Wilsons Promontory is a National Park at the southernmost tip of Australia. This promontory is about four hours drive from Melbourne, although the drive is well worth it - the scenery is spectacular. Wilsons Prom (as it\'s commonly called) was first reserved for a national park in 1898 and was named after Thomas Wilson, a friend of Matthew Flinders, during Flinders' exploration of the Bass Strait in 1798/99. The coasts surrounding the promontory on three sides are also protected as part of the Wilsons Promontory Marine Park and Marine Reserve. Wilsons Prom is home to more than seven hundred native plant species, thirty different types of mammal (including koalas, wombats and wallabies) and roughly one hundred and eighty species of birds. Despite this enormous range of life, we only managed to spot a single kangaroo in the wild. Much of the northern part of the prom is classified as Wilderness Zone where the use of vehicles, including bikes, is prohibited. Walkers planning on visiting these areas are advised to be completely self-sufficient and experienced - maybe that's where all the wildlife was hiding! The scenery was fantastic everywhere in Wilsons Prom so this is one place you shouldn't miss. Check out the Victoria Parks website at http://www.parks.vic.gov.au for a wealth of information including maps, walks etc. Our first excursion was a 6.3km trek to Tongue Point on the western coast, followed by nearby Fairy Cove. Unlike the UK we hardly saw anybody else all day long - and this was with a full campsite! Wilson's Promontory covers an area of over 50,000 hectares with literally hundreds of walks so it's not so surprising. Squeaky Beach was the chosen destination on our second day. This stunning beach, like Tongue Point the day before, was almost deserted - great for a spot of beach frisbee. Perusing the campsite shop we saw postcards of Whale Rock which to our surprise turned out to be no more than five minutes walk away.
