Mornington Peninsula to Sale

May  18^th
Left Mornington Peninsula this morning and headed in the general direction of the Gippsland.  Our drive took us through really pretty country, rolling hills and lots of green.  Stopped in Leongartha to restock the pantry as by this stage we had decided to go to Wilsons Promontory National Park, affectionately known to the locals as ‘The Prom’.  Arrived at the visitors centre just in time to check in.  Everything closes at 4 pm around here!!  Set up camp and down came the rain.  Made dinner and ate it just before the next cloud burst and so on for most of the night. 

Camp at Wilsons Promontory

Interesting neighbours!  Four twenty year olds in a tent beside us (3 guys and a girl), drinking, watching a movie, listening to music and playing a guitar, badly!!  Three Pakistani guys doing some male bonding, discussing their love life, drinking and getting louder and louder and LOUDER.  Then a wombat went through next doors camp and the guy on the guitar started composing a song about wombats.  We were tucked up in our camper listening to the rain and the hullabaloo outside.  Hilarious!!  All group lodgings, cottages, cabins and hikers camps were booked out in the Park tonight and we keep seeing very weary folk who were barely able to walk.  Asked at the shop if there had been an event on?  The guy there, (obviously NOT very switched on) told us they were volunteers, tree planting.  I thought that had to be wrong because these people were walking like I do after a 3 day preseason hockey carnival.  Anyway, after further research it turned out that they had participated in the “Wilsons Prom 100”, a 48 km, 60 km, 80 km or 100 km trail run.  Amazing feat!!  Everyone starts in the dark at 6 am and some finish in the dark!!  No wonder they were hobbling.

May 19^th
Morning overcast, but the rain had stopped.  Today turned into a day of walking and lots of wildlife and by mid-afternoon the sky was a brilliant blue.  Walked a few different trails, (10+ km) and caught up with all the animals.  The wombats are inquisitive and just waddle through the camp whenever they feel like it.  The parrots were cheeky, stealing my multivitamin tablet off the bench and taking off with the plug from the sink.  Fortunately as soon as it was found to be inedible it was dropped.  The wallabies are shy here, the lazy kangaroos were sunning themselves and it was very entertaining watching Mike (with great stealth) stalk the emus!!  

 

 

Tidal River footbridge

 

Tidal River Overlook walk trail



When you need a little more peace and quiet, nature provides!





Natures ear plugs



Kangaroos enjoying the sun

 

Pill pinching parrot

Camp invading wombat

 

 

Beautiful views of Bass Strait, mountains and rivers.  Stayed a second night which was great.  Camp ground had emptied out so we had it almost to ourselves and it was a fantastic starry evening with no wind.

Mt Oberon and Normans Beach, Wilsons Promontory

Squeaky Beach, Wilsons Promontory

 





The Prom at sunset



Almost on our own!

May 20^th
Got up to more sunshine and a beautiful day.  Packed up and finally we have headed north to Sale, stopping to have lunch at Foster and for a ‘sticky beak’ at a few of the little towns along the coast.  As we arrived in Sale the rain caught up with us again, but we looked up the forecast and the radar said it was going to clear.  Headed for a free camp called Golden Beach on Ninety Mile Beach in Gippslands Lakes National Park.  The weather did clear into another wonderful evening.  No one warned us about the mozzies though.  The first insects we have had bother us in over 7 weeks and they were huge, abundant and ferocious!!  Perhaps that is why there is no one else camped with us!!  Showered under the stars despite the mozzies!