Home to two of the most photogenic beaches in Wilsons Promontory National Park, Refuge Cove can only be reached by boat, or a long bushwalk. The cove has been used for over 200 years by sailors and boaters to escape the hazards of Bass Strait and as a safe and attractive anchorage, with the entrance only 400 m wide but opening up inside to reach 1km across.
The cove has two sandy beaches, both composed of pure, rounded, yellow quartz grains. At the northern end is Refuge Cove North, the larger of the two beaches.
At the southern end is Refuge Cove South, a smaller and even more protected beach, which has a campsite and basic toilets, and water from a creek.
Getting to Refuge Cove
Both the northern and southern beaches are traversed on the 2-4 day Wilsons Prom Southern Circuit, with the campsite here being popular with both bushwalkers and boaties. Walking access to the cove is via two routes, both from Telegraph Saddle:
- via Sealers Cove, which is 32km return. Note: the Sealers Cove Walking Track was closed in 2021 – due to extensive storm damage in and expected to re-open in 2024.
- via Telegraph Track and Little Waterloo Bay, which is a slightly longer and less scenic 37km return route.
You can swim at both beaches – the water is very calm, but the beach is steep and the water is deep close to the shore.
More information
- Parks Victoria – Refuge Cove Hike
- Beachsafe – Refuge Cove
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