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The southernmost point of the Australian mainland, Wilsons Promontory (affectionately known to Victorians as 'the Prom') is arguably the most loved national park in Victoria. Its 130 km coastline is framed by granite headlands, mountains, forests and fern gullies. Tidal River, 30 km inside the park boundary, is the focus for tourism and recreation. The park contains the largest coastal wilderness area in Victoria.


Experience some of the park's secrets by taking an overnight hike to one of the 11 outstation campsites (accessible only on foot). Hikes range from beginner to intermediate standard, and one to five nights duration.
Spend time in the Information Centre to find out about the many features and stories of the Prom. It has excellent audio-visual presentations as well as informative displays and maps and other publications for sale.
Explore the northern part of the Prom - an officially designated wilderness. Millers Landing and Vereker Lookout are easy family walks in this area.
Get to know some of the Prom's several hundred bird species, or go looking for koalas, wallabies or wombats.
If you take snorkel or scuba gear, you can discover the underwater world surrounding the Prom - all of which is protected in a marine national park. If you're not able to go under water, explore intertidal life in the rockpools formed by granite boulders at many of the beaches.
Take some time just to relax and enjoy the Prom's fantastic atmosphere.


Facilities

Tidal River has some 450 camping and caravan sites, beautifully situated near the beach and river. There are no powered sites and generators are not permitted. Campfires are not permitted at campsites so please take a gas or fuel stove. Campsites are in great demand; bookings are required for all holiday periods and a ballot is held to allocate sites for summer.
Tidal River has a general store, post office, camping gas supplies and a take-away food shop. Meals are available on some nights. Petrol and diesel are available. Open-air cinema and doctor services are available during summer.
Tidal River also has self-contained flats and lodges (2 to 6 beds), group lodges with 12, 24 and 30 beds, and motor huts (4 and 6 beds) which offer compact and economical accommodation. Note that all this accommodation is very popular and must be booked well in advance.
Baby change facilities
For more detailed information regarding camping and accommodation, including fees and rates, please refer to the park notes section at the bottom of this page.

Ballot Applications
Please download your application

Camping Ballot

and forward via fax:

(03) 5680 9516

or post:
C/O Park Office
Tidal River Wilsons Promontory National Park
Via Foster
VIC 3960
Ballot applications are accepted throughout June and drawn on the 1st of July.



Heritage

Wilsons Promontory National Park has an early history of Aboriginal occupation with archaeological records dating back at least 6500 years. The Prom had (and still has) spiritual significance for different Aboriginal groups, who knew the area as Yiruk or Wamoom. The area as a valuable food source, particularly in summer. Aboriginal people may have used the Prom, which was then part of a 'land bridge', to reach Tasmania during past Ice Ages.

Today, local Aboriginal communities are active in establishing cultural and spiritual links with the park and in undertaking park management activities.

George Bass and Matthew Flinders were probably the first Europeans to see the Prom, on their 1798 voyage from Sydney, and Bass is thought to have named it after a London friend of Flinders'. They recognised its commercial value, as the name Sealers Cove shows; commercial exploitation of seals, whales and timber, and for cattle grazing, went on for nearly a hundred years.

The Prom's position means that it is important for navigation in the turbulent waters of Bass Strait, and a lighthouse was built on South East Point in 1859.

Following campaigns by the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria, and lobbying by the Royal Society of Victoria, the Victorian government temporarily reserved most of the Promontory as a national park in 1898. Permanent reservation followed in 1908, although the Yanakie area north of the Darby River was not added until the 1960s. A chalet for visitors was built at Darby River, but for many years a trip to the Prom was quite an adventure, involving a boat trip across Corner Inlet and a horse ride, or a car drive along the beach, with the risk of being swamped by waves! The main entrance road was not completed until the 1930s.

During World War II the Prom was used for commando training and was closed to the public. Army buildings at Tidal River formed the nucleus of a post-war holiday village that gradually developed as more people came to the Prom. The entrance road was sealed in 1970-71 with visitor numbers increasing steadily


Fauna

Over 30 species of native mammals, not including marine mammals, have been recorded in the park. These include populations of the Long-nosed Potoroo, Swamp Antechinus, White-footed Dunnart, Broad-toothed Rat, Feather-tailed Glider and Eastern Pygmy-possum, as well as the more familiar kangaroos, koalas and wombats.

One of the most significant habitats of the New Holland Mouse also occurs within the park, and a number of species of whale have been sighted in the waters off its coastline. The Yanakie grasslands are popular for viewing Eastern Grey Kangaroos, wombats and emus.

Significant species of migratory wading birds feed on the tidal mudflats of Corner Inlet within and adjoining the park. The offshore islands provide roosting and breeding sites for sea birds, including an enormous number of Short-tailed Shearwaters. Populations of the endangered Damselfly Hemiphlebia mirabilis, a "living fossil", are found around freshwater swamps and lagoons in the park.

Wilsons Promontory also has a number of introduced animals, including foxes, cats, rabbits, starlings and blackbirds.


Vegetation

The park has diverse vegetation communities including warm temperate and cool temperate rainforest, tall open forests, woodlands, heathlands, and swamp and coastal communities.

The park has stands of White Mangrove, the most southerly stands of mangroves in the world. The heathlands, influenced by the frequency and intensity of fire, are rich in species and provide habitats for a variety of fauna, including many threatened species.

The coastal dunes are a near perfect example of coastal succession ranging from bare dunes to protected woodlands.

Like other parks and natural areas throughout Victoria, Wilsons Promontory National Park also has a substantial number of environmental weeds. The park's Environmental Management Plan details how these are to be managed.


Geological and Landform Features


Wilsons Promontory has a variety of geological and landform features of national geological and geomorphological significance. There are nine individual sites within the park of State or regional significance, including Darby, Squeaky and Five Mile Beaches, Great Glennie and Cleft Islands, and Chinaman Creek Delta. Norman Bay at Tidal River is an excellent and accessible place to study the different kinds and formations of granite that make up the Prom.

The promontory represents the northern end of a large granite mass extending to north-east Tasmania. Erosion of the granitic massif has produced the spectacularly rugged landscape we see today. The Yanakie isthmus connecting the granitic promontory to the mainland consists of marine and non-marine sediments and dune deposits.

Coastal features include expansive intertidal mudflats, sandy beaches and sheltered coves interrupted by prominent headlands and plunging granite cliffs in the south, backed by coastal dunes and swamps.

In the intertidal zone adjoining Corner Inlet, large areas of highly productive tidal mudflat are exposed at low tide. Corner Inlet contains internationally important habitat for migratory wading birds.

The potential for erosion of the soils of Wilsons Promontory is high. This must be considered in day-to-day management and planning of future developments.


Looking After the Park

Dogs and other pets, and firearms, are not permitted.
Please keep to tracks.
Observe fire restrictions. Take a gas or fuel stove.
Carry out all rubbish.
Do not disturb or remove any plants or animals.
Drive carefully on the main entrance road. It's a good place to see animals, but many are killed by speeding cars.
Please do not feed the rosellas or other wildlife in the park. It upsets the natural ecological balance, and can cause injury or disease to visitors.


How to Get There

The 200 km drive from Melbourne via the South Gippsland Highway, turning south at Meeniyan and Fish Creek, or Foster, takes about 3 hours. Tidal River (Vic Roads Touring Guide: 102-C7), where the main visitor facilities are, is 30 km inside the park boundary. Limited public transport is available.

Contact Details

To book accommodation or campsites at Tidal River
Phone: 1800 350 552 or 61+3 5680 9555
Postal Address: Wilsons Promontory Park Office Tidal River VIC AUSTRALIA 3960

Annual Parks Passes and Multi Day Parks Passes are available for Wilsons Promontory National Park. These can save entry fee costs for regular users, local residents and interstate visitors. Further information is available here.


Accessibility
Accessibility Rating: 4 out of 6

Tidal River: Visitor Centre and Accommodation

The Visitor Centre at Tidal River offers good informative displays about the park, and is generally an accessible building. Car parking is good, and includes designated accessible spaces. The most accessible accommodation options are George Robinson (small group lodge), Baldwin Spencer (large group lodge), Wirilda Cabins, She-Oak Cabins and Dannevig motor huts.

Tidal River: Camping and Picnic Areas

The camping area is large, and has designated accessible facilities at the West Block. The area is mostly flat. Loo-Errn Track is the most accessible of the tracks leading from this site, and has been designed to enhance access for all abilities to some of the park's natural features.

Lilly Pilly Gully

A walking track with a boardwalk about half way along the track that offers a high level of accessibility to visitors with a disability. A recent upgrade has increased the overall accessibility of the track, and includes an accessible toilet at the car park. The track links back to Tidal River via a footbridge.

Squeaky Beach

Squeaky Beach is one of the more accessible beaches of the Prom, although the access path has some obstacles such as sand and moderate slopes. There is a recently installed composting toilet with an access ramp between the car park and the beach. fence.

Telegraph Saddle

The lookout at Telegraph Saddle is reasonably accessible, with only a slight step onto the timber platform, but it lacks a continuous approach path. Walking tracks from this site are narrow and rocky, and traverse varied, often steep, terrain. They are generally inaccessible to people with a disability. No drinking water is available.

Darby River and Millers Landing

The bank of the Darby River is near the car park. The walking track to the beach has some sections of rough or steep terrain, making access difficult. The track from the Millers Landing Carpark to Millers Landing is being upgraded to meet access standards. When complete, the Millers Landing walk will be an excellent accessible feature at the Prom.


Education

The park has an Education Centre located at Tidal River.
Visit the Parks Education Website for program outlines and resource material for students and teachers.


Nearby Parks

Corner Inlet Marine and Coastal Park
Nooramunga Marine and Coastal Park
Shallow Inlet Marine and Coastal Park
Wilsons Promontory Marine Park and Marine Reserve



Activities
Accommodation, Birdwatching, Cafes & Restaurants , Camping, Swimming, Walking