Southern Peninsula walk to Cape Schanck

This 15 Km walk towards  Bushrangers Bay wild beach and of course the views at Cape Schanck Lighthouse has got to be one of the best scenic routes in Victoria. Because of it's popularity, we decided to give it a go. So joined by a set of very enthusiastic hikers from our hiking group, we started the hike from Baldrys Crossing picnic area as planned. Since this wasn't a circuit walk, we had to do a car shuffle. So seven cars went off to the light house car park and the drives returned in one car so that once we end up at the destination, we will all have rides back.

We set off around 10.30 in the morning and the weather was beautiful. We entered the forest which was covered by shady trees and a thick undergrowth of ferns.

View along the trail

Fern undergrowth

We saw a snake by the side of the walk and it was gone before I even finish zooming my lens out. I bet there were more in those bushes. We didn't get tired as we were chit chatting all the way, one advantage of having a group to walk. There were a few clear areas with just the fern growth, and we could see some wild kangaroos, running away from us to the thickets and then peeping at us from a distance. It was such a difficult thing to capture them, so I gave up the idea and enjoyed the moment.

Through the Ferns

The view was changing quite rapidly from that point onward and we could see the farm lands and meadows thought the clearing.

First glimpse of farms

The farther we go , the prettier the view got. I just couldn't resist but stop at every few steps to admire the nice view.

Cattle

More cattle

It was time to take a break, so we gathered up at one mile stone and had a quick snack before starting back towards the Bushrangers Bay wild beach.

Map showing we were halfway through

Along the walk we had more scenery and more kangaroos in packs galloping away over the hills.

There were a few places with steep steps to climb but as as a whole the terrine was flat and so less tiring. When the bushes cleared away, we could see deep blue stretch of the sea from a distance. That was lovely.

First glimpse of the sea

As we grew nearer, we could hear the sound of the breaking waves and feel the nice sea breeze.

What a beauty

Bushrangers bay beach

Finally we arrived at the beach right on lunch time. There were lots of people enjoying the day. We sat on the rocks in a shade and had our lunch. Few set off to explore a reef close by while others enjoyed each other company while chit chatting. After about an hour of nice rest, we set off for the light house. Time to hit the bushes again.

Natural arches

About an hours walk brought us to a nice look out, where we could see the ocean with a great view and the light house from a distance.

Light house 

Another few more minutes with that nice view and we were there at the light house and that ended our day hike. Everyone seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed the walk and the scenery along the way. 

Path to light house

 Cape Schanck  light house

So we jumped into our cars and drove back to Baldrys Crossing, where everyone said their goodbyes before heading to homes. This place is definitely worth a re-visit due to it's diverse flora and fauna and the breathtaking scenery.

Cathedral Ranges

This was our first hike with a hiking group in Melbourne and we were exited about making some new friends and the grade 5-6 hike that was ahead of us. We didn't know what to expect and as it was led by the group organizer, we were a bit relaxed than we were on our own. So we drove off to the meeting point in Taggerty, Buxton. The drive was beautiful and we passed many scenic sights and midst plains, villages, farms and occasional clouds.

Thick mist

We reached out meeting point right on time and we took a few minutes to stretch and freshen up and also to get to know each other with a brief introduction. After making sure everyone is packed with essentials, we set off. The path was well formed since it is used as a management track in some periods. We could see the once burn't tree trunks through the green regrowth.

Regrowth

We kept walking, chit chatting and after about an hour, the organizer declared that we had been going the wrong direction. That was funny and we thought that was a nice warm up session after all and started walking back to the starting point. We had missed the sigh to the Messmate track which was partly hidden and not so prominent.

Finally few found it and the track was just a narrow foot path through the jungle and we had to walk in a line one after the other. It was a bit tiring having to walk up hill at a stretch. We took five minutes break after every 10 minutes of walking and after about an hour, we reached to Sugarloaf car park. Everyone was starving by the time and so we decided to have lunch there and stretch ourselves before the climb.

Sugarloaf saddle

We were told the next 20 minutes is going to be bit rough as we will have to do some rock scrambling to reach the peak. We started of another up hill walk and it became harder with every few steps and finally we were facing the rocky wall. It was a bit scary as we didn't have any ropes or other gear to support the climb and it was so steep that looking down gave me goose bumps. But we managed to tackle it one by one and the group helped each other. We met another group climbing down the same rocks half way through and it was quite a challenge to manage to top.

Looking down

As soon as we reached the top, we were stunned by the extraordinary 360 degree view and it is worth all the trouble and risk we took to get there.

We sat on the rocks and enjoyed the view and it simply felt great. From here one can either climb down and take another similar challenge to see the Wells cave or take the Sugarloaf razorback circuit to the ground. We took the second option and we could clearly see the razorback from there.

Razorback

Interesting terrain

It wasn't boring at all as we had to jump, scramble, crawl and even squeeze through the rocky track. Some rocks were slippery and we found occasional wet swamps.

Challenging track

after about another two hours, we were able to arrive at the Farmyard campsite where we stooped for a few minutes to rest and have a snack.

Single tent in Farmyard

It was starting to get cold and we had another 2 hours walk to Cooks mill campsite. So we picked up our phase as we didn't want to walk through the jungle in the night. Climbing down wan't easy, specially in that speed but we reached the Cooks mill campsite in record time.

Kangaroos in Cooks mill

 Everyone was so overjoyed about the day's achievement and we decided to treat ourselves with some dinner on our way back. It was an unforgettable experience and we felt accomplished even with sore limbs.

Gorgeous Grampians

Winter has officially begun and it's our last chance to hit a camp ground before Melbourne freezes in to an ice cube. This time we decided to head West of Melbourne and explore and indulge in the great Grampians. Two of our best buddies joined us and we left homes in the wee hours.

After no more than 3 and a half hours we managed to arrive at the destination. The park office which issue camping permits is in the Brambuk Cultural Center. It was still closed when we reached there, so we decided to checkout the camp grounds to see if we've got space.

The Jimmy Creek camp site was almost full on that day and we finally decided to settle down at Borough Huts as it seemed peaceful and relatively spacious and empty at that time. It was complete with a scenic stream just few feet away with sparkling waters.

Our water supply for the next 2 days

The park was full of wild Kangaroos who roamed freely. We managed to take close ups and even pet a few which was amazing. 

Chilling kangos

We pitched the tents as usual and went straight to get the permit and a of course a few maps. 

tents in the sun

By the time we came back we were starving and feeling stiff so we decided it's tea time. After a snack and a hot cup of coffee we were energized to set off for the much looked forward exploring.

There were so many tracks on the map and we had to select a few easy ones for the first day. We missed few places like MacKenzie Falls,  due to road closures. But managed to get a sneak peek from a distance and drove through the regrowing trees and bushes. The color combination was amazing. 

Dirt roads

The next on the list was the Reed Lookout and the balconies. An easy 15 minute walk from the car park to the balconies. And the same to the Reed lookout. Both were nice high points or lookouts to capture a nice view of the area below.  It rained a little and the view was covered my the mist for the most part. When the mist cleared for a few seconds, we could see the beautiful scenery that was underneath it. A was truly mystic.

Breath taking view

The walk is very crumbly yet beautiful and it wasn't boring as the scene kept changing at every bend.

Another mystic scene

Balconies

As it started to  get dark we decided to get back to the camps. And we stopped to buy some stuff for a BBQ in the town and saw more Kangaroos sun bathing in a ground.

Kangaroos, completely oblivious to the crowd

We managed to gather some fire wood from the jungle and lit a small fire. But the non stop drizzle was not helping at all. So we gathered up in to one tent and chit chatted over a drink and dinner until it's time to sleep. I am sure the temperature was below zero that night.

We woke up early the next day as we have a long circuit to walk. After cleaning our selves in the ice cold water from the stream down the park, we got ready for the hike. With all the food and water packed we set off for the famous Pinnacle.

We decided to cover few other places as we go and started from Halls Gap car park and headed towards Venus bath. The path was very diverse and the stream was decorated by rocks which gave it a strange look.

Rocky scenery 

Venus bath

Then, we continued towards the Splitters falls. The track is thoroughly enjoyable with lots of flora and fauna to see. Even thought the falls didn't have much water, it was beautiful and clean.

Splitters falls

We filled out water carton from the fresh waters. After resting a while on the way we headed towards the Great canyon which lies on the way to the pinnacle.

That was a sight to see. the formation of the rocks resembled the Great Canyon of Colorado in the US.

Mini canyon

The climb wasn't very difficult and it was full of beautiful views. After another few minutes it brought us to another fork junction. We decided to take the loop with extra 2.2 Km to the pinnacle over the 0.7 Km short cut just to make sure we don't miss anything and to add some cardio to the hike.

It took another 15 minutes for us to reach to the Pinnacle. As we walked to the look out, we realized why it's given the name. The sight below was simply amazing and breath-taking and is definitely worth every bit of our journey up the hill.

View from pinnacle

More view

and some more...

After absorbing the nice view we had a quick snack and a few minutes rest before climbing down to the Halls gap. The return was just 3.3 Km. But it was a steady descend and bit of a challenge to the faint of the heart.

It was nearly 5 in the evening when we reached the Galls gap town. We hurried back to the camp sites determined to enjoy a nice Bonn fire and a BBQ dinner as it was a clear day with no rain at all.

Dazzling bonn fire

We sat around the fire chitchatting over some nice burnt meat and few beers and called it a day. That was some nice camping to remember.

Camping in Wilson's Prom

Wilson’s promontory, commonly known as the Wilson’s Prom is a peninsula that forms the southernmost part of the Australian mainland. Fortified with spectacular views and unspoiled wilderness, it attracts nature lovers throughout the year.

It’s no more than a 3 hours drive from the Melbourne CBD unless you stop at every nice scenery you pass which is very compelling. The change begins as soon as you enter Gippsland and you see either sea or endless jungle either side of the road.

First glimpse of the sea

View from the road

Scenic route

Our initial intention was to walk the trails embrace the nature and camp for the night and get back by morning next day.  But as soon as we entered the place, I knew that we are not going to make it in one day. There are so much to do and so much to see.

As we had booked in advance we just had to grab the sticker for the vehicle from the Tidal River office. The staff was very nice and enlightened us with some great know-hows and ‘to-do’s. Our first task was to find a nice spot to pitch the tent. There were enough spaces on the riverside but I so badly wanted to be on the sea side. So we headed to the other side. As we drove around in circles it looked all the nice spots were already taken, but boy! that was our luck day! We found the perfect spot and parked and started to pitch the tent. Just as we unloaded the stuff a pair of lovely parrots came down out of nowhere. They weren't scared of us and I am guessing they were looking for food.

love their colors!

And soon after some sea gulls paid a visit and hanged out till we left.

We secured the tent and freshened up and set off for a relaxing walk. Maps are available in the office and at the gate and there are boards and notices everywhere. So one can never get lost. We covered almost every track near the Tidal River including picnic bay, squeaky beach, Lilly Pilly gully (what a funny name) and few lookouts with breath taking views.

Tidal river

Spectacular view of the beaches 

More beaches

Can spend hours sitting here

We were so taken by the beauty of the place and we decided to take a step further and walk the 10km to see the Sealers cove (another beach) on the other side of the peninsula. But that needs at least half a day so we decided to do that next day and stay an extra night. With that in mind and all exited we headed back to the camp. Guess who we met on our way. A Wombat!.

It was nearly 4 in the evening when we finally returned to the camp. We have to cook something before it gets dark as it is autumn. So we took a warm but quick showers in the nearby facility which is very nicely kept. We fixed a quick dinner ate it under the nice tree shade near our tent.

our temporary home in the wilderness

It was dark before we could even finish up storing the food away. We were warned about the Wombats by the staff and few friends who had been here before. If you keep food in your tent, these cute but very strong fur balls are gonna come for it in the night and try to grab them. So if you want to sleep peacefully store the food in your car. But later in the night I realized, there are other stuff to worry than just Wombats.

It started to become very windy and by mid night, the wind was at top speed and was swirling around. We can hear the wind and the sea, it almost felt like in the middle of a hurricane.  The tent was dancing and making wired sounds against the wind. I was awake most of the night and fell asleep by morning. Wasn't I glad the night was over and I was wondering why I wanted to pitch in sea side of all the places.

It felt tired due to previous day’s walking and lack of sleep but we were so excited about the hike to Sealers cove. So we got up, fixed ourselves a quick breakfast and packed a bag of few canned food, rain coats and water and headed to catch the free shuttle bus which leaves every half an hour. The bus took us to the Telegraph Saddle, where the walk begins. It is the starting point to both Sealers cove and the Mt Oberon. We started around 9.30 in the morning and as soon as we entered the track, it started to rain. The thin rain coats could barely save us.

Thick forest

The walk was nice as the surrounding changed with every turn. It was nice to be in the jungle when it rains. The path was edgy at some points and it got muddy with rain and slowed our journey a bit. We stopped at two places to have a quick snack.

Edgy path

Towards the end the track if formed in to a nice wooden path build on a swampy land with palms which gave the place a pre-historic look on those Jurassic movies.

The wooden bridge takes you directly to the destination of the long walk. And as we got out of the jungle to the clearing, we were stunned by the magnificent view. There was the Cove. So other-worldly, so massive, unspoiled and breath taking. This was the most beautiful beach I have ever seen.

Hidden beauty

There were only a handful of people, so at one point it looked as we got the whole place for ourselves. We walked to the far most corner laid a mat and took a long nice rest under the cleared sky just after the rain. We just couldn't make up our minds to leave the place.

Not a single sole

After spending more than an hour we decided to leave as we had to get back before dark. Walking that slippery narrow track in the dark is the last thing I wanted. So we took one last look at this hidden beauty and started heading back determined to come back again.

It was beginning to get dark when we reached the camp, so we had to hurry up. We managed to heat up some food midst wind which made it hard to get the burner lit.

The wind wasn't that bad so we slept nice and sound till morning.

There is one more thing that we so wanted to do and that was to go see the light house which is very famous. We thought we could drive there. But we later learnt that it’s only accessible via foot. And that is going to be far more exiting. So we decided to come again for the light house another time. We took few maps and details of the light house track, grabbed a coffee and headed home feeling brand new.