Top 10 Things to do at Wilsons Promontory

More than 400,000 visitors each year can’t be wrong: Wilson’s Promontory National Park, on Victoria’s south-east coast, is something very special. Victoria’s oldest national park, encompassing 50,000 hectares of land the southernmost tip of mainland Australia, has pristine beaches, carefully preserved forests and a range of accommodation options.

If you’re lucky enough to secure yourself a stay at ‘the Prom’ (school holidays are balloted a year in advance…), Hannah Foster has you covered with the top ten things to do at this much-loved piece of hiking and holidaying heaven.

1. Walk to historic Sealers Cove

This 19-kilometre (return) walk can be accomplished in a day and takes you through mountains, temperate rainforest and ultimately to one of the Prom’s most beautiful, sheltered and secluded beaches. It’s a huge improvement on what Sealer’s Cove was used for a hundred years ago, when it was the site of significant sealing and whaling activity and later, timber logging.

Hiking trail in Wilsons Promontory National Park, Victoria, Australia.

2. Overnight lighthouse stay

Wilsons Promontory Lightstation is super remote, accessible only by sea or a day-long hike from Tidal River or Telegraph Saddle car park. Hikers can stay overnight in one of three of the lighthouse’s cottages. For romantics, the Banks Cottage has a queen bed, private bathroom and uninterrupted views out over Bass Strait.

3. Glamping luxury at Tidal River

The Prom’s latest accommodation option, these safari-style large permanent tents are situated in a quiet part of Tidal River and are the ultimate in glamping, with timber floors, a queen bed and a communal kitchen for Wilderness Retreat guests.

4. See black swans and the world’s southern-most mangroves

The northern part of the Prom doesn’t get nearly as many visitors, but Miller’s Landing, near the park entrance, is an easy walk with the chance to see flora and fauna you wouldn’t normally associate with the Prom, including large flocks of black swans.

5. Refuge Cove

An abundance of wildlife calls Refuge Cove its home, with waters in the region that supports dolphins, sharks, seals and migrating whales as well as a rich diversity of bird life, including albatross, shearwater, fairy prions, little penguins and white-bellied sea eagles. We are lucky that departures are daily and you will also enjoy a lunch on board of Wildlife Coast Cruises.

Refuge Cove from above, Wilson Promontory National Park

6. Eat hot chips on Norman Bay beach

Why? Because it’s hot chips. On the beach. And because Norman Bay is a wide, white, postcard-ready beach with decent surf at one end and a kid-friendly tidal river at the other.

7. Wildlife spotting, Loo Errn Boardwalk track

Spotting native animals out in the wild never gets tiring. Around the Loo Errn you’ll most likely see wombats, but also look out for various types of wallabies, echidnas, native swap rats, several types of tiny marsupials and native birds. Pro tip: No matter how cute, never interfere with the wildlife or try to feed them your food, it’s dangerous for you and for them.

8. Watch the sun set from the top of Mt Oberon

The hike up this mountain is worth it for the view at any time of day, but seeing the sun set over the ocean, casting pink to golden light across Tidal River below, is something very special.
Pro tip: Once the sun goes down it gets very dark very quickly, so take a good torch with you for the walk back down the mountain.

Wilsons promontory national park view from Mount Oberon

9. Attend a ranger talk at the Visitor Centre

Parks Victoria offers a great schedule of academic speakers and kids activities that you can attend while at the Prom. With a long and complex history and amazing biodiversity, there’s a lot to learn. Plus, it’s a good alternative to your tent on a rainy day!

10. Take a cruise around the Prom’s coastline

Much of the water around the Prom is a marine national park, with seabird colonies, fur seals, leatherback turtles and visiting whales. Full day cruises around the Prom’s coastline are a way to see this unique destination from a different perspective.

Planning a big trip? Check out our handy destination guide full of tips on where to eat, stay and play in Gippsland…

South Gippsland, which stretches from Melbourne’s eastern suburbs all the way to Wilsons Promontory, is gorgeous, green and a gastronomic delight.

It’s early summer when I take a road trip to explore the gourmet offerings of Victoria’s South Gippsland region and my adventure quickly proves fruitful. I’m seduced by signs urging me towards a rest area just minutes after I’ve turned onto the South Gippsland Highway.

There, I find a farmer selling cherries, boxes of almost-ripe mangoes, plump stone fruit and sweet strawberries. I load up my basket with snacks for the road and head for Inverloch.

1. Pearl

We have dinner reservations at Pearl, a modern Malaysian restaurant tucked away in a residential part of town. Worth hunting out for the slow-cooked beef rendang alone – made with Gippsland beef, of course – this restaurant is a surprising introduction to a gourmet weekend in this often underestimated part of the state.

What it lacks in ambience, it makes up for in bursts of authentic Malay flavour, with spice levels catered to. Crispy fried squid with a sweet, spicy mayonnaise-based dipping sauce, furikake and bonito flakes is followed by barramundi with sambal and charred lime.

Pearl is worth hunting out for the slow-cooked beef rendang alone.

2. Waratah Hills Vineyard

We use Tarwin Lower as a base to explore South Gippsland. Our first stop is Waratah Hills Vineyard in Fish Creek, a 16-hectare property with a cellar door and restaurant.

Waratah Hills Vineyard has a cellar door and restaurant.

This slice of Gippsland is ideal for growing pinot noir and chardonnay grapes, and the vines are planted dense and low in the French style. Renowned local Marcus Satchell is the winemaker and his light touch is evident in the Prom Road and Waratah Hills labels.

Glass of sparkling at Waratah Hills Vineyard in Gippsland

This slice of Gippsland is ideal for growing chardonnay grapes.

Here, guests are encouraged to play pétanque and have a pinot noir (or blanc de noir) with vineyard views. Kids can tumble on the grass while adults enjoy a pizza in the casual outdoor eatery or an indulgent cheese platter in the restaurant.

While away the hours at Waratah Hills Vineyard.

3. Gurneys Cider

Next we visit Gurneys Cidery, home to the world’s largest underground cider cellar door. Named The Arches, the structure was purchased from the former Hazlewood coal mine and repurposed as a cellar. Inside, gentle music floats around the dimly lit room.

Gurneys Cidery is home to the world’s largest underground cider cellar door. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Our guide tells us about Dr Matsuro Emoto’s water experiment, which theorised that the molecular structure of water is shaped by its environment, particularly human thoughts, emotions and intentions.

Just like some people talk to plants to help them grow, music is played at Gurneys to help nurture the cider and improve its flavour. The tasting flight convinces me of the experiment’s validity.

Gurneys Cidery cider and cheeseboard in Gippsland.

Music is played at Gurneys to help nurture the cider and improve its flavour. (Image: Tourism Australia)

The Gurnett family moved to Australia in 2001 from England and, missing their beloved cider, started foraging for apples and making cider with second-hand juicers. They purchased this property and planted over three hectares of heritage apple varieties, then built the restaurant and a home with views of rolling hills.

Gurneys Cidery couple with dog in Gippsland

Bring your dog along. (Image: Tourism Australia)

4. Moo’s at Meeniyan

Gnocchi is the favourite dish at Moo’s at Meeniyan according to owner Marty Thomas. The potato pasta is made by Meeniyan local Francesco Laera, who runs Trulli, the Italian restaurant in town. The carbonara sauce, elevated with mushrooms from nearby fungi farm and accommodation Wattle Bank Farm and Gippsland chardonnay cream sauce with local bacon, is rich and deeply satisfying.

Table outside Moo’s at Meeniyan in Gippsland

Sit outside and devour some gnocchi at Moo’s at Meeniyan. (Image: Sarah Paynter)

Moo’s at Meeniyan is a natural resting stop on the road between the city and the coast. Have coffee, a salad of roasted cauliflower, black rice, chickpea, cranberry, rocket and goat’s cheese or a small plate of shrimp spring rolls.

Exterior of Moo’s at Meeniyan in Gippsland

Moo’s at Meeniyan is a natural resting stop on the road between the city and the coast. (Image: Sarah Paynter)

5. Fleet Wines

Lisa and Justin Jenkins opened their Korumburra cellar door in November 2023. Designed as a place for their punters to enjoy wine, this long-term hospitality couple want their land to be in good shape for future generations.

Fleet Wines was designed so the land will be in good shape for future generations. (Image: Cam Suttie, Know Studio)

They are regenerating the soil at Fleet Wines and putting their heart and soul into creating deep connections with their neighbours, the land and the wildlife that lives upon it.

Fleet Wines glasses for wine tasting in Gippsland

A wine tasting for good. (Image: Cam Suttie, Know Studio)

The couple are also busy planting native species to replenish the earth where their vines will grow. They’ve planted 8000 trees on their property since 2019.

“We like to make wines we’d like to drink, and we like to drink things that have energy and light and a sense of refreshment to them,” Lisa says.

Group of friends having a wine tasting at Fleet Wines in Gippsland

Drop in for a tasting at Fleet Wines. (Image: Cam Suttie, Know Studio)

6. River Drive Motel

Our headlights illuminate a koala nonchalantly crossing the road on our drive back to River Drive Motel. We pull over, feeling both exhilarated and concerned, to ensure the koala’s safe passage and watch it disappear into the darkness.

Delight in retro revival at River Drive Motel. (Image: Albert Comper)

Each of the five rooms at the boutique motel has been renovated in modern shades of green and pink and are flush with luxe elements.

Interior of room at River Drive Motel in Gippsland

The rooms are flush with luxe elements. (Image: Albert Comper)

I’m in The Snug, a double with a bathroom (including a bath) and kitchenette. The minibar is filled with local artisanal goods such as the A.R.C. Baw Baw White wine, gin from Loch Brewery & Distillery and Chappy’s Chips.

Exterior of room at River Drive Motel in Gippsland

The boutique motel has been renovated in modern shades of green and pink. (Image: Albert Comper)

A garden shed has lawn games, deck chairs, beach towels and sunscreen. Guests can gather around the fire pit seated on tree stumps, arranged for this purpose, or cook a barbecue in the tranquil, expansive garden.

Picnic tables outside at River Drive Motel in Gippsland

Dine in the tranquil, expansive garden. (Image: Albert Comper)

I’ve ordered croissants and muesli from Acacia Edibles for breakfast in the morning. I eat by the water at a 35-metre-long picnic table that has been crafted and curved to represent the flow of the Tarwin River. I then wander, absorbing the serenity, bowl in hand, along the water’s edge, taking photos of the bottlebrushes, birds and intricate patterns on the bark of the eucalyptus trees.

Welcome gift at River Drive Motel in Gippsland

The motel supplies a welcome basket full of goodies. (Image: Albert Comper)

There’s plenty to do and see on a gastronomic journey around South Gippsland. This weekend was like a tasting plate of what the region has to offer. If only I could pack the whole gorgeous place into a picnic basket to take home.

10 most memorable things to do at Wilsons Promontory