Picnic Beach, Rock Pool Rambling

Picnic Beach

Wilsons Promontory National Park

Victoria, Australia

  

  
Our family was too disorganised to get ourselves booked into the Junior Ranger Program when we got to Wilsons Promontory.  We were on holidays, running away from decision making and schedules, and reluctant to make any commitments.  However, when our more organised friends were off to do the Rock Pool Ramble we tried to get a spot at the last minute, as it sounded great. Of course a lack of planning can go against you, and we couldn't get in.  Kindly the ranger suggested to our friend that we go to the beach anyway, just tag quietly along behind.



Best laid plans do not always work either.  There was an ambulance parked at the car park when we arrived.  As we unpacked our beach supplies we could hear everything that was happening being broadcast over the rangers radio. A 22 year old male had badly broken their ankle, it was at right angles, they had hurt themselves jumping off a big rock onto hard wet sand.  Due to the remoteness of their location they had to be air lifted out. Rock pool ramble cancelled, emergency situation in full swing. Those amazing ambulance fellas carried an enormous amount of gear down the cliff. Guiltily, I must say it was pretty cool to see the chopper come down above us. Poor guy had to wait a couple of hours for help, ouch.

 

  

 

  

  

 

We still had the most beautiful afternoon exploring the rocks, finding Sea Stars, Barnacles, Mussells, Waratah Sea Anemones (those funny red jelly blobs), Sea Squirts, Limpets, Tube Worms, Crabs and Gastropods. We found Sea Anemones under the water that you could poke your fingers into, there were squeals of delight as tiny tentacles wrapped, sucked and clung onto children's digits.


 

 

      
  

 

 

    

 

   

  

The kids dug holes, rock hopped, built sand castles and frolicked in the sea, refusing to take off their clothes until they were drenched and sandy. I harped on to my son about taking off his shoes and then subsequently got mine wet as an unexpected wave cascaded into the rock pools. The little one takes a bit of watching as she has no concept of the danger of water, yet loves it dearly, not a great combination. A beautiful fawn coloured wombat farewelled us on the way back up to the car park, much healthier looking than the camping ground wombats, life must be a picnic for it.


Daylight savings has just started, must try to get to sleep soon, I hate adjusting to the change in sleeping patterns but love the lighter evenings and extended time we can spend outside as a family.