From the mountains, we drove downhill to Wilsons Promontory National Park - or "The Prom" - the southernmost point on mainland Australia.
Unfortunately, in planning our trip this stop was mostly an afterthought; we allotted only one night for our visit because we were trying to break up the drive from Alpine National Park to Melbourne before our departure. In hindsight, it would have been better to spend a full day at The Prom and cut our time in the high country by a day. We'll just have to come back.
Here, the rainforest meets the ocean and the trails are numerous, but we only managed a few short walks.
The afternoon we arrived, we set out from the visitor center at Tidal River, hiking around Norman Point to the white-sand beach at Little Oberon Bay. On the way back to our car, we paused on the trail to watch a stand-up paddler surf the waves of Norman Bay with a sweeping backdrop of ocean and islands.
On the way to our cottage outside the park for the night, we took one more quick walk, along the Lilly Pilly Gully track. Orchids were still blooming but past their peak along part of the trail burned by bushfire. And the flowering stalks of grass trees were a unique sight.
With the sun sinking and our stomachs empty, we turned around short. The next morning, we came back to complete the walk through the rainforest, and before leaving we also strolled out to an empty Darby Beach.
From here, it was an easy drive back to Melbourne for one final night in the city.
Pictures from The Prom are here and here.
Norman Point and Little Oberon Bay
This trail wanders through the tea trees to the beach at Norman Bay, then up and around Norman Point, and back down to Little Oberon Bay. About halfway through, a short path detours down to the rocky cliffs on the point. There are plenty of views of surfers and islands.
Distance: 8.2 kilometers round trip.
Trailhead: Start at the visitor center in Tidal River, 29 kilometers south of the park entrance.
Lilly Pilly Gully Nature Walk
Walk through a bushfire area to a short boardwalk loop in the rainforest. The orchids and grass trees are beautiful.
Distance: 5.2 kilometers round trip.
Trailhead: The Lilly Pilly Gully carpark is about 26 3/4 kilometers south of the park entrance.
Darby Beach
A short, sandy walk to a beach where the Darby River meets the ocean.
Distance: 2.2 kilometers round trip.
Trailhead: The Darby River parking area is about 18 kilometers south of the park entrance.
