Devils Royals

Saturday 24th December 2016

Deep Bay from Devils Royals

This walk started from Pebble Beach on the Abels Bay Road.
I set off up an old track up to the top of Harveys Hill before descending to walk through a pine plantation. It was all easy walking along a variety of tracks.

Track near start

Walking through the pine plantation

After walking for almost 4.0 kms. I crossed the Channel Highway onto another track. This was followed for a short distance before branching off onto another track. Off course I could have started the walk at the Channel Highway but I thought that would have made the walk too short. After walking a little further I took to the scrub and walked in an easterly direction to finally find the track heading up to Devils Royals. The return path that I took through this area was more direct and much easier to walk. The track up to Devils Royals rose steadily up to a plateau where it was very pleasant walking with views over Deep Bay.

Track along Devils Royals

Deep Bay

Deep Bay

Track along Devils Royals

Huon River

I arrived at the end of the track where I had visions of continuing on to Mount Cygnet. However the scrub did not look too inviting and as it was going to be about a 800 metre scrub bash up to the track on Mount Cygnet, I abandoned that idea for another day. The return journey was fairly easy and when I reached the car there was a small snake crossing the road.

This was a reasonable walk with good views from the top and quite easy walking.
Distance:13.8 kms.
Time: 4'18'
Ascent: 660 metres
Click here to download GPX file.

Shag Point

Thursday 22nd December 2016

Shag Point

We spent a week over Christmas at Blueberry Bay Cottage for some R & R and where I managed to get in a couple of short walks.
This is the first one where I actually started and finished at the cottage but it is just as easy to start from the parking area where the the Cygnet Coast Road comes down to the beach about 100 metres from the cottage. A walking track starts just past the cottage and follows the coastline around to Poverty Point, Beaupre Point and Drip Beach.
I set off not knowing the track was there and came across it by accident. I had intended to walk around the rocks but the track made it easier. It is best to do this walk at low tide to make the rock excursions simpler.

Towards Poverty Point

Towards Brooks Bay

Towards Police Point

Coastal track

Towards Poverty Point

I walked along the track to Poverty Point and was going to walk around the rocks but that was not possible, so I backtracked a little and scrambled up to the top of the cliffs and picked up an overgrown track that led back to the main track.

Poverty Point

Oyster Catcher

Towards Beaupre Point

Small cave

I followed the track around and then walked along the beach of Gourlays Bay to Beaupre Point. There was a faint track along the point which I walked with deviations to the beach at times.

Beaupre Point

Gourlays Bay

Gourlays Bay and Beaupre Point

Poverty Point

Once around Beaupre Point the walk continued around the rocks to Drip Beach which was all easy walking.

Small Anemone

Beaupre Point

Drip Beach

Beaupre Point

The walk went around the coast to Shag Point where there were lots of fossils of shells. Actually there are shell fossils all around the coast here.

After rounding Shag Point I continued on to Copper Alley Bay where I picked up Nichols Road and followed it back to Cygnet Coast Road and back to the start.
This was an good easy walk with some nice coastal scenery.
Distance: 10.6 kms.
Time: 2'52"
Ascent: 170 metres
Click here to download GPX file.

Tangara Trails

Wednesday 7th December 2016

Looking across Mortimer Bay

I had a new walker with me today and did not want anything too challenging so I opted for the Tangara Trails loop walk which is fairly flat except for a small hill at the start. We did the same walk (more or less) as I did in 2013. See here for details.
The track has been upgraded in places and is in good condition.

Mortimer Bay

Looking across to South Arm

We ended up taking the same time as I had taken previously, so my new walker did very well.

Deep Hole

Saturday 3rd December 2016

Deep Hole Bay

Note: Due to legal reasons it is now not permissible to walk down the railway line.
A couple of friends suggested that they would like to do a relatively flat walk so we settled on the walk from Ida Bay to Deep Hole which mostly follows the route of the Ida Bay Railway. Times and fares for the rail journey are on their website.
We set off from the railway station along Ida Bay Road and then onto the train tracks. Ida Bay Road passes through some nice forest with large trees.

Ida Bay Road

Ida Bay Road

Train Tracks

A short distance up the tracks we came to Ida Bay and the graves of some of the Tyler family.

Tyler Graves

Ida Bay

Ida Bay

From here it was an easy amble along the tracks passing an old sawmill site and Joseph Graves Cottage site to the end of the line at Deep Hole Bay and Elliott Beach. Here there is a picnic shelter and a toilet block. The water was quite smooth as there was little breeze blowing.

Someone's artwork

Deep Hole Bay

After a short stop we started the return journey and fairly soon we could hear the train approaching.

After it passed we carried on and after about another hour it caught up to us on its return journey.

Adamsons Peak

Adamsons Peak

We then simply carried on and walked back to the car at Ida Bay.
This is a good short, flat walk with some nice scenery and bush included.
Distance: 13.1 kms.
Time: 3'41"
Ascent: 96 metres
For a downloadable GPX file see Southport Lagoon and Bluff Beach which includes this section.