Croajingolong Coastal Wilderness Experience

Project status

Early planning being initiated. Last updated: August 2023
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The project: Croajingolong Coastal Wilderness Experience

The Wilderness Coast Walk is an existing 8-to-10 day walk between Cape Conran and Mallacoota in East Gippsland and continues across the New South Wales border into Nadgee Nature Reserve.

The current walk is generally suited to experienced hikers, who have camping and orienteering skills and can navigate challenging conditions. These include the walk’s rocky headlands, water crossings, long stretches of beach walking, and the need to walk through thick vegetation and source drinking water.

The Croajingolong Coastal Wilderness Experience aims to improve access to this special area for a wider range of people. A series of opportunities will offer more visitors the chance to experience and learn about the beauty, unique environment and Aboriginal culture of Croajingolong National Park, Point Hicks Lightstation and Cape Conran Coastal Park.

The concept aims to appeal to both existing hikers and new or less experienced hikers who may need or want more support to experience this beautiful part of Victoria.

The project aims in time to deliver iconic day experiences from key visitor sites and the ability to connect them up to experience overnight wilderness journeys. This project will fully investigate options, undertake planning for those options and implement some of them.

Upgrades as part of the project are likely to be between Cape Conran and Point Hicks, while areas east of Point Hicks will continue to offer a wilderness experience with limited infrastructure.

As part of this project a Masterplan will also be developed for the Point Hicks precinct.

Until the Masterplan is released, it is difficult to understand the nature and scope of this development but I will watch with interest given this is one of Victoria’s proposed ICONIC walks, similar to the Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing and Grampians Peaks Trail.

Project funding

The Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions has provided $7.5 million for this project.

Project timeline

The planning phase is expected to be completed in 2025. The timeline for completed works will be confirmed once the options to be constructed are determined.