Squeaky Beach - Know before you go
Thursday 7 March, 2024
With dazzling white quartz sand, crystal clear water and hulking granite boulders, all watched over by the imposing Mount Bishop, it’s easy to see why Tourism Australia recently named Squeaky Beach in Wilsons Promontory National Park as Australia’s best beach.
If you’re planning on visiting Squeaky Beach, here are our top tips so you can have as much squeaky-clean fun as possible:
Photo: Squeaky Beach at Wilsons Promontory National Park has been crowned Australia's best beach - it's easy to see why!
Avoid the crowds and visit mid-week
Squeaky Beach is one of Victoria’s most popular beaches, so be prepared for it to be particularly busy on weekends and holidays.
If you want to beat the crowds, plan to visit Wilsons Prom mid-week. Be sure to bring plenty of drinking water and sunscreen on hot sunny days.
If the Squeaky Beach car park is full, check out one of the many other nearby beaches that make up Wilsons Promontory like Whisky Bay and Picnic Bay, or come prepared to hike the Three Bays Walk from Tidal River. You won’t be disappointed!
Stay safe in the water
There’s no doubt Squeaky Beach is a beautiful spot to lay down a towel and watch the waves roll in, but it’s important to take care near water.
Squeaky Beach is not patrolled by lifesavers, and swimming is not recommended as dangerous rips and strong currents often occur. Never jump off the granite boulders as submerged rocks may be hidden underwater.
Children should be supervised at all times. Follow our water safety advice to make sure your day at Squeaky Beach is a safe and enjoyable one.
Take care of the sand dunes
The imposing rocky bluff of Mount Bishop stands tall above the sand dunes of Squeaky Beach.
Hooded Plovers are considered endangered, and rely on healthy dune systems to survive.
Squeaky Beach derives its name from the white quartz sand that makes up its shoreline. The “squeak squeak squeak” of bare feet through sand is the soundtrack of many summer holidays.
However, the sand dunes along the Wilsons Promontory coastline, including at Squeaky Beach, are incredibly fragile miniature ecosystems. Sand dunes provide feeding and breeding habitat for small mammals like the Southern Brown Bandicoot and ground nesting birds such as the endangered Hooded Plover.
Trampling, sliding and jumping down the dunes will only hasten their erosion and damage the important coastal plants that keep them intact.
Keep to the track
The Prom’s iconic grass trees provide a vital source of nectar, pollen, larvae and seeds for birds, insects and mammals. Unfortunately, this unique plant is susceptible to contracting a deadly microscopic, soil-borne mould known as ‘cinnamon fungus’ which attacks its roots.
It is easily spread unknowingly by contaminated soil particles attached to car tyres and shoes. To stop the spread, only walk or drive on formed paths and tracks.
Photo: The walking track between Tidal River and Squeaky Beach offers magnificent coastal views.
Be mindful where you park
There’s only a small car park at Squeaky Beach and it fills up quickly, especially on weekends and holiday periods. Do not block roads or emergency tracks with your vehicle when you park.
If the car park is full, why not park at Tidal River and walk from there. The 4.2km, 1.5-hour return walk starts at the Tidal River footbridge and offers sweeping coastal views as it climbs up and over the headland separating Norman and Leonard Bays before it descends to Squeaky Beach. Return via the same track.
Take your rubbish home with you
There are no bins at Squeaky Beach or in the car park, so visitors must take all rubbish home with them. An enormous part of what makes the Prom and Squeaky Beach so special is the pristine environment – every visitor has a duty to keep it that way.
Follow these tips and you’ll help keep Wilsons Promontory the special place it is and know you’re visiting in a responsible and sustainable way.
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