New Year road trip day 1: Wilsons Prom

We're back from our road trip, back at work and back to reality, but we had such a wonderful time I still feel happy when I think about it. (I've also had a very quiet week at work so the drudgery of real life hasn't erased my post-holiday contentedness...yet.)

We left home early on Sunday morning with light rain falling, but by the time we arrived at our first destination - Wilsons Promontory ("the Prom") - the sun was shining. 

We visited Squeaky Beach (named for the sand, which squeaks when you walk on it...if you stab your feet into it to create friction).

The big, lichen-covered boulders at the far end of the beach, with a 

small steam in the foreground winding its way to the ocean

With added Luke, for scale

 Tidal River. The nearby info centre, camp ground and a few 

shops are the epicentre of Wilsons Prom National Park

After lunch, we walked to the summit of Mount Oberon. It was a sweaty, tiring walk for me (note to self: go to gym more this year), but the view from the peak and the refreshing cool wind made my huffing and puffing and aching calves worthwhile. 

 Norman Bay and Tidal River mid-shot; 

Leonard Bay and Squeaky Beach beside that 

The rocky peak of Mt Oberon

We encountered a friendly local on the side of the path as we walked back down. Luke sauntered past it unawares, but I spotted it with my beady eye. 

We think it's an Eastern Tiger Snake, which is one of the most deadly snakes in Australia - in the world in fact. It's also fast moving, aggressive and bad tempered according to my google research, but this one was docile. It sat there calmly looking back at us and a small gathering of other people as we took photos of it. 

Sssssmile!

It eventually slithered down the edge of the path and into the undergrowth - as shown in this video I took and didn't edit because I'm lazy and not techno-savvy. Call me odd, but I find it super exciting seeing snakes in their natural habitat, as long as I'm a safe distance from them of course. This isn't my first tiger snake encounter, nor the deadliest snake I've got close to in the wild.

Next up was Whisky Bay, another gorgeous beach book-ended by huge boulders, including this one, which I have named Big Toe Rock (if it wasn't already called that).

Rocky reflections

The other end of the beach

Footprints in the sand

Probably this guy's. Check out that beak and eye!

It was late in the afternoon by now and we hit the road for Foster, a small town inland where we had a cabin booked for the night. We passed a lot of paddocks with rolls of hay. 

We had dinner at one of the local pubs In Foster where I had the first of many scotch fillet steaks with chips and salad for the trip, and Luke had icecream with chocolate topping and sprinkles for dessert. 

We were in bed before 9.30, tired and happy.