Postcards from the Road - Wilson's Promontory

After two days in the city it was time to get back to nature. As with many places we have seen over the year, Wilson's Promontory was recommended by a friend. Again we were not disappointed. It is the southernmost point on the Australian mainland, and the most popular of Victoria's national parks. It also held the promise as a place to see wombats!

Driving into the park, it was immediately evident it had been affected by the 2009 Victorian Bushfires. These fires were devastating for many communities in Victoria this past February, and held the attention of the rest of Australians while they helplessly looked on. Wilson's Prom lost over 11,000 hectares of its 50,500 hectares were burnt to the ground, forcing the closure of certain parts of the park.

Once the tent was set up, we headed down to the beach to play in the surf. As this is the southernmost point, it means the water is colder than we have been used to, in fact we have been spoiled in Queensland. A wetsuit was needed to play in this water comfortably. None of this stopped Dave, he was out playing in the waves in no time.

The next day, Gemma and Ruben had a great time playing in the surf, catching some waves on Dave's board. They both made it look so effortless and easy.

Although the water was cooler than we were used to, the days were hot. Despite the heat we went to explore some of the trails and other beaches. We were really hoping we may see a wombat on our walk.

As we were ambling along the Squeaky Beach track I nearly walked on a wombat grazing on the side of the trail. The wombat didn't seem too phased by our presence but we were probably a little overzealous in trying to get a better view of it and take pictures, so it wandered off into the bush before too long. We thought this was a very special siting (and it was), one we were very lucky to have (and we were) but later that afternoon we had one wander casually through our campsite, and then saw many more on our evening walk through the forest.

The Squeaky Beach track leads you to a headland, giving stunning views of Norman and Squeaky beaches. You look down at beautiful white sand beaches, framed by crystal clear blue waters and heath forests. Scenery that forces you to just sit down and take in for a few moments.

Wilson's Promontory weather is influenced by either the winds of the Antarctic or the desert in the North, and the direction of the winds can change in a short period of time and dramatically. The nights and mornings had been cool, requiring you to were long pants and a long-sleeve shirt. But on our last morning this changed dramatically - an incredibly hot breeze blew over us, and we knew we were in for a hot day of travel.

Off to the capital, Canberra. See you then.
love H, D, R and G