Big Drift Sand Dunes

Big Drift is a sprawling field of inland sand dunes in the northern section of Wilsons Promontory National Park. The dunes shift with the wind, so the it is never quite the same shape twice, which makes it a fun spot to visit over and over again to capture how it changes. Everything here is lines and light. The early morning sun or end of the day light are the best times to be here. The low sun spreads across the sand and every ridge and ripple pops. The light in middle of the day removed the contrast and texture so everything will seem flat and white. Its worth taking some time to look for a lone tree, a bush or a line of footprints to give your frames some scale. On a clear day you can see out to Corner Inlet, Shallow Inlet and Cape Liptrap from up top. Since there's almost no light pollution here it's a great spot to experiment with astrophotography, making this a great spot to chase the Milky Way. From autumn through to early spring is the window to capture it, since the bright core of the galaxy is behind the sun over summer. It sits highest in midwinter (June and July), though April and September usually give you a better chance of also getting a clear sky. The hike to the dunes starts behind the Stockyard Campground and it's roughly half an hour of easy bush track to the dunes. That last stretch is a steep haul up soft sand. While you are exploring the dunes its best to keep the tall white pole at the entrance/exit in sight, because it marks the only way in and out and the wind usually wipes your footprints within minutes. It's exposed up there so put your lens on before you climb and leave it on as much as you can (and don't forget sunscreen for yourself!). Day entry to the park is free. Camp at Stockyard if you want to be on the sand for first light without having to worry about a predawn drive. (Wilsons Promontory National Park, Victoria, Australia)