Schouten Island and the East Coast

[nickthetasmaniac]

Here's a collection from a recent family sailing and walking trip down the East Coast to Schouten Island. Starting in the Tamar River, we spent the first night at Eddystone Pt and made Freycinet on the second day, spending three days on and around Schouten. Luckily we had perfect weather for the whole trip and I had lots of time to explore the Island, which is absolutely amazing! I'll definitely be back (a plan's brewing in my head for a two-day, off-track walk circumnavigating the island )

[gayet]

Gorgeous images! Now how to get there without a boat - do I have to swim?

I remembered the earlier post on Shouten (doogs and ILUV +) so a private charter it is. Later in the year certainly.

[doogs]

Great pics, definitely a beautiful place that you want to go back to. A circumnavigation of the island would be an awesome trip, very rugged and beautiful place :_

[vagrom]

John Cannon did a piece on Schouten Island in last Saturday's Mercury Magazine.
To any mainlander who wants to keep in touch with the best info on Tassie daywalking, sign up to www.pressdisplay and get 2 items for free, that is Cannon for free every Saturday.

[Nick S]

Great pics nick. You have a nice mix of landscape and flora etc in simple settings that shows off the place well.
I was actually at Schouten island camping for a night just a few weeks ago. Only had time for the track up bear hill but its much larger than you think. Awesome diving on the eastern and southern sides of the island.

[1iron]

Gorgeous images! Now how to get there without a boat - do I have to swim?

Other alternatives. Wildcare conduct working bees on the island 3 or 4 times a year. Parks have a campground host volunteer program that runs during the summer months.

[myrtlegirl]

We are hoping to get to Schouten Island in early January, but we're finding it difficult to get there. NPWS couldn't help (they do get volunteers over there but don't take the General Public over).
We're happy go with a local fisherman or similar.

Any and all suggestions welcome!

[RonK]

Last time I stayed at Freycinet Lodge I recall there was a boat cruise that visited. Look at wineglassbaycruises.com - they may be able to drop you off.

[tastrax]

Friends of Freycinet do the working bees on Schouten Island

http://wildcaretas.org.au/branches/frie ... freycinet/

http://wildcaretas.org.au/group-news/fr ... en-island/

[doogs]

There's a local fishing charter who took me to the island a couple of years ago. I've forgotten his name and lost his number but I do remember that he also worked at the caravan park. Maybe give them a call.

[Walking_addict]

We used a local water taxi out of Coles Bay once, for a family pick up.
Maybe Google that and see if you can find them.

[myrtlegirl]

Well, it took a while to find someone but we finally got there. No charter businesses could help at the time we wanted (and only one could help later in Jan and it wasn't cheap), there was a rumour about a hovercraft about to operate out of Swansea but they haven't started yet, and the guy from the caravan park no longer worked there. Finally a worker at a tourism business in Swansea offered to ask at Swansea pub, someone from Swansea pub spoke to someone at Coles Bay pub, and a Coles Bay local offered to, and duly did, take us over and back. We had 5 days of sunshine, and luckily timed our departure with the arrival of bad weather. We had it mostly to ourselves, just magic! We went up Bear Hill (2-3 hrs), and Mt Storey (5-6 hrs) (PM if you want Mt Storey track inside info), beachcombed for hours and found a heap of whale bones.
The last night a large bunch of guys camped near us, and as our group was 5 women so we wondered if we'd get bothered, but they gave us a heap of fresh flathead, all good.

So if you want to get to Schouten, have your own boat or kayak, or get the Tassie grapevine to work!

[nickthetasmaniac]

...a worker at a tourism business in Swansea offered to ask at Swansea pub, someone from Swansea pub spoke to someone at Coles Bay pub, and a Coles Bay local offered to, and duly did, take us over and back.

Only in Tassie Glad you enjoyed it, it's a magic spot!