The Curious Report: Guide To Wilson’s Prom

Wilson’s Prom is a slice of rugged wilderness, a contrasting world to the hustle of Melbourne city life only three hours away. Either out of affection or laziness, or maybe a bit of both, many simply refer to the southern-most tip of Australia as ‘The Prom’. The vastness and diversity of landscape here is a hiker’s dream and no doubt you’ll spend your time here threading your way through the many trails.

From the entrance of the national park, the drive to Tidal River is about 30 minutes so it is worthwhile staying within Wilson’s Prom if possible. However accomodation here is highly sought after and often booked out, and if that’s the case, there are more options around Yanakie, Fish Creek or Waratah Bay. We had a great stay at the Prom Coast Holiday Lodge. Just be careful to leave the park before dusk each day, as this is when the wildlife come out and this is a common cause of car accidents in the area. We had an unfortunate experience ourselves with a wombat, so this is a very real warning!

Tidal River is the heart of Wilson’s Prom. This is where you’ll find the visitor centre, the general store, the main campgrounds as well as the starting point for many of the hiking trails. Tidal River is also an attraction in itself with the water taking on hues ranging from yellow and brown to deep purple and black. The unusual coloration is due to the prevalence of tea trees in the area which gives the water the appearance of brewed tea (hence the name ‘tea tree’). The river runs into Norman Beach and it is unusual to see the still brown water meet crashing white waves.

If you’ve heard of Wilson’s Prom, you’ve heard of Squeaky Beach. This beach gets its name from the ‘squeaking’ sound it makes as you walk on it’s incredibly white sand. This is reportedly due to the high quartz content in the sand, although take note that it doesn’t squeak so well after it’s been raining. You can simply park right there, but the best way to reach Squeaky Beach is via the Three Capes Walk.

Start at Tidal River by crossing the Tidal River Footbridge and following the coast in a general northerly direction. It’s about 4km or a 50 minute walk, but don’t stop there, this is only your first bay of three! Picnic Bay is another 3km away – a quieter beach with granite rocks lining each end. Continue on to your third and last bay, Whisky Bay. If you manage to catch a sunset here, it’s a particularly good spot, as you’ll see the distant islands silhouetted on the horizon. All up it should take you about 4 hours return.

The Drift was a very unexpected type of landscape. The vastness and the sand dunes will give you the feeling of being somewhere else – whether that’s the craters of Mars or in the middle of a desert far more remote and exotic. It’s only a 30-45 minute walk through paddocks and up a steep sandy hill and you’ll find yourself here. At sunset, the orange glow cast on the sand was magic, although we did make sure to leave before sundown for fear of getting lost. On that note, do be mindful of where you came from, as it is easy to lose your sense of direction. The tall white pole that marks your entry point is surprisingly much harder to find after your footsteps have been wiped away by the wind. It’s also located just by the exit to Wilson’s Prom, so convenient to visit on your way in at the beginning of the day or on your way out at the end of the day.

Tongue Point typically doesn’t appear on the list of ‘must do’ hikes within Wilson’s Prom, but I really cannot imagine why it is would be missed! Park your car at Darby Saddle and being your ascent up and around the sand dune, taking in beautiful views of the winding Darby River as you go. You’ll eventually hear the crashing waves in the distant and know that you’ll soon be met with ocean views.

You’ll also soon realise why the destination is called Tongue Point when you see the long cape extending out into the ocean. The end point is a semi-detached island off the narrowing headland, with a mountain of grey and orange boulders amongst patches of green. It’s honestly an amazing sight and quite distinctive to the beaches of Wilson’s Prom. We also like to go a little ‘beyond the path’ sometimes and found that just prior to signpost and to your left, we could clamber down some rocks to what felt like a secret ledge. Despite other hikers, we had this spot completely to ourselves… see if you can find it!

The hike is about 5 hours return including a stop at Fairy Cove on the way back. This secluded little beach is just off the track to Tongue Point and only adds on an extra 200m or so. It is a steep path down but it’s worth the climb back up, for some time relaxing on this quiet beach scattered with boulders. Be sure to come at low tide or you might not be able to descend from the staircase to the sand. We saw it rise and reclaim significant portions of the beach in the time we were there.

Time to hit some peaks? Mt Oberon is an absolute highlight and not to be missed. It’s about 3 hrs return from the Telegraph Saddle carpark and the majority of the walk is along wide, compacted gravel. As you gain height, you’ll tackle some stone stairs with metal railings to grip onto, which adds a layer of challenge and fun. Most stop at the smooth flat rockface which offers more than enough amazing, windswept views but we spotted a small figure atop a secondary peak further in the distance. We decided to find our way there and bushbashed through the scrub to get there. It’s always well worth going a little further for the drop off in company and the different viewpoint. Do venture if you come this far!

Motivated by how much we enjoyed Mt Oberon, we decided to also climb the Mt Bishop Summit. The majority of the walk was through rainforest as it winds through the Lilly Pilly Gully. There are no doubt great views at the top, but compared to the views of Mt Oberon and weighed up against the muddy and slippery path, it honestly wasn’t our favourite hike.

Having covered many of the day hiking options within Wilson’s Prom, we loved the scenery so much that we might challenge ourselves to an overnight hike next time! We’ve heard Sealers Cove is impressive…