3 Reasons Why You Must Visit Wilsons Promontory

This is a throwback post to September 2015 when I visited Wilsons Promontory National Park in the state of Victoria in Australia.

Introduction 
Wilsons Promontory National Park or 'The Prom' as it is affectionately known is an area of 50,460 hectares comprising beaches, rainforests, mountain peaks and rugged offshore islands.

The Prom is located in the state of Victoria, specifically at the southernmost tip of the Australian mainland.

Here are the 3 reasons why you must visit The Prom:

1) Wildlife in the Wild

Soon as we drove into Wilsons Promontory, we saw a large field where emus, kangaroos and wombats were grazing.

We stopped the car to take a closer look at the animals. I was getting excited.

Soon a kangaroo approached our car and poked his head in, presumably looking for food. But we didn't give it any because I had been informed before not to feed wild animals as our human food may be harmful to them.

The kangaroo had a collar on and its ears were tagged, so I think it's used to humans.

We couldn't go near the animals because they would run away. So we just shot these pics from afar:

It was already lunch time when we reached Tidal River Visitor Centre which is the park headquarters, so we looked for a picnic table to enjoy the prepacked sandwiches prepared by my aunt. 

Soon a group of colourful birds appeared out of nowhere and swooped down on our sandwiches. The birds were bold indeed and we had to chase them away.

Here's one of the birds that took a liking to my sister's backpack:

 Such a colourful birdie.

Here are two more photos of birds in Wilsons Promontory:

After lunch we took a stroll around the park office while waiting for our cabin to be ready, and stumbled upon this wombat:

We saw many more wombats throughout our stay at Wilsons Promontory. Here's a photo of a wombat struttling along like a boss:

If I had my way I would have brought a wombat home to Malaysia. It's so adorable.

The Australian wildlife in Wilsons Promontory was one of the highlights of my trip to Australia, and that's why I rank it as the top reason why you must visit The Prom.

2) Bushwalking a.k.a. Hiking

Australians call in 'bushwalking, the rest of the English speaking world call it 'hiking'.

There are many bushwalking trails in Wilsons Promontory and here are two popular short walks that I personally completed:

Lilly Pilly Nature Walk
(2.6 km one way, easy)

It was an easy walk because most of it was flat:

Part of the walk is on a boardwalk which is suitable for almost anyone:

Mount Oberon Summit Walk 
(Elevation: 558 meters only)
(3.4 km one way, moderate to hard)

The trail begins at Telegraph Saddle car park.

Start of the trail:

Part of the trail:

360 degree view from the peak of Mount Oberon:

It was so windy up there I could have been blown away.

Look for this at the peak to proof that you did climb to the peak of Mount Oberon:

Clue: It's on the ground.

Apart from the Lilly Pilly Nature Walk and Mount Oberon Summit Walk, there are also other walks and trails like Pillar Point, Loo Ern Track and the 2.2 km Mount Bishop walk.

The trail leading to the peak of Mount Bishop:

3) Beaches

Wilson's Promontory has beaches such as Norman Beach, Picnic Bay and Whisky Bay.

Here's a photo of Squeaky Beach:

Can you spot the bird that photobombed my photo?

We didn't swim in any of the beaches because it was too cold and windy. Moreover the waves were too large.

Nevertheless it was good fun walking along the beach trying not to freeze in the strong winds.

More about Wilsons Promontory

Getting there - The Proms is a 2-hour drive from Melbourne. The park is more than 50,000 hectares in size, so having your own transport is important and practical to get to lookout points and to the start of the various trails.

Accommodation - There's a range of accommodation for rent at Tidal River park headquarters like cabins, lodges and even camping sites.

Here are two photos of the cabin that we stayed in:

Front of the cabin.

The four of us could fit comfortably in this cabin which is equipped like a small apartment. 

More information - If you wish to know more about Wilsons Promontory or to make reservations for accommodation, click here.

I hope you will knock yourself out at The Proms and enjoy the wonders of nature that it's blessed with.