PRESIDENT of Bushwalking Australia, Jeff McDonell, considers the Sealers Cove Walk the best walking track in Victoria and more’s the pity then that it has been closed due to flooding damage since 2021.
The good news is a contract has been awarded for the replacement of 2km boardwalk which forms the crucial link on the 10km trail between Tidal River and Sealers Cove which has been the right of passage for serious visitors to the Prom for decades.
Speaking on Gippsland ABC Radio on Wednesday this week, the now veteran walker said he first did the walk in his 20s and took both of his children out on numerous overnight camping and day trips to Sealers Cove from when they were quite young and plans to have his ashes sprinkled there after he dies.
“I consider it the prime walking track in Victoria, it’s my favourite and I plan to have my ashes spread in the cove. It’s a beautiful part of Victoria, with a beautiful beach and mountain views.
“You don’t need to do the full circuit. You can just walk in and camp one night or you can just start early and do the walk in the day.”
He should know.
Jeff first visited Sealers Cove in 1969, well before there was a boardwalk. He’s also walked the Annapurna Base Camp in Nepal and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. In Australia he’s walked the Overland Track in Tasmania in 1970 and again in 2017, plus the 250km Great South West walk in Victoria.
He's President of Bushwalking Victoria, as well as Bushwalking Australia and has been a member of the Wilsons Promontory Advisory Group Advisory Group for seven years.
“I am an active overnight walks leader for my bushwalking club, Bayside. I just took a group of beginner walkers to Roaring Meg last month for two nights as part of Bushwalking Victoria (BWV)’s Try Bushwalking Month,” said Jeff this week.
He’s also a leader for the track maintenance carried out by Bushwalking Victoria, helping to clear most of the Southern Circuit, including the track to Sealers Cove.
And it’s mostly hands-on.
“I usually work on chainsaw, clearing fallen logs.”
Bushwalking, he says, deserves a much higher priority on Parks Victoria’s to do list, with its relatively low priority contributing to the delay in getting the Sealers Cove Walk back to where it belongs.
But he’s relieved to see that a contract has finally been let for the works which are due to start soon for completion in autumn next year.
According to the Parks Victoria ‘Projects Eastern Victoria’ website, last updated in October 2025 the contract has been awarded to Envirotechniques to rebuild the walking track. Final permits and approvals are being prepared and construction on the walking track expected to start in late November.
“Preparation along the track will take place in September and October to allow construction to start. The track is expected to be completed and open to the project in autumn 2026.”
The project
“We are replacing the Sealers Cove Boardwalk and reopening the track.
“Sealers Cove is a highlight at the Wilsons Promontory National Park. With surrounding hiking trails, campground and stunning beach, the cove is popular with visitors to the park.
“During 2021, successive storms and floods hit the Prom and caused significant and widespread damage. This included to the Sealers Cove Boardwalk, which provides a connection to the Tidal River visitor hub across an otherwise impassable swamp.
“The boardwalk was over 40 years old; and although sections were repaired after the flooding in 2011, the damage caused during 2021 is beyond repair.
“A subsequent engineering assessment found that the entire two kilometres of the Sealers Cove Boardwalk needed to be replaced.
“In late 2023, funding was announced to rebuild the boardwalk.
“This is a major and complex project. It replaces two kilometres of boardwalk over sensitive terrain while carefully managing the landscape.
Assessments completed for the project cover:
- Coastal hazards
- Arboriculture
- Hydrology
- Ecology
- Acid sulphate soils
- Geotechnical
- Cultural heritage.
What will the boardwalk be like?
The new Sealers Cove Boardwalk will use Reinforced Plastic (FRP). This creates a sturdy walking experience, with fewer maintenance requirements. This material has been successfully used at both Lily Pilly Gully and to Waterloo Bay. The designs include a boardwalk that will be slightly wider, higher above ground and water, and will be constructed using materials that will be more appropriate to aquatic and marine environment.
Who are constructing the boardwalk?
After a competitive tender, Parks Victoria has awarded Environtechniques the contract to rebuild the boardwalk.
Envirotechniques are a Victorian environmental construction company, with expertise in ecology, horticulture and ecosystem care. For over 30 years they have built trails, constructed boardwalks and installed bridges throughout Victoria, including many in the Grampians (Gariwerd) and Wilsons Promontory National Parks.
Access changes
There is currently no public access to the boardwalk.
Access to Sealers Cove is still possible but via a 25km hike from Telegraph Saddle.
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