Nathan's Insights

Photos

On my birthday my best friend suggested we head out to Wilsons Promontory the next day.  For Jon it was a chance to try his new camera and for me the new Fitbit and daypack.  For both of us it was a chance to experience nature at it’s best.

 
It took over 2.5 hours to drive to Wilsons Promontory which is really at the outer limit for a day trip but gave me a good chance to catch up with Jon.  It’s strange how you can travel the world but not explore your own country or local area.  I have a long term plan to when I retire to get into a car and explore Eastern Australia for 6 months to a year but I feel I should do more local areas like this now.

Entry to the National Park is free and they hand you out an information sheet on the best walks.  There is a central camping site near a beach that looked like an ideal place to take a young family.  Watching young kids play beach cricket and others building sand castles helped me feel young again.  Laugher is a great energy boaster.

After a 3.3 km hike around the forest area and beach near the camping site we headed off to the main event – a hike at Lilly Pilly.  

Despite the length of the Lilly Pilly Hike Jon was keen to complete all sections.  The first part was extremely easy, I mean it was pram accessible so like a 40 minute stroll.  However that sets up the wrong idea of the hike, ie after that point the path gets rougher and you start heading up.

The views made the hike well worth the visit.  The 1 litre water bottle was a must item which I fully used over at next few hours.  The only risky part of the walk was a brown snake (extremely dangerous) that crossed our path.  Wasps were also a pain at one of the lookout points.  I felt the years a near the end of the hike, reminds ,e to get fitter before next overseas trip.

Nature can be extraordinary.  We live in cities and suburbs and yes we see some trees here and there but real nature, as it grows and strives to survive and works with all creatures for balance, is really amazing.

I’d recommend a visit to any national park and especially this one.  A chance to get away from the culture of fear we live in with terrorism everyday on the news and changing our lives but instead to see people and especially children having fun.  An impromptu idea turned out to be a great birthday present.