Monday 26 June 2023 – Tuesday 27 June 2023
Seven BBBW members followed through on their “expressions of interest” to partake in the “winter camp” on the Wharf to Wharf track from Merimbula to Tathra. This 2 day walk was billed as a pack walk but for those not wishing to carry a full pack, gear could be left at the overnight camp. So, as pack walks go, this was an ‘easy one’! Having said that, some did carry full packs – well almost full!
The Wharf to Wharf is a well-known, so called iconic south coast track. It shows off the beautiful Sapphire Coast, but does include some street and beach walking, which is not to everyone’s (especially the leaders’) liking. So this Wharf to Wharf skipped the ‘wharves’. It started 5km in, at Tura Headland, and finished at Kianinny Bay, 2km short of the official end.
This meant the first day was very relaxed. It was a 6km walk into the Hobart Beach campsite. There was ample time to have morning tea with our gracious car shuffle drivers, Karen and Bob, on the Tura Headland reserve, before we headed off. Special thanks must go to Karen and Bob who timed their mini break at Merimbula to be our lifts to the start and from the end.
From Tura Headland, the walkers followed the Coastal Reserve Track to the Dolphin Cove viewing platform, where in bright winter sunshine, we took the obligatory group photos. A beach walk then of some 2kms, put us at the North Tura carpark. From there we weaved through twisted coastal tea trees, as if navigating through a ‘Lord of the Rings’ movie scene. There were glimpses through the trees out to Bournda Island, surrounded by a clear, inviting, emerald coloured ocean. In fact it was so inviting, at lunch, one of our group jumped in for a swim (a very quick swim), while others went for an explore around the Bay. The rest of us just basked in the full sunshine enjoying the views.
From lunch we skirted along the shores of Bournda Lagoon, before picking up the trail to take us into the Hobart Beach campground. Arriving in the early afternoon meant there was plenty of time to set up camp in the spacious campsite provided to us by National Parks; get our fire going, and have a nice cup of hot char. For some that was just too leisurely. So, making use of what was left of daylight on this (almost) shortest day of the year, two headed off to find the ‘Trig’. An apparent return trek of 6kms that did not have them back into camp until darkness fell. For those just settling in to enjoy the campfire at dusk, we were glad they did return when they did, as it may have been difficult to enlist volunteers to brave the cold to go search for them!
The campfire meant for a relaxing chatty evening, as we all cooked our respective dinners, while constantly shooing away some very cheeky and fearless possums out for a feed!
The next morning we broke camp at 9am. The author here (unskilfully) predicted that we may walk 15-16kms today, but as it turned out it was just shy of 13kms. Oh well, better to overestimate than under, and avoid the wrath of other walkers!
A short 2kms, and a surprisingly pleasant morning walk, along Hobart Beach had us soon at Wallagoot Gap; the beach walking now behind us. From there it was up onto the Kangarutha Track that hugs the coastline into Tathra. Just up from the Gap is a seating platform overlooking a picturesque “smugglers” cove. Not really a smugglers cove – this was just what we were told by a group of Bega bike riders we met there on their weekly ride. They delighted in having this ‘lend of us’.
The Kangarutha Track certainly has its fair share of beautiful vistas but comes with some steep ups and downs. Many of these are staired, although the steps do seem to have been made by a giant with a limp! Some were made even more interesting, being covered with a scree of stones, no doubt to prevent erosion, but with a side effect of causing walkers to have to be that much more careful when placing their feet to avoid a “slippery dip” descent.
Parks had told us that only a few weeks before the ‘Wharf to Wharf Challenge’ run had gone through and the track was cleared. And indeed it was. There were no fallen trees to block our path, although those doing the clearing might also have thought to bring along a whipper snipper. Perhaps the runners were just that much nimbler than us, to jog over those few overgrown sections of track. Although, all kidding aside, the track was in preety good shape, well marked and easy to follow.
We stopped for morning tea at Games Bay- a very nice spot to rest. There we had our only sighting of another walker (that is if you do not count the young jogger doing her afternoon run just out of Kianinny Bay – her only gear- a mobile phone, of course).
The ongoing ups and downs, though soon had us ready for an early lunch, which we enjoyed on Kangarutha Head. There, spread out on the rocks, we enjoyed views down the coast, as we tried to spy any elusive whale on its journey north. Sadly, they remained elusive. Just over an hour later we walked into Kianinny Bay to meet our lifts. With plenty of daylight left we had time to retrieve gear back at the campground, pick up our cars and be home for dinner!
Thanks go to those that braved this camp in the dead middle of winter. It could have been cold, but the weather was kind to us. We could not have asked for a better couple of days. And if the parting comments of the walkers are anything to go on, let’s bring on the next one.
Peter
Photos courtesy of Julie, Peter, Donna, Glenn and Mary