Tongue Point from Darby Saddle

From Darby Saddle Carpark, the track climbs through stringybark and casuarina forest. The shade makes the first section feel enclosed, with the views opening in short patches rather than all at once. At about 2.1 kilometres, a 300-metre side track climbs to Sparkes Lookout. It’s the broadest early panorama, with Rodondo Island to the south and Shallow Inlet to the north. Return to the main track for the steep climb to Lookout Rocks, where views open toward Norman Island. These lookouts are worth a pause, but the steep sections mean this is not a casual stroll even before the coastal end.

After Lookout Rocks, the route drops steeply through low coastal heath, then meets the path from Darby River near the Fairy Cove branch. Keep going to Tongue Point; the Darby Saddle route continues past that junction. The headland narrows into weathered granite, with boulder stacks, Bass Strait and Shellback and Norman Island in view. The track ends before a semi-attached island. Parks Victoria warns visitors not to cross to it, and unprotected cliffs make the last part a place to keep your attention on the ground as well as the view. For a photo, include granite in the foreground with open water behind it; that shows the shape of the point better than framing only the sea.

The steep climbs and descents come both ways, so save some energy for the route back to the saddle. Allow about five hours, plus time for the lookouts. Start at Darby Saddle Carpark, not Darby River car park, which serves the separate approach. The visitor map marks parking at the saddle, but research did not verify toilets, drinking water or food there or along the track. Dogs are prohibited in Wilsons Promontory National Park. The route is steep and uneven, and the coastal headland has unstable, unprotected edges. Keep back from the cliffs and do not cross to the island.