Thursday 18 February – Monday 22 March 2017
Photos by Donna, Gerri, Rodney, Helen and Lesley
Led by Jill and John, the 5 week Tasmanian Safari commenced at Launceston, and headed down the east coast to St Helens and the Blue Tiers, starting with a series of shorter walks suitable for all participants. The group then moved further south to Coles Bay where they explored the Freycinet and Douglas-Apsley National Parks, and then on to Triabunna, the jumping off point for Maria Island walks.
Boardwalk through Tamar Wetlands to Tamar Island near Launceston
Group at St Helens
Geoff, Xiou, Annie and Bob on Mt Amos overlooking Wineglass Bay, Freycinet National Park
Heather, Kay, Gerri, Dave, Lesley, Elaine, John and Donna at Wineglass Bay Lookout, Freycinet National Park
John, Helen, Barry, Lora, Sandra, Lyn and David on track to Wineglass Bay Lookout, Freycinet National Park
Dave and Jan at Little Gravelly Beach, Sleepy Bay, Freycinet National Park
Elizabeth, Bob, Denise, Heather and Susan in Apsley Gorge, Douglas-Apsley National Park
Maria Island
Helen and Joan on Maria Island
Painted cliffs on Maria Island
Next stop was Port Arthur on the Tasman Peninsula and the wild cliff and coastal walks of Tasman National Park. The next camp at Snug just outside Hobart gave the group an opportunity to explore the delights of Tasmania’s capital and the Huon Valley, and also take the ferry over to Bruny Island for the day.
Then it was on to wilder country in Mount Field National Park, with its marvellous waterfalls and alpine tracks.
Towering stone column at Cape Raoul on the southern most tip of Tasman Peninsula
Donna at Cape Raoul
Dolomite pillar cape of Cape Raoul
On the track to Bivouac Bay coastal and cliff walk
Bivouac Bay, Tasman National Park
The Isthmus on Bruny Island
Iconic Tasmanian scenery at Russell Falls, Mt Field National Park
Helen and Bob at the small cirque Lake Nicholls in Mt Field National Park
Tackling the Tarn Shelf in fog, Mt Field National Park
One of the string of tarns on the Tarn Shelf, Mt Field National Park
Next stop, Cynthia Bay on Lake St Clair which is the end of the famous Overland Track and features many watery walks. From there the group travelled to Strahan on the west coast and the wild Gordon River. No trip to Tasmania would be complete without a visit to Cradle Mountain National Park where the Overland Track starts, and where there is a bushwalk for everyone.
Last section of the Overland Track from Echo Point to Cynthia Bay
Elizabeth, John, Elaine, Geoff, Jean and Lesley on Shadow Lake Walk, Lake St Clair National Park
Giant tree on Shadow Lake track
Rodney at Forgotten Lake, Lake St Clair National Park
Safari Leaders, John and Jill with Bob, Lesley, Elizabeth and Geoff on the Gordon River near Strahan
Dave takes time out from bushwalking to try some local theatre in Strahan
Dove Lake and Cradle Mountain
Group sets out for Marions Lookout in Cradle Mountain National Park
Elizabeth and Jill do some track maintenance
Stan on Cradle Mountain above Dove Lake
The two final stops were at Stanley near walks in the Rocky Cape National Park and then Mole Creek, the nearest town to the wild and remote Jerusalem Walls National Park, and the waterfalls in the Mole Creek Karst National Park.
The Nut, Stanley
View from the top of The Nut, Stanley
Cathedral Rock Circuit, Rocky Cape National Park, near Stanley
Geoff, Elizabeth, Jill and Bob on Cathedral Rock Circuit, Rocky Cape National Park near Stanley
Happy Hour at Mole Creek Campsite
Gillian, Sarah and Helen on track to Westmorland Falls in Mole Creek Karst National Park
Geoff, Rodney, Stan, Jill, Bob and Mary at Trappers Hut on the track to The Walls of Jerusalem
Walls of Jerusalem National Park located on a high plateau in the centre of Tasmania, and inaccessible by road
One of a string of mountain tarns called Solomon’s Jewels in Walls of Jerusalem National Park
This Safari is John and Jill’s third for Batemans Bay Bushwalkers – they have previously led Safaris to New Zealand and Western Australia. They also co-led a Safari to Victoria with Margaret and Hugh about 11 years ago, and we are very grateful for all the worry and work they put into making these expeditions so enjoyable for all the participants.
