Tinpot Island

Tuesday 5th December 2017

Tinpot Island

 I parked in a largish car park in Sommers Bay Road at Sommers Bay just out of Murdunna on the Forestier Peninsula. There was space beside the road at the start of the walk proper but I thought it would be safer there. It was only 500 metres up the road to the path down to the jetty. The weather was perfect with no breeze at all.

Sommers Bay

Sommers Bay Jetty

From the jetty I walked along a faint path around the headland to the pick up the reasonable track that follows the Flinders Bay foreshore to Flinders Bay settlement.

Track to Flinders Bay

Flinders Bay

Flinders Bay Settlement

Flinders Creek

Flinders Bay

Once past the settlement there was a rock hop around the next point as the bush was not too inviting. The rocks were good for rock hopping and it did not take too long to round the point and find some more open country along the foreshore.

The rock hop

Flinders Bay

Rounding the point and more open country ahead

Once I reached the open country it was reasonably easy walking with the occasional casuarina scrub and the odd short rock hop to round another larger headland.

Open Country

Towards Tasman Peninsula

A bit more rock hopping

From this headland I could see the Mackerel Islets which were off the last point that I had to negotiate before reaching Tinpot Island. I carried on around the coast to that point. There were some buoys washed up on the beach and there was plenty of bird life on the islets.

Little rocky beach

Mackerel Islets

From the point at Mackerel Islets

Mackerel Islets

After the islets there was a bit of a scrubby walk around to Tinpot Island with the odd rock hop. I soon reached the island and settled down for lunch. I debated about whether to cross over to the island or not but decided against it as I did not feel like walking back with wet boots. It would have been quite easy as the water was not deep.

Tinpot Island

Tinpot Island and looking out to Norfolk Bay

After a short break I chose to walk across country to pick up my outward track. It was a bit scrubby but not too bad and it saved me 600 metres but only about 10 minutes and was probably easier. I made sure to keep in the reserve at all times. Once back to the shore again it was just a simple matter of walking back to the car.

Sea Urchin

This was a good walk and I saw no one for the entire walk which was good.
Distance: 15.1 kms.
Time: 6'01"
Ascent: 270 metres
Click here to download GPX file.

Mount Field Ramble

Tuesday 21st November 2017

Mount Field National Park

The walk today was just something that I made up, and though only short in distance, it took about 5 hours because most of it was off track.
I parked in the upper Mount Field East car park and set off up to Seagers Lookout. It was a perfect day with clear skies and very little wind and there were great views from up there. There was more snow than what I had been expecting especially after the record high temperatures for November. It reached 27 degrees on the walk today and that was quite pleasant.

After Seagers Lookout I walked back down the track a short distance before heading through the scrub in a northerly direction towards peak 1251 metres. The scrub was mostly low and not too bad but there was some rock hopping as well. I visited about 3 different lookout points on the peak and there were really good views from all of them.

The Scrub

Peak 1251 metres

On peak 1251

From 1251

Mount Field East from 1251

Lake Nicholls from 1251

From 1251

From 1251

From 1251

 From 1251 I made my way over to 1228 peak crossing over the Mount Field East Track on the way. There was more low scrub and rock hopping this way but it was okay. It was much easier walking this way today as opposed to when I tried to walk it in the snow in August.

Lake Fenton from 1228

On 1228

Looking back the way I had come from 1251

From 1228 I headed straight down to Lake Fenton.  It was not as easy as all that as there were several boulder fields with some massive rocks and a short section of nuisance scrub but it did not take me too long to get down.

Boulder field and Pandani

Snow Gums and Pandani

When I arrived at Lake Fenton, I found a nice spot on the water's edge and had some lunch. There were small fish swimming around and it was so peaceful there.

Lake Fenton

Lake Fenton

After lunch I ambled back to the car.

Waratah

Lake Fenton from dam wall

This was an interesting walk on a picture perfect day. Most of the walk is off track and there is plenty of rock hopping.
Distance: 6.8 kms.
Time: 5'01"
Ascent: 330 metres
Click here to download GPX file.