• Get in
• Fees/Permits
• Get around
• See
• Do
• Buy
• Eat
• Drink
• Stay safe
• Get out

Wilsons Promontory [1] or "the Prom" as it is known, is the southernmost point of the Australian mainland, located in the South Gippsland region of the state of Victoria. The Prom is protected as the 50,000 hectare Wilsons Promontory National Park and the seas around the southern end are the Wilsons Promontory Marine National Park. There is another, smaller marine national park in the northern area. The park contains 130 km of walking trails and a number of campsites. The hub of the park is Tidal River where there is a store, visitor center and camping.

[edit] Understand

[edit] History

[edit] Landscape

[edit] Flora and fauna

[edit] Climate

[edit] Get in

The Prom is approached along the South Gippsland Highway, turning off at either Meeniyan or Foster. The park entrance is 224 km from Melbourne and 29 km from Foster. It is another 30 km from the entrance to the park center at Tidal Creek.

If you don’t have your own transport, you can take an organised tour from Melbourne or Phillip Island or take the bus from Foster run by Foster Backpackers Hostel.

[edit] Fees/Permits

Entry to the park for a car is $9.30 for 1 day, $14.40 for 2 days and $27.80 for 5 days. The sign at the entrance says that a day pass entitles you to be in the park from sunrise to sunset. However no-one is at the exit after sunset checking that people are not leaving too late.

[edit] Get around

Between dusk and dawn, drive carefully and slowly. Kangaroos and other wildlife will be on the road.

[edit] See

[edit] Do

• Bush camping. There are 6 camp areas in the southern area and all have toilets and a seasonal water supply. The northern area is a declared "Wilderness Area". It has 5 camp areas but toilets are generally not available. There are no camp areas in the central area. Permits are required for overnight hikes and can be booked in advance or on arrival at the park entrance or at the visitor center at Tidal Creek.

• Hiking. There are a number of short walks, day hikes and multi-day overnight hikes. Fit walkers can make a full-day return hike from Telegraph Saddle to either the lighthouse at South East Point or to South Point.

• Fishing is permitted in some areas. A recreational fishing license is required. No fishing is permitted in the marine national parks. In some areas line fishing only is permitted.

• Swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving. Some of the best scuba diving in Victoria is in the marine parks of Wilsons Promontory - deep, clear and full of interesting marine life. The Prom is also popular for snorkeling.

[edit] Buy

The Tidal River Store sells food and other consumables, petrol, diesel and gas bottle refills.

[edit] Eat

The Tidal River Store sells food supplies at rip off prices =D and has a café with takeaways. There are free gas barbecues in car parks at Tidal River.

[edit] Drink

[edit] Sleep

[edit] Lodging

[edit] South East Point

Cottages at the lighthouse have shared bedrooms with 2 or 4 bunks. http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/1process_details.cfm?place=109

[edit] Camping

[edit] Tidal River

There are 480 unpowered campsites and toilets, showers and laundry facilities. Bookings are essential for Christmas and January holidays and popular long weekends.

There are self-contained cabins and huts with 2-6 beds and large group lodges.

[edit] Backcountry

[edit] Stay safe

[edit] Get out

Go out the way you came in. If leaving the Tidal River area soon before sunset on a nice evening, stop at the Whisky Bay carpark, take the short walk to the beach to sit on the dunes and watch the sun set behind Norman Island (actual position of setting sun varies with time of year).