O
n the Far East coast
of Victoria there is a
little-known national
park with a funny
name called
Croajingolong. This park is home
to rugged pristine beaches and
spectacular coastal scenery,
and surprisingly some fantastic
camping sites and great
4WD tracks.
Croajingolong National Park
is located at the far Eastern
edge of Victoria and hugs the
coastline for 100 kays. In
addition to the spectacular
coastal scenery, the park also
includes eucalypt forest,
rainforest tracts, and
heathland. There are also a
number of 4WD tracks within
the park. The park name is from
the local Aboriginal people in
the area and it covers around
88,000 ha. The main access
point for the park is from the
town of Cann River which is
about 450km from Melbourne
via the Princess Highway.
There are a number of
secluded coastal camping spots
in the Croajingolong National
Park which offer a range of
activities including beach walks,
birdwatching, boating and
fi shing. The two main camping
areas are Wingan Inlet and
Thurra River, with our pick being
Wingan Inlet.
On this trip we will start in
Cann River and explore many of
the highlights of the region,
including some camping at
Wingan Inlet before fi nishing in
the town of Mallacoota.
Cann River has a hotel,
several motels and number of
cafes & coffee shops. It is a
popular stopping point for
people travelling on the Princess
Highway between Melbourne &
Sydney. The bakery is a favouriteof ours and after the obligatory
pie & coffee it’s time to head into
the Croajingolong National Park
and visit our fi rst destination –
Thurra River and Point Hicks
Lighthouse. The Point Hicks road
is bitumen to start with, then
changes to well-maintained
gravel for a total of 46km.
Point Hicks was fi rst sighted
by Lieutenant Zachary Hicks in
1770 from Captain Cooks Ship,
The Endeavour. This is an
historical place as it was the fi rst
point on the east coast of
Australia where the British
sighted land and, as such, can beseen as the beginning of modern
European society in Australia.
There is a 2.2km walk from the
carpark to the lighthouse and
this is a fantastic place to spot
whales at the right time of year
(May – July and October –
December). The lighthouse
which is still manned by a
lighthouse keeper was built in
1887-88 to protect the ships that
passed by this treacherous
stretch of coast. The lighthouse
has regular tours which are well
worth attending – check the
website and plan your trip to
coincide with a tour if you can.BROUGHT TO YOU BYTIME TO TRAVEL: November.
FUEL: (At time of trip)
Cann River: Diesel $1.29 Unleaded $1.32
CAMPING: There are a number of designated campgrounds within
the Croajingolong National Park including Wingan Inlet (23 sites
with drop toilets and fi replaces), Thurra River (46 sites with drop
toilets, picnic tables and fi replaces), Mueller Inlet (8 sites, gas
fi res only), Peachtree Creek (11 sites with fi replaces and drop
toilets) and Shipwreck Creek (5 camp sites with fi replaces and
drop toilets). Mallacoota has several commercial caravan parks,
with the pick being the council-run park overlooking the
Mallacoota Inlet.QUICK FACTS
WWW.4WDACTION.COM.AUGotta love a quiet camp setupCrossing the bridge into Thurra River Campground –
checkout the size of the dunes in the background!