Victoria has several main tourist destinations which are must see for many who come to Australia such as:
- the fairy penguin parade at nearby Philip Island
- the Twelve Apostles on the Great Ocean Road along with the rainforests and beaches of the Otway Ranges
- Wilsons Promontory with its unspoilt beaches, lovely orange moss covered granite boulders and plenty of Australian wildlife including kangaroos, wallabies, emus, wombats, echidnas and perhaps you may see koalas and other animals.
This week I had the luxury of a few days off by myself to explore the Prom – it’s been a long 30 years since I was last there, and is only now recovering from devastating bush fires, storms and floods from just a few years ago – but none of these have adversely affected the lovely beaches which are just as I remembered them.
The following photos were taken with my Micro Four Thirds cameras – the Olympus OM-D E-M1 and E-M5.
The Prom is around 2.5-3 hrs drive from Melbourne (including the 30 minute drive from the entrance gates to the main camp ground at Tidal River).
Before you go, check the 7 day forecast here.
Note that the Prom is regarded as THE most windy place on mainland Australia thanks to the exposure to the south-easterly winds coming across Bass Strait from the Antarctic, and note that October is generally the most windy month of the year. Hold onto your hat when you climb the Big Drift!
October is a great time to visit the Prom because:
- there are not too many people down there, especially mid week when you can often have the beach to yourself and accommodation is not an issue (accommodation needs to be booked months in advance for school holidays and public holiday peak periods)
- the weather is not too hot given that most of the walks and the beaches as well as the very exposed Big Drift dune system have little sun protection
- the weather is not too sunny – October is generally a rather cloudy month but that makes for more pleasant walking and more interesting photography
- the weather is not too cold, although it did struggle to get to 21 deg C, the overnight lows though were only down to around 9 deg C so not too harsh for overnight campers
- it is Spring and the multitude of wild flowers including native orchids are in bloom, along with the swarms of native bees (which don’t attack you!) and other flying insects including butterflies – a downside is that your car will need the multitude of dead insects removed from windscreen and bonnet!
- in Summer and Autumn, there is not only far more people to contend with but sand flies with their delayed onset severe itching, and biting march flies are more problematic.
Facilities at the Prom:
The prom is managed by Parks Victoria who run the bookings for accommodation – which includes cabins, huts, powered and unpowered camp sites including the various unpowered remote overnight walk camp sites (there is no free camping within the park).
An overview map of the park can be downloaded here and the Parks Visitor’s Guide can be downloaded here.
The last petrol is just before the park entrance at Yanakie where there is also a general store and a bakery cafe (although the cafe is not open every day!).
There is a general store and take away food cafe at Tidal River and they make nice hamburgers, although obviously, prices at such a remote place are not on the cheap side. Note that this cafe closes at 4.30pm in daylight saving time and 4pm at other times (winter). This means you MUST provide for your own evening meals in the park – but they do offer free gas BBQs to use.
There is a general store in Yanakie and Sandy Point but like most rural shops close around 5-6pm, so after this time you will need to go to the pub in Fish Creek or a restaurant further afield such as Meeniyan or Foster.
A map of Tidal River can be downloaded on this link.
At most of the camp sites the tank water probably should be treated to ensure it is potable, or bring your own water.
An information pamphlet on the many walks can be downloaded from this link.
The lovely beaches that require only a short walk from your car:
Tidal River and Norman Beach:
This is an incredibly beautiful pristine beach with a lovely tannin-colored but clear freshwater stream flowing alongside uniquely coloured granite boulders to the sea.
On warmer days, the beach will be filled with kids playing beach cricket or football, while others surf or just enjoy the sand, river and exploring the boulders.
Squeaky Beach:
A favorite of mine – the sand grains are fine which results in a lovely squeaky noise as you walk – you will need to get your toes wet as you need to cross the shallow stream to get to the beach – but it is well worth it.
The north end has a maze of large “plum pudding” type granite boulders in which to explore at low tide with a back drop of Mt Bishop whilst one looks out to small islands.
Whisky Bay:
Another photographer’s favorite beach with its large boulders at each end which can be explored at low tide.
Hand held long exposure using a ND400 filter and the Olympus OM-D cameras with their amazing image stabilisation.
The regenerating forests make for relaxing walks:
An easily accessible nature walk is the Lilly Pilly Gully Nature Walk which not only takes you through some nice eucalypt forest regenerating after the bushfires but is abundant with wild flowers and wild life such as these which were all taken with the Olympus mZD 40-150mm f/2.8 lens:
An echidna quickly crossed the path ahead of me – it pays to have your telephoto lens always ready to shoot!
Native orchid
Butterfly on a flowering native grass tree
Forest
Fire affected forest
At the end of the day you may be blessed with a lovely sunset:
This image was taken with the brilliant Olympus mZD 300mm f/4 lens giving hand held 600mm telephoto reach allowing good views of the peninsula at South Walkerville in the distance which in itself is a nice area to explore with its historic limestone kilns on the beach.
