This Pack-Free walk combines the magnificent areas of Wilsons Promontory and East Gippsland into a 6 day walking holiday. Explore the southernmost tip of Australia on the spectacular peninsula of Wilsons Promontory National Park. Covering over 50,000 hectares this National Park is a landscape of rugged granite mountains, lush rainforests, pristine beaches and a stunning coastline. Fringing the coastline also lies the Wilson Promontory Marine National Park which protects a network of underwater rocky reefs, colourful sponge gardens as well as offshore islands that support colonies of fur seals and penguins. Explore East Gippsland’s beautiful national parks and reserves which are among the best in the world, with a stunning mix of scenery. On this 6-day journey take in the sights from enormous woods with rushing rivers to the wild Australian bush and beautiful rainforest regions. Explore the underground wonder of Buchan Caves or walk the world-famous beaches of Wilsons Promontory, Ninety Mile Beach, or Croajingolong National Park. This incredible walk has been carefully designed so you can experience a range of landscapes in the National Parks from the mountains to the sea. On land, you will enjoy a range of walking experiences discovering the spectacular landscapes of the north, west and east. We will also explore the Marine National Park by boat, to fully appreciate its beauty and grandeur.
Walk with as little as your water and lunch
This walking holiday has been designed for those looking for a guided multi-day walking experience where everything is taken care of for you. Our guests won’t be asked to carry their clothes or overnight bags for the entire tour, as our tours are designed to be pack-free experiences. This is a big advantage for our guests, in that you will avoid carrying a heavy rucksack on your back every day. With Life’s An Adventure, you will carry as little as your water bottle, camera and lunch.
2 nights stay
Our guests will enjoy 2 nights at A Promontory View Beach House in Yanakie, just 10 minutes from the gate of Wilsons Promontory National Park.
Our accommodation is a modern 4 bedroom house with 4 en-suites  situated on the ridge overlooking Corner Inlet and has a magnificent 180 degree sea view stretching across the inlet to the mountains of the Prom.
1 night stay
2 nights stay
Uniquely designed Orbost Motel is halfway between Melbourne and Canberra on the coastal road. The contemporary styled boutique motel offers a unique break in a peaceful rural setting. Each room has an ensuite and a generous kitchenette with modern appliances including a Nspresso coffee machine with a few complimentary pods to enjoy.
Celebratory lunch day 3 after your walk
On day 3 we will also enjoy a special highlight lunch, with a celebratory lunch and wine tasting at Waratah Hills Winery offering stunning vistas.
Our exra wow factor
Wilson’s Promontory’s Marine Park that fringes the National Park is just as impressive as the landscapes on land and certainly can’t be missed when visiting Wilsons Promontory. Our 2.5 hour cruise takes us to the southern point of the National Park along the way passing a multitude of pretty islands including the impressive Skull Rock. Look out for the Australian Fur seal colony that call this area home and at certain times of the year we may be lucky enough to see dolphins and migrating whales.
Maximum of 12 people
Our tours are designed to be personal and intimate with a maximum group size of 12 people.
Perfectly matched with local wines
On tour enjoy a wonderful array of local produce at local restaurants served with local wines.
Chief Experience Officers
Our guides are proudly 100% Victorian. We call them our CEOs – Chief Experience Officers and it’s their job to ensure your tour exceeds your expectations. Our guides have grown up walking the trails of Victoria. Their wealth of knowledge and expertise ensure your tour is relaxing, fun and informative.
including Australia's best Adventure Tourism Company
Life’s an Adventure have won 21 Tourism Awards of Excellence including the Qantas Australian Tourism Award for Australia’s Best Adventure Company. Awards are great, but our biggest accolade which we value even more, is that our clients come back and travel with us time and time again.
Our walking tours are all genuinely all-inclusive and once you pay for your tour there are no hidden extras. During your evening meals, you won’t need to put your hand in your pocket to pay for wine as this is included in the price of the tour.
NO Credit Cards Fees!
Cancel for any reason option
Our walking tours are all genuinely all-inclusive and once you pay for your tour there are no hidden extras. During your evening meals, you won’t need to put your hand in your pocket to pay for wine or beer as this is included in the price of the tour. We won’t even ask you to pay additional credit card fees when booking.
Your 6 day walking holiday includes:
SUGGESTED PRE NIGHT ACCOMMODATION:Â Grand Chancellor Melbourne
DEPARTURE TIME:Â 7.30am
TRANSFER TIMES: Morning: 3 hours transfer from Melbourne to start your walk. Afternoon: 45 minute transfer from end of the trail to our accommodation.
TRAIL NOTES: 10.2kms. 4.5 hours walking with breaks. Medium Grade
TERRAIN: A combination of formal, raised boardwalk, wide sandy paths and wide management trails. The surface is firm sand, dirt or gravel underfoot with few obstacles. There are a few steady, steep ascents and descents.
WALK ITINERARY: Meet your guide at our central Melbourne Hotel for transfers to Wilsons Promontory. Today our first stop is the Prom’s most famous beach, enjoy walking along pristine white sands of Squeaky Beach (it really does Squeak) and see the pretty lichen-covered boulders, a great place to enjoy lunch. Afterwards, we walk from Darby River to Tongue Point and then on to Darby Saddle offering magnificent forest and coastal scenery. Descend steeply through flow-dotted coastal heathland to beautiful Tongue Point a headland jewelled with tumbled boulders of weathered granite. Walk through stunning casuarina and stringybark forests and discover amazing views of the pyramid-shaped Rodondo Island from Sparkes Lookout before reaching Darby Saddle. From here we transfer to our beach house accommodation at Yanakie. Tonight enjoy a wonderful dinner perfectly matched wines. A wonderful way to finish the day.
TRAIL DETAILS: 10kms. 3 hours walking. Grade: Medium with hard section to Mount Bishop (optional).
TERRAIN: Gentle walking on a steep, narrow path. Early sections are relatively easy-going, on a wide track, which becomes narrower, rockier and more challenging as you make your way to Mt Bishop. Elevation gain of 286m. Medium grade.
ITINERARY: After a hot and cold breakfast, we enjoy a morning transfer to our cruise boat to explore the spectacular protected Marine National Park of Wilsons Promontory. We cruise to the southern tip of Wilsons Promontory discovering small islands along the way including impressive Skull Rock. This area is home to an Australian Fur Seal Colony and it is always a delight to see them frolicking in the sea or lazing on the rock. At different times of the year, we may also encounter bottlenose dolphins and migrating whales. Afterwards, we commence our walk which takes us into the Promontory’s forested interior. From Tidal River we make our way through one of Australia’s southernmost warm temperate rainforest listening out for the birdlife along the way. From here we ascend through stringybark forest to the summit of Mount Bishop. The views from the top, over the Prom’s coast and offshore islands, are simply breathtaking. Afterwards, we return to our accommodation for a wonderful dinner accompanied by local wines.
TRANSFER TIMES: Afternoon: 1h 10min minute transfer after lunch to Tarra-Bulga National Park to the start of the Scenic & Lyrebird Loop Track. At the end of the trail drive 1hr 10min to our accommodation.
TRAIL DETAILS: 8.25kms. 3 hours walking with breaks. Medium grade to Vereker Lookout. Easy/medium grade to Millers Landing. After lunch 6kms. 2hr Scenic & Lyrebird Loop Track.
TERRAIN: Track climbs through stringybark forest and a tumble of granite boulders. A combination of wide sandy paths and wide management trails. The surface is firm sand, dirt or gravel underfoot with few obstacles. There are some steep sections and this walk has an impressive elevation gain of 466m. Scenic & Lyrebird Track is an easy and fairly flat trail.
ITINERARY: This morning enjoy a hearty breakfast before setting out on one of our favourite walks in the park and also for many of the park rangers in this area. The walk has animals that are not afraid of people and you may well encounter wombats and wallabies along the way. Meander through open banksia woodland and through forests of stringy bark, before heading up past the tower-like granite boulders on the ridge to Vereker Lookout. At the top are awe-inspiring views over the northern section of Wilsons Promontory including magnificent views of Darby Saddle, Yanakie Isthmus, Shellback Island, Corner Inlet and Cotter Beach and much more. Millers Landing is also home to the world’s southernmost mangrove forests as well as more wildlife such as kangaroos, wallabies and sometimes even emus. After our walk, we head to Waratah Hills winery for a wonderful celebratory lunch and wine tasting with stunning views over the rolling winery hills. After lunch at approximately 2pm we’ll drive to Tarra-Bulga National Park to enjoy the Scenic & Lyrebird Loop Track. The track passes through a magnificent mountain ash forest and patches of cool temperate rainforest. It traverses Corrigans Suspension Bridge with fine overhead views of the tree fern-lined gully far below. Further on the Lyrebird Ridge Track stands up to its name and if you don’t see a lyrebird you’ll surely hear its clear-pitched sound. At the end of the loop track we’ll drive onto Traralgon to Bridges on Argyle our accommodation for the night. Tonight we’ll enjoy a delicious meal at Neilsons Kitchen, Traralgon featuring quality Gippsland produce and local fine wines.
TRANSFER TIMES: Morning: 2hr transfer from hotel to the start of the walking track. Afternoon: 2hr transfer from the end of the walk to Buchan. After exploring Buchan we’ll continue on to Orbost with a 1hour transfer.
TRAIL DETAILS: 7km /2.5hrs Mitchell River Gorge Track incl. Den of Nargun and Billy Goat Bend Lookout Walk. Optional 3km. 1.5hr Spring Creek Walk or Buchan Cave tour. Medium Grade
TERRAIN: Hiking experience and a good level of fitness required. Tracks may be long, rough and very steep. The trail is rugged in parts and has several uphill and downhill sections.
ITINERARY: This track passes through some spectacular scenery with rocky gorges and rainforest gullies. Giant kanooka trees are found in the vicinity if the Den of Nargun, our first stop. Aboriginal legend has it that the ‘Nargun’ was a mysterious rock-bodied creature that drags the unwary into its den. The den is a shallow cave beneath a waterfall on Woolshed Creek, a tributary of the Mitchell River. Further on a large loop in the river is named Billy Goat Bend where a lookout provides views of large, spectacular, semi-circular red cliffs known as The Amphitheatre. After lunch we’ll drive to Buchan where you’ll have the opportunity to choose between going on a Buchan Cave tour or enjoying the Spring Creek Walk. Explore this superb walk that splits into the higher Tea Tree Track and the lower Kanooka Track with both routes meeting at the Spring Creek Falls viewing platform. Set off down the track and witness the changing rock types on your left, where the grey Buchan Caves limestone gives way to the older Snowy River volcanic rock. Please be aware that the track has some steep areas on its way up to the falls. Take the lower Kanooka Track on the way back down. Walk the track that criss-crosses the creek and pass through beautiful ferns and kanooka trees. Keep an eye out for lyrebirds, Gippsland water dragons, kookaburras, king parrots and other wildlife as you go. At approximately 5:30pm we’ll make our way to Orbost Motel, our accommodation for the evening. Tonight we’ll enjoy a lovely dinner served with local wines at a restaurant near our accommodation.
TRANSFER TIMES: Morning: 2.5hr transfer from motel to Thurra River. Afternoon: 2.5hr transfer back to the from motel.
TRAIL DETAILS: 4.5km. 1.5hrs walking at Point Hicks Lightstation Walk, Thurra River and 4kms. 2hrs exploring the Dunes Walk.
TERRAIN:Â A relatively level coastal track with some steep areas.
ITINERARY: After a hearty breakfast at a local cafe we’ll drive to Thurra River to explore Point Hicks Lightstation. Point Hicks was named by Captain James Cook after his second-in-command Lieutenant Hicks on 19 April 1770. The headland contains a lighthouse built much later in 1890. We will walk towards it from the Thurra River Campground following the shoreline flanking Honeymoon Bay. It then climbs inland passing through tea-tree and banksia woodland. On arriving at the lightstation which is positioned above masses of faulted granite boulders lining the shore around it. Enjoy the wide vistas from here and look for whales offshore in season. On the Dunes Walk we’ll encounter the largest sand dunes in this vicinity. They rise up to 100m and regularly threaten to dam the adjoining Thurra River. Tip: Bring a pair of sandals to wear on the sand dunes so that your hiking shoes don’t get filled with sand! We’ll explore for a while then return by paddling through the shallow waters of the river as it directs us back to the campsite where the walks end. At approximately 3pm we’ll make our way back to Orbost Motel and enjoy a lovely dinner served with local wines at a restaurant nearby.
TRANSFER TIMES:Â Morning: 1hr transfer to Lakes Entrance. Afternoon: 4hr transfer from Lakes Entrance walk to Melbourne.
TRAIL DETAILS:Â 5km. 2.5hrs walking The Entrance Walk, Lakes EntranceÂ
TERRAIN: An easy walk on a mix of sealed paths, raised boardwalks, bush tracks, beaches and rock platforms.
ITINERARY: After breakfast and checking out of our accommodation we’ll drive an hour to Lakes Entrance to enjoy The Entrance Walk. This is an amazing, short and easy walk along the shores of Lake Cunningham, to the actual Entrance of the Gippsland Lakes. Perfect for this morning before the long drive back to Melbourne. We’ll cross the Footbridge from the middle of Lakes Entrance, and enjoy the gentle walk to the Entrance where many seals (and sometimes dolphins) love to hang around to catch fish on the incoming and outgoing tides. A very scenic spot. We’ll walk back along the beach arriving at the Surf Lifesaving Lookout tower. Many of the old houses along the Lake are still in excellent condition and are privately owned, so please respect their privacy. After our final walk we’ll head to a celebratory lunch at Wyanga Park Winery, a family owned and operated winery and restaurant located 10km from the township of Lakes Entrance. Here we’ll enjoy heart warming, comfort food and a bit of wine tasting in a relaxed bush setting. Afterwards, we return to Melbourne which marks the end of a wonderful journey.
FINISH TIME: Arrive back at the Grand Chancellor Melbourne at 5.30pm
This tour is for private groups only. We do not have any set departures dates. If you are interested in doing itinerary please contact us at walks@lifesanadventure.com.au
PRIVATE GROUPS:
Date of your choice is available for groups of 10 -12 people. Subject to availability.
Please contact us for more details on (02) 9975 4553 or email:Â walks@lifesanadventure.com.au
Private Group Prices
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PRIVATE GROUPS Departure date of your choice SEPT 2023 – MAY 2024 Spot Special prices available on specific departures when you book and pay in full at time of booking. Normal price requires a $300 deposit, then final payments due 8 weeks prior to departure. Departure date of your choice is subjective to availability. A minimum group size of 8 required. Prices are equal to Past Travellers’ discounted rates. Additional Past Traveller’s’ discount not available for groups. Based on twin share – see details about Single Supplement and upgrade extras. |
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FLEXI-WALK ADD-ON ______________________ SOLO TRAVELLERS SOLO TRAVELLERS |
Click here for full conditions on our FlexiWalk Option.
PAST PASSENGER DISCOUNT: Those who have travelled with Life’s An Adventure previously, receive a past passenger discount of $100. This discount will automatically be deducted from future bookings when you book online using the same email address used for past bookings.
EARLYBIRD & SPOT SPECIAL CANCELLATIONS: Refunds and cancellations are not permitted for Earlybird Deals or Spot Specials, however, transfers to another date are permitted 8 weeks or more prior to departure. We advise taking out travel insurance, in case unexpected circumstances prior to the trip, prevent you from joining this tour. Early bird or Spot Special discounts cannot be used in conjunction with another offer. To receive these special discounts, full payment must be made at the time of initial booking.
We advise taking our Travel Insurance to cover items such as cancellation of tour due to minimum numbers not met, or adverse weather conditions, injury, evacuation, delayed flights, illness, etc. We have organised through NIB Insurance for you to purchase travel insurance directly with them – please click here for details.
If a tour activity has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances a credit for this missed activity can be applied to any future bookings. Click here.
Before you book please read our Booking Terms and Conditions. Click here.