The plan was to walk the eastern side of Wilsons Promontory over 3 days and 2 nights. From Telegraph Saddle to Little Waterloo Bay and then to Sealers Cove. The night prior to the hike my friend had become sick so we decided to head out just for a quick overnight hike to Sealers Cove.
Initial Hiking and Camping Plan
Day 1: Telegraph Saddle Car Park > Little Waterloo Bay (11.9KM)
Telegraph Saddle to Telegraph Junction = 6.1
Telegraph Junction to Beach = 4.7
Beach to Camping Site (Little Waterloo Bay) = 1.1
Day 2: Little Waterloo Bay > Sealers Cove (13.4 KM)
Little Waterloo Bay to Refuge Cove = 7
Refuge Cove to Sealers Cove = 6.4
Day 3: Sealers Cove > Telegraph Saddle Car Park (10.2KM)
Sealers Cove to track back to car = 0.7
Beach to Windy Saddle = 6.6
Windy Saddle to Telegraph Saddle = 2.9
We changed this itinerary to go from Telegraph Saddle to Sealers Cove just for an overnight hike. Since we both had time off work and with plenty of short walks in the area we headed off to Wilsons Promontory.
We checked into Tidal River and spoke with the ranger. We were warned about the wombats and tide times for the Sealers Creek crossing. Sealers Creek can get up to 1.5 meters at high tide. So we were looking for a low tide crossing.
Once checked in we drove to the Telegraph Saddle car park and set off to Sealers Cove. We emptied some of our content of our packs since we were only going for one night. The weather was also clear and a warm 14 degrees for our walk.
Getting into Hiking? Walk this Trail
The walk is fairly easy all the way into Sealers Cove. The track is well maintained and some beautiful scenery on the way. Plenty of day walkers, school groups and hikers along the way. In some sections the path is muddy and the waterproof boots and walking stick came in handy just to get through the path.
We got to Sealers Cove in less than 3 hours. That included stopping to film some footage with the GoPro Hero 5, photos and time-lapse on the way. It was low tide and around 6PM when we arrived. The creek crossing was so low that we crossed Sealers Creek with our boots on. Got to love the Salomon Gore-Tex boots.
It was fairly busy at Sealers Cove, so we found a great spot to pitch the tent which included a table top that Parks Victoria have made for hikers. This was great to leave your gear on and prepare food. After a quick bite to eat I ended up taking some timelapse photos and videos along with more video with the GoPro Hero 5. (See below for the movie)
During the night the usual wombats were out looking for food. This included trying to get into my tent. I ended up hanging the food on a branch which stopped them from eating through my tent. Waking up in the morning I was surprised and relieved my food and snacks was still there.
In the morning it was pack up time and a quick walk back to the car. The walk back is mainly uphill but not too strenuous. The walk back was around 3.5 hours. As usual, this was an epic adventure and I captured some great photos and videos of the trip.
Sealers Cove Overnight Hike Video
Watch in HD 1080P or Full Screen on YouTube
Once we got back, we spent some time at Squeaky Beach and a few other short walks to fill the day. I’ll be back to complete the planned 3-day hike at a later date. See here for my gear loadout and what I carry in my pack.
If you’re a beginner at hiking, this is a great location to test your skills. The track is well marked and maintained. Easy terrain, beautiful views and plenty of people on the track to give you encouragement or just have a chat. I love testing all the gear in these sorts of conditions before heading to more difficult walks.