SW Cape - Route from Schooner Cove?

[pauld]

Hi,

I'm hoping to get some information from people who have done the South West cape circuit starting from Schooner Cove. I know it is against forum rules to post such routes publicly so I'd very much like to hear from anyone who can assist via a private message.

Many thanks

ps. I walk with the YHA (VIC) bushwalking club and we are trying to organise a trip for late February.

[wander]

We came across a group who did Schooner Cove to Noyhener Beach recently. Their 1st comment after hello upon arrival at Noyhener Beach after 8PM was they had had a torrid day as they could not find the pad from Schooner Cove to Noyhener Beach which then involved scrub, mud, the discovery that Hannant Creek had to be swum as the mud was to deep to walk round, more mud, swamp and more scrub. It did not help that I laughed and commented that I had never heard of a pad from Schooner Cove to Noyhener Beach and what did they expect?

But it got me thinking, I have never looked for info on such a pad and just cos I had not heard of it certainly did not mean that it did not exist. A bit of a look through the Denny King Hut log book showed several parties used this route over the years since 2002. A bit of searching here found this thread and a couple of others none of which mention a pad.

The general comment is the route was being selected to avoid the Horseshoe Inlet route. Having done the Horseshoe Inlet route once each direction now I can say it is a simple route with no dramas and only a very short (5M) swim. Having tried the wade round the sand bars once, we came to the conclusion the swim was simpler, quicker, possibly safer and we needed the wash anyways.

So there is no real reason I can see to use the Schooner Cove to Noyhener Beach route to avoid Horseshoe Inlet. However if you really wanted to avoid the 6km of Davey Track (lazy sods, it is a fine but a little muddy in spots trail, but each to their own) have Par Avion's boat drop you at;

A) Clayton's Corner and walk over Mt Beattie to Horseshoe Inlet, very scenic.
B) The small cove East side of Joan Point, very nice camp and short walk South on the Davey to Horseshoe Inlet
C) Into Horseshoe Inlet itself and be dropped at the camp site in the South West corner
D) Into Horseshoe Inlet itself and be dropped West of the mouth of Horseshoe Creek pretty much where you start the climb away from Horseshoe Inlet
F) No Par Avion boat needed but come up the Davey from Melaluca and head West across country South of Horseshoe inlet. We met a group recently coming down the Pascoe Range on their way to Noyhener who had just done this. Also refer to tas-man's post of 20 Dec 2009 in this thread http://bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=3208&p=205140&hilit=schooner+cove#p205140
F) Schooner Cover and see below.

Looking at the map and from the air on the flight out the best looking route to my eye from Schooner Cove to Noyhener Beach is in fact to climb up onto the South West Cape Range from Schooner Cover and wander along this until the West turn onto the regular route to Noyhener Beach comes up. A dry (that is no swims or mud), scenic route with low scrub (mostly knee high button grass ish sighted from the air). Has anyone done this route? Or is there an issue with it I have missed?

And finally was there or is there a pad from Schooner Cove to Noyhener Beach???