Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ers 875 sq km, stretching for about 100km from the town of Bemm River to the NSW bor-
der. Magnificent, unspoilt beaches, inlets, estuaries and forests make it an ideal park for
camping, walking, swimming and surfing. The five inlets,
Sydenham
,
Tamboon
,
Mueller
,
Wingan
and
Mallacoota
(the largest and most accessible), are popular canoeing and fishing
spots.
Two sections of the park have been declared wilderness areas (which means no
vehicles, access to a limited number of walkers only and permits required): the
Cape Howe
Wilderness Area
, between Mallacoota Inlet and the NSW border, and the
Sandpatch Wilderness
Area
, between Wingan Inlet and Shipwreck Creek. The
Wilderness Coast Walk
runs for 100km
between the eastern shores of Sydenham Inlet to Wonboyn in the Nadgee Nature Reserve,
across the border in New South Wales. You can walk shorter sections of the walk; Thurra
River is a good starting point, making the walk an easy-to-medium hike (59km, five days)
to Mallacoota.
Croajingolong is a birdwatcher's paradise, with more than 300 recorded species (in-
cluding glossy black cockatoos and the rare ground parrot), while the inland waterways
are home to myriad water birds, such as the delicate azure kingfisher and the magnificent
sea eagle. There are also many small mammals here, including possums, bandicoots and
gliders, and some huge goannas.
Park vegetation ranges from typical coastal landscapes to thick eucalypt forests, with
areas of warm-temperate rainforest. The heathland areas are filled with impressive dis-
plays of orchids and wildflowers in the spring.
Point Hicks
was the first part of Australia to be spotted by Captain Cook and the
Endeav-
our
crew in 1770, and was named after Lieutenant Zachary Hicks. There's a lighthouse
here and accommodation in the old cottages. You can still see remains of the SS
Saros
,
which ran ashore in 1937, on a short walk from the lighthouse.
Access roads of varying quality lead into the park from the Princes Hwy. Apart from
Mallacoota Rd, all roads are unsealed and can be very rough in winter, so check road con-
ditions with Parks Victoria before venturing on, especially during or after rain.
Sleeping
Given their amazing beauty, the park's main camping grounds are surprisingly quiet, and
bookings only need to be made for the Christmas and Easter holiday periods, when sites
are issued on a ballot system.
