Wilsons Promontory

 

Australia has many magnificent national parks, ranging from tropical rainforest and the coral cays of Capricornia I shared previously (click here), to the harsh beauty of the Outback. Wilsons Promontory in Victoria, affectionately known as the Prom, is the southernmost national park on the Australian mainland and a particular favourite of mine.

 

When my English friend, Jayne, visited last year we hoped to camp at least overnight to explore this national treasure with my cousins, Trish and Keith. Unfortunately, the weather forecasts were ominous, so we settled on a day trip and a walk around one of the headlands to nearby Little Oberon Bay.  The bad weather held off and, as you can see, we enjoyed a marvellous walk in a very special place.

 

 

View of neighbouring islands from the road into the Prom

Tea tree and perhaps a kind of myrtle in flower



Red Wattle Bird at the Tidal River general store - the starting point for our walk

 

My companions sallying forth

Norman Bay

Magnificent Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos

And they're off..

 

Little Oberon Bay

 

Some of the beautiful wildflowers - this is a Scaevola or Fan Flower

  

Even in Paradise, there is a reminder that Nature is not always so benign.

 

These birds are Short-tailed Shearwaters, known as Mutton birds. Every year they migrate the length of the globe from Siberia to the south of Australia to breed, covering 15,000 km in 6 weeks. Many of the exhausted and starving birds fail to reach their final destination, and last year seemed to be especially tough.  What made it even more poignant for me was that these birds had made so very far, against all odds, to fail at the finish line.

 

  

Black Wing Gull - "I'm ready for my close up, Mr De Mille."

"...or is this my best side?"

 

Back to Norman Bay

Tidal River

As we headed away from the coast, Wilsons Prom still had more to share.

We stopped to photograph a pair of emus

But we weren't the only audience

The surrounding trees were full of birds

Corellas, and Pink and Grey Galahs



Simply stunning

It's almost 12 months now since our visit to The Prom.  After having been so remiss with my posts  this year, I thought about just picking up from this Spring, but I really think The Prom is worth sharing.  Hope you agree!