Returning a few years later, Sue got some bad blisters after a couple of days. Deciding they were only going to get worse we left our party to continue on, camped at Louisa Bay for a few days,  and then returned to Melaleuca and flew back to Hobart.

Both trips were fantastic. This area of Tasmania is highly recommended for someone who wants to get off the beaten track and explore some isolated places. It is no where like the Overland Track, much more isolated, the tracks are very muddy and you need to be experienced and well prepared. You need to allow about 5-7 days. That’s a lot of food to carry!

A screen shot from the video, a section of mud on the South Coast Track

What is the South Coast Track?

Located in the Southwest National Park, Tasmania, Australia the 82 km track roughly follows the coast between Cockle Creek and Melaleuca. Most people fly into Melaleuca and walk out to Cockle Creek. This is usually to avoid being trapped at Melaleuca in bad weather without food. There are only three ways to get to Melaleuca, by boat, walk in or fly. There is no road access.

If the weather is poor, the planes don’t fly and you may be waiting for a few days to be picked up. Well worth noting in your planning!

In 2010 David Murphy created a  video of his adventures on the South Coast Track.

As he notes on You Tube:

December 2010 trek from Melaleuca to Cockle Creek in Tasmania’s South Coast National Park. Irish Dave and Bundy attempt their first ever multi day hike in bad weather conditions.

The video is quite long but well worth a look. All the good bits (mud, leeches, blood, rivers and rain) are in the second half…..

Have you hiked the South Coast Track?

Have you struggled through mud like David and his friend did?

We would love to hear about your experiences. Shoot us a comment below.

Maintained by “The Sons of the Desert”, this site is interesting, quirky, well written and contains some really great information.

We suspect very clever people , who can actually write and photograph, are behind it.

With “the Son’s” permission we have linked to a couple of their excellent images and stolen some amusing and enlightening pieces of text.

Please read the full trip report, it is well worth your time if you are planning the South Coast Track or just want to see why you might never go there….or, just live the adventure vicariously.

In no particular order,  some images and selected quotes:

But as we descended the south-easterns side of the mountains two things happened. The first was that the flora went from alpine to rainforest! A complete, dramatic change which contributed to making the thousand metre descent quite challenging. The other thing was that the well made track ended; that was the last of well made tracks until the final day.

So what we were left with was descending what was alternately a muddy trench or a root filled running watercourse down a thousand metre descent all overgrown with rainforest undergrowth. The horizontal distance was about 2k; it took almost five hours.

Top of Ironbound Ranges looking toward Louisa Bay and beyond

We then walked on to our intended campsite at Prion East. When we had almost achieved it we found that (not for the first or last time) storms had destroyed the track work, and there was a twenty metre almost vertical sand and slippery rock climb to get to the campsite. When we got the campsite, we found that there was no water: the only water was in soaks at the bottom of the climb!

Mmmm, water is king!

The people who came in the other direction arriving at Granite Beach camp were shellshocked. It started with a relatively tolerable 600m climb through moderate mud and up waterfalls laughingly called track. But when we got to the top, there was a traverse across the ridge line for a few km that was extraordinary. Many people were getting in the mud up to their waists. I managed my thighs but no higher.

South Coast Track mud - fun in the sun (or rain)

Interesting how psychology changes: at the cold moment I would have paid thousands to be transported back to civilisation. Warm in my sleeping bag I would have paid a lot *not* to be transported out and miss out on completing the walk!

Cold is bad, warm gear is great!

We hope you enjoyed the article over at The Sons of the Desert site. Many thanks to them for granting permission to share the information here.

Have you hiked in mud or water like this?
Enjoy or never again?
Shoot us your thoughts and experiences below, we love to share.

My original plan was to fly to Melaleuca and walk the track to Wilson’s Bight. From there I would walk north across untracked territory, crossing the South West Cape range, and from Noyhener Beach I would walk east until the route meets with the Port Davey Track. Depending on conditions I was then planning to walk out on Port Davey Track. In total I wanted to spend between 10 and 14 days – Matthias Siegel – Matt Down Under

Matthias has  just posted a trip report outlining his recent foray into the South West of Tasmania.    A web designer extraordinaire, Matthias lives in Hobart and enjoys many of the fantastic outdoor opportunities Tasmania has to offer.  His blog is beautifully designed and his insights are often valuable lessons when you are planning a hiking adventure.

Between Hidden Bay and Ketchem Bay - South West Tasmania

A few quotes from Matthias, as teasers, might encourage you to head across to read the whole story of this trip to the South West Coast of Tasmania

I slipped out on a steep part of the track and twisted my knee so badly that for a few minutes I was sure something was broken and I wouldn’t be able to walk on – very painful minutes, both mentally and physically

It took me ages to set up my camp, a very disappointing experience. I simply carried too much stuff in too many bags, far too complicated. I decided to revisit my planning and packing process when back home.

It was really painful and the first few seconds I thought I would probably have to use the PLB I bought only 3 days before

Ketcham Bay South West Cape Tasmania

Suddenly I noticed my food bag looked kind of weird. Upon closer inspection I noticed some animal had picked holes in it and stole some of the food inside. I couldn’t believe it, it was a strong airtight bag hanging 2m above the ground from a rope, what sort of animal managed to do that?

My backpack was still too heavy. I thought I made progress with 24kg including food for 2 weeks, but it was too heavy. I never want to carry anything above 18-19kg anymore.

Matthias has also put together a terrific Bushwalking Gear Check List that we really like, although after his comments about weight on this trip, we reckon it may be amended.

Thanks also for his permission to share his images , the full set on his hiking trip into the South West Cape in Tasmania can be viewed here.

The “Track” extends from a place called Melaleuca to a tiny hamlet, Cockle Creek (the furthest point south you can drive in Tasmania).  It is 85km and can be very challenging with a lot of mud, river crossings and hard climbs.

From the Park’s Website:

The Tracks lies entirely within the Southwest National Park and take you through the heart of over 600,000 hectares of wild, inspiring country. It is more remote than some other walks in Tasmania, such as the Overland Track. It is recommended that you gain experience on other Tasmanian walking tracks before attempting them, as you will be a long way from help should you need it.

There are no roads to Melaleuca, so walkers must either fly, sail or walk in and out.

If you have just landed here, we suggest you read Part One of Mark’s story first.  Click  here to read South Coast Track – Trip report, Louisa Bay, Quolls and naked men.

Saturday 21st February

I surprised myself by getting up early for some photos of the sunrise over The Ironbounds ,from the beach at Louisa Bay. After brekkie we all went for a walk along the beautifully curved beach with me having to catch up to the others after taking more photos from the dunes. I was surprised at how much fitness I had gained in just two days as I barely felt any effect from this reasonably lengthy jaunt. Some low cloud moved in and as we started back to camp we copped a heavy shower of rain with jacketless Sue having to shelter under Franks jacket.

Tree roots - South Coast Track Tasmania

Sue and Frank had decided not to continue the walk due to Sue’s foot problems but generously gave John and myself the option to continue on to Cockle Creek. We left Louisa Bay with some regret and sadness but also with the knowledge that they would have the rare opportunity to experience what in my opinion is the most beautiful spot on the South Coast in depth and at their leisure.

We climbed steeply out of the bay again with the assistance of the invaluable ropes and then followed the moderately muddy track along the west bank of the Louisa River. After some minor scrub bashing through swampy ground we rejoined the South Coast Track (a better route than on the way in). The rest of the walk was fairly flat on double planked boardwalks with a couple of easy water crossings. John and I set up our tents on the east side of Louisa River which was nearing capacity.This was a delightful forested spot where we were able to do some minor washing of clothes and bodies before an early night so that we could get a dawn start the next day.

It was at this campsite that we first encountered the Essendon Bushwalking Club (E.B.C) a group of six very fit people in their early sixties who were retired and were doing an unofficial exploatory walk. There was also a young (26 year old) German bloke on his own who hailed from Hamburg, a city where I have many relatives. Two walkers sharing a tent next to ours kept us awake at first with their talking and laughing. Unbeknownst to me at the time one of them was John Hosford, my sister in laws brother, who now lives near Launceston and whom I had not seen for many years, and did not recognise (and vica versa). Fortunately we had no trouble at this campsite with any nocturnal visitors nor at any of the other campsites from here on in.

Sunday 22nd February

We awoke well before dawn and anybody else and I had my first experience with the pit toilets which we would encounter from now on. Given the amount of traffic which these campsites now have to deal with they are a very necessary innovation. We were the first out of camp and it took us about four hours to climb up the west side of the Ironbounds and reach the top. It was a good move to get this arduous part of the day finished in the cool of the morning and we took a well earned lunch break at the top and admired the magnificent vistas of the coast and also north to the Arthur Range and Federation Peak.

Ironbounds - South Coast Track Tasmania

The day was absolutely glorious and we were soon joined by a steady stream of walkers including the young German guy who promptly pulled a small guitar from his pack walked to the highest point he could find and bashed out some tunes. It had apparently taken him just two hours to reach the top with his fitness being attributable to his many months of continuous trekking. He really was a glowing example of the weird and wonderful individuals who are attracted to this sort of experience.

After our lengthy break we began the long and muddy descent through rainforest to the very attractive Lower Ironbounds camp which would be well worth considering as an overnight stop if you wanted to shorten the day. After crossing a small river we took a wrong turn upstream instead of down and ended up losing about an hour ,thanks to my mistake. We went back to basics and found our way back to the river crossing where a small piece of pink ribbon showed the correct route. Although fairly fatigued we pushed on through lots more mud and then a seemingly endless stretch of coastal scrub before reaching Deadmans Bay, just before dark.After setting up our tents we prepared and ate dinner in the dark and settled down for an early night.

Little Deadmans Camp - South Coast Track Tasmania

Monday 23rd February

I again managed to wake up early and capture the sunrise over the coast to the east. In the light of day I was better able to appreciate this idyllic campsite with its good water supply and fabulous ocean views. It would have been nice to stay another day and rest my weary bones but as John rightly pointed out we were on a tight schedule to reach Cockle Creek and after experiencing the steaming, near to brimming pit toilet (must be the effect that the Ironbounds has on people) the decision to push on seemed a wise one indeed. It was on with the damp socks and boots and we were off to Prion Beach.

This was our fifth straight day of walking so we set off at a fairly civilised hour and after the rigours of the Ironbounds we enjoyed the fairly easy, almost mud free, coastal clifftops of Menzies Bluff and then a gradual descent to Prion Beach. When we hit the sand at Grotto Creek the other groups who had all left before us were scrubbing down all of their footwear at the washdown station set up by the Parks people to stop the spread of the root rotting fungus Phytopthera cinnamomi.

We took the opportunity to have lunch and the E.B.C people filled up water bladders for the nights camping from the creek rather than risk the dodgy water at Prion boat crossing. (a good strategy if camping here). I took some snaps of the coastline before we headed down the nearly five kilometre stretch of sand to New River Lagoon. As we approached the lagoon we were hailed by Alan of the E.B.C. who was standing at the point where the sand dunes end. This is the location of the boats for the crossing but the rest of the E.B.C. had over shot the mark and went all the way to the river mouth. (When we caught up with the German bloke at Cockle Creek at the end of the walk he told me that he and two others with whom he had joined up had waded across New River Lagoon near the river mouth at East Prion – a substantial time saving if camping at East Prion or beyond). I had done this myself on a previous trip and had no problem although Chapman recommends against it due to quicksand.

Precipitous Bluff - South Coast Track Tasmania

The two of us together with Alan (thankfully a Cats supporter) and all our gear made it across in good time with myself given the rowing duties. We tried the water 200m upstream from a small creek but John did not trust the slightly sulphur aftertaste, especially after problems with the same source on his last trip here. We decided to push on to East Prion which involved a couple of hours of walking along a sandy track and then a steep descent on timber slats tied together with chain to Milford Creek.

It was fortunately low tide and we obtained good water from the creek which we carried another half a kilometre to an unofficial campsite at the top of the dunes at East Prion. I had noticed storm clouds building at Milford Creek and by the time we had set up our tents on the sphagnum moss covered ground it was raining lightly. We had a cold improvised meal in our tents and then settled in for an early bedtime until we received the deafening roar of a huge thunder clap echoing down the valley of New River Lagoon. I nearly jumped through the roof of the tent but soon got to sleep secure in the knowledge that no one has ever been flooded camping on top of a large sand dune.

Tuesday 24th February

We woke up to an overcast morning with some light rain.I walked down the steep timber steps to the beach hoping to get some good snaps of Precipitous Bluff but found it completely covered in low cloud.The soaks at the base of the sand dunes provide good water making this a good campsite for smaller groups due to the limited good tent sites.

John and I set off for Osmiridium Beach in overcast conditions with some light rain falling and reached our destination in about one and a half hours with the access track to the beach being quite muddy. When we reached Osmiridium the sun came out and we got the pick of the tent sites being an hour ahead of the E.B.W.C. With the sun shining we took the opportunity on our first real rest day to do some washing of clothes in the creek and managed to get this reasonably dry (hallelujah).

Mud on Gaiters - South Coast Track Tasmania

It was now time for lunch so I attempted to cook my first dehydrated meal (chicken satay) with many positive comments regarding the aroma coming from the the E.B.W.C people. Unfortunately I spilled half of the meal on to the ground at the last minute and as I scraped what I could rescue back in to the pot John mysteriously lost his appetite and I ate the lot myself. In the afternoon we spent some time exploring the wild beach and getting to know each other a little better as we soaked up the ongoing sunshine and enjoyed this much anticipated opportunity to do absolutely nothing. We discovered a common East Prussian heritage although Johns ancestors emigrated to South Australia some 100 years prior to my own parents post war exodus.

The beach itself was backed by what I consider to be very unattractive cliffs composed predominantly of a type of conglomerate rock. I thought it the least attractive beach on the walk and was quite bewildered why another walker had suggested it to Frank as a “must see”. Cooking dinner was a bit more successful so I let John have most of the lamb satay (with continental brand spanish roast vegetable rice). As usual we got to bed early for what we anticipated would be a muddy but straightforward walk to Granite Beach the next day (how wrong we were).

Wednesday 25th February

We walked out of Osmiridium Beach on an overcast morning through the now familiar button grass peat with myself sinking up to my groin in one particularly deep hole (the effort required to extract my leg unfortunately strained my calf muscle reigniting an old skiing injury which bugged me for the rest of the walk). By the time we reached Surprise Bay the sun was out but what greeted us at the eastern end of the beach was the raging muddy torrent of Surprise Rivulet. We were stopped dead in our tracks and decided it was way too dangerous to cross so we had our lunch break and waited on the arrival of the E.B.W.C to seek their opinion.

When they arrived they made the decision to cross after much analysis and discussion. Alan and Gavin waded over solo first using their poles facing upstream and then putting their weight on the poles by leaning forward as they crossed. Rhonda kindly suggested that we join with them as John linked arms with three others, leaving his boots on due to the loose round stones on the sandy river bed. Everyone stayed tightly together and then slowly shuffled across in unison, with knees pointed upstream. I then followed with Brian and Gavin on either side of me and my pack waist and chest straps undone in case of mishap ,which Alan was eagerly anticipating as he took photos of us crossing.

Our safe crossing of this seemingly insurmountable obstacle was a great relief to both John and myself as any delay at this point would have made our chances of catching the bus at Cockle Creek highly unlikely. As it was we pushed on to Granite Beach where the tide was out and the stones which normally cover the beach were submerged under sand.The views of South Cape from the West end of the beach were indeed spectacular and we appreciated our change of fortune as we enjoyed the straightforward beach walk and an uneventful wade acoss Sandstone creek, which was running quite strongly.

Granite Beach - South Coast Track Tasmania

We scaled the cliff adjacent to the waterfall at the east end of the beach and then climbed another thirty metres to the campsite where we once again claimed the prime tent site which had a fabulous view of the beach. The E.B.W.C members arrived soon after and told us their tale of woe explaining that three of them had fallen in to a sand hole while attempting to cross Sandstone Creek at the surf line. One walking pole was lost and three digital cameras suffered salt water damage. John and I had fortunately crossed the creek close to the cliff face and armed with our new found knowledge avoided mishap. In the evening I returned to the beach to take some photos of South Cape at sunset and after crossing back over Sandstone Creek I had a severe attack of diahorrea (an inconvenient location to suffer this ailment but like Borat I improvised and lived to tell the tale.). Unfortunately the gastro stayed with me for the duration of the walk stretching my toilet paper supplies very thin indeed and contributing to my 4kg weight loss for the trip.

Toilet - South Coast Track Tasmania

Thursday 26th February

Day nine was a big day both mentally and physically as we as we climbed up the muddy South Cape Range for a fabulous clear view from the top and then down the other side through rainfoest with lots of polished, slippery tree roots being the main hazard. At the top of the range we encountered four young detectives from Woolongong (three chaps and a lady) who were walking in the opposite direction and stopping for lunch. They informed us that there was a one kilometre section of boardwalk after the descent which was much appreciated by us.

At the conclusion of this flat section we had a tiring and lengthy climb through sandy, coastal type forest to emerge at some high cliff tops which offered only limited views of the ocean. A long,slow descent to South Cape Rivulet then followed with the ever helpful E.B.W.C making the way to the easiest crossing point with arrows in the sand. The tannin coloured water made it impossible to gauge the water depth but as it so happened the crossing was comfortably below knee depth.

Later reports from people who had crossed the rivulet 24hrs earlier were of a perilous and deep crossing when in flood.What greeted us on the other side was an idyllic sun drenched sandy beach located between the river and the campsite so we took the opportunity to bathe and dry things off. A resident pademelon(a wallaby like marsupial) kept us company as it bounded in and out of our camp.

Tiger Snake - South Coast Track Tasmania

Friday 27th February

This was our earliest start of the trip as we breakfasted and packed by torchlight and then walked up the beach with head torches lighting our way to the headland crossing. It was really very beautiful with the stars still shining and a faint pink/purple hue glowing over the headland as the sunrise gathered some momentum (very reminiscent of the sunsets at Uluru).

Once over this headland it was another stretch of beach walking and then a forested and only mildly muddy climb over Coal Bluff to emerge at the beach and a nice view of Lion Rock bathed in the first rays of the morning sun. At the end of the beach a long climb up timber steps and then along the cliff tops lead us to a magnificent view back to Pindars Peak which was surrounded by pink cloud. I would have dearly loved to stop and take a photo of this scene framed by the sea cliffs but sensed that John could smell the curried scallop pies awaiting us in Dover and did not want to jeopardise our departure by bus from Cockle Creek.

We continued on without a break predominantly through the flat featureless buttongrass vegetated valley to Cockle Creek.With plenty of time to spare we shook hands as we lay down and rested on a picnic table, and witnessed the arrival of the E.B.W.C members at 11.01 am only one minute later than their own predicted arrival time.

The bus was full of blow flies as we left Cockle Creek no doubt attracted by the putrid smell of the great unwashed but the taste of the pies at the Dover bakery certainly lived up to John’s effusive recommendation and lifted our spirits for the long stretch back to Hobart. I caught up with a bit of sleep on the bus and then it was a short taxi ride back to Shippies where we received a warm greeting from Frank hanging out of a first floor window. After a welcome shower we caught up with Frank and Sue’s many adventures over some bottles of wine and a sensational if somewhat delayed meal.The next day we cruised the Salamanca markets and walked down to Constitution Dock for a look at the Steve Irwin.

Sadly this was the end of our adventure but I was left with many fond memories of the amazing beauty as well as the many challenges of the South Coast Walk. Many things had changed in the intervening 25 years since I last did this walk. With the larger number of people now doing this walk every year the contruction of the many kilometres of timber boardwalks and the provision of pit toilets are positive improvements for the protection of the environment and peoples health. It was very noticeable that the average age of walkers has dramatically increased, as in the 80’s it was rare to see anybody over the age of 30. The many advances in equipment and dehydrated food have been a huge eye opener for myself and I am now well on the way to moving in to the 21^st century of bushwalking.

All images in this post are by “Vern & Skeet” via Flickr Creative Commons Licencing as Mark still takes “normal” photographs and John does not like to stop and take pictures! From Vern:

For 6 years I’ve wanted to walk this track. I finaly got there and had 7 great days in the South West Wilderness area of Tasmania. Me and my bro flew in to Maleluca and walked through huge amounts of mud and over mountains, past snakes, through streams and rivers across beaches past seals and eventually popped out into civilisation at the end.

Louisa Bay - A very special place

In this post, Mark shares his trip report on the South Coast Track in southern Tasmania.  The Track extends over 84km of very rough country from Melaleuca to Cockle Creek. It is situated in the South West National Park in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Click on this link to view a simple map by Parks Tasmania that shows where it is situated in the world.

The party consisted of Mark, John , Sue and Frank (yes us!).  This trip occurred  in February 2009 and it was our second trip into the area (but not the last).  Sue has also written up a trip report that we have not yet posted.  We did have a bit of an adventure on the way out,  you can read about us being caught between two flooded rivers on this same trip here.

We were reminded last night (over a few beers)  that Mark had sent Frank this report months ago.  He had overlooked it, and thought it was already posted.  So without further adieu we present Part One of Mark’s fantastic recollections of our hike from Melaleuca  to Cockle Creek – keep an eye out to see if we ALL finished….

Coxs Bight - where you first hit the beach

Day One

An early morning start with Frank and Sue picking us up in their car at 4.30 am for a 7.00 am flight to Hobart. On arrival with Jetstar we picked up a hire car and then drove in to the city on a fine sunny day to drop off our end of trip change of clothes at The Shipwrights Arms Hotel.  We went to Sue’s favorite bakery at Battery Point for some morning tea/lunch and then drove to a supermarket for some last minute food shopping as well as a butchers shop for some cryo-vacced sausages ,hamburgers and fillet steak.  It was then back out to the airport to catch our Par Avion flight with four other people to Melaleuca .

The conditions were perfect for flying as we followed the Derwent River and then the D’Entreccasteaux Channel to the South Coast. I was surprised at the large number of fish farming structures which dotted the coastline. Despite the usual sudden drops in altitude due to the thermal currents the views of the south coast were breathtaking and one of the great highlights of the trip. I got some nice snaps of Precipitous Bluff, Louisa Bay and New River Lagoon although I missed the pilots commentary on the headphones, technology not being my strong point.

New River Lagoon from the air

Backpacks were dropped at the airstrip as we took a complimentary open boat cruise on the Melaleuca Lagoon with the Par Avion pilot doubling as the skipper and tour guide.We cruised past a spot where a bulldozer had been taken by barge for Denny King many years before and had promptly become bogged. It apparently took him two days to unbog his new and supposedly unboggable toy from the peat. We made our way to the bushwalkers huts and finding them both empty Frank and Sue selected the best one for our accommodation.

Inside one of the huts at Melaleuca

We had plenty of time to settle in before tackling dinner and then our three bottles of red wine which we had purchased in Hobart. We slept to a symphony of snoring from all three males with, in my opinion, Frank’s efforts taking the first prize for build up and then sustained guttural eruptions. (Ed, should have taken that bit out)

Day Two

We made bacon and eggs for breakfast and I drank half a cup of red wine left over from the night before. (Ed, gutsy effort we reckon) At sunrise I had taken some photos of Melaleuca Lagoon and observed a resident quoll doing the rounds of the huts. Once packed we headed off across the runway and then south to Cox Bight with the track and numerous boardwalks being in good condition.

Lunch and a well deserved rest on the beach was just what the doctor ordered as my quads and knees were aching. It was disappointing to learn that planes were no longer allowed to land here as it was a great site to see them take off from here and just clear the New Harbour Range. I had a very cheap flight(not more than $50) out of here myself in the mid 80’s backloading on a flight that had dropped a group of walkers off (ah the good old days).

A young solo French bloke walking to Melaleuca came in to sight as we got started again and we briefly chatted to him. The walking along the beach to Buoy Creek was straightforward, with a short break at the beautifully situated Pt Eric campsite. Buoy Creek campsite had much better water however, and was also a delightful spot for a dip in the ocean and then a wash in the creek. Unbeknow’nst to Frank and myself Sue was snapping away Paparazzi style from a distance as we nuded it up (what can I say,its a European thing).

Ok, no zooming, beware ugly sight

I later tried to bribe her with some fruit jellies to delete them but she could not be persuaded. Dinner was gourmet sausages with Deb mashed potato and vegetables (sensational). I took some photos of the sun setting behind New Harbour Range from the beach and Frank was fortunate enough to snap a rainbow on his new Canon digital camera.

A youngish couple who had been aboard their converted (and leaking) fishing boat anchored off the east side of Cox Bight came ashore.  They told us about catching crayfish with meat tied at the end of a pair of stockings.  They had managed to snare a 3kg specimen which became entangled in the stockings. They euthanased it by drowning it in fresh water and then cut it in half and barbecued it (sounds so simple). (Ed, this is actually illegal Mark and should NOT be repeated here)

Day Three

I set off for Louisa Bay about an hour later than the others and tackled the long haul up the Red Point Hills. At the base I could see the others slowly making their way up. When I had nearly reached the top ,I encountered a bloke of a similar age to myself on his own and heading to Buoy Creek. He informed me that the others were only about 10 minutes ahead so it wasn’t long before I caught up to Frank and Sue resting and attending to Sue’s developing foot blisters.

After a decent rest we pushed on to Louisa Bay with myself bringing up the rear and tiring badly as we neared our destination. The training that John, especially,  had done in the weeks prior to the walk was clearly evident.in his superior fitness. The steep climb down to the beach with the much needed assistance of previously placed ropes had its moments but the site of this magical place made it more than worthwhile.

As we set up camp behind the dunes in a nicely situated and well sheltered campsite we were continuously pestered by a quoll which seemed to reside in the small adjacent patch of forest. It eventually grabbed Johns bag of food (four days worth) and made off in to the undergrowth with John in hot pursuit.

Spotted Quoll Louisa Bay campsite

John managed to relieve the blighter of its booty but by the time the pesky quoll launched its next sortie he had well and truly lost his sense of humour and gave it a good wack with one of his walking poles.This seemed to do the trick as we were left in peace for a couple of hours as we settled in and gorged ourselves on another delicious meal of fried fillet steak with veges and mashed potato (no roughing it here). We all hung up our packs on branches overnight as a precaution against the hungry marauding wildlife.This seemed to be a successful strategy which we continued for much of the trip.

Day Four

I surprised myself by getting up early for some photos of the sunrise over The Ironbounds, from the beach. After brekkie we all went for a walk along the beautifully curved beach with me having to catch up to the others after taking more photos from the dunes. I was surprised at how much fitness I had gained in just two days as I barely felt any effect from this reasonably lengthy jaunt. Some low cloud moved in and as we started back to camp we copped a heavy shower of rain with jacketless Sue having to shelter under Frank’s jacket .

Sue and Frank had decided not to continue the walk due to Sue’s foot problems but generously gave John and myself the option to continue on to Cockle Creek. We left Louisa Bay with some regret and sadness but also with the knowledge that they would have the rare opportunity to experience what, in my opinion,  is the most beautiful spot on the South Coast in depth and at their leisure.

Louisa Bay - Mark and John heading off

We (now down to Mark & John) climbed steeply out of the bay again with the assistance of the invaluable ropes and then followed the moderately muddy track along the west bank of the Louisa River. After some minor scrub bashing through swampy ground we rejoined the South Coast Track (a better route than on the way in). The rest of the walk was fairly flat on double planked boardwalks with a couple of easy water crossings.

John and I set up our tents on the east side of Louisa River which was nearing capacity. This was a delightful forested spot where we were able to do some minor washing of clothes and bodies before an early night so that we could get a dawn start the next day. It was at this campsite that we first encountered the Essendon Bushwalking Club (E.B.C) a group of six very fit people in their early sixties who were retired and were doing an unofficial exploratory walk.

There was also a young (26 year old) German bloke on his own who hailed from Hamburg,  a city where I have many relatives. Two walkers sharing a tent next to ours kept us awake at first with their talking and laughing. Unbeknownst to me, at the time,  one of them was John Hosford,  my sister in laws brother (Ed, does that make it a close relative or what?)  who now lives near Launceston and whom I had not seen for many years, and did not recognise(and vica versa).

Fortunately we had no trouble at this campsite with any nocturnal visitors nor at any of the other campsites from here on in.

End of Part One – many thanks to Mark for such an entertaining recollection of the trip. We will post Part Two of his yarn in the next week or so. They had a lot of “fun” while we were chilling out at Louisa Bay.

Happy to volunteer as a campsite host at Cockle Creek?

Like the idea of free accommodation in return for working with the Parks and Wildlife Service?

The Parks and Wildlife Service in Tasmania are seeking Campground Hosts for two week stints at Cockle Creek in Southern Tasmania.
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Cockle Creek is well known by bushwalkers who are completing (or starting) the South Coast Track. This tiny “village” is 2 hours drive from Hobart and is the furthest point you can drive south in Australia.

This is a great way to have a free “holiday” and to experience some of Tasmania’s beautiful wilderness areas. For example, it is a relatively easy walk into the start of the South Coast Track to visit spots such as Coal Bluff or even further on to South Cape Rivulet. It would also be a bit of fun being there to meet hikers who had finished the South Coast Track and check out their condition after this 6- 10 day walk!

Larry Hamilton, in his excellent series on the South Coast Track, shared a couple of pictures with us.

The beach at Cockle Creek

The Cockle Creek bridge

As you can see, it is a very pretty place and quite isolated. Looks like a great spot for a couple of weeks in Tasmania!

This is the link to the full information provided by Parks and Wildlife Service in Tasmania (including contact details of where to apply)

Related Posts
The South Coast Track – Solo Winter Trip report by Larry Hamilton – Part One
South Coast Track – Part Two by Larry Hamilton – Ironbound Ranges and Leeches
South Coast Track – Part Three by Larry Hamilton – Surprise Bay to Cockle Creek
Larry’s Port Davey Trip Report– great reading
Gear List for Wilderness Bushwalking Trip – Larry Hamilton’s excellent gear list
Stuck between Louisa and Faraway Creeks – Our adventure on the South Coast Track
Hiking the South Coast Track – our first (and last time)

What gear do I need for a multi-day hike?

What is the best equipment (stove, coat, poncho, overpants, sleeping mat) for several days hiking?

In this guest post , Larry Hamilton (self confessed gear junkie) analyses his gear selection for a recent 10 day hike on Tasmania’s South Coast Track. It is a follow up of a previous report about his gear for the Port Davey Track and is Part one of a two part “gear fest”

Introduction (and apology)
These gear notes have been included against the advice of my wife who believes it just indicates a tendency towards nerdishness about equipment, extremely embarrassing materialism and makes me look like an overgrown boy scout.

So if you aren’t into gear choices stop reading now and if you are, don’t let your partner read it.

Their chortles and guffaws are likely to be quite off putting!

I admit to being a bit of a gear freak and I enjoy the preparation for walks because it means a planning phase which holds its own pleasures and which provides an opportunity to think anew about what I like and what I need. This year for the South Coast Track I planned to take food for fourteen days and at just under a kilo of food per day that meant a fair proportion of my pack weight would be of food. As a result I planned to pare the rest of my gear down as much as I could.

Jacket
From my experiences on the Port Davey Track last year in some appalling weather I ditched my goretex jacket and pants and a pair of goretex overmits. I replaced the jacket with a Montane Featherlite H2O jacket with substantially less bulk and weight.


I used this jacket and liked it but the DRW properties were quickly eroded in areas where my pack rubbed on the jacket such as over my shoulders where the straps rubbed and across my shoulders and across the small of my back. Because I predominantly had the jacket as a windproof barrier I wasn’t too worried but I’ll experiment in proofing the jacket again with a slightly different DRW treatment.

I believe that you inevitably end up getting pretty wet anyway from the bush, from wading through creeks and from wicking up sleeves, and down through neck openings so I expect to get wet on walks and am not concerned primarily about the level of waterproofness. So the only goretex items I took on this trip were my gaiters.

Overpants
I replaced my goretex overpants with some Golite Whim pants again with a substantial reduction in both weight and bulk.

I didn’t end up using the overpants which I took mainly as a windproof barrier for my legs rather than for their waterproofness but if the weather had been like it was last year they would have had substantial use.

I live in regional Western Australia and don’t have an opportunity to see and try out exotic gear so I ordered a large pair over the phone and they were enormous on me so my sartorial elegance was really suspect with them on but with the advantage that I could get them on over my boots. I will probably purchase a smaller pair before my next walk. Despite the fact that they stayed in my pack for the trip I’d take them with me again.

Overmits
I gave up on overmits and simply carried two sets of gloves; a fairly light pair of windstopper gloves to walk with and an pair of fleece gloves to use with a fleece beanie and my set of dry gear in camp.

It turned out not to be sufficiently cold enough to wear either pair and so these remained unused but I was pleased to carry them.

In Addition:
I took a pair of thermals for everyday use and used them only in camp. My recorded temperatures inside the tent on waking (at around 5.30am most mornings) varied from a brisk 4 degrees Celsius to a balmy 13 degrees Celsius.

Poncho
On a whim I took also a tarp/poncho as I’d read positive reports about the use of these. I actually tried to use this as a poncho on the beach trek to New River and it took me half an hour of dancing around in drizzle along the beach trying to put it on. Stupidly I’d only tried this out at home with my wife to help me get it on.

I defy anyone on their own to successfully and quickly get into a poncho with a full pack in a reasonable breeze.

I must have looked a sight trying various ways to get it over my full (and fairly high) pack in a balanced way. I tried to put it over my head and then manouver it over my pack, fighting the wind’s efforts to blow it back. I used one of my walking poles to try to get it in place and only managed to look stupid. I put it over my pack and then tried to get under everything, and put my pack on with the poncho already in place but only succeeded in getting tangled up. I eventually got it mostly sorted out albeit getting pretty wet in the process and it worked for the next couple of kilometres until I got to the boat crossing where I needed to take it off anyway.

I think that ponchos are only useful when walking with another person who can assist in arranging the poncho across the pack so that it drapes as intended.

On the one day that I holed up from some heavy rain I used the poncho as an additional tarp which gave me some added scope for movement outside of my tent in the rain but I wouldn’t take it again. If I wanted additional tarp space (a luxury), I’d take a spinnaker tarp instead. So the poncho will be consigned to the growing pile of gear that I’ve tried and discarded.

Sleeping Mat
I ditched my self inflating mat (three quarter length) for a Thermarest Z Lite closed cell foam mat for a substantial savings in weight but an increase in bulk. My experimentation with this before starting the walk had revealed that my hips (I’m a side sleeper) compressed the foam enough to mean the insulation was insufficient and I got cold.

I always previously carried a small piece of closed cell foam as a seat in camp and as a foot pad for my three quarter length self inflating mat and I found that this was usefully employed under the Z lite in my hip region to provide the necessary insulation.

I disliked the added bulk of the Z lite inside my pack and found the lack of comfort when sleeping a frustration.

Sleeping mats are always a compromise but I’ve resolved to shell out for an Exped Downmat for winter trips in the future. I’ll endure the additional weight in return for greater insulation and comfort.

Stove
I opted to change my stove system from my Triad titanium burner used last year and go for more convenience but extra weight by purchasing a Clickstand and using a standard Trangia burner.


I went for the heavier Trangia burner for two reasons. Firstly it enabled me to carry unused fuel in the burner as the cap has an o-ring. The second reason is because it has a simmer ring. I’m not sure why I think that this is an advantage because I never simmer and didn’t on this trip but it came with me and was used only as a snuffer for the burner.

I like the Clickstand but was careful about packing it because I didn’t want to bend the frame and render it useless. So I had to take a bit more care with packing than I’m used to. I normally get pretty violent in ramming gear into small spaces in my pack, particularly at the beginning of a trip when space is at a premium.

Pots
My MSR titanium pot came again with its home made pot cosy. I also took my favourite double-wall titanium mug rather than a lighter single wall one I sometimes use. Some luxury is worth it.

Fuel
I took 1600ml of metho for my stove in a 1 litre MSR fuel bottle and a 600ml coke bottle. I always get too nervous about fuel use and ended up using just on a litre for the eleven days.

Additional Gear
This year I took a small pair of binoculars which I thought would be useful and provide me with another dimension of interest along the coast. I ended up using these very little and mostly only because they were there and because I didn’t want to take them back unused. I wouldn’t bother with the weight again on a walk.

Leeches
I have a thing about leeches and some interesting experiences with them. During the year I engaged in some research and wanted to experiment on this trip with Pyrethrin (or Permethrin its synthetic equivalent) as it was reported to be very effective against leeches.

I’d considered DEET but had rejected that as being noxious to me and not as effective as Pyrethrin.

As I normally do I took salt but this time before starting I rinsed my walking pants, socks and gaiters in Permethrin shampoo intended for pets. I also took some Pyrethrin horse insecticide in a small spray bottle. I doubt that the shampoo wash made much of a difference as the constant soaking of my clothes would probably have rendered the wash useless after a short time.

This trip I didn’t have much of a problem with leeches but the few I had a chance of having a go at shrivelled up with a touch of the Pyrethrin spray and unlike DEET, Pyrethrin doesn’t affect fabric or plastics. So I’d take that again and leave the salt behind. Salt is always a problem because of its need for waterproof storage.

Many thanks to Larry for his excellent write up and review of his gear. We will post part two in the next few days where the rest of this self confessed “gear junkies” equipment for the trip is reviewed.

Related Posts
The South Coast Track – Solo Winter Trip report by Larry Hamilton – Part One
South Coast Track – Part Two by Larry Hamilton – Ironbound Ranges and Leeches
South Coast Track – Part Three by Larry Hamilton – Surprise Bay to Cockle Creek
Larry’s Port Davey Trip Report– great reading
Gear List for Wilderness Bushwalking Trip – Larry Hamilton’s excellent gear list

This post commences on Day Eight where Larry had overnighted at Surprise Bay, (one of our favourite places on the SCT) and continues to the end of the Track at Cockle Creek.

Day Eight 26 June

The rain continued heavily overnight and was steadily falling in the morning so I took an enforced rest day. Because of the previous rest days I got a little stir crazy and would have liked to keep moving but it wouldn’t have been pleasant walking. I had a brief respite from the rain in the afternoon and ventured out with my camera. The creek I crossed yesterday which was over waist deep was impressively high and I got a photo of it which unfortunately didn’t do it justice. Had I been crossing it today it would have been an exciting swim.

Surprise Bay from the campsite

Day Nine 27 June

It stopped raining about 1am and apart from the occasional sprinkle was pretty dry. The wind had also dropped off so the condensation issues in the tent were pretty severe. It is a short hop to Granite Beach with the South Cape Range thereafter so in clearing weather and showers I walked over the range and down to Granite Beach. Granite Beach turned out to be the highlight of my trip probably because I arrived with rainbows and three quite big waterfalls pouring into a very pretty bay. I also liked the climb up beside the waterfall and the interesting location of the campsite. The rain showers gradually decreased and stopped late in the afternoon enabling me to dry some of my gear out and really appreciate just what a pretty spot it is. I’d go back there in a flash.

Tent and tarp setup at Granite Beach campsite

Granite Beach from the western campsite

Day Ten 28 June

I started early and was walking in pretty dim light at 7.30am as I anticipated a long day over South Cape Range. The weather had cleared and I had a bright, sunny and cool day. As predicted it was a muddy day and I sloshed over the range getting dirtier and dirtier. Initially the descent is tough with long drops and lots of exposed and slippery tree roots. Because of the rain, the track was in many places the river course and I got pretty wet. The later descent from the range when I broke out of the forest is a really nice walk and because I had made good time over the range I ended up whistling happily along a nice track through light coastal forest down towards South Cape Rivulet. I’d had a good day which I didn’t really expect, given the tales I’d heard about South Cape Range.

Looking back at the ocean from the South Cape Range

I ended the day by swimming South Cape Rivulet which was still big from the rain on the previous days. The camp on the west side of the rivulet is a nice spot in a unique environment. I set up camp and got into dry gear. Towards the evening clouds gathered in the west and it looked as if rain was on the way again as I prepared my evening meal.

South Cape Rivulet

Day Eleven 29 June

I had some rain showers overnight but the day dawned clear with light and fluffy clouds which cleared during the day. It wasn’t too pleasant putting on completely saturated clothes when it was only six degrees in the morning but it didn’t take long to warm up. The walk to Cockle Creek is a pleasant one and has some great views, some beautiful beaches and some interesting landforms at Coal Bluff.
The author – Larry Knight

It is a really enjoyable way to end the walk and I felt a bit ambivalent at the finish. I still had food and fuel in my pack but had to stop. I was pleased to be at the end but also disappointed that there was not more to go.

The beach – Cockle Creek

I arrived at Cockle Creek at midday and after phoning Dover for the pickup taxi had plenty of time to change into clean clothes, phone my wife and poke around Cockle Creek taking photos.
Bridge over Cockle Creek

I was lucky with the weather and had taken it easy. The walk was everything I’d expected and certainly as good as it is reported to be. I’d happily do the walk again but am setting my sights on seeing some of South West Cape and of the side bays, now that I’ve seen the main track. I enjoyed having the South West Track to myself and didn’t see a soul for the eleven days. That for me adds to the sense of wilderness. I’d certainly recommend the walk as one to do. The track is well marked and navigation isn’t an issue. The muddiest plains have boardwalks and there is sufficient challenge in the walk to make it exciting and interesting. But it is the environment and the scenery that really make it worth doing.

Related Posts

The South Coast Track – Solo Winter Trip report by Larry Hamilton – Part One
South Coast Track – Part Two by Larry Hamilton – Ironbound Ranges and Leeches
Larry’s Port Davey Trip Report– great reading
Gear List for Wilderness Bushwalking Trip – Larry Hamilton’s excellent gear list
Stuck between Louisa and Faraway Creeks – Our adventure on the South Coast Track
Hiking the South Coast Track – our first (and last time)

The South Coast Track runs between Melaluka and Cockle Creek in the South West Heritage area in Tasmania. It combines spectacular coastal hiking with some (a lot) of slog through inland sections with mud and more mud….

Part Two commences from the Louisa Creek campsite before he heads up the Ironbound Range, a climb notorious for difficult weather conditions and a very steep exposed climb.

Day Four 22 June

I was up by 5.30 am packing up in the dark and on the track before dawn at 7.45am. It was a beautiful, clear, still morning and the weather report for the area was for heavy fog. That wasn’t evident in the Louisa River valley but as I ascended the Ironbounds the fog rolled in over the ranges and through the valleys from the west. I was above the fog by the time it arrived and so got a very pretty view of the mountains poking out of the fog for most of the day. And I walked in clear weather for the whole of the day. I got to the top of the Ironbounds at 11.30am and was pleased to have had a cool day for the climb. Tackling the climb on a hot summer’s day wouldn’t be my idea of fun.

Views from the Ironbound Range- great weather


I hit the Ironbounds high camp at midday, had lunch and a look around the campsite. The descent was trickier than the ascent as everyone finds and I reached the low camp at 2.30pm and thought carefully about continuing as dusk was not that far away. I decided to push on and almost immediately came across a number of big trees down across the track and my pet hate (yellow, slimy mud! I much prefer the peaty black mud) this combination slowed me down considerably, probably contributed to by some weariness from the climb and descent.

I got into camp as dusk was descending at 4.15pm in pretty dim light and was pleased to have done so. Little Deadmans Bay is a pretty spot and I thought I’d take another rest day to have a good look at it and its surroundings on the morrow.

(Ed: Check out this post Hiking the South Coast Track Solo by a very fit woman)

Day Five 23 June

Having resolved to take a rest day I woke up feeling fresh and eager to continue and as a result thought again about continuing. The forecast was for deteriorating weather and drizzle in the evening so I fought the tendency to keep moving and instead I took advantage of the sunshine and pretty location to dry things out, relax and take some photos.

Deadmans Bay

Day Six 24 June

The drizzle didn’t eventuate yesterday or last night and while the weather was evidently coming, it was not a frontal gale coming from the west but more heavy overcast and increasing drizzle. It is an easy walk from Little Deadmans Bay to the New River Lagoon and the rain started while walking on the beach approaching the lagoon. I had an interesting half hour trying to put on a tarp/poncho I had brought with me and would have been good entertainment for an observer as I struggled to get it draped as it is intended to be. When I eventually got it on I had a good laugh at my tracks on the beach. It looked as if I’d had a moment of madness dancing and pirouetting around in the midst of a sober and solitary trail up to and on from that mad dance. I enjoyed the walk along the beach.

Somehow the wind and the drizzle matched the wildness of the waves, the windswept beach with its jetsam of bull kelp and the pacific gulls and oyster catchers along the shore. As the wind wasn’t all that strong and was mostly from a northerly direction the crossing was uneventful and uncomplicated. I was impressed by how many wombat and wallaby tracks there were along the banks of the lagoon.

The boat at New River Lagoon – it is heavier than it looks!

Day Seven 25 June

The morning forecast was for increasing showers and rain for the next four days but while there were some heavy showers, most of the early rain was drizzle really so I packed up and headed for Surprise Bay. I got pretty wet on the walk to Surprise Bay as the showers certainly got heavier so I decided to camp there after a short day to wait out the worst of the rain. It was a nice walk though. The crossing of Milford Creek was a thigh-deep wade and it looked like it was rising.

By the time I got to Surprise Bay the creek at the west end of the beach was running pretty strongly and was turbulent with froth and dark with tannin so that I had no idea how deep it was. It turned out to be above waist deep with a strong current but I managed to keep my feet. The campsite above the beach was quite large with a good selection of sites to pitch a tent so I set up my tent and tarp and added my poncho/tarp to the set-up which allowed me quite a bit of dry space to sit under outside of my tent.

New River Lagoon from the air

Leeches!

I came across my first leech here. I can’t say I’d missed them earlier in the walk as I’m not too fond of the little suckers but I’d been surprised by their relative absence and had puzzled over why this might have been the case. I can only think that the salty air and seaside environment was something that they weren’t fond of. I always carry salt to deal with them and know how much they dislike it.

For this trip I was keen to try some pyrethrin spray that my research indicated should be effective with leeches. So the first leech was experiment number one and it was one leech down. Even here there were not many leeches and because of that I suppose I got careless. After retiring to my sleeping bag after dark something bothered me while I was lying there reflecting on the day. On turning on my led lantern I discovered a leech stretching from the inside of the inner tent towards my cheek, only a few centimetres away. A flurry of activity and some more spray and scratch leech number two. That had me checking the inside of my tent pretty carefully to make sure that there were no more to surprise me inside the tent and that the inner was zipped up fully.

When it gets dark at 5pm and doesn’t get light again until 7.30am I tend to spend a lot of time in my sleeping bag and really too much time trying to get some sleep. Winter walking is a way of catching up on sleep and I wouldn’t recommend it for insomniacs. At night I value the mp3 player and little radio, even when the reception is pretty crappy.

Related Posts

The South Coast Track – Solo Winter Trip report by Larry Hamilton – Part One
Larry’s Port Davey Trip Report– great reading
Gear List for Wilderness Bushwalking Trip – Larry Hamilton’s excellent gear list
Stuck between Louisa and Faraway Creeks – Our adventure on the South Coast Track
Hiking the South Coast Track – our first (and last time)

If all (or some) of the above get you itching for a great adventure then read on…..

In this guest post, Larry Hamilton returns with a wonderful trip report following his recent completion of the South Coast Track in Tasmania’s far south west.

View South Coast Track in a larger map

The following is Part One of Larry’s South Coast Track trip report from Melaleuca to Louisa River.

Intentions
This walk was originally intended to be combined with the Port Davey Track and completed in 2008. Unfortunately last year I struck some unusually bad weather and took longer to do the Port Davey track than planned because I had to wait out bad weather and high stream levels. When I got to Melaleuca my resupply food wasn’t waiting for me and took another three days to arrive. Prudence led me to cut my losses and fly out from Melaleuca rather than continue with no buffer of spare days for bad weather or high rivers. So the South Coast Track and the completion of my planned walk waited until this year when I managed to find another period of leave to do it.

My goal for this year was to do the South Coast Track in winter, allowing for sufficient food, fuel and time to accommodate the vagaries of the weather and flood levels. Accordingly I kept a period of three weeks available to undertake the walk had had my fingers crossed that the weather would not delay a Par Avion flight into Melaleuca longer than a week. I therefore planned to have available sufficient time, fuel and food for 14 days on the track, hoping of course to be able to complete it in shorter time.

In winter you don’t get long daylight hours and you have to be prepared to wait. I started the South Coast Track on 19 June when it doesn’t really get light enough to walk until 8 am and it is almost dark again at 5pm. I ended up going over the Ironbounds on the day after the winter solstice and took 8.5 hours but I started before dawn and walked into Little Deadman Bay in the dusk. Short daylight hours are I think the biggest limitation in winter walking, much more so than is the weather.

I’d planned to be very flexible with my itinerary and looked forward to taking some side trips. I particularly wanted to get into Louisa Bay as I’d read that this is a pretty spot. As it happened though, the good weather enticed me to get past the problem rivers while the water was low so in the end I didn’t take any side trips and instead took rest days and poked around the main campsites along the track.

Trip Report
The weather was kind to me approaching the date of my leave and my booking with Par Avion for an 18 June fly out wasn’t delayed. I flew into Melaleuca with five tourists doing a visit to Melaleuca combined with a trip out on Bathurst Harbour with the Par Avion pilot. I decided to go out onto Bathurst Harbour with them, stay at Melaleuca for the night and begin the South Coast Track the following day.

Day One 19 June
Towards Point Eric

Despite having some overnight rain the day dawned clear and cold and I had a beautiful day walking in to Freney Lagoon. I was at the beach early and had lunch at Point Eric. Because of the time I decided to push on to Buoy Creek, arrived there early in the afternoon and whiled away the afternoon sitting in the sun, eating scroggin and drinking cups of tea. I had knee deep water in rounding Black Cliff even though it was just past low tide but that was the only tricky spot for the day. An easy and enjoyable day!

Looking back towards Point Eric

Day Two 20 June
Another clear and cold day with lots of dew. It was quite muddy going up alongside Buoy Creek across the buttongrass plain and I slipped and fell a couple of times. In one fall the branches of a bush flicked my glasses off and despite some earnest efforts and about half an hour looking I couldn’t find them. It didn’t help that the frames were a similar colour to the buttongrass stems and that I my acuity wasn’t flash without my glasses so I ended up giving up without finding them. I always carry a spare pair of reading glasses but would have to manage without glasses for distance work for the rest of the trip. I’ve got quite severe astigmatism and while I can cope without glasses, my capacity to deal with detail is significantly reduced. I found it interesting that I coped well without glasses when the light was good but in dim light I found myself peering myopically at the track. So at each end of the day and under heavy tree cover particularly when it was cloudy, I suffered a bit.

Buoy Creek campsite

The Red Point Hills were the first ascent of the trip. Foolishly I tried to take these quickly and ended up suffering as a result. My preparation for the trip was interfered with by a busy work schedule and too much work travel which cut into my training. When I started panting on the way up Red Point Hills I worried a bit as the 200 metre ascent was tiny compared to what was ahead. My concern was unnecessary as it turned out as I quickly got my second wind and got into a groove with climbing at a more sensible pace. The view from the top and the desire to linger and enjoy it helped as well.

Looking back towards Buoy Creek from Red Point Hills

The day was a significant one as three potential delay points (Faraway Creek, Louisa Creek and Louisa River) were passed without incident as the water was low and the crossings trouble-free. I was both surprised and impressed by the extensive boardwalk that had been installed over the wet buttongrass plain approaching Louisa River. Along the way there were many packs of boards that had been airlifted in and were awaiting a construction effort. It would have been a very muddy and damp section without the work already done and the upgrading of the track is going to be pretty extensive.

I found this a fairly tiring day, probably because it was the second day of the walk which I always find the toughest and the first day with vertical ascents and mud. Because of this I was pleased to get into the campsite at Louisa River. During the day the wind had picked up and some gusts were quite strong. I kept eying off the dead branches of the forest trees I was camping under and was careful to pick a site that was not just level and dry but without branches likely to come off in a high wind.

Louisa River Crossing

Just on dusk I surprised a young Eastern Quoll determined to investigate my tent. I had to work hard to discourage his interest. Because of his determination to check out my food supplies, I was a bit anxious about him returning and damaging my gear in his enthusiasm to get at my scroggin supplies. Despite my worries and some careful listening in the dark I don’t think he returned. Maybe my snoring scared him off.

Day Three 21 June
I decided to have a relaxing day poking around Louisa River, partly because the forecast was for strong winds and some rain but also so that I would be rested for the anticipated long day over the Ironbounds. John Chapman had provided me with the locations of the interim campsites on the Ironbounds so I was prepared to make the trip over the Ironbounds a two-day trip but for obvious reasons I wanted to do it in one day. As a result I had a rest day on the winter solstice and used my little radio to listen in to the broadcast football matches.

Related Posts
Larry’s Port Davey Trip Report– great reading
Gear List for Wilderness Bushwalking Trip – Larry Hamilton’s excellent gear list
Stuck between Louisa and Faraway Creeks – Our adventure on the South Coast Track
Hiking the South Coast Track – our first (and last time)

We did the hike three years ago and struggled with the long days, mud and more mud. We spent so much time trying to work out where to walk we never took the time to take in much of the spectacular scenery. Frank talked Sue (and a couple of mates) in, to do the walk again in February 2009, with the plan to take 8 nights and enjoy shorter hiking days. This time the mates finished the whole walk and we ended up exploring the area before the Ironbound Ranges and around Melaleuca.

Sue is writing a blog post that will be posted soon on our adventures – We already have one post up about our experience with the flooded Louisa and Faraway Creek.

In this post we have the words and images of Anne Stockley, from San Diego in the USA. She was on the South Coast Track just days after us. We all remember seeing each other at Melaleuca before she set off.

We were very impressed by Anne’s obvious level of fitness and light weight hiking kit so have posted some of her thoughts and images on Our Hiking Blog. You can see Anne’s complete South Coast Track album here

Anne, a lean mean hiking machine.

Anne has obviously honed her kit really well and carried 11kg, including food, on this trip. That is a significantly light weight pack and we could all learn a lot from her.

11kg including food – this is what I took minus the food:

Gear: Tent, Fuel bottle, MSR stove, 2 x 32oz water bottles, mug, titanium pan, spoon, aluminum foil wind shield, aluminum foil pan lid, 2 x lighter, map, compass, whistle, loo roll, suntan lotion, lip goop, ear plugs, blister kit, safety pins, netting headnet, rucksack, rucksack cover, camp towel, anti inflamatories, pain killers, antibiotics, sleeping bag, 2 compactor liners to keep sleeping bag dry, zip locks for all night wear clothing, sleeping mat, sleeping mat compression strap, head torch.

Daily wear: trousers, sleeveless vest, shirt, jog bra, cagoule (aka rain jacket), 2 pairs of socks, boots, gaiters, gloves, woolly hat, sun hat with neck cape, over trousers, fleece, sun glasses

Night wear: lyra shorts, long johns, two shirts, 2 pairs of socks

Anne’s Report:
In late February 2009, I did a solo backpack of the South Coast Track in Tasmania in 5 days and 5 nights. Highlights for me included the campsite at Point Eric and the calm seas and sunny afternoon I enjoyed while there, the straightforward New River Lagoon crossing (I had been anxious about being able to drag the boats across the sand), the fact that I didn’t have to swim the South Cape Rivulet as others recently had to, Prion Beach and Prion East which few people rave over, the bird life on the beach, the awesome views on the flight to Melaleuca, and the friendly Hills family group and Eric.

Things I didn’t expect were how much of the trail was in light Eucalypt Forest and rain forest giving no views of the ocean, beaches, or anything. When looking at other people’s photographs on the web beforehand, I got a distorted impression of how much of the walk was on beaches. With hindsight, an additional night at Surprise Beach or Osmiridium Beach would have been nice
After arriving at Melaleuca, I walked to Point Eric in changeable conditions. After I had put up the tent the ocean and weather became calm and I was treated to a starlit night. There was lots of interest on the beach including oyster catchers, plover, starfish, interesting seaweed, a red tide, and signs of flash flooding after the storm 4 days prior.

Campsite at Point Eric (above) and the toilet (below)

I woke up early and was walking east on Cox Bight by 7am. By 8am I had fallen in a watery bog over my knees and my feet weren’t dry for the rest of the day.

My anxiety about the three river crossings for the day (Faraway Creek, Louisa Creek and Louisa River) was unnecessary as they were all very straight forward below knee crossings.

Louisa Creek Crossing – check this link to see it in flood

A classic driech day climb over the Ironbounds with no view from the top. Fortunately the wind was only a gentle 15mph or so. The descent was a sopping wet scramble and lower off branches over slippery roots, showered by every touch of the wet rainforest vegetation. Arriving at Deadman’s beach at 11:30am I realised that I could make the 1:30pm high tide at Prion Boat crossing and so I carried on.

Ed: Note the times here – Anne “did the Ironbounds” from Louisa River to Deadman’s Bay in 5 hours (we took at least 10!)

I set out from Prion Boat crossing camp after a lie in and with no particular plans as to were I would stop.
Anne’s tent at Prion Beach

I ended up spending part of the morning walking with Eric and then continuing on to Granite Beach for a shower.

Pictures below are a couple of examples of the muddy conditions on this track….

The weather seemed to be changing with high cirrus clouds coming in from the west the afternoon before, so I got an early start over the South Cape. High tide was about 2pm so I wanted to cross South Cape Rivulet before then. It was raining when I got there and so I carried on to Lion Rock. I was not inspired by the campsite there and walked out to Cockle Creek.

Many thanks to Anne for agreeing to have her pictures and words reproduced here.