Oliver of Otterburn goes South (in Australia)

I am continuing my travels around Australia with Ray and we have just visited the furthest south point of the mainland. This is the lighthouse which is dramatically situated on a rocky headland on Wilsons Promontory.

The only access is by walking track so not too many people get there, let alone sheep.

Wilsons Promontory has been retained as a large national park. It has a dramatic granite structure with hills getting up to almost 600 meters.

The wildlife is protected and at the Tidal River Camp I met Willie the Wombat and we had a very friendly chat.

He told me that he mostly sleeps during the day and comes out in the late afternoon to
start munching grass and other herbage.

For a moment I thought that he was going to eat me, but he just munched off into the distance.

So, off I went with Ray on a three day bushwalk and that wasn’t easy

on my poor feet.

On the first day we walked twenty kilometers to reach

the lighthouse.

It is quite a sight. On this day the wind was blowing very strongly and the lighthouse stands high above the large waves battering the promontory.

We stayed the night in one of the cottages
previously used by the families of lighthouse keepers.

On day two we walked up and over a large hill, then down into beautiful Waterloo Bay. It is still untouched by humanity except for bushwalkers.

We camped for the night there in a small tent.

Then on the third day we were walking back to

civilisation when I received quite a shock – right in front of me on the track was a coiled up snake – these things can kill you!

Fortunately he only wanted to be left alone, and I was very happy to do just that.

So there it is, I am probably the very first, very tired, Northumbrian sheep to visit the southern point of continental Australia.