Wilsons Prom - October weather?

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Wilsons Prom - October weather?

Postby Staceykate » Sat 11 Jul, 2020 3:34 pm

I'm planning to do a 3 days/ 2night southern circuit in October with my hubby (if we get out of lockdown here in Melbourne :( )

I'm wondering what the recommendation is on clothing at night at that time? We both live in icebreaker clothes in our normal life in Melbourne, and I have a gore-tex rain jacket I will take but I find in Melbourne standing around at night it's not enough.
I have a 700 down marmot 3/4 coat which is amazing for nights here (just moved from Sydney last year, so I feel the cold) but that coat is HUGE and heavy and I think too big to take.

I hope October will be warm enough that the merino jumpers and my rain jacket will be enough at night.

Any suggestions?
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Re: Wilsons Prom - October weather?

Postby neilmny » Sat 11 Jul, 2020 3:48 pm

A quick google of October weather Wilsons Promontory came up with Low 11C high 16C rain 10 days.
You are as south as Victoria gets there and the Prom stands out into Bass Strait so Westerlies and Southerlies can be strong and cold (windchill).
I would take a Rain Jacket, Puffer Jacket, Polar Fleece jumper, wind proof wicking shirt (long sleeves?) and good quality thermals.
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Re: Wilsons Prom - October weather?

Postby taylorwhite2898 » Wed 15 Jul, 2020 1:20 pm

Hi, ive been to wilsons prom for the past 3 years from october 20-25th and have been "lucky" with weather almost everytime. Warm days, and cool but not freezing nights. Only one time which was last year on the final day were we caught with some bad weather (light dirzzle) but wasnt cold or anything. Im located in melbounre as well but it seems i run a bit more warm than you, i reckon just have all the clothes in your car on the trip up and check in with the info centre at the park and make a decsion on the amount of layers needed :)
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Re: Wilsons Prom - October weather?

Postby Joynz » Thu 16 Jul, 2020 9:03 pm

Staceykate - I would add a packable, lightweight down jacket or vest for when you get to camp or for extra warmth at night

has some nice ones on sale. Compare the type, weight and amount of down on their website.

I got one last year for around $100.
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Re: Wilsons Prom - October weather?

Postby commando » Thu 16 Jul, 2020 9:34 pm

The good news is that your at sea level... don't stress, if your cold that's what sleeping bags are for.
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Re: Wilsons Prom - October weather?

Postby paidal_chalne_vala » Sun 16 Aug, 2020 7:30 pm

I hiked at the Southern Prom from Telegraph saddle to Roaring Meg/ Leech and then went onto Waterloo bay and back to Telegraph saddle one year in September. It was sunny and mild. It took a couple of nights. The nights and early
mornings were cold but I just cooked some food at dusk and then curled up in my sleeping bag with a book. The park was not busy then and the amount of litter was quite low as compared with February when the park is like a rubbish dump after the summer holidays conclude.
Wild flowers also can be seen in spring at the Prom. .
Whether the Prom will be open and Plague restrictions will be relaxed enough to allow people a chance to improve their sanity by trekking at the Prom . is anyone's guess at present.
Another year I hiked the SE loop in Nov. and it rained the whole 3 days. Swimming at Refuge cove in early Nov. is like an automatic DIY family planning scheme, it is that cold.
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Re: Wilsons Prom - October weather?

Postby Staceykate » Tue 18 Aug, 2020 12:12 pm

HAHAHA love it! Family planning...

Yes not sure if we will be going now! Have booked an early Dec trip too in case October is forced to be cancelled...

We will get there eventually...
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Re: Wilsons Prom - October weather?

Postby paidal_chalne_vala » Tue 18 Aug, 2020 4:23 pm

Wait until Easter 2021 and hike the Northern Prom . loop. Then you will be able to really boast about hiking at the Prom. .
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Re: Wilsons Prom - October weather?

Postby commando » Thu 20 Aug, 2020 7:24 pm

I havent visited the Prom in a long while as the beauracracy was just too much, someone can tell me if its changed
1. Entrance fees
2. Car parking permit fees for Telegraph Saddle
3. Camping bookings
4. Camping Fees
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Re: Wilsons Prom - October weather?

Postby Baeng72 » Thu 20 Aug, 2020 7:35 pm

commando wrote:I havent visited the Prom in a long while as the beauracracy was just too much, someone can tell me if its changed
1. Entrance fees
2. Car parking permit fees for Telegraph Saddle
3. Camping bookings
4. Camping Fees

1. No entrance fees
2. No parking permit fees (can't park at Telegraph saddle in Summer, have to use courtesy shuttle from Tidal)
3. You have to book.
4. Camping is $7 per night per person at Southern circuit campsites. More at Tidal and Stockyard.
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Re: Wilsons Prom - October weather?

Postby paidal_chalne_vala » Fri 21 Aug, 2020 2:30 pm

Hike in Camp sites at The Northern Prom. must be booked in advance.The fees are low. You must fill in a " I promise not to call for help" kind of form before the rangers will allow you to head out there.

Camping at the Prom. gate at Stockyard can be handy for a late arrival the night before before you do your trek.

The fees charged per camp site there are per vehicle not per head.
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Re: Wilsons Prom - October weather?

Postby Staceykate » Tue 25 Aug, 2020 1:05 pm

paidal_chalne_vala wrote:Wait until Easter 2021 and hike the Northern Prom . loop. Then you will be able to really boast about hiking at the Prom. .



Why is the northern loop so much better?

How long did it take you? Where did you stay?

Still a beginnger so it might be one we work up to but I'd love to hear your experiences! :D
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Re: Wilsons Prom - October weather?

Postby Baeng72 » Tue 25 Aug, 2020 3:56 pm

Staceykate wrote:
paidal_chalne_vala wrote:Wait until Easter 2021 and hike the Northern Prom . loop. Then you will be able to really boast about hiking at the Prom. .



Why is the northern loop so much better?

How long did it take you? Where did you stay?

Still a beginnger so it might be one we work up to but I'd love to hear your experiences! :D


It depends on how you define better. :)
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Re: Wilsons Prom - October weather?

Postby ChrisJHC » Tue 25 Aug, 2020 5:53 pm

If you’re a beginner you might like to start with the Southern parts.

This is much easier, needs almost no navigation skills and will have plenty of people around if you run into trouble.

I would leave the Northern parts for when you’ve got some more experience.
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Re: Wilsons Prom - October weather?

Postby north-north-west » Wed 26 Aug, 2020 9:18 am

Stick to the south until you've gained a lot more experience. The northern circuit is much more hard-core, with crossing swamps, navigation and drinking water issues. You can ignore p-c-v on this - he has an obsession with the northern Prom circuit.
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Re: Wilsons Prom - October weather?

Postby Biggles » Thu 27 Aug, 2020 11:44 am

Be prepared for all weather conditions.
The Prom is a southern, exposed extremity and subject to the full vagueries of weather, both east and west. Never mind what you can imagine down in the far south.

In October 2010 I walked the Southern Circuit, starting at Telegraph Saddle, then to Lt. Waterloo Bay, Refuge Cove and Sealers Cove. Weather varied from sunny-hot (first day) to overcast-cold (second day) and for the final two nights at Sealers Cove, downright appalling and ugly: wild storms, horizontal rain, furious gales, monster surf that crashed into and through the scrub at the base of the campsite...booming thunder and lightning. I didn't get any sleep: too busy getting in and out of tent to peg it down in the gravel pitch (pack a hammer for that bugger of a surface). A full day confined to the tiny tent. Final morning, sublime hazy calm and a nondescript walk along the beach and inland, then 2km before the end at the carpark, another round of horror rain, wind, cold and tempest. Nowhere to shelter. Sealers Cove was the pits, just the pits: my pack leaked, my food was drenched, clothes saturated, tent battered in the storm and general misery. I recounted my tale to fellow campers back at Tidal River, which was also smashed by the storms (cars damaged, awnings ripped, tents shreaded). It's a funny thing that memory does; the trip was the worst I had undertaken, but it's also recalled as the most memorable!
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Re: Wilsons Prom - October weather?

Postby paidal_chalne_vala » Thu 27 Aug, 2020 3:20 pm

Horror hikes are the ones you remember best. Type 2 fun threatens to become type 3 fun :-0. Newbies to the Prom should hike the Southern Prom. before considering undertaking the Northern Prom . loop.

The Northern Prom . is hardcore and requires real navigation skills, water finding and purification activities and serious bush bashing, swamp wading plus mental and physical stamina. One woman I took out there as part of a small party of trekkers had climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro so she was no newbie to this outdoors lark. She nearly dropped her bundle/ lost her composure completely out on 3 mile point. It was quite a test in many ways.
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Re: Wilsons Prom - October weather?

Postby Baeng72 » Thu 27 Aug, 2020 3:33 pm

paidal_chalne_vala wrote:Horror hikes are the ones you remember best. Type 2 fun threatens to become type 3 fun :-0. Newbies to the Prom should hike the Southern Prom. before considering undertaking the Northern Prom . loop.

The Northern Prom . is hardcore and requires real navigation skills, water finding and purification activities and serious bush bashing, swamp wading plus mental and physical stamina. One woman I took out there as part of a small party of trekkers had climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro so she was no newbie to this outdoors lark. She nearly dropped her bundle/ lost her composure completely out on 3 mile point. It was quite a test in many ways.

The 3 mile rock area sounds almost the crux of the northern circuit. I've read a few blogs of people who've done it and also the recent one on this site by the blisters and chaffers and there's mention of rock hoping for a long distance in that area...
The swamp crossing with possible tiger snake companions doesn't seem so daunting in comparison.
Anyway, I will find out when I get there, one day, after lockdown and all that....
But yeah, southern circuit for getting into hiking and lovely ocean vistas.
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Re: Wilsons Prom - October weather?

Postby paidal_chalne_vala » Thu 27 Aug, 2020 7:38 pm

If you slip and fall on the rocks at 3 Mile Point having scrub bashed some of the way around the headland then a chopper ride out to hospital would be likely.
Last edited by paidal_chalne_vala on Sat 29 Aug, 2020 9:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Wilsons Prom - October weather?

Postby Staceykate » Fri 28 Aug, 2020 8:48 pm

north-north-west wrote:Stick to the south until you've gained a lot more experience. The northern circuit is much more hard-core, with crossing swamps, navigation and drinking water issues. You can ignore p-c-v on this - he has an obsession with the northern Prom circuit.


Thanks!!! I'll stick to the beginner's and hopefully this time next year can tackle the northern circuit :) :)
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Re: Wilsons Prom - October weather?

Postby Staceykate » Sat 05 Dec, 2020 5:27 pm

Hi everyone!! We did I think south east circuit - tidal river to Oberon bay to little Waterloo (night 1) then along to sealers (night 2) and out. Was big but great!! Hubby not a fan of the inland walking, much preferred walks with vistas not just a long walk to a lookout, so not sure we will end up doing the others! Might work up to it :p
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Re: Wilsons Prom - October weather?

Postby bigkev » Sun 06 Dec, 2020 5:54 am

Well done Staceykate.

A lot of Victorian walkers had their first overnight walking experiences down at the Prom on the Southern Circuit (me included). It's a beautiful walk.
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Re: Wilsons Prom - October weather?

Postby paidal_chalne_vala » Sun 06 Dec, 2020 7:15 am

The Prom . is heavily booked for walk in camping and car camping until the end of Jan..
I started bushwalking solo with an overnight pack down there.
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