Monday 9 – Friday 13 September 2019

Photos by Karen M, Mary T, Donna, Brian, Jim and Tom

31 members enjoyed 4 days of walking around the seaside village of Mallacoota in Victoria in early September 2019.

Everyone on Quarry Beach

Day 1 – Tuesday

Brian on rocks at Quarry Beach with Karen C looking on

Secret Beach Cave

Sand swept rocks

Exploring the Cave on Secret Beach

Stan, Karen C, Karen M, Mary M, Heather on the boardwalk on the small loop

About half the group spent an hour or so visiting the excellent WWII Bunker Museum on the Airport Road, Mallacoota. The bunkers have been restored by local Volunteers and tell the story of Mallacoota’s contribution to coastal surveillance during WWII.

Meanwhile several other members walked the 2km loop from Davis Beach Carpark to the mouth of Betke River and back along Betke Beach.

Then everyone met at Betke Beach Picnic Reserve to walk the Mallacoota Coastal Track.
Easy Walkers walked to Quarry Beach and back via the Betke River Loop – 6 km
Easy/Medium Walkers walked to Secret Beach and back via the Betke River Loop – 9.5 km
Medium Walkers walked to the end of the track at Pebbly Beach and back via the Betke River Loop – 11.6 km

Day 2 – Wednesday

Bastion Point

Mary M and Nancy on the seawall at Bastion Point

Rounding Bastion Point

Tip Beach

Nancy in the lead on the Heathland Section

Mary T testing out a very large bird’s nest?

Mary M, Donna, Karen M, Jim, Stan, Tom, Glenn, Nancy, Chris and Gay on a bridge crossing

Easy Walkers started at Davis Beach Carpark and walked the Heathland, Casuarina, Shady Gully and Lakeside Tracks back to Mallacoota Wharf – 4 km car shuffle.

The rest of the group started at Mallacoota Wharf and walked through the Caravan Park to the Pittosporum Walk which leads to Bastion Point. From there they rounded Bastion Point to Tip Beach and Davis Beach Carpark. Then they followed the Heathland, Casuarina, Shady Gully and Lakeside Tracks back to Mallacoota Wharf – 8.5 km.

Day 3 – Thursday

Genoa Peak Group – Jim, Gay, Glenn in the lead

The ladders are in sight

Elizabeth climbing the ladder

Gay climbing the ladder to Genoa Peak

Geoff on the last ladder to the Peak

Glenn and Chris on the Peak

Brian, Chris, Tom, Geoff, Elizabeth, Glenn, Gay, Jim, Karen M on Genoa Peak

Easy Walkers started at Buckland Jetty Boathouse and walked back to Mallacoota Wharf on the Lakeside Track – 5 km car shuffle.

Easy/Medium Walkers started at the Captain Creek Jetty Trailhead and walked to the Jetty on the Top Lake, returning the same way – 7 km. They then visited the Double Creek Nature Trail – 1 km.

Medium Walkers drove to the Genoa Peak Trailhead and ascended the Peak – 3 km return. They then visited Genoa Falls – about 500m return, followed by Double Creek Nature Trail – 1 km return.

Boat Trip

Sea Eagle catching dinner

About half the group spent Thursday afternoon cruising the Bottom Lake through the Narrows to the Top Lake with one of the local commercial tour boat operators, spotting sea eagles during the trip.

Day 4 – Friday

Jan H, Ann and Jan M at Genoa Falls

Genoa Falls

Camp Kitchen – Bob and Dennis enjoying the fire

Geoff, Tom, Elizabeth, Donna, Glenn, Gay and Jim on the Captains Creek Trail

Black cockatoos spotted on the lake track

Tom and Glenn at another obstacle on the track

Easy Walkers started at Mallacoota Wharf and walked to Bastion Point via the Pittosporum Walk – 6 km return

Easy/Medium walkers started at Buckland Jetty Boathouse and walked along the Narrows Track to the Top Lake – 8 km return.

Both groups then visited Genoa Falls and Old Genoa Village.

Medium Walkers started at the Captain Creek Jetty Trailhead and walked back to Mallacoota Wharf via the Narrows Track and Lakeside Track – 15 km car shuffle.

Evenings were spent in the rustic camp kitchen at the Mallacoota Foreshore Caravan Park cooking dinner and toasting jaffles over their two open fires. Or enjoying a meal at the pub or Lucy’s Restaurant. Not to mention the excellent local bakery for breakfast, lunches and sweet treats.

Karen