Arabic version: إعادة فتح مسار سيلرز كوف في ويلسونز برومونتوري

According to ABC News, the Sealers Cove walking track at Wilsons Promontory has reopened after almost five years, restoring access to the park’s southern circuit and the cove. The track and boardwalk had been closed since successive storms battered the area in 2021.

Wilsons Promontory, also known as Yiruk Wamoon, is at the southernmost point of mainland Australia and is one of Parks Victoria’s most popular parks, attracting about 600,000 visitors each year. Rangers are anticipating a busy summer and an influx of hikers following the reopening of the iconic route.

The Victorian government allocated $4.8 million to rebuild a 2-kilometre section of boardwalk, in addition to a $23 million investment in the Wilsons Promontory Revitalisation Project. The former boardwalk, which dated from the late 1970s, had also been affected by a major flood in 2011 before the 2021 storms made a complete rebuild necessary.

The remote location complicated the work. With no vehicle access to Sealers Cove, engineers and construction workers reached the site by the 9.5-kilometre walking track from Telegraph Saddle, by boat from Port Welshpool, or by helicopter. Up to nine workers at a time stayed at a temporary camp with a mess tent, kitchen and dining area, tool storage and hot showers.

The rebuilt boardwalk uses fibre-reinforced plastic and sits about 30 centimetres higher in anticipation of rising sea levels. Workers collaborated with traditional owners, Parks Victoria scientists and rangers to remove the damaged structure and assess the area before constructing the replacement.