Wilson's Promontory

In October 2012, I set out on a hike which I had dreamed of doing for many years. Having made several trips to Phillip Island, it was always on my agenda to hike in Wilson’s Prom. Finally I was fit enough to set myself a challenge -hike to the historic Wilson’s Promontory Lightstation.

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We drove from Phillip Island that morning, stopping at Yanakie General Store for final supplies and arrived at the park entrance at 1200 to obtain the park entry permit. It was another 30 km drive to reach Tidal River where we confirmed our reservation at The Park Visitor Centre and were directed to the car park designated for overnight hikers use. Walkers can usually choose between the inland route via Telegraph Saddle car park (19.1 km one way) and the partial coastal route from Tidal River via Oberon Bay (23.8 km one way). However at the time of our walk, the Telegraph Saddle route was still closed due to damage from severe floods which occurred in March 2011. Repair and recovery efforts are still underway.

With a canopy of tea tree scrub to shade us from the warm 23C temperature and clear sunny skies, we set off at 1250. After 15 mins, the track meets the beach at the western end of Norman Beach and we headed towards Little Oberon Bay. Walking through coastal heath, there were beautiful views looking out around the sheltered cove back towards Tidal River and out to sea to Great Glennie Island.

Norman Beach

Coastal heath

Not far along we encountered the first of several snakes sunning themselves on the track. Rounding Norman Point stunning views opened up of Little Oberon Bay and Oberon Bay behind it. Severe flood damage was still evident with huge scars on the hillsides of Mt Oberon (558m) intersecting the track in several places, especially at the end of Little Oberon bay (4.5km) where you walk off the beach and rejoin the walking track. 

Little Oberon Bay

Scars on the hillside from flood damage

We continued on to Oberon Bay, with an easy creek crossing at Growler Creek onto the beach due to low tide. We lunched here for 30 mins, soaking up the spectacular views with the whole beach to ourselves. 

 

 

 

 A 2km beach walk to the end of Oberon Bay was easy due to nicely compacted sand. We found the track that leads off the beach (reach Frasers Creek and you’ve gone too far). 100 metres through the sand hills is the Oberon Bay campsite, a sheltered site with picnic benches and toilets, but no water supply. From here, it is 3.4km to Telegraph Junction along a 4WD vehicle track, sandy for the most part and well shaded for the first 2km, again by a thicket of tea tree. 

Reaching the Junction, we were greeted by a Parks staff member, part of a crew doing track/road construction and maintenance (flood recovery works) complete with convoys of heavy trucks and graders.

We had covered 11km but still had another 13km to go!

  

The next 6km were a hard slog. Walking uphill over Boulder Range along Telegraph Track, a vehicle management track with the pack weight and an afternoon sun on our backs was hot and arduous. Thankfully we had our walking poles which were very useful as it was extremely steep in sections. We passed Halfway Hut campsite along this section but didn’t stop to have a look, wanting to press on. It was 4.6km to Roaring Meg campsite from Halfway Hut. There is a walking track (2.7km) just south of Halfway Hut which comes out at the top of Martin’s Hill, but this had been closed due to flood damage. Park notes record that the walking track is uneven in places, so is more difficult to walk than the management road. We met a couple of track workers at the summit of Martin’s Hill, which gave us an excuse to stop and chat whilst readjusting the packs.

We then descended down through a canopy of gums with an understorey of tree ferns towards Roaring Meg campsite. We stopped for a snack and toilet stop here. 12 students and their teacher were setting up camp, the other half of the class having hiked to Waterloo Bay. (The campsites only allow 12 persons with a 2 night maximum) From Roaring Meg, we chose to take the walking trail instead of the road to give the knees and hips a rest from the hard road walking. This trail followed the old Telegraph lines which were erected all the way to the Lighthouse. Though it was 1km less to walk (2.3 km versus 3.4km), it was fairly undulating with several creek crossings. Flood damage was again evident and this track was supposedly closed as well.  We came out to the road again, where the signpost informed us it was 3.8 kms to the Lighthouse.

By now we had walked for 5 hours and were feeling the pinch, but about 20 mins down the track we caught a glimpse of the peninsula with the lighthouse perched at the end and exhilaration overcame exhaustion. 

 

Bass Strait shimmered like mirror glass and the lighthouse was bathed in beautiful golden rays of late afternoon sun. We passed South Peak on the left of the trail and walked through regenerated bush, the end-result of a major bushfire occurring in March 2005.  We descended quickly, reaching the track junction which leads to Waterloo Bay. Substantial and impressive granite outcrops reminiscent of Kangaroo Island’s Remarkable Rocks guard the entrance to the isthmus - Skull Rocks. Adjacent to these rocks are more remnants of the Telegraph Line accompanied by an interpretative sign. A little further on is a heli-pad and another track junction where the track to the left leads to the wharf. The final 800 metres of the track is ahead and after nearly six hours on the trail is the final insult (or should I say assault) - a concrete path with an incline that has to be seen to be believed! (see photos) 

Skull Rocks

Telegraph Line

 

 The final assault - that hill.....

 

 keeps going....

 

 and going....

 

Halfway!

 

 Nearly there?

 

 Just around the Corner....

 

Almost made it.....

 

 Main Street

We arrived at the Lightstation right on the 6 hour mark. Not a bad effort I thought - 24km with a 12kg pack on my back. The outward journey was done and dusted!

We had booked into the Lightstation Cottages for 2 nights to enjoy the remote location and savour the experience.  The setting is certainly one of old-school romance. The restored cottages are very well appointed with fully equipped kitchen, bathroom facilities and communal dining and living room quarters. Most cottages sleep 8 persons with bedrooms having either one or two bunks per room with a mattress and a pillow supplied per bed. Visitors need to supply their own linen or sleeping bags as well as towels. Accommodation is booked per bed, so guests may find themselves sharing a bedroom with others. The cottages are available for individual and group bookings for one or two nights. We shared the cottage with one other couple for both nights who were seasoned hikers and had visited before.

A helicopter carries supplies to the Lightstation and carries out rubbish and other materials every six months. Some supplies can be taken out by boat however like the helicopter, this is totally weather dependent. A diesel generator provides electricity for the Lightstation. Gas bottles are the bulkiest and most costly resource transported to the Lightstation. Hard rubbish from the Lightstation has to be removed by helicopter so “Carry out what you carry in” is the policy although organic waste (food scraps) can be placed in compost bins. This hike was our first attempt at dehydrating food and we had dehydrated curries for dinner both nights (courtesy of the Burnside Curry House) which were a great success. 

The next day was spent exploring – the Parks Ranger gave us access to the Lightstation and the Lighthouse Keepers Cottages. Wilson’s Promontory Lightstation was built in 1859 from granite from a nearby quarry and stands 19 metres tall. The four cottages adjacent to the Lighthouse were built to accommodate the lighthouse keepers and their families. Some buildings date back to 1859. In 1993 the light was automated and is now solar powered, only requiring an annual service. There is also a radar station built in 1942, one of 4 established along the Victorian coast after the US steamship SS City of Rayville sank off Cape Otway. The Rayville was struck by a mine, one of more than 100 mines laid in key areas of Bass Strait, laid by a German vessel, The Passat. It is a fascinating story of Australian and American World War 2 history. 

The views from the top of the Lightstation looking across Bass Strait to the numerous islands dotting the ocean were magnificent. Seals were frolicking at the base of the rocky headland and whales were sighted. One view in particular captivated my imagination – Rodondo Island - which rises out of the ocean not unlike an upside down ice-cream cone and is located 10 km south/southeast from South East Point.  The first official landing of Rodondo was in the 1940’s by a party of teachers and students from Geelong Grammar School led by John Bechervaise – who accompanied Warren Bonython on a section of his end to end Flinders Ranges trek in the late 1960’s. Stories and newspaper clippings about the landing were documented in a scrapbook at Cottage No5 and made absorbing reading. We strolled down to the wharf where in the 1800’s, supplies were delivered to the lighthouse by ship every six months. The wharf is still used today when the helicopters cannot be used. As we explored the grounds of the lighthouse keepers’ cottages, we also encountered the resident wildlife – a wombat, wallabies, even a snake.

 

 

  

Views from the top - Bass Strait Islands

 

 Looking west towards Waterloo Bay

 

 Rodondo Island on the horizon

 

 Lighthouse Keepers Cottage

 

 

 Cottage No 5 - our abode

 

 

 Moonscape

 

 Wires were attached from these to buildings to prevent them from being destroyed during gale force winds

 Rodondo Island

 

 The Wharf

We were fortunate to see the Prom at its best - the weather was perfect and although I relished the fine, warm and calm conditions, a little part of me wistfully regretted not experiencing the Prom in all of her stormy fury. There was a full moon on that second night, reminiscent of the images of the famous “Staircase to the Moon” on WA’s Broome Beach. Looking out to sea also revealed lights emanating from four other Bass Strait Island Lightstations – a magical scene and a perfect finish to our sojourn.

 

 Coast - looking east

 Sunset on night 1

We returned to Tidal River by the same route the following day, starting out at 7am to walk in the cool of the morning as the forecast temp was 27C.  We took the vehicle management track back to Roaring Meg instead of following the “closed track” and detoured to Halfway Hut for a morning tea break.  Halfway Hut was built to house the maintenance workers during construction of the telegraph line and for emergency shelter, but is now a designated campsite.

 

  Burnt-out scrub near South Peak

  

 Descending from Martin's Hill - looking east

 Halfway Hut

 

 Inside Halfway Hut

The management track looking towards Mt Oberon

The last half of the walk was a real grind, not sure whether it was weather related, a lack of fluid intake (or both) which contributed to fatigue. But I was very happy to finish and celebrate with an ice-cream at the Tidal River Cafe. 

 Oberon Bay - wonder where this came from?

   

The inward journey nearly complete...

 flood damage - looking down to Oberon Bay beach

 

 Flood damage - looking up from the track

 

 Done!

The Lightstation Hike is highly recommended.  Will definitely plan another visit to do the whole Prom Southern Circuit walk and hike down to South Point – the southernmost point of mainland Australia.