3 Capes Track, Tasman National Park, Tasmania. NO STUPID $500 FEE... GRATIS... KOSTENLOS

 

INTRODUCTION:

Tasman National Park is a seriously magnificent chunk of seashore bound rock and flora over on the South East coast of Tasmania.  Love it, it's definitely worth the drive to get there. 

Within Tasman National Park is the infamous and decisive 3 Capes Track, a Parks and Wildlife fundraising initiative designed to extract coin from comfort seeking punters who pony up silly money for a bunk bed and a colourbond roof over their heads.  

Established walking tracks have been cleaned up, pounded into submission and made as smooth, inoffensive and mud free as possible to keep the kind of people who don't usually wander 50 metres away from their vehicles, secure and anxiety free.

To be fair the Parks Service has had to come up with schemes to generate much needed funding and the dumbing down of Tasmania's wild places is one that has proved exceptionally popular, attracting cashed punters who just wanna see four walls around them whilst in the woods.  Each to their own I s'pose.  But nah.

Hang on, shut up for a second Safari you judgy purist curmudgeon.  Rant, rant, rant... what about the positives this track 'upgrade' could be bringing about?

Well, how about this ABC News article that shows the 3 Capes Track can be utilised by people with physical barriers that prevent them from hiking on regular crappy Tasmania trails.  So there dude. 😉

Anyway, enough bickering with myself, what's important is that the scenic ranking of this area is right up there.  It's really pretty and I definitely recommend walking the sections of the 3 Capes Track that can be done for free (which is most of it).   A solid year round option near sea level and a swish over-graded path, you would be hard pressed to lose the way or feel seriously exerted.

It's simple and full of serene outlooks and overlooks, so go get it.

And yeah, I am once again writing up another one of my Tasmanian hikes.  

I'm still stuck on the island!  Fuckin Covid...

Map sourced from Google maps.

I walked anti-clockwise from the YOU ARE HERE red dot to Cape Pillar and then back to Wughalee Falls Campground and up the track to the Cape Huay intersection and Fortescue Bay.
Due to the threat of Phytophthora Root Rot Disease you are requested to walk the circuit anti clockwise. 

PERMITS:  

You are required to have or purchase a Tasmania National Parks Pass displayed on your vehicle and on your person while in Tasman National Park.  Sigh.  That's the rules.

HOW TO GET TO THE TRACKHEAD:  

From Launceston, Hobart or the East Coast head South to Dunalley on the A9 Highway.  Keep rolling South for 34.5 kilometres until you hang a left on Fortescue Road and 11 kilometres further on, Fortescue Bay is located at the end of this sometimes sketchy road.  When the rain is chucking down it can get slippery and the potholes will keep you interested.

No public transport available.  Hitching may be doable.

The actual start of the walk is located a few hundred metres back from the car park on the left up the road you drive in on.  

There is water, undercover bbq's and basic camping with showers and toilets near the car park.

DAILY MILEAGE:  

Day 1: 

Trackhead to Wughalee Falls Campsite. 8km

The first smidgen of the trail is a 'proper' muddy pad that chomps through tussock, open forest and along wooden duckboards.  The campsite is signposted to the left down a steep track and there are about 7 tent platforms.  Water from the nearby stream and a composting toilet.

Bare Knoll Campsite is another half kilometre along the trail after the Wughalee Campsite turnoff.

I heard it is quite the popular spot to camp and being a Saturday evening, staying there seemed like a dumb idea.  I had no company at Wughalee. 😊

Day 2:

Wughalee Falls Campsite to Cape Pillar and back again.  17km

I left my tent and kit and set off on the path to Cape Pillar.  You roll through the Munro Hut complex and then the trail turns into a wide, cruisey,  bicycle rail trail type path that seemed a very runable to me.  In fact I met quite a few lanky dudes and ladies with hydration vests looping the trail that morning.

Miles of duckboarding and heady ocean views lead to Cape Pillar where I plonked down for a feed.

Wughalee Falls Campsite to Fortescue Bay.  12km

After returning to Wughalee I packed up and grinded out the climb along the inland, seldom used track for a couple of kilometres to meet the new 'highway' and bowled along to the Cape Huay turnoff.  Even at a fairly late stage of the afternoon the popular out and back day hike track was full of traffic so I called it good and made my way back to Fortescue and my vehicle.