Vacation Diaries - As seen through the eyes of Kaushika Jayalath; a Sri Lankan wanderer in Aussie.
Wilsons Promontory Park - Victoria
Have you ever wondered whilst watching a movie, how the protagonist is crossing a desert at one point, and within seconds, appears in the middle of a forest? Have you ever questioned yourself to ask, “How on earth is that even practical?!” Well, I have. And for the longest time, I was under the impression that it was just movie hokus-pokus! But not anymore! Yes, I actually found a place where life imitates art, and everything around you just feels as if it was ripped out of a scene on a fantasy film. All thanks to the Wilsons Promontory Nature Reserve in Victoria, Australia.
As a university student, any breaks we get are often cherished and made full use of. As a photographer, this is even more so. Any excuse to pack a bag and set out to the wilderness is taken at the first sign of light. And this is how I ended up in making a three day trip to “Wilsons Prom” as it’s called in Australia.
The entrance to the nature reserve is very much like something ripped out of the old Jurassic Park movies. High rise gates that open up through which a single vehicle can enter with nothing but tropical flora and fauna all around you. Keep driving for a good half hour and you start to see open and lush greenlands, with the lonely tree from place to place, followed by amazing mountain ranges and hidden marshes stretching to every corner. The reserve is set in such a way that the main road can lead to so many different pathways, which would lead to various regions of the reserve, and would surely take a full three days to cover. What I didn’t expect was the sheer variety of landscapes and natural environment that each area would bring out.
Keep driving straight for two hours and the road will end at the beach, but not before you get a majestic view of the entire peninsula from the windy roads and mountain tops. The roads have a speed limit of 100 kmph, which annoyed me at most times, mainly because you would pass amazing sights within a matter of minutes. The photographer in me screamed to get down at every sight and take shots. I tried the best I could, without annoying anyone around!
.jpg)
Turn back from the beach and head down to Mount Oberon, and you face a two hour climb that would take you to an amazing mountain top, from which you could see the entire reserve, provided you don’t get caught to the mist. If climbing isn’t for you drive down to any of the hundreds of creeks and plop yourself down on a folding chair for some fishing in the cool breeze. Set up a camping tent in any of the campsites provided and make yourself a nice little fireplace for a barbecue. If you feel a bit more adventurous, take a two hour hike up to the sand dunes, provided you don’t get lost, and witness a sunset in a partial desert. All of these are options from the same nature reserve. Yes. The same reserve. People say it’s hard to believe that so many varieties of environments could co-exist in a single place. But that’s exactly what makes this landscape such a magical site.
People visit Australia a lot, and leave after seeing the everyday tourist sites. But those few who really experience what Australia has to offer, are those who make the effort to go out and take the long stretches of winding untraveled roads. As for me, I intend to travel down every single one of them, until there are no more left. At which point, I’d probably move to another country. You get the idea!
KEEP IN MIND
· What to avoid during the visit?
Your cell phone. There's no reception anyways.
· A must-have in your backpack?
Water. The hikes are long!
· Things NOT to do in Wilsons?
Take selfies. You might as well have stayed home if you're not going to enjoy the place.
· You're on the right track if you....?
Are lost and the map makes no sense!
By Eshani Seneviratne
0 Comments