An overnight hike in Wilsons Prom
A somewhat surprisingly taxing trail.
I stood at the bottom of yet another hill. The sun beat down hard on my skin; the wind rustled around my clothes, threatening to blow my hat clear off my head.
We’d been walking for hours. My feet were aching, my calves and glutes felt like they were on fire, the muscles stretched to the limit. My flimsy prescription sunglasses lay broken in my backpack. I squinted, staring up at the path ahead, trying to see around the corner. Would the track plateau, flatten out? Were we almost at the end?
I sighed, grasping the straps of my backpack and reaching for whatever resolve I had left. Gritting my teeth, engaging spent muscles, willing them to hold on just a little bit longer. Just a little bit further. Surely?
And on I walked.
Around a three hour drive from the heart of Melbourne, Wilsons Promontory National Park, known as Wilsons Prom or even just ‘The Prom’ is a peninsula in Victoria, which makes up the southernmost end of mainland Australia.
A highly popular destination to visit for locals and tourists alike, it’s home to plenty of walking and camping experiences. Its beaches are beautiful – think white sand, crystal blue waters to rival that of Queensland’s. There’s wildlife abounds; you’ll see an array of birdlife, wallabies, wombats, maybe even emu.
How long you spend in this park is certainly up to you. You can design your own multi-day hike, trekking from campsite to campsite. Or you can take the path my friend and I did, walking to the Light Station at the bottom of the peninsula, spending the night there, before donning your hiking boots, picking up your pack and marching out.
Be warned however – it’s an almost 40 kilometre round trip. And when you realise you’ve walked 40 kilometres in something like 26 hours, you won’t be left wondering why your feet, your entire lower body hurts so much.
I completed my first multi-day hike last year and I will say, as much as I enjoy camping, it is nice to hike to a proper bed. And a shower! Much to be said about that.
Our folly, I reckon, was not spending a couple of days at the light station, or even a nearby campsite, to let the body relax and recover somewhat. I ask a lot of my bag of bones and it’s generally up to the task, but this was something else. Add in the sun, which somehow felt scorching over the course of two 21-22°C days, and it’s a lot to contend with.
Yet, as my friend and I continued to say to each other, as we marched on, pain wracking our bodies. We’ll be glad after. We’ll be happy we did this, once it's done. This is worth it.
As indeed, the things that are worth it don’t come easy, something that’s in turn, easy to forget in a society that prides itself on convenience, on the ability to have what you want, often in that moment of wanting.
It’s a welcomed feeling to work at something. To have a moment where you can stop, stare out at the ocean and think hey, we’re the only ones on this beach. That’s something really special.
To be grateful for a body that walks, that moves with relative ease. And grateful to live in a country where experiences like this are readily available – a three hour drive in the car; time spent gossiping with your friend, singing along to pop music, perhaps sneaking in a wee nap along the way.
And it sure beats being at the office.
What I ate on this hike
First, I need to make a special mention of fantastic cafe Olive at Loch, where we stopped for bite to eat before beginning our walk. Their pies are something special.
Who knew getting into hiking would open up a whole new world of culinary delights? As you may have picked up on during your time of reading this newsletter, I like to eat and am literally always thinking about my next meal.
As such, I want to be delighted with the food sitting in my pack, waiting to be consumed in ideally, a picturesque setting, while my body takes a well-deserved break after being put through its paces.
I mostly stuck with the food that served me well during the Jatbula, packing the following for lunch and snacks:
two Safcol tuna pouches
8 small Mission wraps
a banana (felt safe to take this on an overnight hike)
squeezy peanut butter
two protein bars
one Cliff bar.
For dinner, I tried something new. Two On Track Meals, ready to eat. A ‘Coconut Ginger Curry’ for dinner and then ‘All Day Breakfast’ to consume before hitting the trail the next morning.
I made one mistake… I should have got some rice or dehydrated potato (YUM) to have with dinner. However, I did have the Mission wraps and my friend had brought some naan bread, which went down really well with the curry.
Both were really delicious. You can apparently eat them cold, but I didn’t want to do that. However, not having my JetBoil on hand, I heated them up in a saucepan of boiling water at the Light Station instead.
The curry was fresh, creamy and delicious. The chicken tender and just enough ginger coming through in the coconut sauce.
Breakfast was a real treat. Consisting of chorizo, beans, mushrooms and bacon, it really hit the spot first thing in the morning. I had it with a wrap but it tasted pretty nice on its own.
I’m not sure if I’d want to take these sort of meals and them only on a multi-day hike, as they’re a bit heavier than dehydrated options. But a couple in the mix would in turn, mix things up and make for a really delicious treat at the end of the day.
A bit of an update on gear
I’ll do a more solid update on this on my next multi-day hike missive, but I have added a couple more things to my pile of gear.
I ummmed and ahhhed and finally decided to get a smaller pack for overnights. Went with the Osprey Sirrus 24L Daypack Women's in a rather fetching shade of ‘Elderberry’. This comfortably accommodated my meals, eReader, water bladder, a change of clothes and a few other bits and bobs. I’m glad I didn’t have to take my giant 65L pack with me, as it looks like serious business.
I didn’t take it on this hike, but I also managed to score a collapsible Sea to Summit kettle, on sale! I am serious about my tea and one of my favourite rituals on a walk, is to stop off the side of the trail for a cuppa. I look forward to giving it a whirl sometime soon.
What I read
Admittedly, not a lot of reading was done, as it was pretty much straight to sleep after dinner. I did start reading Empire of the Damned, the follow up to Empire of the Vampire, which I really enjoyed. Sleep soon overtook.
It was a shame to be that tired, as we were far from any artificial light, it was a clear night and the stars (and planets!) were putting on quite the show.
What a weekend! Will be back in your inbox next week, with the crumbs of February (already?!).
‘Til then, stay well and well-fed.
-Celine
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You've summed up that hike so perfectly - brutal, but beautiful. Well done!! Couldn't agree more with it beating the office, any day.
That hike looks so stunning, but my body aches in sympathy already. Thank god I can live vicariously through your adventuring! :P