Comments by "Helmuth Schultes" (@helmuthschultes9243) on "American Reacts to Wilson's Promontory National Park - Australia" video.

  1. Wilson Prom is a popular outdoor and swimming destination. We often went thete on day trips to go swimming, but many book camp sites at Tidal River, the one long term location for tents and caravans. I have not visited in last 10 years, I do not know if any huts are available, in 1900s none, but the camping area is almost booked out a year ahead. Tidal River camp is about half way down the west side of the promontory which has a series of bays accessible from the one main road into the national park. Each has car parks inland from the bays for moderate number of cars. From such car park it is necessary to walk, carry all items to the actual beaches. These have great fine sand and good swimming in surf, that can be from relatively calm, to massive crashing waves. As the area is open to Bass straight between mainland and Tasmania, and that is open to ocean in south-westerley direction from these bays, the waves are possibly from all the way across southern ocean to Antarctica, so surf depends on prevailing wind, southern storms etc. In summer the waters while cool are are very pleasant temperatures, refreshing and not chilling, making hours of swimming fun. The Prom also has much hiking possible, but camping in other than Tidal River is very controlled, and hikers must have permits abd are restricted to only a few controlled camps. The eastern side is mainly only open to hiking no vehicle access and while beaches exist to eastern side, as less direct to wave direction the ocean is shallower and calmer, with tendency to muddy, seaweed beds and lots of fish. Often popular from various places by people in boats, fishing. Access to the far tip, southern limit is only by hiking, similar the trip shown by these tourists. Basically a day round trip to the southern lighthouse and the end of the prom. The entire prom is a huge Granite mass, remenants of very ancient huge mountain range, thus the huge weathered granite boulders. Between boulders soil and plants have established so often creating the mixed bouldervand scrub terrain. Except the formed trails, the land is very hard to travel as the scrub is quite dense and tangled, nearly impossible to get through without cutting a new path. Massive fires do regularly occur, but within a year burnt areas lagely recover. Lots of wildlife, with lizards, snakes, wallabies and various smaller animals. As few large trees exist not really a Koala reserve, though possibly on part of the prom there may be some efforts to establish a colony, in recent decades. We normally went to a beach, just before Tidal River camp, and also reachable by a kike/walk from Tidal River, called Squeaky Bay. This is one almost unique place, as the sand grains have some characteristic that results in quite loud "squeaking" sound as you drag/kick your feet into the sand. The associated car park is just large enough for the number of people visiting to never overcrowd the beach. Always plentry free space and only maybe 200m from cars to actual beach, which itself can depending on sand movement due to waves and recent storns be upto 100m wide from dunes/scrub fringe to the water, or as little as 30m. Rocks at either end create nice climbing too. Water is shallow gentle slope to deeper water, and except in extreme rough waves quite safe family swimming, with little undertow, but care must be exercised., poor swommers or inexperienced people can get into strife. By the way, unlike main popular beaches these on the Prom do NOT have surf life guard services. You are responsible for own safety, if numbers of peo ppl le are there often someone can help if trouble comes about, but do not depend on others. As these areas are exposed to full ocean, and some access for seals and penguins can occur, there are also possibilities that sharks may be seen, but in many trips I have only on maybe two occasions had sharks appear near enough to have concerns. Rock pools may have small fish, crabs, octopus urchins, colourful seaweds, etc. On topic of flies, these can be an issue anywhere, and that classic, "aussie salute", a hand swipe across the face is standard. The flies settle to collect moisture, and head straight to mouth, eyes, nose. But unlike flies around the world, and I have been many places, ours are persistent and do not scare away easily. Almost as the hand swipes, they are back by the time the hand is away. Somehow our flies are not put off but just rise and return as quickly as leaving. Depending on wind and weather they can be minimal, to very disturbing. Insect repellant may or may not work. Seasonally mosquitoes can be evident too. One bad critter is that occasionally there are larger, 'horse fly'' type, biting flies that you definitely feel when they get into you. On a bad day not pleasant, mostly though only an occasional one or none at all. Not all that far inland from the prom is a now relatively small remenant RAINFOREST . It is representarive of original common forest of the Gippsland valley that these days is cleared of the original forest and is farms, and many are dairy farm, has massive coal deposits and was centre of our victorian coal fired power stations, beside huge open cut coal mines. These coal power stations are closing over time, "Global Warming" claims based. On first exploration of the valley region the real ground was often deep under the effective surface if accumulated logs and branch, leaf litter. Apparently up to 10m able to be crossed by horses and carts. The forest was huge trees many meters duameter, and towering high above. In clearing the vally much was cutdown and burned in the mid 1800s to 1900s. Now largely grassy field and scattered smaler patches if forest. The Bulga Temporate Rainforest is magnificent..
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