FROM THE BEACON ATOP CAPE WOOLAMAI, YOUR SINGLE BIGGEST DILEMMA IS FIGURING OUT WHICH WAY TO LOOK, AS YOU TAKE IN THE BREATHTAKING 360 DEGREE VIEWS. To the south you see the open waters of Bass Strait, reaching endlessly towards the distant horizon. Turn towards the east and you’ll catch sweeping views of Bass Coast’s wild and beautiful beaches and coastline, while to the north you’ll easily spot the town of San Remo and the Phillip Island bridge against the backdrop of Westernport Bay and French Island. But you’ve saved the best ‘til last as you make one more turn and face west, to take in the incredible panorama of Phillip Island’s ruggedly beautiful southern coast, from Woolamai surf beach, past Forrest Caves to Pyramid Rock and beyond. And then the expanse of what your eyes behold comes into focus as you spy the island’s northern coastline and even Mornington Peninsula off in the distance, and you realise you can actually see most of Phillip Island from this one spot. It will truly take your breath away. This incredible nature reserve offers surprises and stunning vistas at every turn as you explore its network of walking trails that criss-cross the Cape. Starting from the Woolamai Beach carpark, one of the most popular walks is the 4.4km trail to the ancient pink granite rock formation known as the Pinnacles, easily one of Phillip Island’s most photographed locations.
THE CAPE
The hardier among us may choose to take on the full 8.1km Cape Woolamai circuit, which loops right around the top of the Cape. Take in the stunning turquoise waters around the old granite quarry before ascending to the beacon at the Cape’s highest point, and then on to the majesty of the Pinnacles. As if the views weren’t enough, there is even more to learn and enjoy about this amazing place. Cape Woolamai is home to a colony of well over half a million short-tailed shearwaters over summer, after they complete one of the world’s longest wildlife migrations. These global travellers arrive on Phillip Island around late September every year, after flying approximately 16,000km from the Aleutian Islands near Alaska. They come here to feed in the waters of Bass Strait, before laying a single egg in their sandy burrows to raise a chick of their own. In April, the parents start heading north again, leaving the chicks to learn to fly by themselves before fledging, or leaving the nest, and follow mum and dad a couple of weeks later. It’s one of nature’s miracles that one of the first ever flights these birds take is a 16,000km epic adventure to the northern hemisphere. The shearwater colony is closely monitored by researchers from Phillip Island Nature Parks, who share the responsibility and the privilege of managing the Cape Woolamai reserve. The Nature Parks conservation team, alongside an army of redeployed staff, took the opportunity during Victoria’s restrictions in 2020, to undertake a range of major revegetation, weed control and track maintenance projects. The end result is that we all now have the opportunity to help protect this incredible place by visiting the area mindfully, responsibly, and safely. Cape Woolamai is an exposed location, and can experience sudden and severe weather changes, so make sure you check tide times, and bring water and appropriate clothing. It is important not to venture off track in search of that all-important selfie or landscape photo. Stay on the well-formed and signposted trails to keep yourselves safe, and also protect the shearwater burrows which surround the trails across the entire Cape.
gippsland lifestyle autumn ����
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