Southport Lagoon and Southport Bluff Beach

Wednesday, 19 June 2013

Southport Lagoon and Southport Bluff Beach

Sunday 9th June 2013

Note: Due to legal reasons it is now not permissible to walk down the railway line.
It was an early start today and I arrived at Ida Bay just as the sun was rising. Having parked near The Ida Bay Railway Station I set off walking right on 7.30. This walk can be done two ways. Either commence your walk at the station as I did or catch the Ida Bay Train to Elliott Beach and start the walk from here. This would be the way to go if time was limited. The distance from Ida Bay to Elliott Beach is about 6.5 kms each way.
The first section of the walk was on a old road and after a short distance it met up with the railway line and this was followed all the way to Elliott Beach. At about 1.8 kms. from the start I came across three graves of the Tyler Family at a railway platform overlooking Ida Bay. The line was followed to Elliott Beach where there is a shelter for the rail passengers and turn around for the train. The walking track started from here and lead down to Southport Lagoon. There is a junction on the track to Southport Bluff Beach so note this for the return trip. The Lagoon beach is a still water beach and quite pleasant with good views of the mountains across the water.
I then walked the beach in a southerly direction to the rocks and began a quite long section of rock hopping around the point to eventually end up at Southport Bluff Beach. There were a few boats out fishing and three somewhat keen surfers catching a wave. The Bluff Beach is open to the weather so there were some reasonable waves. I walked along the beach to the Bluff hoping to check out the monument for a shipwreck up on the top, but unfortunately the area is quarantined due to the presence of a rare plant. Undeterred I backtracked down the beach trying to find the exit and eventually located it about halfway along and marked by a pole. This track was followed back to the previously mentioned junction and then back to Elliott Beach where I had lunch sitting on the rocks by the water at the end of the railway line.
Once I was refreshed it was back along the line where I happened to meet the train which was packed with passengers, most of whom gave me a wave. The rest of the walk was uneventful although I kept an ear open for the train coming up behind me and eventually reached the car about 2pm. The walk is about 24 kms. in total if doing the entire trip or about 11kms. if catching the train, and or course each beach could be done individually. Overall a pleasurable walk.
Distance: 23.6 kms.
Time: 6'30"
Ascent: 240 metres
There is a map and description at Everytrail
Click here to download GPX track.