I have just returned home from a bucket-list trip – Three Capes (lands of the Pydairrerme people), on the south-eastern coast of Tasmania. Four days of hiking (we clocked over 50km) through stunning eucalypt and rain forests, along clifftops, and spoiled with astounding views whichever we turned.
There are two ways of visiting Three Capes – staying in the National Parks lodges, or going with Tasmanian Walking Company. We went with TWC – they have a chef at each lodge and I cannot tell you how amazing it was to finish the day knowing dinner was taken care of (and not just any dinner – the food was exceptional). And not having to carry four days worth of food makes packs considerably lighter.
Day One – Denman Cove to Crescent Lodge
We arrived by boat to Denman Cove, where we disembarked to the official start point of the Three Capes track. A few hours (uphill) later we arrived at Crescemt Lodge, with spectacular views over Crescent Bay and Cape Raoul.
Day Two – Crescent Lodge to Cape Pillar
A climb up Arthurs Peak and along Tornado Ridge, with views across Safety Cove and Maingon Bay to Bruny Island. Nothing between us and Antarctica.
Day Three – Cape Pillar
Views, views and more views! It’s impossible to convey the scale of the cliffs and dolerite columns (zoom in on the pic of Tasman Island and spot the lighthouse to get a sense of the scale… it’s mind blowing).
The major monuments included The Blade, Cape Pillar, and the Chasm.
Day Four – Cape Pillar to Fortescue Bay
After outstanding weather, we awoke to rain. Lots of rain. Fortunately we were hiking to the top of Mount Fortescue, through rainforest and towering Blue Gums.
As a result of the rain, the mosses, lichens and fungi had exploded overnight – it was wonderful.
We began descending Mount Fortescue, with a little diversion to Cape Huoy (I bypassed the additional 4000 stairs / two-hour round-trip, and opted for the shorter thirty-minute ‘highlights’ walk).
As we made the final descent to Fortescue Bay, we were greeted by a strip of the whitest sand and aquamarine water. I never miss an opportunity for a swim, so dumped my pack, and headed straight in. It was the BEST swim (that’s us, in the water, tiny dots) and a trip highlight.
