Travel writer raves about our Three Capes pack-free walk

Travel writer raves about our Three Capes pack-free walk!

Journalist Adam Scroggy recently experienced our 3-day Walk Three Capes pack-free guided walk and wrote a story for Probus South Pacific, a magazine and organisation for the newly retired, here is his story.

Fun fact: when out bush, hand sanitiser isn’t just good for cleaning the dirt from your hands before eating a packed lunch. As we gather at the start of the hike to Waterfall Bluff on day two of our three-day tour, our guide and expert bushman, Jef, talks us through the protocol should we happen to notice a leech upon our person. “It’s pretty easy – just give me a shout, I’ll add a drop or two of hand sanitiser, and off she falls,” he says.

Jerry, a Brit visiting Tassie with his wife Nell, pipes up from the back of our 10-person group. “Would you like to demonstrate now, Jef? There’s one on my leg.”

The group turns to see Jerry, exuding calmness, and a small leech with a wonderful sense of timing sitting just above his ankle. We can’t help but chuckle – someone wonders aloud if Jerry and Jef planned this earlier. Alas, they did not, and sanitiser at the ready, Jef leaps into action. A drop or two later and the would-be invader falls to the ground. Life is, indeed, an Adventure.

DAY 1: CAPE RAOUL
We’re on a three-day Pack Free Walk on the stunning Tasman Peninsula in Tasmania’s far south-east. It’s a region famous for its spectacular Three Capes – Cape Raoul, Cape Pillar and Cape Hauy – which surround the even-more-famous Port Arthur Historic Site. We’re picked up from our accommodation at Hobart’s waterfront Grand Chancellor Hotel and make the 1.5-hour drive to begin our hike to Cape Raoul. On the way, we cross the narrow Eaglehawk Neck isthmus, which connects the Tasman Peninsula to mainland Tassie.

Along the way, our driver, Amy, regales us with the story of convict Billy Hunt, who once tried to hop past the Neck’s guards while wearing the hide of a kangaroo – a plan that was working brilliantly until the guards started using the roo for target practice. We also hear the more uplifting tale of the Tasmanian Devil, which in this area has recently overcome the scourge of Devil Facial Tumour Disease and is enjoying a population increase for the first time in years.

Our 14km hike to Cape Raoul begins, and it’s not long before we reach the coastline and our first spectacular view of the towering cliffs that form Tasmania’s south-east coast. Our guide, Jef, is excited to spy the shapes of some surfers way down below – he explains that they’re taking on Shipstern Bluff, one of the world’s most challenging waves. It’s rare to see anyone out at the Bluff, meaning the conditions today must be just right.

The group handles the medium-grade walk to Cape Raoul well, and after a couple of hours we’re rewarded with views of the “organ pipe” rock formation for which the peninsula is renowned. These 180-million-year-old dolerite sea columns shoot out
hundreds of metres above the water and are truly a sight to behold.

At night, we return to our chalet accommodation at Stewarts Bay Lodge and enjoy a meal at 1830 Restaurant & Bar. I opt for a smoked trout entrée with scotch fillet main. It’s delicious, and the included bottles of wine wash it down very nicely indeed.

DAY 2: WATERFALL BAY TO FORTESCUE BAY
After a hot breakfast at Gabriel’s on the Bay, our second day sees us take on a hike from Waterfall Bluff to Fortescue Bay. Neither are considered part of the Three Capes, but they’re no less impressive.

Day two is a true bushwalker’s delight: by the time we’ve reached the end of our undulating 18km trek, we’ve seen just one other soul on the trail, a runner who surprises us as he darts past late in the afternoon. Aside from Jerry’s well-timed moment in the morning, leech sightings are few and far between. Throughout the walk we pass through nine different types of forest, from dry sclerophyll to coastal heath and myrtle-sassafras, all dotted with frequent coastal views of the peninsula’s dramatic cliff faces.

Travel writer raves about our Three Capes pack-free walk! It’s a long but rewarding walk, and when we arrive at the picturesque white sands of Fortescue Bay, a few group members take the opportunity to remove their shoes for a relaxing final walk along the shorelines to our waiting bus.

Dinner that night is at Gabriel’s, and it’s well-earned indeed after the long day of hiking. Battered Tasmanian scallops and an affogato dessert are just the tonic for my tired legs, as are the wines which are, once again, included as part of the tour package. I slept well the night before but with almost twice the kilometres in my legs today, tonight’s slumber will be positively dreamlike.

DAY 3: CAPE PILLAR AND CAPE HAUY
On our third and final day, the group splits into two after breakfast – half have opted for a three-hour wilderness cruise around Cape Pillar, while the other half (myself included) enjoy an hour or two exploring the Port Arthur Historic Site before heading on a helicopter flight for a bird’s-eye view of Cape Pillar. The flight affords magnificent vistas of Cape Pillar’s towering sea cliffs and out to remote Tasman Island with its dramatic exposed lighthouse.

Our legs appreciate the morning off, but there’s still one more cape to conquer, and it offers arguably the most stunning views of all. After one last included meal at Port Arthur Lavender Farm – salt and pepper squid with Asian style crispy noodle, in case you were wondering! – we begin the 10km hike to Cape Hauy. Our end point from Day Two is our starting point here, and we take off south from Fortescue Bay along an undulating, step-filled track.

After about an hour, we emerge from the forest to reveal stunning uninterrupted views to Cape Hauy. The trail winds through the coastal heath ahead of us, and we know our destination sits just on the other side. We’re rewarded with views towards “The Thumbs” to the north, and Cape Pillar to the south. When we arrive at our end point, the Cape Hauy Lookout, we witness the spectacular off-shore dolerite sea stacks known as Totem Pole, the Candlestick and the Lanterns. We’ve officially seen all Three Capes, and all that’s left is to head back across the Neck towards Hobart.

Unlike Billy Hunt, we reckon we’ll take the bus.

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