The ultimate guide to Wilsons Promontory National Park

Imogen EvesonBy Imogen Eveson
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Located at the southern tip of Australia’s mainland, Wilsons Promontory is a coastal wilderness of golden beaches and bushland trails which serves as one of Victoria’s favourite parks for good reason.

At the southernmost point of mainland Australia lies Victoria’s oldest and one of its most-loved national parks. Wilsons Promontory is a 50,000-hectare coastal wilderness of sandy beaches, granite tors, fern gullies, mountain peaks and native wildlife (think emus, wombats and vividly plumed rosellas), and even harbours a vast inland sand dune system. It is an Aboriginal cultural landscape that remains of major spiritual significance to Victorian Koorie communities today.

Getting to Wilsons Prom

Visit for the day, it’s three hours’ drive from Melbourne in South Gippsland, or stay awhile: the Prom’s main hub is the family-friendly Tidal River (named for the tea tree-stained waterway that curls lazily around it), which offers family-friendly campsites and huts (book ahead, especially in peak season) or hike to a secluded campsite or the historic cottages at the Wilsons Promontory Lightstation.

Wilsons Promontory national park
Marvel at the beauty found within one of Victoria’s favourite parks.

What to do at Wilsons Prom

Squeaky Beach

A must-hear sound as much as a must-see sight, powdery white Squeaky Beach gets its name from the noise your feet make as they pad along it. That’s thanks to the fine, rounded grains of quartz sand that compress under your feet as you walk. While here, take a dip in the famously turquoise waters and explore the maze of large granite boulders at the northern end of this iconic beach.

Mt Oberon

Set your sights on the summit of Mt Oberon for one of the best views in Victoria. This trek is short, at 6.8 kilometres return, and steep as you approach the granite peak where you’ll be rewarded with a panorama of Wilsons Promontory: from its pristine coastline and Tidal River to its offshore islands, gullies and other mountains. For a more rugged and challenging trek, hike Mt Bishop.

Mt Oberon Wilsons Prom
Views from the summit of Mt Oberon

Whisky Bay

Follow the coastal walk that connects some of Wilsons Prom’s pristine beaches from Squeaky Beach round to Whisky Bay – preferably in time for sunset (also accessible via its own car park). A secluded beach with colourful rock outcrops, its position on the western coast of the peninsula provides the rare opportunity on the east coast of Australia to see the sun go down over the ocean. Watch as sky, sand and sea turn all the shades of a Manhattan, and islands cast perfect silhouettes on the horizon.

Big Drift

One of the most unusual features of Wilsons Prom is rather poetically called the Big Drift: a landscape of vast and ever-shifting sand dunes. Near the park’s entrance yet off the beaten track, to get there it’s a two-kilometre walk from Stockyards Camp along a path that winds through bushland, paddocks and over hills until presenting you with the otherworldly sight. Spend time exploring but keep an eye on where you’ve come from – it can be easy to get lost here.

The Big Drift Wilsons Prom
The Big Drift… a landscape of vast and ever-shifting sand dunes.

A Pennicott cruise

Jump aboard one of Pennicott Wilderness Journeys’ amphibious yellow boats to explore the Prom’s rugged coastline and unique wildlife, venture to South Point and take in the granite monolith that is Skull Rock.

Hike to Sealers Cove

No roads lead to this picturesque cove, all sandy shores and forest fringed, so what better excuse to lace up your walking boots? Access to Sealers Cove is only possible via a 25km hike from Telegraph Saddle.

Marine national park

Wilsons Prom is home to Victoria’s largest marine protected area, with waters off the southern coast that harbour a fascinating world ripe for exploration by divers and snorkellers and rivalling the Great Barrier Reef.

 

Find more memorable things to do at Wilsons Prom here.

Wilsons Prom
A typical Wilsons Prom view of turquoise waters and golden sands.

Wildlife at Wilsons Prom

Wilsons Promontory is a refuge for native wildlife and a top whale-watching spot to boot.

Wombat

Visitors to Wilsons Prom will delight in seeing the typically reclusive wombat in the wild, and in fact, the portly marsupial can be quite bold and cheeky in its foraging for food at popular camping spot Tidal River; Parks Victoria advises storing food in your vehicle at night so as not to be woken by a furry intruder.

Whales

Tours run seasonally, typically from May to October with peak whale season usually from June to September.

Spot-tailed quoll

Part of a $23 million upgrade of the national park, a 10-kilometre predator-proof fence is being built across the isthmus at the entry to the Prom to create a 50,000-hectare sanctuary for vulnerable native species including the ground parrot, southern brown bandicoot and spot-tailed quoll.

Emu

The mighty emu is another fixture of Wilsons Prom and, while you may count yourself lucky enough to catch a glimpse of one on your travels around the park, up your chances by heading along on the short, sweet and appropriately named Prom Wildlife Walk, where you’ll also see other native wildlife including wallabies, roos and more wombats.

Access to Wilsons Prom

Wilsons Promontory is one of several national parks in Victoria that has free all-terrain wheelchairs; TrailRiders are available to hire so those with mobility limitations can enjoy and explore the wilderness including the views from the summit of Mt Oberon. The Prom, in fact, is one of three parks that offer the use of TrailRiders for going longer and steeper, and has beach wheelchairs too. See parks.vic.gov.au for more information.

Imogen Eveson
Imogen Eveson is Australian Traveller’s Print Editor. She was named Editor of the Year at the 2024 Mumbrella Publish Awards and in 2023, was awarded the Cruise Line Industry Association (CLIA) Australia’s Media Award. Before joining Australian Traveller Media as sub-editor in 2017, Imogen wrote for publications including Broadsheet, Russh and SilverKris. She launched her career in London, where she graduated with a BA Hons degree in fashion communication from world-renowned arts and design college Central Saint Martins. She is the author/designer of The Wapping Project on Paper, published by Black Dog Publishing in 2014. Growing up in Glastonbury, home to the largest music and performing arts festival in the world, instilled in Imogen a passion for cultural cross-pollination that finds perfect expression today in shaping Australia’s leading travel titles. Imogen regularly appears as a guest on radio travel segments, including ABC National Nightlife, and is invited to attend global travel expos such as IMM, ILTM, Further East and We Are Africa.
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Unforgettable First Peoples tours and experiences in Victoria

    Angela SaurineBy Angela Saurine
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    From ancient aquaculture systems to sacred rock art shelters, Victoria’s First Peoples cultural experiences offer a powerful connection to one of the world’s oldest living cultures – where every site, story and smoking ceremony invites a deeper understanding of the land beneath your feet. 

    Victoria’s sweeping landscapes hold stories far older than any road map can trace – stories etched into stone, sung through generations and woven into every bend of river and rise of hill. From the lava flows of Budj Bim to the ancient middens of Moyjil/Point Ritchie and the volcanic crater of Tower Hill, the state is home to some of the most significant First Peoples cultural sites in Australia. These places, along with other immersive experiences, offer not only a window into a 60,000-year legacy, but a profound way of understanding Country itself. As more travellers seek connection over checklists, guided tours by Traditional Owners offer respectful, unforgettable insights into a living culture that continues to shape the land and the people who walk it. 

    Budj Bim cultural landscape  

    Budj Bim Cultural Landscape
    Budj Bim Cultural Landscape is on Gunditjmara Country. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Venture beyond the surf and sand of the Great Ocean Road to discover a deeper story etched into the volcanic landscape. At Budj Bim , ancient aquaculture channels built by the Gunditjmara people to trap, store and harvest kooyang (short-finned eel) reveal one of the world’s oldest living cultures. While you’re in the area, head over to the state-of-the-art Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre, where you can observe the eels in a special tank, wander the shores of Tae Rak (Lake Condah), and enjoy a bite at the Bush Tucker Cafe. Also nearby is Tower Hill, a dormant volcano reborn as a wildlife reserve, offering trails through bushland teeming with emus and koalas. 

    eel tank
    The kooyang (eel) tank at Tae Rak. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Dumawul Kooyoora Walking Tour 

    Dumawul walkingtour
    Guests are guided through Kooyoora State Park on the Dumawul walking tour. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Step into a timeless landscape with Dumawul’s guided tour through Kooyoora State Park, around an hour’s drive west of Bendigo in north-central Victoria. Led by Djaara guides, this immersive half-day journey breathes life into Country, weaving together stories, bush tucker and ancient rock art. Known to the Dja Dja Wurrung people as Guyura – the ‘mountain of light’ – this dramatic granite range is rich with cultural and spiritual significance.  The adventure begins with a meet-up at the Bridgewater Hotel on the banks of the Loddon River, before guests are welcomed onto Country with a traditional Smoking Ceremony – a powerful ritual that honours ancestors and cleanses those who walk the land. From there, it’s a gentle wander through rugged outcrops and open bushland, with sweeping vistas unfolding at every turn. Along the way, guides share their knowledge of how the Dja Dja Wurrung peoples have cared for and adapted with this land for generations, offering a rare and moving window into an ancient way of life that continues to thrive today.  

    Kooyoora walking tour
    Knowledge of the Dja Dja Wurrung is shared on the trail. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Kingfisher Cruises  

    Kingfisher Cruises
    Cruising the Murray with Kingfisher Cruises. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Glide quietly through the Barmah-Millewa forest – the nation’s largest river red gum ecosystem – on a scenic journey along the Murray River and into the Barmah Lakes with Kingfisher Cruises . Led by passionate guides who share stories of the cultural significance of this ancient landscape, these cruises reveal the stories, totems and traditional knowledge of the Yorta Yorta people. As you navigate narrow waterways and spot native birds, you’ll gain a richer understanding of how First Peoples have lived in harmony with this floodplain for tens of thousands of years. It’s a gentle, immersive experience that leaves a lasting impression – one where every bend in the river carries echoes of culture, connection and Country.  

    wawa biik 

    Taungurung leaders
    Exploring Nagambie with Taungurung leaders. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Translating to ‘hello, Country’ in the language of the First Nations People and Custodians of the rivers and mountains of Taungurung Country in Central Victoria, wawa biik guides a range of authentic and deeply immersive experiences. Leaving from either Nagambie or Euroa, the tours are woven with ancient stories of the Taungurung, telling how a sustained connection and responsibility ensures the continued health of biik – benefitting the people, animals and plants that live in and around the Goulburn River. During the wawa Nagambie experience, guests participate in a Welcome Smoking Ceremony, and enjoy lunch and conversation with two Taungurung leaders as they cruise through the wetlands of tabilk-tabilk (place of many waterholes). The 4.5-hour tour begins at Tahbilk Winery, which is set in the wetlands of Nagambie on Taungurung Country and collaborates with Taungurung Elders to share knowledge of biik. 

    Bataluk Cultural Trail  

    Bataluk Trail
    Cape Conran on the Bataluk Trail. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    The Bataluk Cultural Trail winds through East Gippsland like a thread stitching past to present, tracing the deep connection between the Gunaikurnai people and their land. Starting at the Knob Reserve in Stratford, visitors walk among scarred trees and ancient stone tools once used for survival and ceremony. At the Den of Nargun near Mitchell River, the earth holds stories of women’s sacred spaces, cloaked in myth and legend. Further along, Legend Rock at Metung tells of greed and consequence, its surface etched with ancient lore. At Cape Conran, shell middens lie scattered like breadcrumbs of history – 10,000 years of gatherings, stories and saltwater songs still echoing in the wind.  

    Healesville Sanctuary  

    echidna at Healesville Sanctuary
    Get up close with a resident echidna at Healesville Sanctuary. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Set on the historic grounds of Coranderrk Aboriginal Station, Healesville Sanctuary honours the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation through immersive storytelling and connection to Country. Along Wurundjeri Walk, visitors are invited to reflect on the land’s rich First Peoples history, with native plants revealing their traditional uses. Wurundjeri Elder and educator Murrundindi shares culture in-person with the Wominjeka Aboriginal Cultural Experience every Sunday, and most days during Victorian school holidays. Murrundindi’s smoking ceremonies, storytelling and bush tucker knowledge reveal the sacred relationship between people, animals and the environment. Bird-lovers can’t miss the incredible Spirits of the Sky show featuring native birds daily at 12pm and 3pm. 

    The Grampians 

    Rock art at Bunjil Shelter in The Grampians
    Rock art at Bunjil Shelter in The Grampians. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Known as Gariwerd to Traditional Owners, the Grampians is a place of immense cultural and spiritual significance. This rugged landscape holds more than 80 per cent of Victoria’s known First Peoples rock art, offering a powerful window into the region’s deep heritage. Visitors can respectfully explore five remarkable rock art sites: Billimina and Ngamadjidj in the Wartook Valley, Manja Shelter near Hamilton, Gulgurn Manja shelter near Laharum, and the Bunjil Shelter near Stawell, where the creator spirit is depicted. Each site tells a unique story of connection to Country, shared through ancient handprints, dancing figures and Dreaming narratives etched into stone.