestation. The Army occupied Tidal River camp during WWII (to train Australian and NZ Commandos in guerrilla warfare and to live off the land, readying them for operations in Indonesia and Melanesia during WWII). There is a Commando Memorial, dedicated to all those that gave their lives and service to their country during many campaigns, which was very moving.

Designated as an NP around the turn of the 20th century, the Park was developed in the post wars years to encourage tourism. Facilities were improved to cope with increasing numbers of visitors - today over 500,000 visit annually - with the aim to maintain an undeveloped feel and sustainable tourism, rejecting major development such as hotels and golf courses along the way. We were amazed at the size of the campground site, and were glad we were travelling in the shoulder season. At full capacity the campground hosts over 450 camping and caravan sites. During the holiday periods, if you want to visit, it’s by ballot, such is its popularity. However the size is hidden somewhat as sites are laid out in the dunes and bush: pockets of thicket help to give the campground an intimate feel.

We went for a walk down to the river whilst it was still light. Leaving our hut, we stumbled across our first live sighting of a wombat! It was snuffing around right next us. Feeding constantly and meticulously on the grass and other shoots, totally unbothered by our presence - we practically had to step over it on the path.

Tidal River snakes its way around the camp, meeting the sea at Norman Beach, a wide expanse of golden sand, and looks out on Norman Bay. Large boulders peppered the opposite bank, their yellow brown stone streaked with red, and a counterpoint to the green vegetation behind. The tide was out and patterns in the sand had been created by the river. At its mouth, the rivers flow battled against the waves, whipped up by the wind and pushed forcefully upstream.

After a cosy night in our bunks listening to the wind and rain outside, we were woken early by the Kookaburra’s chorus of giggling - which became our regular alarm call at about 6:30am. A wonderful sound, infectious and delightful, Lilz hoped he would see one: he had wanted to see one since seeing the bird in his encyclopaedia of world birds when he was a little boy. We loved our little hut. It had two bunks, sink, gas stove/oven, kettle and toaster - luxury in the wild! A shower and toilet block was tucked up on the hill behind our hut, a 5 minute walk away. Not too far to go for a midnight wee! Also our wombat had a burrow under our cabin (!) as we could hear it in the night going about its business, unconcerned by its new noisy neighbours above!

We were up early to get to the summit of Mt. Oberon, the woody peak of 558m that looms over Tidal River. We cycled from the campsite up to Telegraph Saddle car park, where the 6.8kmwalk starts. A steady climb on a sealed road at 8am got our hearts pumping! The wind was blowing and the treetops danced providing the only sound, other than bird calls. A wallaby startled us by jumping away into thick brush. After numerous switchbacks we felt much higher up and the sound of the wind increased. Blowing stronger as we rounded the north western side of the hill, the trees, now smaller, battled against the force. As we approached the telecommunication towers near the top, they generating a haunting whistling sound in the wind, which was eerie.

We climbed the final section with steps and hand rails up to the rocky outcrop at the summit. Steps cut into the granite led us up a gully, offering some respite from the gusts of wind. Looking forward to some great views, we had to be careful as the wind was strong. We could see Tidal River far below. Snatching a view of the turquoise ocean, islands beyond and distant beaches was a great reward for the early climb.

The return cycle to the campground was a glorious downhill from the saddle, arriving back at sleepy Tidal River, mid morning and giving us the rest of the day free. We sat on the bench on the deck outside with cups of tea, and watched a pair of Maned ducks nibble the grass eagerly, enjoyed the Kookaburras flying back and forth, cackling as they went. Crimson rosellas came to investigate and check us out at close quarters and another wombat trundled by. Lilz felt like Dr Doolittle.

We took a walk along the Loo-Errn track which passes through tea tree and banksia shrubs, and then onto a boardwalk to the bend in the river. The wind stroked the water which was the colour of strongly brewed tea. Back at the hut the squally weather increased and sent wet bands of rain through the campsite, buffeting someone’s tent, its sides collapsing in as if punched by a giant invisible hand. The birds fluffed up, their feathers ruffled by the gusts as they hunkered down. When darkness fell, the weather became wilder with cracks of thunder and lighting, heavy rain and hail, which clattered down on the roof, making it sound like there was a crowd of tap dancers up there.

The next day, in a sunny spell we took a walk along Norman Beach to the Oberon Bay track, starting by the river mouth. The wind whipped up streams of sand that blew along. Waves crashed into the rocks on the headland and made for an exhilarating atmosphere. The orange sand was littered with cuttlefish bones, a strange and unfamiliar thing and some were quite large. They seem unnatural and are made of thin layers of white bone with fibrous layers between. The cuttlefish use the large ‘bone’ to regulate its buoyancy in the water.

Walking part way along the Oberon Bay track, the path ran through tea tree shrubs with their lovely white flowers and the slabs of granite that glowed in the afternoon sun. We returned through the coastal bush, the path cut in between tunnels of trees and we stumbled across more wallabies and wombats busily feeding in the quieter parts of the unoccupied camp. A lovely end to our tranquil stay at Tidal River.Read more