The South Coast Track – An obstacle course in the wilderness

The South Coast Track stretches 85 kilometres along the remote southern Tasmanian coastline. If I had to summarise the experience, I’d say that it is a bit like giving birth.

There are times when you’re in the thick of dense rainforest, covered in sweat, mud and in rather a lot of discomfort, wondering what on earth possessed you to put yourself through this. You vow that if you make it through, you will never, ever return.

Then, much like those moments after giving birth, when you behold your cherished baby, there are the moments that make it worth every painful step. When you reach a pristine stretch of golden sand, book-ended by majestic mountains shrouded in wispy mist, you find yourself smiling again, feeling free and happy.

As the dust settles on the walk – or the mud scrubbed from your hiking gear – you find that you have only fond memories of this place. In this moment of nostalgia you would happily, in fact eagerly, return, notwithstanding the mud and aforementioned discomfort.

If this sounds nuts, I can only assume you are either uncannily sane, or have not yet ventured into the Tasmanian wilderness. It is the sort of place that finds its way deep under your skin and into your spirit, calling you back to its embrace.

Now that I’ve waxed lyrical for a bit, let me run through a few highlights (and lowlights) of our 9 days in the South West. If this piques your interest, stay tuned for a more detailed day by day blog shortly.

Time of year: Summer – January 2022.

Walking party: Mountain mumma and my awesome 10 year old son.

Direction walked: East to west (Cockle Creek to Melaleuca). Why? An exit strategy and I preferred to tackle the two big mountain ranges from this direction as we’d be ascending the worst of the mud and tree roots. It also meant getting the notorious South Cape Range out of the way early and enjoying the remote beaches at the end of the walk.

The risk with walking this direction is that you need to be prepared to wait out a few extra days at the end if the weather prevents planes landing at Melaleuca.

Days on track: 8 days, 8 nights (day 9 was our flight from Melaleuca).

Weather: Mostly sunny or overcast with maximum temperatures in the low-mid 20 degrees. A few days with drizzle and light showers. Mist and cold winds on the Ironbounds summit. In short, this was good weather for the South West.

Highlights:

• Prion Beach, a 4km stretch of glorious golden sand.
• Row, row, rowing a boat across New Harbour Lagoon with views of Precipitous Bluff.
• Exploring rock pools at Surprise Bay, Osmiridian Beach, Turua Beach and Buoy Creek.
• Spying a quoll at Osmiridian Beach campsite.
• Strolling along the sand dunes at Louisa Beach, with not another sole in sight.
• Frolicking in Freney Lagoon.
• Meeting fellow bushwalkers and sharing tales of woe and wonder.
• Falling asleep to the sound of the waves.
• Camping on top of the Ironbound Range.
• Stars, sunrises and sunsets.
• The flight from Melaleuca.

Lowlights:

• The South Cape Range – “there are no views, but there is plenty of mud” (description from John Chapman’s guide).
• Drinking brackish water from South Cape Rivulet.
• Walking across exposed buttongrass plains to Louisa Bay in the hot sun, tantalisingly close to lush green trees, but never beneath their shade.
• The trip hazard of sword grass alleys.

Walk summary

I’ve included our walking times for each day to give an idea of the time on the track for a slower walking party. These times include breaks to rest, swim and play, since that is part of the experience.

Day 1: Cockle Creek to South Cape Rivulet

11.4 km, 5 hrs 30 mins

Easy walking through eucalypt forest and heath, a great lookout. Some mud and sword grass, a walk across the sand to a pretty campsite. Reflections of tall trees in the still waters of the rivulet.

Day 2: South Cape Rivulet to Granite Beach

9.1 km with 715m ascent and 715m descent, 10 hrs 30 mins

Tedious tramping. No views, lots of mud.

Day 3: Granite Beach to Osmiridian Beach

7.2 km, 6 hrs 45 mins

Waterfall, boulders, misty Surprise Bay. Across plains of scratchy heath plants to a sheltered campsite by a creek. Nooks and crannies to explore along the beach.

Day 4: Osmiridian Beach to Turua Beach

12.7 km, 8 hrs 45 mins

A most joyful day. A quoll, mountain views with majestic Precipitous Bluff. Rowing in a tinny, endless golden sand, a swim, discovering a shell midden and exploring rock pools.

Day 5: Turua Beach to Ironbound Saddle

9.3 km, including 905m ascent, 11 hrs

A wilderness obstacle course, with slippery mud, tree roots and hours of ascending. Drinking pure, refreshing water from a mountain stream, panoramic views, mist and bunkering down amongst alpine vegetation.

Day 6: Ironbound Saddle to Louisa Bay

11.7 km, including 900m descent, 7 hrs 30 mins

Majestic mountains, easier descent, cooling river dip. Hot sun beating down over hot buttongrass plains. Remote bay all to ourselves with the sun setting over the ocean.

Day 7: Louisa Bay to Buoy Creek

12.6 km, 7 hrs

Buttongrass and banksia, creek crossings, a last look back at the Ironbounds. Descent to Cox Bight, the air thick with birdsong.

Day 8: Buoy Creek to Melaleuca

16.4 km, 7 hrs 30 mins

Shoes off, sand between toes, carefree frolicking in Freney Lagoon. Turning inland through glacial carved valleys to Melaleuca – the airstrip in the middle of the wilderness.

Day 9: Melaleuca to Hobart

Nervous wait, stubborn clouds shrouding the mountains. Sharing stories with fellow walkers until a plane engine is heard and our adventure at an end.

Thinking of walking the South Coast Track?

Here’s a few Q & As, and hopefully useful information to consider.

Have a question that’s not covered? Drop me a line in the comments or on my Facebook page, and I’ll try my best to answer it.

How to get to and from the South Coast Track?

To/from Cockle Creek: A 2.5 hr drive south of Hobart. Gravel road for the last 20 kms.

Tasmanian Wilderness Experiences https://www.twe.travel/ provide walker transfers, from $95 pp.

Public transport to Southport and taxi to Cockle Creek is another option.

There is a large campground, ranger station and public phone at Cockle Creek.

To/from Melaleuca: access is by plane, boat or foot only.

Par Avion https://www.paravion.com.au/ provides flights from $300 pp.

You can reach Melalueca by foot on the Port Davey Track – 4-5 days from the end of Scotts Peak Dam Rd. Tasmanian Wilderness Experiences also provide transport to the trail end.

What facilities are provided?

Long drop toilets are the only facility at campsites. Some smaller campsites do not have a toilet.

At Melaleuca there are two bushwalker huts with bunks and mattresses.

On the track there are no huts and no shelters – walkers must be fully self sufficient.

What sort of experience do I need?

Experience being self-sufficient for multi-day bushwalking. The section over the Ironbound Range involves alpine conditions, so walkers need to be prepared and equipped for snow, rain and cold wind at any time of year.

The best experience for Tasmanian conditions is previous experience walking in Tasmania.

I’ve walked the Overland Track – can I walk the South Coast Track?

Maybe. The South Coast Track is a lot harder, and you need to be self sufficient, well prepared for inclement weather, difficult terrain (obstacle course), an ascent and descent of 900m in a day, and the prospect of seeing very few other groups.

This is not a walk to take on without thorough research and being prepared for the worst-case scenario.

Do I need to book or pay any fees to walk the South Coast Track?

There is currently no booking system.

A Tasmanian national parks pass is required. https://parks.tas.gov.au/explore-our-parks/know-before-you-go/entry-fees

What if I get bitten by a snake or fall and break my ankle?

Your group should absolutely carry a personal locator beacon. These can be hired from outdoor shops, parks and wildlife offices and some tour operators. There is no mobile phone coverage.

You should also carry a good first aid kit and know basic remote area first aid.

Do I need a map or guide book for the walk?

Yes. While the track is fairly easy to follow, I recommend carrying a map. Tasmap Walks in the South West will be sufficient, and/or taking the John Chapman guide, which has maps, track profiles and useful descriptions for each section.

How many days should I allow to walk the South Coast Track?

That’s a personal call. 6-8 days is the recommended time, and there are a number of options for camping at the main (recommended) campsites as well as smaller intermediate campsites, so you have a fair degree of flexibility.

8 days was good for us. We had a spare day, which we used to break up the Ironbounds. It’s a good idea to plan for at least one extra day for possible contingencies, such as waiting for flooded creeks to recede to cross more safely.

I really want to see some of these places, but can’t do the full walk – are there any shorter walks?

Yes. The walk from Cockle Creek to South Cape Bay is a popular day walk (even carrying surf boards). Approx 4 hrs return.

You could continue on to Lion Rock and South Cape Rivulet for either a long day walk or easy overnight walk.

If you wanted to fly into Melaleuca for a couple of days, there are a few walks in the area. The 1.2 km Needwonnee walk along the shore of Melaleuca Lagoon describes how the indigenous people lived.

Melaleuca to Cox Bight takes around 4hrs and could be done as a long day walk or overnight walk. There are campsites at Freney Lagoon, Point Eric or Buoy Creek.

Are there any companies that offer guided walking for the South Coast Track?

Yes. Note that guided groups use the same campsites as independent walkers and still have to carry full packs. I understand that a boat does provide a food drop for guided walkers at Little Deadmans Bay, cutting down a little of the weight.

Do I need to worry about animals getting into my food?

Yes. Opportunistic possums, quolls and native mice will be attracted to food. It is best to store food securely outside packs and tents to avoid the risk of expensive damage to your gear. I took some rope and stored food in a waterproof bag hanging on the rope. The only time I had any issue was when I was lazy and hung the bag from a branch at Turua Beach.

Are there water tanks? Are water sources reliable?

There are no water tanks at the campsites. Most of the main campsites have reliable water sources from streams and lagoons. Note that tidal lagoons like at South Cape Rivulet and Prion Boat Crossing may be brackish (salty). The John Chapman guide has good notes on water sources and their reliability.