Coles Track to Fort Nepean

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A shared walking and cycling route through Point Nepean National Park to the historic Fort Nepean at the tip of the peninsula, documented on the Parks Victoria park page as an alternative to Defence Road.

☰ Trail details

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Distance

2.68 km

Est. time

39 min

Elevation gain

0 m

Route type

Out & back

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In an emergency

Call 000 for police, fire or ambulance — Australia's emergency number works even with a weak signal, and without a SIM if any carrier has coverage.

You're in Point Nepean National Park, Portsea, Mornington Peninsula, VIC. Mobile reception in this area is not guaranteed — this is exactly why the offline map and GPS position on this page work without signal.

Tell someone your plan and expected return time before you set off. A PLB is the most reliable backup where there's no reception at all.

Tracks & plans

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Species to look for on this trail

Ancient trees and rare flora confirmed in this park. Spot one? Add it as a sighting pin below.

Soft Bush-PeaDocumented on this trail

Pultenaea canaliculata

Endangered — VIC: Endangered▾

Endangered — VIC: Endangered

Pultenaea canaliculata, commonly known as coast bush-pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to coastal areas of southern continental Australia. It is a rigid, spreading shrub with hairy, cylindrical leaves, and yellow and crimson flowers.

How to spot it

Pultenaea canaliculata is a rigid, spreading shrub that typically grows to a height of 1–2 m (3 ft 3 in – 6 ft 7 in) with silky-hairy stems. The leaves are needle-shaped, 8–12 mm (0.31–0.47 in) long and 1–1.5 mm (0.039–0.059 in) wide and densely hairy with stipules 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) long at the base. The flowers are borne in clusters near the ends of branchlets surrounded by and often partially hidden by the leaves. There are lance-shaped to awl-shaped bracteoles about 6 mm (0.24 in) long

Family Fabaceae · Source: Atlas of Living Australia + Wikipedia: Pultenaea canaliculata

TickgrassDocumented on this trail

Tragus australianus

Endangered — VIC: Endangered▾

Endangered — VIC: Endangered

Tragus australianus, common names Burr grass, Small burrgrass, and Tickgrass, is a summer ephemeral grass, first described by Stanley Thatcher Blake in 1941. It flowers in response to rain. Its native range is mainland Australia, where it is found in arid and semi-arid areas.

How to spot it

Real occurrence confirmed near Point Nepean National Park (Atlas of Living Australia, 2006) — no separate physical description was available on Wikipedia for this species, see the source link for more.

Family Poaceae · Source: Atlas of Living Australia + Wikipedia: Tragus australianus

Wildlife you might see on this trail

Animals confirmed in this park. Spot one? Add it as a sighting pin below.

Red Knot

Calidris canutus

Endangered — AUS: Vulnerable, NSW: Vulnerable, QLD: Vulnerable, VIC: Vulnerable, WA: Endangered, NT: Endangered, Bonn: Listed, CAMBA: Listed, JAMBA: Listed, ROKAMBA: Listed▾

Endangered — AUS: Vulnerable, NSW: Vulnerable, QLD: Vulnerable, VIC: Vulnerable, WA: Endangered, NT: Endangered, Bonn: Listed, CAMBA: Listed, JAMBA: Listed, ROKAMBA: Listed

The red knot or just knot is a medium-sized shorebird which breeds in tundra and the Arctic Cordillera in the far north of Canada, Europe, and Russia. It is a large member of the Calidris sandpipers, second only to the great knot. Six subspecies are recognised.

How to spot it

Real occurrence confirmed near Point Nepean National Park (Atlas of Living Australia, 2012) — no separate physical description was available on Wikipedia for this species, see the source link for more.

Family Scolopacidae · Source: Atlas of Living Australia + Wikipedia: Red Knot

Pacific Golden Plover

Pluvialis fulva

Vulnerable — VIC: Vulnerable, SA: Rare, WA: Migratory, Bonn: Listed, CAMBA: Listed, JAMBA: Listed, ROKAMBA: Listed▾

Vulnerable — VIC: Vulnerable, SA: Rare, WA: Migratory, Bonn: Listed, CAMBA: Listed, JAMBA: Listed, ROKAMBA: Listed

The Pacific golden plover is a migratory shorebird that breeds during summer in Alaska and Siberia. During nonbreeding season, this medium-sized plover migrates widely across the Pacific.

How to spot it

Real occurrence confirmed near Point Nepean National Park (Atlas of Living Australia, 2025) — no separate physical description was available on Wikipedia for this species, see the source link for more.

Family Charadriidae · Source: Atlas of Living Australia + Wikipedia: Pacific Golden Plover