Inexperienced 23 y/o. Where should I camp?

[Flaps]

I only took an interest in camping a year ago, when I went on a little solo mission to Yarra Ranges, Otway, Grampians and Wilpena Pound. The university mid-year break has come around once more and I am aching to get out of the city again and into nature.

I'm looking for

-Absolute isolation
-Preferably somewhere with beach and thick forest
-Somewhere with a long (few days) hiking trail that's easy enough for someone who has never been solo hiking and has not hiked at all since high school camps. If that is even a thing.

Any suggestions for somewhere to go and any other advice is greatly appreciated. Cheers

[Hallu]

beach + thick forest + wilderness screams Croajingolong to me. The easier equivalent would be Wilsons Prom (the Southern Circuit), especially since Croajingolong is just one way, and is notorious for water problems (not many sources of water in summer). In winter it should be easier. Nice winter walking would be the Mallee region of course, with a 3 day circuit at Murray Sunset, and I think I recall there is a 2 day circuit at Wyperfeld. Both gorgeous regions (Murray Sunset drier with pink lakes and orange sand, Wyperfeld with more varied vegetation and river red gum forests). Little Desert has a nice Discovery Walk too, that can be 2, 3 or 4 days depending on the path you take, and whether or not you use the Desert Nature Lodge service to drop you off/pick you up.

[peregrinator]

How far from the city would you like to go/how much travelling time do you want to do?

I like Hallu's suggestions, depending on your answer to the question above. Of course, Croajingalong NP is the the only one that includes beach. While Hallu says that walking in Croajingalong involves a one-way trip, I must point out that although most people seem to want to walk from A to B, I don't see a problem with walking from A to somewhere-past-A, then back to A. It might take a bit more time to plan your itinerary. But you often see something different on the return journey - unless you like walking backwards!

You can search in this forum for all of the locations mentioned by Hallu for further information. By the way, if you like beach, bear in mind that you'll walk on plenty of sand in Wyperfeld and Murray-Sunset!

[icefest]

Croajingolong and wilsons prom are both reasonable suggestions, that cover most of your points.
None of these will give you 'absolute isolation'.

The GSWW will have less people on it but have less forest.

The only really isolated place of coastal walking is south-western tasmania - but thats seriously difficult walking.

[madmacca]

I'm not sure if your reference to Otways means you have already done it, but the Great Ocean Walk might be a candidate.

It doesn't qualify as "total isolation" - you will encounter a few people along the way, but numbers will be pretty small in mid winter. Most of the campsites are walk-in only, so you won't be sharing with a bunch of rowdy car-campers.

You may find the shelters and water tanks on the GOW more forgiving of inexperience than Croajingalong. (Don't mean to diss Croajingalong - it's an awesome walk).