Sunday 22nd July 2012
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| Mount Stewart Summit |
Mount Stewart really does not deserve to be called a mountain as it is only 135 metres above sea level, but that is what it is called. Actually the main section of the walk is from Lime Bay past Monk Bay and up then up to Mount Stewart to complete a circuit.
To reach the start drive out to Lime Bay on the Tasman Peninsula and park anywhere, really.
I started walking at 0920 after the 2 hour drive to get here. The first part was along the beach in an easterly direction to the rocks at the end where I picked up a faint track that followed the coastline around. It was easy walking with lovely water views.
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| Beautiful clear water |
The water was exceptionally clear as I walked around Whitehouse Point and then to a nameless point where I walked out to have a look. It was great as the sea was so calm. Continuing on I reached Monk Bay and descended to the beach and walked along it to the southern end.
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| Pile of shells on Monk Beach |
There were a few piles of white shells washed up on the beach. Near the end of the beach I found a convenient place to climb up and walked across country through the bracken fern to pick up the track to Ironstone Point. I carried on in roughly a south westerly direction to meet a service road which I followed down to a lovely little beach with low sandstone cliffs.
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| Cliffs on the beach at end of service road. |
From here I walked west for 1.5 kms. on the road to the Mount Stewart ascent track. This was a gentle ascent to the top. At the summit are remains of what was once a signal station ( just a few piles of bricks, really) but never the less quite interesting. Mount Stewart is the remains of an extinct volcano. After admiring the view I walked down the northern side through tall bracken fern to find a fire trail. A short deviation right followed before turning onto another track. I walked this right back to Lime Bay and instead of walking along the beach, followed the track back to the car.
This was a very enjoyable walk with no major ascents and great coastal scenery.
Distance: 13.2 kms.
Time: 3'45"
Ascent: 350 metres
Click here to download GPX track.
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| East end Lime Bay |
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| Looking back at Lime Bay |
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| On eastern side |
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| Nice little deserted beach |
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| Track to Mount Stewart |
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| Mount Stewart ruins |
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| Lime Bay from Mount Stewart |
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| From Mount Stewart |
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