South Coast Track
in the South West
National Park, Tasmania
last edited 25. February 2012
last edited 25. February 2012
The
South-coast Track is an obstacle course in the beautiful, pristine and harsh
wilderness of Tasmania’s wet southwest. On the track that meanders more or less close to the Southern-Ocean shore, just another set of unexpected
challenges awaits you from day to day. The South Coast Track is probably as
close as it gets to walking completely off tracks in Tasmania. A biggie indeed,
that should not be attempted unprepared. I regard the book with maps and track
notes by John & Monica Chapman (further comments on that below) as almost essential for an unproblematic
experience. You may be prepared, however, as much as you like. Be certain that
every day the track offers new surprises, obstacles that you did not think
about or sudden weather changes that keep you stuck in a camp.
A more personal summary can be found on my other blog 'Southern Sasquatch'.
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| Lunch break. From the most elevated section of the second day on the South Coast Track, the Red Point Heights, it is worth to take a look back. Button-grass plains extend right to the Southern Ocean Beach at Cox Bight. |
The book “South
Coast Track”
by John and Monica Chapman and some further remarks
The book is
a bit outdated as the flora changes constantly, tracks erode and could be maintained
or displaced. Nevertheless, this book provides the chance of planning your trip
as exactly as it gets. For more information see the web page. The book can be
obtained from outdoor and map shops in Tassie and mainland Australia as well as
directly from the web page. From now on in the following sections of this page it will
be simply referred to as “the book”. This blog page is not thought to be a
replacement of the book and I have no intention to replace it. Instead, I have used the book extensively during the walk myself. However, as I encountered some obstacles not mentioned in the book or recent changes on the track, I have some additions to make to the book which
might be of interest for your trip planning. They contain facts about where the
track notes in the book are especially outdated and are based on my latest
experience of the track in February 2012:
- A new and well maintained side track to Louisa Bay! The track as described in the Chapmans’ book was closed by park authorities for the vegetation to recover. Unfortunately, theprovided signs are not clear enough. When coming from Melaleuca, the sign that the Tassie Parks and Wildlife service put on the track junction only states “X”. This could be interpreted as “Track closed” or as “This is not the main track!”. Unfortunately, one might still willing to take this track that is leading to Louisa Bay (and is just as muddy and wet as described in the book).It leads, however, to a much better and dryer track with some plank-walk sections across muddy plains and at this very junction, the official sign says something like “X – track closed for vegetation recovery, follow the new track instead!” If we had known, we had followed the signs! However, the new side track’s junction from the main track is located about another 1000 m east of the junction recommended to take in the book, about 200 m west of the southernmost tip (50 m contour line on the map in the book) of the Spica Hills. It is easy to recognize.
- Pests! There are a few human parasites that people from overseas might not be aware of: Next to the omnipresent mozzies on almost all camp sites leaches and ticks can be encountered. We had most leeches and ticks at Little Deadman’s and on the track between and Surprise Bay. Tick we also found at the Louisa Creek campsite (east) and Louisa Beach. Leeches you can most easily get rid of by taking a swim in the salt water of the Southern Ocean. Insect repellent and burning matches also help. The camp site at Lion Rock was the only one at which we encountered sandflies. The marsupials found along the track are probably not as much a pest as they may be in other, more frequently visited National Parks. They are not tame, what is how they should be and which probably is the result of bushwalkers being more serious on the South Coast Track than anywhere else about leaving no footprint. However, the marsupials might not be particularly used to hikers bringing food but some may still be attracted by the smell of hiking food and many marsupials are not particularly scared at all. So better be prepared to find your tent plundered by a Quoll or your pack ripped open by a wallaby if you don't apply extra precautions!
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| At Little Deadmans Bay camp site: Putting the rucksacks in the trees is our favorite way to keep out of trouble in the bush. Having a few meters of rope and carabine hooks available is always handy. Climbing ropes of 5 mm strength are strong and lightweight. A light and cheap plastic bag from the supermarket is everything needed to waterproof the pack. Beware: Possums can climb well. So keep the pack free of branches! |
- Bad Track Conditions! From the top of the Ironbound Range towards Cockle Creek, I would say that by far most of the track hasn’t been maintained for 5-10 years. At least that is how it appeared to me. Read my daily reports for more information.
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| The climb down the Ironbound Range, South Coast Track, Tasmania, 05. February, 2012. The track is very rough and slippery on slopes and muddy on even sections. About all steps and stairs that had once been installed are completely eroded and degraded. That is currently the hardest section of all the track. |
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| Down the Ironbound Range, South Coast Track, Tasmania, 05. February, 2012. Many large trees are blocking the track. Some came down long time ago and have been incorporated in the track (as bridges or as section of the track itself), other came down recently and need to be circumnavigated - like this one. |
- Pit Toilets. Usually, along the track the pit toilets are in good condition and should be used preferably to reduce the impact on the environment and the risk of diseases through polluted water. However, one should be prepared for the pit toilets at Louisa Beach and at Little Deadmans Bay camp site which are a bit full. Much worse: the pit toilet at the Granite-Beach eastern camp site is in a very, very poor condition. The lid and bits of the cover planks are broken off and the pit is about to flow over.
- Changing services from/to Melaleuca and Cockle Creek! Plan your trip well in advance. Different from what the book says, the most prominent Tasmanian bus operator TassieLink did not operate services to/from Cockle Creek in February 2012. Things might change again. So the best would probably be to consult the Tasmania Parks & Wildlife Service http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/ or the Tourist Information in Hobart for the actual best options.
- No more stairs! Be prepared to encounter suddenly eroded stairs up or down the dunes or even rocks, especially after heavy storms. It might then be difficult to climb up or down the in places steep, sandy dunes. We faced this obstacle at both the climb down to and up from Eastern Prion Beach, Granite Beach western end of the beach and at eastern camp site.
- Dirty Water! A lot of garbage has been washed up the creek at Osmiridium Beach. The flow of the creek may also be slow and we encountered water that was rather rich in particles and a bit smelly. One might prefer to use a filter system or bring enough water on this short sidetrip.
- Time may run short! Probably because of the many unmaintained sections but largely depending on weather and physical conditions, the time approximations given in the book might be underestimated. Although we faced mostly good weather and did not spend too much time having breaks or birdwatching, we were always at or even above the upper limit of the time span given for each particular section in the book.
Trip report
Day 1 –
from Melaleuca to Point Eric at Cox Bight
This first
stretch of the obstacle course was as easy as it got during the whole exercise.
Departing from Cambridge Aerodrome at Hobart’s outskirts at 10am with Par Avion
went perfectly smooth. Included in the price of 205.00 AUD was a pick up at our
Hostel in the City of Hobart as well as the bus ride back from Cockle Creek to
Hobart by Evans Coaches. The airline personnel was very friendly and
professional. All you need to know you can find out on the airline’s web page.
If you’d like to know more (also latest weather conditions in the south west)
they’re happy to answer your phone call. You’re allowed to take a pack of 20
kg. From Par Avion you can also purchase the book, maps, fuel and the National
Park pass (better check availability before the starting day). We chose this
airline because they usually fly to Melaleuca using a two-engine plane, usually
a Britten-Norman Islander, which we regard as much safer than a single-engine
plane.
The flight
was very scenic and along the coast. We could actually see many places that we
would later walk through including some sections of the track itself. That was
exciting. After the smooth landing and the purchase of the fuel at the
Melaleuca airstrip, we filtered water from the rain-water tanks at the
airstrip, put sunscreen on and off we went.
The first
we did was the first small sidetrip: we tried to find some of the few remaining
Orange-bellied Parrots - a species almost certainly doomed for extinction in the wild during the coming years. Already on the way to the bird hide we were lucky and
able to see three of those small greenish parrots.
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| Doomed for extinction: The Orange-bellied Parrot (Neophema crysogaster) is currently one of the rarest bird species or even vertebrate species in the world. It is strongly affected by habitat loss, especially in its winter range, and vulnerable because of a very specialized habitat needs. The number of individuals in the wild are not certain but they my be less than 25. |
As it
hadn’t rained for a few days, the button grass plains of Melaleuca were rather
dry and we managed to get to the beach at Cox Bight and even to the camp site
at Point Eric with dry feet. That the situation would be very different after
or during rainfall was easy to see. The camp site is beautifully located in the
coastal forest and directly at the beach. At the time of our presence, a Quoll (probably a Tiger Quoll, also named Spotted-tailed Quoll (Dasyrius masculatus) was active at the camp site at night and searching for food inside our tent.
Day 2 –
from Point Eric to Louisa Beach
We decided to explore Louisa Beach to find a more private camp site and beach. Long sections are well maintained board walks and easy going. Only a few small creeks had to be crossed in the morning. Climbing Red Point Hills made us sweat but wasn't too hard, either. As again the weather was dry, the two bigger creeks to be forded, Faraway Creek and Louisa Creek (who was this lady called Louisa, after whom everything was named in this area?) could be easily waded but one couldn't get across with dry feet. Walking sandals are of good use if one does mind getting wet shoes. Whatsoever.. you cannot avoid getting wet feed on this track anyway!
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| The tannin-stained Faraway Creek, South Coast Track, Tasmania. The current has displaced the ford a few meters downstream. As the rope cannot be reached from there, the shallowest crossing might not be the safest, when the current is strong after heavy rain. |
The camp sites on both sides of the latter crossing looked both very nice but we were in good condition and decided to carry on. I have mentioned the new side track to Louisa Bay before. However, it should be noted that the last 100 m to the beach are extraordinary - beautiful and dangerous at the same time. It is a extremely steep cliff of maybe 70-100 m elevation that needs to be climbed. As it is overgrown by forest, some trees provide grip and a few ropes to cling on to have been installed. Nevertheless it is thrilling, especially if you are afraid of height and carry a pack of 24 kg or more. Drinking water has to be carried as there is no creek anywhere near the camp site. The camp site itself is small and pretty. Tasmanian Pademelons (Thylogale billardierii) roam around the camp at dusk. The beach is incredibly beautiful and it was 1000 times worth walking and climbing the extra kilometers.
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| Louisa Beach, South West National Park, Tasmania. The cool Southern Ocean can be a perfect place to have a swim after a long hike in warm weather. |
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| Me cooking dinner at Louisa Beach camp site. |
Day 3 –
from Louisa Beach to Louisa River
This day's walk was pretty easy. Long sections were planked along Buttongrass moorland and easy going - as long as the weather is good. Rain may flood the boardwalk. Right at the camp, Louisa River has a nice swim hole - and plenty of mozzies.
Day 4 –
from Louisa River to Little Deadmans Bay
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| The Ironbound Range, South West National Park, Tasmania as seen from the Louisa Plains. This biggie is to be climbed over tomorrow. |
This day's walk was pretty heavy, although bad weather would have made it much worse! An early start, best right after sunrise, should be attempted. Be prepared for sudden changes in the weather, strong winds, snow, and long sections without water sources. The descent is very, very wild and rough and the hardest section of the whole South Coast Track.
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| Louisa Bay and Louisa Plains, South West National Park, Tasmania, as seen from the Ironbound Range. Up to this point and a bit further the track is well maintained. Not for much longer, though. |
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| Ironbound Range - descent on the eastern flank, South West National Park, Tasmania. The slippery and at times extremely difficult track is the biggest obstacle during the whole South Coast Track. |
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| Ironbound Range - descent on the eastern flank, South West National Park, Tasmania. South Coast Track. Fallen trees block the track. |
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| Ironbound Range - descent on the eastern flank, South West National Park, Tasmania. South Coast Track. More fallen gumtrees in the thick rain forest. |
Beware
- If you ever had problems with your knees or ankles: take braces as a precaution!
- Sunburn may easily occur on an average summer day!
- Poisonous snakes may be encountered all through the year!
- Boulders may present a risk when crossing creeks because they are often overgrown by algae and thus are slippery.
- There are bull ants everywhere in summer. They are interesting to observe, but might attack you. The sting is painful and poisonous!
Necessary
to bring along
Certainly, there are many different ways to prepare and thousands of options regarding the choice of equipment. However, a minimum of equipment should be taken on such long walks in remote areas - simply for safety reasons.
- A local topographic map (South Coast Walks - Map & Notes, 1:100 000; Tasmap: WKSCOAST)
- The book
- EPERB
Also
recommended but optional
- Photo camera
- Binoculars
- Tarp
This walk
is suitable for
- Multi-day hiking only
- Bird watching
Further reading
- Check out what the Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania tells you about this walk.
- Parks and Wildlife also provide a bushwalking guide and trip planner which you can download here.
- John & Monica Chapman (2009) South Coast Track. First edition, Chapman, J., Victoria; ISBN 978 1 920995 07 2.
- South Coast Walks - Map & Notes, 1:100 000; Tasmap: WKSCOAST
South Coast Track bird list
Systematic
order and names following Simpson & Day (2007) Birds of Australia. 7th
Edition – completely revised and updated. Helm Field Guides; London.
- · Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor)
- · Australasian Gannet (Morus serrator)
- · Black Swan (Cygnus atratus)
- · Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata)
- · White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae)
- · Pied Oystercatcher (Haematopus longirostris)
- · Sooty Oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus)
- · Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles)
- · Hooded Plover (Thinornis rubricollis)
- · Silver Gull (Larus novaehollandiae)
- · Pacific Gull (Larus pacificus)
- · Fairy Tern (Sterna nereis)
- · Crested Tern (Sterna bergii)
- · White-bellied Sea Eagle (Heliaetus leucogaster)
- · Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
- · Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus funereus)
- · Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita)
- · Ground Parrot (Pezoporus wallicus)
- · Green Rosella (Platycerus caledonicus)
- · Orange-bellied Parrot (Neophema chrysohgaster)
- · White-throated Needletail (Hirundapus caudacutus)
- · Superb Fairy Wren (Malus cyaneus)
- · Scrubtit (Acanthornis magnus)
- · White-browed Scrubwren (Sericornis frontalis)
- · Striated Fieldwren (Calamanthus fuliginosus)
- · Yellow-throated Honeyeater (Lichenostomus flavicollis)
- · Crescent Honeyeater (Phylidonyris pyrrhoptera)
- · New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae)
- · Tawny-crowned Honeyeater (Phylidonyris melanops)
- · Eastern Spinebill (Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris)
- · Golden Whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis)
- · Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa)
- · Black Currawong (Strepera fuliginosa)
- · Forest Raven (Corvus tasmanicus)
- · Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena)
- · Tree Martin (Petrochelidon nigricans)
- · Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis)
- · Bassian Thrush (Zoothera lunulata)
- · Common Blackbird (Turdus merula)
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