Wilsons Promontry Southern Section

[OG1]

Hi,
I am planning to hike the Southern section of Wilsons Prom just after school holidays in April this year and was hoping for comments and advice on our intended itinerary. The group is reasonable to fairly fit and range in experience. Distances are as indicated on our 1:50,000 map
Day 1: Telegraph Saddle (Oberon) Carpark to Refuge Cove Campground (16.6km)
Day 2: Refuge Cove Campground to Wilsons Promontory Lightstation campground )17.8km)
Day 3: Wilsons Promontory Lightstation campground to Roaring Meg Campsite (6.1km)
Side hike to South Point (6km return)
Day 4: Roaring Meg Campsite to Tidal River visitors Centre. (19.9km)
Any comments on this would be appreciated... We are keen to hear if there is a better way to see this section, and anything we may be missing.

[Lamont]

Is there a campground at the lightstation? I thought it was dorms/house accom. only and plenty spondoolicks.

[peregrinator]

OG1, Lamont is correct -- there no campsite at the lighthouse. So spacing out your overnight locations as equitably as possible, and sticking with you four-day plan, you might consider:

1. Sealers Cove.
2. Little Waterloo Bay.
3. Roaring Meg.
4. Tidal River.

Or go anti-clockwise. Refuge Cove is the least unattractive site of them all though, in my opinion. I don't like any of the other sites, and even Refuge can be too crowded. Another option, if you've got the funds in the bank, is to do it in two days and stay at the lighthouse. Advantages: need to carry less on your back; staying in a very attractive location. Disadvantages: spending the funds; fewer days out.

Your distances are correct, except for Meg to Tidal, which I believe is about 17.5.

[Lamont]

Take 5 peregrinator!

[OG1]

Many thanks Lamont and Peregrinator. Good to have sorted out the Lightstation camping issue.
Any must sees or must does on this circuit that are not shown on the maps?

[peregrinator]

One that is on your map but that involves a short sidetrack from your route is Kersop Peak, between Refuge and Waterloo, for a beautiful view. Don't leave your packs at the intersection though -- ravens are very clever hereabouts.

You probably could leave packs though in your tents at Roaring Meg for the side trip to South Point, assuming you have time to do that walk. But given that you cannot actually reach the southern-most point, you might want to consider omitting this from your plan.

[OG1]

Thanks Peregrinator. I noticed Kersop Peak on the map and was wondering if we should do it. Good to know its worth doing. Apart from its geographic significance, do you feel there is anything else of interest about the walk to South Point?

[bigkev]

One that is on your map but that involves a short sidetrack from your route is Kersop Peak, between Refuge and Waterloo, for a beautiful view. Don't leave your packs at the intersection though -- ravens are very clever hereabouts.

You probably could leave packs though in your tents at Roaring Meg for the side trip to South Point, assuming you have time to do that walk. But given that you cannot actually reach the southern-most point, you might want to consider omitting this from your plan.

Watch out for the ravens if you leave your pack to drop down to the lighthouse too. They ransacked my mates pack there last year

[paidal_chalne_vala]

We did this route in mid December 2017 . It was hot and humid when it was n't raining and windy!
DAY 1. Telegraph saddle to Sealers Cove.
2. Sealers Cove to Little Waterloo Bay.
3. Little Waterloo Bay to Roaring Meg.We visited the Lighthouse en route. Don't leave your bags anywhere near the Lighthouse track junction . The crows are a force of nature at opening backpacks and zips and looking for food .
4. Roaring Meg/ Halfway Hut for a water refill/ Oberon Bay/Tidal River.
It is a very popular place for walkers and campers. Only the section from Waterloo Bay to the Lighthouse was relatively people free and almost litter free. It was the best bit and the S.E. track has been given a haircut.
In comparison,
The Grey Hills in the Alpine N.P. is wild and people free. It costs nothing to walk and camp out that way. The scenery at the Prom. is great but the Southern Prom . is too popular these days. The Northern Prom. is more my kind of thing really.

[OG1]

Thanks Bigkev, good to know they are about. I saw the effect of birds in a pack while doing the Overland Track. Thankfully it wasn't my pack.

Hi PCV. Yes, very different from the Bogong circuit. I have a short overnighter around Hotham this coming weekend, then early March for Bogong and the Grey Hills. The Prom has been on my list for a while so i'm looking forward to finally getting there. The Northern section of the Prom I have on my list, but another populated one (The Great Ocean walk - in May) we will do first.

[dashandsaph]

I strongly recommend going south from Tidal River via Norman Point and Oberon Bay a spectacular coastline walk, then inland to meet Telegraph Track, or reverse.

This is Oberon Bay.

Attachments

[paidal_chalne_vala]

Correction. That is a photo of LITTLE Oberon Bay.

[dashandsaph]

PCV, you are quite correct it was taken at Little Oberon Bay, but you can see across Oberon Bay in the background.

[CraigVIC]

I'm heading down in a couple of weeks. Just wondering how bad this problem with the birds is? If you take your pack 100m from the junction is it okay? Or is it throughout the whole area?

[warnabrother]

I'm heading down in a couple of weeks. Just wondering how bad this problem with the birds is? If you take your pack 100m from the junction is it okay? Or is it throughout the whole area?

LOL.. the birds don't hang around in gangs at the intersections of tracks
They know what a pack looks like and know there is food in it.. either carry it with you or stick it in your tent..

[CraigVIC]

Fair enough, just following up on comments that implied exactly that. I've never had a problem with birds anywhere I've been, it's all a bit Hitchcock.

[warnabrother]

Fair enough, just following up on comments that implied exactly that. I've never had a problem with birds anywhere I've been, it's all a bit Hitchcock.

It's not only birds at the Prom.. we've had a few problems with Wombats too.. my mates brand new Hilleberg was about two seconds away from being ripped to pieces by a naughty wombat.. we caught it just in time !.. I think that was at Oberon Bay..

[CraigVIC]

Not too fussed about that, just when there's a chance to drop packs we normally take it. I don't know much about the prom, my walking partner is organising this one.

[dashandsaph]

My experience at the turnoff to the lighthouse with the ravens is they can undo a zip by pulling on the tab and will peck at the contents until they uncover any food there. If your zip pulls are pushed into the garages (apparently that's a thing) and they can't pull on a tab, the ravens are ok. They don't appear to try to peck through the fabric of the pack.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

The birds will pack at anything until they find food. I keep novels, maps, all sorts of things in seal top plastic bags. They had a go at those but found my taste in reading matter to be less than appealing.

[dashandsaph]

The birds will pack at anything until they find food. I keep novels, maps, all sorts of things in seal top plastic bags. They had a go at those but found my taste in reading matter to be less than appealing.

So PCV, they aren't voracious readers?

[warnabrother]

they are raven'ous (sorry, coouldn't help myself)

[Lamont]

I am paying it! Well done Senor brother.

[dashandsaph]

well played!

[CraigVIC]

I've just come back. We left our packs at the lighthouse junction in the end. I just put a couple of carabiners I was carrying anyway on the zips, and didn't have any problems. My mate put his cover on but forgot his hip belt and lost some nuts. All up, I think as long as you're aware of the problem, it's no big deal and certainly preferable to carrying a pack up to the lighthouse

[CraigVIC]

And to the OP, I'd skip refuge. It makes the days uneven but sealers, LWB and roaring meg (inc south point) are the pick. South point is great for all the obvious reasons but it is also a lovely walk with a few bush types not seen on the rest of the loop.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

If it is wet then the South Point Track becomes Leech point.

[fixa]

OG1, Lamont is correct -- there no campsite at the lighthouse. So spacing out your overnight locations as equitably as possible, and sticking with you four-day plan, you might consider:

1. Sealers Cove.
2. Little Waterloo Bay.
3. Roaring Meg.
4. Tidal River.

Or go anti-clockwise. Refuge Cove is the least unattractive site of them all though, in my opinion. I don't like any of the other sites, and even Refuge can be too crowded. Another option, if you've got the funds in the bank, is to do it in two days and stay at the lighthouse. Advantages: need to carry less on your back; staying in a very attractive location. Disadvantages: spending the funds; fewer days out.

Your distances are correct, except for Meg to Tidal, which I believe is about 17.5.

Wow. I found Refuge to be the pick of the bunch. Sealers was nice but quite a slope on most sites. We were planning on staying at Little Waterloo but arrived there by lunchtime and most of the campsites were waterlogged (This was september last year) so pushed on. Oh, the climb out of Refuge is a good wake up in the mornings!

[CaptainC]

Wilsons Prom isn't the only place where birds are known to attack packs. On the Overland Track there are several locations where signs warn of birds attacking packs that are left unattended.