Escape the crowds who flock to the southern Prom with a walk out to the Big Drift, a series of ever-changing inland sand dunes. This other-worldly landscape reveals a very different side to Wilsons Prom and is a short walk from Stockyards Camp, just by the park entrance.

The Big Drift is a landscape of massive sand dunes that tower over gnarled coastal woodland and the most southerly farmland in mainland Australia. This is the kind of place where it’s very likely that the only footprints in the sand will be your own. Come here to enjoy a peaceful moment and to feel small in the vast expanse of golden sands.

Best enjoyed at sunrise or sunset, when the dunes turn rose gold, take in the views over the Vereker Range in the east and the sea to the west. This ethereal place is a stunning subject for a memorable photograph.

The good news is that the Big Drift is best when the weather is poor. Wilsons Prom ranger Jack Hutchison loves the Big Drift after it rains. “Little pools form in the dunes, some big enough to swim in,” he says. “Problem is you never know if it’s going to be warm or freezing cold. It’s a lottery!”

The walk out to the Big Drift is short, so if you’re in the Prom for a day, it’s definitely worth tackling another short walk in the northern Prom. Vereker Outlook offers a contrasting experience and another spectacular view. Little Drift arguably has better views of the Vereker Range than Big Drift. And just outside Wilsons Prom, the short walk to Shallow Inlet leads to a sheltered beach and a well-deserved swim.