Saturday April 27 to Wednesday May 8

I spent a very enjoyable and relaxing week and half with my sister in the south eastern suburbs of Melbourne.  Tidied up the garden for her and generally sussed out which way I might go once I hit the round again.  Caught up with one of my brothers and another sister.  She is heavily into documenting the family history so the bit of graveyard research I did in Burnie was of great use to her.  It also added to the intrigue surrounding our maternal grandparents.

I also discovered a very interesting web site that matches travellers as volunteers with accommodation hosts who are seeking helpers to undertake work in exchange for accommodation, meals etc.  I think this may well be of use as I “steer” my way around the country.

Thursday May 9

Left my sister’s place around 9.30am heading for Wilson’s Promontory (one on the bucket list).  Beautiful, mild, late autumn day.  Un-seasonally so!  Arrived at the Prom around lunch time and booked in for 3 nights as the weather is forecast to deteriorate on Sunday so I will move inland.

The camping area is very large with some 480 spots.  There are very good amenity blocks with coin operated washing machines and driers but no clothes lines.  There are also various types of cabin accommodation.  Entry to national parks in Victoria is free (Tas Govt take note!!).  The fee for a non-powered camping site was $26.20 and for a powered site, of which there are only 20 was $48.60(May 2013).  Allocation of sites over summer and at Easter is done by ballot and the place is very busy during school holidays.

There are very good internet and mobile signals in the main camping area however, if you go off on one of the many walks the mobile signal varies.  Very strong on top of Mt Oberon but you won’t have any breath left to make the call!!  There is a general store and takeaway shop but the grocery prices are way over the top.  Nearest petrol and alcoholic refreshments are 45mins back up the road outside the park.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday May 10

Mt Oberon 585metres(the mountain in the above pic)

I decided to tackle the mountain in the morning before the temperature reached its forecast maximum in the mid-twenties.  I know I have been regularly resorting to using superlatives like stunning, magnificent, awe inspiring so I figure why break the habit but I’ll let this panorama shot do the talking.

 

If you want to see more let me know and I can email them to you. (Yeah, like you really do want to see more!)

The walk to the top is continually uphill for 3.4ks (funny about that!!) however you will be walking on a road that is very well made and allows vehicles to service the communications installation on the top of the mountain.  The last 300 metres or so is on a narrow path and steps carved into the granite boulders on the top but boy is it worth the climb particularly if the weather is good.  (Mountain top views and good weather are a bit like flowing waterfalls and rain).

Tidal River Squeaky Beach Circuit

Yeah, yeah I know we have squeaky beaches in Tassie but I’m addicted to walking and scenery.  This is a nice circuit walk of about 7ks taking in some lovely views of Norman Beach,  Part of the walk, about 1.5ks is along the main road.  There are very pleasant views of Tidal River as you wind your way back to the camp ground.
Mt Oberon, the camping area at Tidal River and the western coastline of the park.

Norman Beach the main beach at the camp ground

Unfortunately the camera had a technical malfunction so there is only one picture (thank the gods I hear you say!!!) of Squeaky Beach which, I have to say, wasn’t all that squeaky!  Both the camera and I have now recovered.

 

Squeaky Beach

Saturday May 11

Lilly Pilly Gully and Mt Bishop 393 metres

Well, this late autumn weather is certainly something out of the box!!  Another glorious day.  The Prom is certainly turning on the weather.  A lovely leisurely morning walk into the Lilly Pilly gully warm temperate rain forest and surrounds followed by a challenging walk to the top of Mt Bishop 393 metres.  For the return to camp I chose the Tidal Overlook track.  Again, I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

View from top of Mt Bishop

 

You may have noticed I have discovered the panorama function on the camera which is the only way to do justice to the scenery here.

All the walking that I did, some 25ks, in the Prom NP was on very well made tracks although the Mt Bishop track is a little less well made with protruding rocks and tree roots but the view is well worth the effort.  There is a heap of other walking to do but it requires overnight stops and permits.  Oh well, one day…….

Whilst sipping a relaxing Glen Fiddich I had a night visitor!

PS:  As Gene has expressed interest in my assessment of showers the ones here are very good for temperature and pressure but the design could do with some improvement.  Overall Shower Rating (OSR) – 3stars out of 5.

Sunday May 12

On the road by 9.30am for some “steering” along the Gippsland coast.  Called into to Foster, pretty little town, where the lady in the tourist information centre was very helpful and loaded me up with lots of reading material about stuff to see and do.  Ended up in Yarram where I have booked in for 3 nights and will do some touring from here.  Talk to you again soon.