South Coast Track on Easter

[matthias]

I'm thinking of walking the South Coast Track on Easter and at the moment I'm checking the possibilities. I would probably walk alone but I've done some solo walking in Tasmania before, like the Overland Track and by now my equipment is probably above average. In another post here I read that even around Christmas the track wasn't very crowded so I can probably expect to be pretty much alone there on Easter? I wouldn't say I'm scared off by that, but I do have the necessary respect, knowing it's pure wilderness. But of course that's also exciting.
What can I expect weather-wise? I know the weather is almost unpredictable in Tassie but in Hobart it still feels quite summer-like for this time of the year, so I'm fairly confident for the South Coast Track. Maybe that's just my personal feeling. Are the days still long enough?
One of the problems I already noticed is that Tassielink will stop it's Cockle Creek route on the 30th March, so I would end up at Cockle Creek and somehow have to get to Dover or Raminea (25km away) where a Tassielink bus leaves every morning at 6.35am (pretty stupid time...). I'm not sure if it's such a good plan to walk to Cockle Creek on the last day, maybe have a short rest and then walk another 25km to Dover, spend the night on the street and catch the morning bus to Hobart . Would be interesting though.

[bauera]

Don't know about "pure wilderness" - more like pure mud. If your major experience of Tassie walking is the Overland Track you had better be prepared for a surprise. The South Coast Track is several grades more difficult and less hospitable. It is very muddy, particularly on the South Cape Range, but all along the track there are significant bogs to be negotiated. There are, of course, no huts but campsites are good, plentiful and generally well spaced. I wouldn't think you will have it to yourself but there will certainly be less walkers than you would find on the OT. The weather is not too much of a concern (just wet and windy) because it is basically a coastal walk, so you are rarely exposed to extreme alpine conditions, with the obvious exception of the Ironbound Range. The western side of the Ironbounds is very exposed and cannot be avoided. If the weather is windy you will just about get blown off the top of the Range and it will take 3-4 hours to climb up, so should not be attempted in bad weather. The river and creek crossings can also be tricky. Be very wary if it has been raining and they are running fast and deep. There are also a couple of rocky promontories on beaches to be rounded which require care if the tide and seas are high. Beware being swept off your feet by fast moving waves - I can attest to the stupidity of not taking sufficient care. And a final caution - make sure your food is packaged in a rat proof fashion. Many the walker who has come home with at least one rat sized hole in their tent and food bags. Enjoy!

[matthias]

Sounds exciting, thanks
What's the best way to store food "rat-proof"? I would probably store it in ziplock bags.

[frank_in_oz]

Hi Matthias,
It is a big step up from the OT. Much less infrastructure and potential for delays.

This post is about a very fit person who did the track in 4 nights (including the ironbounds in 5 hours!) - well out of my league - http://frankinoz.blogspot.com/2009/03/s ... y-fit.html

This one is where we got stuck between Louisa and Faraway Creeks for a day while they flooded. Would have delayed a lot of people. (14 people camped on the Melaleuka side of Faraway Creek the day we crossed it - would have really delayed their Ironbound Ranges day) We had 4 days of magnificant weather before this. http://frankinoz.blogspot.com/2009/03/s ... raway.html

Depending on your funds and time constraints an option is to fly in and out of Melaleuka and explore the area. A lot tamer but a beautiful spot. For example you could head into Louisa bay for a couple of nights.
have a great trip what evger you decide.

[matthias]

Hi Frank,

read all your posts about the SCT, also the ones from 2006, really interesting and gave me a lot of helpful information for planning the trip.
I replaced a lot of my equipment with better stuff since the OT so I think equipment-wise I should be well prepared (will write a blog post about that before I leave).
I booked a flight to Melaleuca for the 9th, we will see how I get back to Hobart from Cockle Creek... probably walking to Dover or hitching a ride and then take the bus from there.
The only thing I'm still not sure about is a PLB. Would be good to have, but way too expensive to buy for me, so I'll try to find a store in Hobart where I can maybe hire one for a week.

[Azza]

I'm pretty sure you can hire PLB's (through parks??) from Service Tasmania.

I did the South Coast in Jan, 6 days walking - no days were particularly long, I felt like I was being a bit lazy too.
The Iron Bounds and South Coast range require the best part of a day to cross, which probably means you end up having a couple of shorter days. Although be prepared for the mud, a lot of interstate visitors get a bit of a surprise and really struggle on the boggy sections and potentially end up taking a lot longer than expected e.g. South Coast Range.

We almost got blown off the Iron Bounds and the next day it had a dusting of snow on top, so its worth being prepared. Allow extra time for river crossings, bad weather etc..

Dunno about pure wilderness either... bit disappointing about all the rubbish left behind down there.
A lot of it washes up on the beaches, but there is also a lot of rubbish and human waste left behind in some of the camp sites.

We didn't have any problems with rats - but others down there had their tents and pack gnawed through. I was always careful to make sure that my food was properly packed away inside my pack liner so they couldn't smell it.

Cheers

Aaron

[matthias]

Thanks, that's very helpful. I'll try Service Tas and the hiking shops in Hobart to get a PLB. And I'll take special care with packaging my food.

[bart]

Hi Matthias,

Four of us did the track in December 2007 in 9 days. This included a side trip to Louisa Bay. This is well worth doing. The track is certainly not overcrowded and is like a highway. We only saw about 4 other groups on the track including a French girl doing the trip solo. We used a satellite phone for emergencies but I guess they are not everybodys cup of tea.
You are right when you say that the weather is problematic. We were lucky. We had no rain until the last day and the day over Ironbound was done without a cloud in the sky.
We caught a bus out of Cockle Creek to Hobart which we had prearranged (Evans Coaches). They are based at Geeveston and were great. I would highly recommend them.
The track can certainly be done quicker but we like to take our time and enjoy it and it's unlikely we will get back as we are all in our 50s.
We're doing the Overland at Easter, Larapinta Trail in July and the Western Arthurs before Christmas. A big year for us.

Enjoy your walk. You'll love it.

[matthias]

Hi Bart,

I was actually thinking about a charter bus from Cockle Creek to Hobart, but I simply don't know how long it will take me to get there, so I don't want to pre-arrange something. I'm pretty flexible with time otherwise. I heard there's a public phone at Cockle Creek, maybe I'll try to call a taxi or something if walking to Dover is not an option. We will see

[David Mitchell]

Hi Matthias

We are walking SCT the week after Easter and have talked to Evans Coaches (Ph: 62971335).

They are still running bus from Cockle Creek Sundays, Tuesdays & Thursdays - leaves from Ranger Station at 12:30.

Cheers, David

[David Mitchell]

PS PLBs can be hired from Service Tasmania for $40 p.wk or part thereof.

See http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/file.aspx?id=6505 to download Hire Agreement.

[matthias]

That's great information, thank you!

[PeterJ]

As mentioned in earlier posts the South Coast track is very muddy in places and it is about time the Tasmanian Government got realistic and put some money into fixing it up. Here are some comments from a blog I just read (mattworldwide) "But sometimes I was standing up to my hips in mud and was asking myself how the hell this can be an official promoted walking track in Tasmania."

Click for the full report

[Azza]

"But sometimes I was standing up to my hips in mud and was asking myself how the hell this can be an official promoted walking track in Tasmania."

Well...... its walking in Tasmania... Harden up..
yea. there is plenty of mud on the south coast track, but is pretty benign.. I've seen deeper mud on the way into Lake Judd and Frenchmans cap.
Fair enough, the south coast range is pretty horrible, but in reality the South Coast track is like one of the next stepping stone in terms of the overland track.
Then we're looking at the Arthurs..... etc.

[PeterJ]

.....yea. there is plenty of mud on the south coast track, but is pretty benign.. I've seen deeper mud on the way into Lake Judd and Frenchmans Cap. Fair enough, the south coast range is pretty horrible,.......

Well after 40 years of walking throughout Tasmania, I am afraid I have got a bit fed up with the mud. During this time I have walked the South Coast Track on 4 occasions and some sections have been pretty deplorable.

However the point is if the track is being promoted (which it is - see the PWS web site and the PWS Sth Coast map and the Tasmanian Walking Tracks Strategy and Marketing Plan 1997) with hope that it will bring bushwalkers to Tasmania to help boost the economy, then the track should be of a reasonable standard.

[matthias]

Hey, that's my blog , thanks for citing.
Actually I don't really want to complain about the mud, because no one is forced to walk the SCT and I was warned before I left. But the quality of the track kept me thinking a lot during the walk and it has nothing to do with hardening up. On the one hand it's natural to have mud and you simply need to deal with it, on the other hand hip-deep mudholes and tracks widened to several meters are worth a discussion if it is an official promoted track. The reasons simply are

Walkers are disappointed and in the end it's Tasmania's image as a hiking place that suffers.
It's not looking like it will improve anytime soon. More walkers means track conditions will become even worse over time which means increasing damage to environment.
Bad track conditions will make more and more people walking offtrack or avoiding official walks and trying unmarked tracks.

Personally I wouldn't mind having board walk whenever the track goes over open plains. But then the part over the South Cape Range was extemely muddy too.
But it's almost worth starting a separate topic about how to improve things.
For my part, I had a good week but I don't feel like walking the track again, it was a bit disappointing to be honest. I simply don't like it if it's too much dependent on luck to get home safely. You never know how deep the next mudhole will be. Concentrating on every single step takes up time you could otherwise use to appreciate and enjoy the scenery.

[bauera]

For my part, I had a good week but I don't feel like walking the track again, it was a bit disappointing to be honest.

Matthias, its nice to see someone with similar views to mine after doing the South Coast track. There was just not much interesting going on when I was on it. The South Cape Range was depressingly muddy, views were hard to come by in the predominant forest sections and the weather was gloomy although fairly benign. Admittedly New River Lagoon and most of the campsites are at lovely beaches and the Ironbounds are a great alpine break from all that forest and bog. We even gave Louise Bay a miss in the desire to get to Cox Bight, influenced again by the misty moisty weather. I am open to the possibility that it might be better in good weather but from choice I would go for a different walk option. South West Cape was way better (and a fair bit more demanding). Glad you managed it, seemingly without problem, because I was a bit concerned that with your only quoted experience being the Overland Track you would find it a bit much. I take it the rats left your food alone. Well done.

[matthias]

It's not that the Overland Track was my only previous walking experience in Tasmania, it was only the longest. But I think I was well prepared with good equipment, always hung my food to a tree at night, no problems at all. I will maybe post a detailed trip report in the next couple of days.
I also wanted to go to Louisa Bay, but it was raining all day and when the sidetrack went down into that little forest everything was flooded there and I couldn't see any track, so I had to return. I felt like standing in a mangrove swamp. The next day was beautifully sunny so it was kind of sad I had to return.

[PeterJ]

Hey, that's my blog ....

I didn't cotton on to the fact that it was your blog matthias

Cheers
Peter