Cape Woolamai Walk
I have been searching for local walks since Covid has restricted me from travelling anywhere. This walk has been on my list for a while but the the weather has not been kind when I wanted to go. As soon as the sun was out and I was free, I was off, exploring this beautiful part of Phillip Island.
To get to the start of this walk, turn left at the round about onto the Woolamai Beach Road from Phillip Island Road. Follow all the way to the end to the Surf Lifesaving club and carpark. There is a boardwalk that takes you down onto the beach and you head left towards the cliffs. The walk is usually 8.4 kms but I missed the turn back to the carpark so I ended up walking 10 kms. What a goose. There are a couple of shorter combinations you can take also. The walk is a combination of tracks and beach walking but all are well maintained and suited for fit beginners.
The day I walked, there were no surfers and the beach was a little wild, but it is a stunning part of the Island. During summer this area is a hive of activity, with surfers and boarders taking advantage of the waves. You head along the beach for approx 700m and then head up the stairs to find the start of the track. Don’t stress, you cannot miss these stairs – they are quite a construction. You then follow the track around the cliffs towards the Pinnacles. The track is well maintained and wide enough to drive a car on at this part. While it was steep in places the walk is an easy one. My only reservation is that there is no protection from the steep cliffs. If you have kids, make sure you keep a close eye on them. The area around the Pinnacles is beautiful. The sheer cliffs and rock formations are spectacular and there are a couple of viewing points for you to rest and admire the view.
As you follow the track around towards the beacon, it starts to get steeper as you head to the highest point. The beacon itself has an interesting story and there is a plaque there that is worth a read. The beacon is still used today to warn ships of the coastline. Once you start to head back down the hill, have a look at the view of San Remo from the lookout. Up ahead there is the option to head inland to meet up with the track and head home the way you came. This should be considered if it is high tide as you cannot get home via the beach at Cleelands bight. I am speaking from experience here as I clearly paid no attention to the tides and headed off around the beach.
If you decide to head around the beach then follow the track to the right and head down the stairs to the beach. There is a magnificent tree at the bottom of the stairs that has to be seen to be believed. Hard to know how it is still standing with all those exposed roots.
I looked out over the beach, after I noticed the sign about high tide, and decided there was still heaps of time before high tide. The tide could even be on the way out – how was I to know. Maybe I should have been a more responsible solo walker at that point and actually checked the tides on my phone, but I didn’t and headed off for the 1.7km walk back up the beach. The views here are beautiful as you can look back over San Remo and the bridge. It feels a little remote as there is no way to access this area unless you do the walk, or come in by boat.
As I headed around the first headland I noticed the beach getting narrower, swallowed up by the tide that was clearly on the way in. I was in trouble. I had to make the decision whether I headed back up the beach and up the path to head across inland or keep going. It is only water, and it wasn’t dangerous, just wet. So I kept going – worried about where the track was and how my new shoes were going to recover. I spotted in the distance a family with their dog, fishing. I figured that must be where the track was, so with tunnel vision that’s were I headed. Around trees that lay in the water, knee deep with very soggy shoes and socks.
As I got closer to the fishing family I noticed a sign and assumed it was showing me the track back to the carpark. My little legs were getting pretty tired by this point. Beach walking is hard work. The sign was not what I had hoped, it was a boating sign and as I started to pay attention to my surroundings I realised I was almost in town. In a bit of a panic I checked google maps and realised I had missed my turn off by about 500 meters, bugger, so headed back the way I had come. What’s another 1km of walking on the beach when your already tired, wet and hungry. I eventually found the narrow track that cut through the trees, there was a small sign that was pointing the wrong way, so was easy to miss. If you are walking along this way I suggest keeping your eyes out or even having google maps open to ensure you don’t miss the turn. Feeling a little relieved but still very hungry I staggered up the hill towards the carpark. After reaching the car I replenished my body with water and banged some of the sand out of my shoes. I headed back to San Remo for a very late lunch, excited to see the Poke Bowl shop still open.
Note to self for this walk in the future
- This is a significant walk so pack a backpack with water and snacks
- Check the tides before you leave
- Take more photos – it is beautiful
I will definitely do this walk again – it is spectacular and is enough of a challenge for me to feel proud of myself for doing it. Well worth the drive if you are not local to this area.
