News Wilsons Prom cruise to Skull Rock
A true wonder of Gippsland, this gargantuan monolith in the middle of the ocean has been dropping jaws for decades.
Off the coast of Wilsons Prom, mainland Australia’s most southerly point, you’ll find Skull Rock. You can only reach this front-cover splash by boat. Take the show-stopping cruise with Wanderer Adventures, taking in seal colonies, remote beaches, dolphin pods and ancient rock formations along the way.
Skull Rock is located in Wilsons Promontory National Park, 3 hours’ drive southeast of Melbourne. Cruises with Wanderer Adventures run daily, departing directly from the sand at Tidal River, The Prom’s HQ. Advance bookings are strongly recommended.
Cruise to Skull Rock at Wilsons Prom
As if Wilsons Prom isn’t enough of a dream destination with its heart-stirring beaches, bucket-list walks, friendly wildlife and sumptuous vistas, seeing Skull Rock is the cherry on top.
Located around 5 km offshore, the only way to see this showstopper is by boat. The enormous granite rock rises dramatically from the ocean, its cavernous dome resembling a skull, complete with eye sockets. The sheer scale of this feature is truly humbling. The sheer scale of Skull Rock awakens a sense of awe and reverence that echoes long after your departure.
With their striking banana-yellow hue, Wanderer Adventures’ boats are specialised amphibious vehicles, allowing you to slide smoothly from shore to sea. In a matter of minutes you will depart Wilsons Prom’s main hub at Tidal River and be placed right in the centre of remote coastlines and far-flug islands that few others can access.
Get a cuteness overload discovering seal colonies who live on nearby islands and keep your eyes peeled for dolphin pods (and whales during migration season, May – Nov).
Wanderer Adventures offer 2 cruises that take in Skull Rock: Wilderness Cruise and Ultimate Day Cruise.
WILSONS PROMONTORY WILDERNESS CRUISE
2.5 hours, from $165
This highlights tour takes in storied South Point to the untamed expanse of Bass Strait. Drift past The Glennies, Anderson Islets, and Anser Island, gaze up at Mount Oberon’s towering boulders, and lose yourself in pristine stretches of coastline, before approaching the pièce de résistance, Skull Rock.
WILSONS PROMONTORY ULTIMATE DAY CRUISE
5.5 hours, from $265
This full-day adventure takes in South Point and its timeless lighthouse, Waterloo Bay’s impossibly azure shores, and the secret splendour of Refuge Cove. A peaceful lunch at Sealers Cove awaits before you drift close to playful seals and marvel at the dramatic Skull Rock.
Lunch and morning tea are included.
More Things To Do At Wilsons Prom
While a cruise at Wilsons Prom might be at the top of your bucket-list, there’s plenty to explore in this wondrous national park.
- Climb to the top of Mt Oberon (2 hours return), the park’s highest point, offering phenomenal 360-degree views across the ocean, smattered with islands and rock formations.
- Discover why Squeaky Beach is revered as one of Australia’s best beaches. With brilliant white sand (BYO sunnies) and crystal clear water, and bookended by stunning granite boulders, this beach is picture-perfect.
- There are no bonus points for spotting wildlife at this sanctuary. Fearless wombats roam the park, and kangaroos and emus can be found along the Prom Wildlife Walk (at the airfield strip close to the park entrance). Awake to birdsong and cheerful chirping of vividly hued parrots and rosellas.
- Enjoy camping from Wilsons Prom’s campground nestled in pockets of tea tree where you can hear the crashing of the ocean.
Wilsons Prom Highlights
Discover More Gippsland Wonders
The Gippsland region is home to some serious pinch-yourself wonders - from the dreamiest natural water hole to a monolith jutting from the ocean in the shape of a skull... A clifftop hike serving up front-row ocean drama, to one of the state’s last patches of cool rainforest... A latticework of butterscotch-hued caves to gorges seemingly built from tetris blocks.
Published on under: Nature & Outdoor