Sharon headed back to the US for a bit as my end date keeps moving around and she had places to be and people to see in the US and will be back in early July. When I told a couple of co-workers that Sharon was having to leave summer and spending time out with her friends on summer days/nights to come to cold Melbourne (like 30-40 degrees this week) – they asked ”why” – and I said “to hang with me”. They both said “I’d pick summer” simultaneously.
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Holidays pop up on me unexpectedly – they pretty much have a Monday bank holiday once a month (like Labor Day or Memorials Day – but monthly). In June, it was the “Kings Birthday” – it wasn’t their King and it wasn’t his birthday but everyone place in Melbourne had a drink special to celebrate. I found out Thursday that the following Monday was a holiday – a) not a holiday for me – I have to work to get paid and b) I have a quasi three day weekend (my US work day starts whenever on a Monday). After a weather check Friday night, I decided to go back to Wilsons Prom where Sharon, Mary, and I had gone in November (spring – not dead of winter).
Mostly travel guides/YouTube/Blogs discuss which 2-3 day hike you should take to see the best beaches and the best way to pack your tent and food rations. I dug a bit deeper to find “how to I get to the top of the mountain the fastest” and “best way to see remote beaches without food rations required”. I ended up with a recommendation that on Australia holiday weekends a bus runs to a trailhead on the mountain and then 3 hr return hike with 1,500 ft elevation change (which is doable vs 12 hr hike with 6,000 ft elevation change on day one) and a recommendation for a boat ride – ironically the same outfit we took in Tasmania.
After a 3 hr drive (for like 120 miles – remote roads) from Melbourne, I got to the bus stop and hopped on the bus. The bus was good in that I was alone but with 30 people getting off the bus for the same hike, I wasn’t really alone. An easy, but steep gravel trail led to the top of Mt Oberon where I had overlooks of all the beaches that Sharon, Mary, and I had seen up close. As I was getting close to the end of my 1.5 hr ascent (which I was doing in 1.46 hrs) a group of Gen Zs passed me – they were on the bus that arrived 30 minutes after me and were carrying drones and alcohol, wearing tank tops in 50 degrees cloudy weather, and had no idea that the last bus returned at 6pm. But – they were poor drone pilots – immediately after launch – the wind blew the drone into a cliff. Great views and then back to catch the bus down.
My AirBNB was advertised (and googled mapped) 45 minutes from the park – but closer to 1.25 hours from the bus stop as the park is the size of Delaware. The AirBNB had a very nice host who was effectively operating a Asian museum in the middle of nowhere – the best part was massage chairs where I took full advantage for about an hour. Never saw her after check-in.
The next day – I had to drive 1.25 hours back for the boat ride (literally 1 minute from the bus stop). Wilsons Prom is so remote and the only local option is camping or sleeping in the car. The boat ride was very similar to Tas – suited and booted and off we went – the difference is that this boat had wheels as they didn’t have a pier. The trip was close to being cancelled as the waves were 10-15 feet. I sat mid-boat and I was glad I took my various motions sickness meds, but most importantly the sun was out! I had heard from my AirBNB host that whales were migrating and I should get a lot of whale shots but the captain immediately dispelled any hope of seeing whales given the ocean conditions. For the first 30 minutes, a certain segment of the tour group at the front of the boat was thrilled and screaming like a roller coaster (we were told to put phones away as you would lose them). Then – the tone of the screaming changed from thill to horror as the vomiting commenced. After a couple of minutes, the captain steered along the crest of a wave – then took a 90 degree turn into the next wave – literally 2-3 feet of water came over the bow and everyone was soaked. After the initial scream – everyone quiet. About 10 minutes later we arrived at a bay with a secluded beach and seals and calm water – the captain mentioned that an old sailor trick was to get people who are seasick cold and miserable and they forget they are seasick. It definitely worked as well as cleaning the deck and the outerwear. We then island hopped a bit and headed back.
Of the places I have seen in Australia – Wilsons Prom towards the top for me – most people disagree and think it is good but other places better.
I did get some video – definitely not the worse waves but a perspective – and I learned about slow mo. One of the few times it was ok to try and use a camera in the open seas. As a famous Marine Biologist/Architect once said “The sea was angry that day my friends”
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