Mon, 19th Jan, 2015 Geeveston RSL Memorial Park (South Cape walk)

7.30am 13 degrees. Check the weather and it is supposed to be a fine day but still overcast here. Dug out our waterproof pants to do the walk down to South Cape from Cockle Creek.

As we drove out I noticed the gateway sign – Memorial Park. Will change the labels on the blogs.

Drove straight down to Cockle Creek. It is still overcast with darkish clouds and cool. Had a cuppa in the car park looking over the bay. A few people have just hiked out from doing the 8 day trek – good on them!!

Chatted with the National Parks Ranger about the whale Penny & Pete took a photo of yesterday, dead on the beach. She said it was a Pygmy Killer Whale after googling it. The ranger said he had called the whale people and they had removed it.

Headed off up the South Coast Track (8days trek) – they don’t do signs well here as the sign for the South Cape Bay is further up the track and the sign in book is 350m along the track. We have 7.7 km to walk to get there. This will make us decide if we want to try to do the 17km walk to the southern point of mainland Australia!!

The track had some boardwalks then onto the ground which was quite wet, even flowing in some spots.

Eventually after up and down small hills we came out into the valley – not a strenuous walk but need to be looking where you put your feet all the time with rocks and roots and mud ready to slip you up.

Huge tree down and moss covering everything here.

Boggy going as the trees don’t let much sun through here.

Onto the board walk along the valley. We passed a Dutch chap and French lady (younger than us so we are feeling good).

Looking back to where we have travelled.

Steve said zoom in on that mountain – it looks like snow and it was!! Wow. We are in long sleeve shirts and jumpers and have raincoats in the backpack but no snow skis!!!

Further along a better view at the snow.

The boardwalk keeps on going which makes for easy walking as long as you don’t fall off as it is very wet and the boardwalk is a bit wobbly.

An old fenceline.

Climbed a ridge and down again to the river which of course is flowing well.

Along the ridge following the creek though it looks like it is flowing the way we are heading it actually flows back to into Cockle Creek (or is Cockle Creek). Lovely waterfall that would not usually be flowing this well.

Back up the sandier ridge. We can hear the ocean roaring.

We made it to South Cape Bay – looks lovely now as the sun is out and the sky is clear and blue. Took us 2 hours to here.

Down the stairs and onto a barren black cliff area – looks like coal, shale?

Zoomed over to Soldier Bluff.

Down onto the cliff area to walk around and down to the beach. Windy and cool but not as freezing as I thought it would be.

Looking across the Great Southern Ocean to Antarctica!!!

A sailing ship going around the South East Cape which is the southernmost point of Australia.

 Fabulous view over the beach from near the cliff edge. to the left

then right

The rock piles marked the walk around this black barren point to the stairs down to the beach.

Shame they don’t have a “you made it’ sign so we will use the rock piles as one.

Further around to the stairs.

Looking back to where we had just walked around.

Going down.

On the rocky part of the beach. The cliff edge looks like a turtle face with a hat on it.

Round rocks then sand.

I had said do you really want to do the stairs and Steve said “we have to so we can put our hand in the water so say we made it!!!” That is what we did.

Then the wave came crashing in and chased us up the beach.  Steve was standing there a moment ago.

Close up of South East Cape.

Found a rock so neatly cracked in half – looked like an IPhone or flip phone!!!

Found a “comfy” rock and sat for 15mins enjoying our wrap, apple then a Cherry Ripe for him and Mars Bars for me – reward!!

Back up the stairs made from the rocks – quite amazing really. If National Parks did this I don’t mind paying my pass fee then.

View back along the beach to Lion Rock – decided we didn’t need to walk all the way down there as we still have another hike after this one to do. Good luck to those doing the 8 day hike!!!

Certainly some rugged coastline.

A boat disappearing between the rolls of the waves.

The only wildlife so far has been lizards sunbaking on the boardwalks. This chap didn’t move as we climbed over him. Some black cockatoos squawked up in the hills.

Years ago when we took the boys to Cape York they did topless at the top so I was to do bottomless at the bottom – started but too cold!!! Lucky I had my leggings on under the waterproof pants.

Up to the top and along the track to a spot where you could camp – nice view to South East Cape from here and over the beach.

Passed a man and his son carrying surf boards. The other son had dropped his board and broken the skeg so had run back (1 ½ hour) back to the car for new ones. Oh to be young – but I wouldn’t have done that then. 

Up and down again till on the boardwalk again. The snow is still on the mountain. Will have to check the map to see which mountain it is.

Passed the young chap with his skeg and a few spares. He still has another 1 ½ hour to go before he gets into the ocean!! So worried I would find him fallen over with a broken leg from rushing. Certainly has warmed up in the sunshine so stripped off our jumpers but still had the long sleeve shirts on. Met the lady we passed as she was coming up from the cliff face. She looked exhausted. Commented that she was taking it steady and she said not bad after not having been able to walk much 3 months ago!!!

Back to Cockle Creek.

The soldier crabs were everywhere.

Checked out a shack right beside the track and the edge of Cockle Creek.

Back to the car for a cuppa in the picnic area. So glad to sit for a bit. Read on my map that South East Cape is closer to Antarctica then it is to Cairns!!!

The bay is just so flat, blue and beautiful – would be a lovely place to camp – oh yeah – we didn’t think that when we came down and it was pouring with rain.

Zoomed to the whale sculpture that is a 10 min walk from the next car park.

Some more permanent shacks – wonder what it costs them to keep them.

Steve rang Brian to catch up and see how business is going etc. I wandered over to the big fly wheel and information about the Heather Family’s Cockle Creek Mill. There were about 10 timber mills in the area. There was a wharf here too. Amazing.

Such interesting reading – hope you can read it. Shame they don’t keep this info boards maintained.

 Zoomed in on the board

Drove down to the car park and walked down to the Whale Sculpture over the bitumen road – must have been put in so they could get the sculpture in place. It is a 3 month old Southern Right Whale, made in 1995.  The sculpture is situated on Adams Point – 1793 French Observatory & shore facilities of the ship Esperance and the site of 1^st European burial (Gunner Boucher).

Info map of area and walks. We had crossed over the Heather and Cockle Creeks on our walk.

Couldn’t get close to the info about the whales as it was full of water so zoomed in – came up ok to read. They were called Right whales as they classed as the Right whale to catch.

Another board about the mountains. The one we saw with the snow is Mt La Perouse and has an almost permanent snow cover (1157 meters). Glad the Roaring Forties are having a rest today – had enough of them in Geeveston yesterday.

It is on the left (didn’t realise I had photographed it till I looked at on the computer), then the Cockscomb and Mt Leillateach which looks like the Pyramid.

From left is The Hippo then Moonlight Ridge.

Then Moonlight Flats to the Calf and Adamsons Peak in the distance with Lune Sugarloaf in the foreground on the right. You don’t notice the mountains when you are driving because the road is lined with high trees either bush or forestry plantations.

More information about the French explorers. Lucky they didn’t settle as we would all have been speaking French now.

Couple of pose shots with the whale.

Looking up the bay to the open waters and the bottom of South Bruny Island in the distance.

Back up the road a bit we turned onto the track to Fishers Point (2 hour return) – it said easy!! It was along the beach but then you had to climb over the rocks on the points or up through the grass or scrub around a few bays. The next point is called Snake Point – 1793 Observatory of ship Recherche then whaling station. Because of the rain there were a few “creeks” flowing out of the scrub along the beaches so we had to jump them too.

We think this is a cockle that the area is named after. They are the most common shell here.

Another shot of the mountains.

Steve spotted the boards so wandered up for a look. It was a solitary grave of Samuel who died on board a ship many years ago – hard to read the date. This is above high tide on Planter Beach – early boat building area.

Found a perfect shell but it was still occupied so Steve tossed it back into the water.

Up and over again through a cool piece of scrub.

The black and yellow cockatoos weren’t happy about our visit.

Looking back across Recherche Bay to Moss Glen which was a former timber hamlet (Smith & Heather Mills) plus a coal mine and wharf and the site of the first watering place of the French explorers in 1792.

Lovely sandy beaches across the bay but it is part of the Southport Lagoon Conservation Area so no roads go into that area.

Looking across to South Bruny Island.

More rocks till the sign.

Glad they had that or we wouldn’t have found the ruin. Not much path clearing here. The point is named after Captain W Fisher. Along with the pilot station there was a market garden and then commercial cabbage garden.

The house was pretty big and was also the pub going by the info on the board.

The locals complained about the unruly patrons though.

Great views from the house though. View over bay.

Then out to the ocean.

The new beacon now does what the pilot used to.

Wonga Mick’s apprentices have been here – lots of rock piles.

They have the balancing just right too.

Zoomed in on the lighthouse at South Bruny that we climbed to on that windy day.

And the beacon further round.

The kelp grows well here though there is heaps of it dried on the shore.

Steve found a bone – maybe from a whale!! As there are supposed to be some here.

Across the rocks to the Point.

Steve added to the rock pile.

Headed back. The tall trees are thriving now they are being cut down anymore.

Lovely view back over Recherche Bay to Cockle Creek.

The beachcomber found some old crockery!!

We think he is a relative of the Pied Oyster Catcher but he is all black.

Interesting trail – it was Steve dragging his walking stick then poking it in the sand.

A poor crayfish didn’t get to grow up.

Back to the bigger creek – Steve thought he could use the log to get across.

Worked for him but as I went it nearly tipped me into the drink!! Steve had put his walking stick into the sand to balance and it nearly disappeared.

Steve playing in the squeaky sand.

Back to the truck at last – we do love our trusty walking sticks. 

I did a quick run up the steps to see where the path lead – down a lot of steps to the beach. Gave it a miss. We have decided that this will do us for the bottom of Australia experience. Don’t need to do the 17km one way hike at Wilsons Prom now. (Don’t think we could make it anyway!!)

Back over Cockle Creek then stopped to explore the cemetery – well I did – Steve stayed in the car.

The last person to die here was working at a coal mine so maybe that was coal out on South East Cape.

A lot of campers had left when we drove in but a lot more have turned up as we drive out.

Tried to get the view down the valley to Huon River on the way home – big blurry. No room to pull over – would be a great spot for a lookout.

My lovely shells I collected – can’t help myself. The little abalone shells have such lovely mother of pearl colours and the other two were just perfect.

Back to the van at 8pm for dinner. Missed the sausage sizzle with the others but we are too buggered so just heated some chicken tenders and quiche in the oven. Put the hot water on for a nice warm shower as it is getting cold again. I wandered down to the others for a chat around the fire for a bit while Steve rested his feet.

Going to be a cold night again.

Mum and Dad at Launceston.