Wednesday 8/11/2017 Boranup Karri Forest – Redgate Beach – Lake Cave
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos), Sue Davies (Report)
Today saw us driving through a Karri forest, walking another small section of the Cape to Cape Track at Redgate Beach and taking a guided tour through Lake Cave.
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Wednesday 1/11/2017 Rottnest Island
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos), Sue Davies (Report)
Located 19km off the West Australian coast to the west of Freemantle, Rottnest Island (“Rat’s Nest”) was named after the small native marsupials called quokkas (Setonix brachyurus) found here by Dutch sailors over 200 years ago. It is also home to sea lions and seals, native birds and three endemic tree species. Human settlement dates back at least 30,000 years when then island was still connected to the mainland. Continue reading
Sunday 12/11/2017 Mount Hallowell – Lights Beach – Wilson Head
Denmark, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Minang country
Participants: Ian Cockerill, Junko Cockerill, Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies, Dave
At Ian’s suggestion we found ourselves in Denmark for a couple of nights. He and Junko driving down from Perth for the weekend to stay with friends in the next street and to join us for a local walk with Dave. The weather in Denmark was overcast and decidedly cooler than the rest of the weather we had previously encountered on this trip. This made for much more comfortable walking conditions. Continue reading
Monday 13/11/2017 Isthmus Head – Bald Head
Torndirrup National Park, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Minang country
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies
The online description of this walk as a challenging 6 hour 12.5km return trip along the undulating spine of Flinders Peninsula we found to be inaccurate. It took us four hours in total and it was described as suitable for “hardcore bushwalkers with steep and difficult terrain”. It would be a shame if this summary dissuaded people from enjoying this very pleasant and scenic half day walk.
4/11/2017 – 10/11/2017 Cape Naturaliste – Margaret River
Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Wardandi country
Distance: 78km Total Ascent: 2320m Total Descent: 2340m
Time: 25 hours
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos), Sue Davies (Report)
The Cape to Cape trail is located in the South West corner of Western Australia and predominantly follows the coast through the magnificent Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park. It offers stunning coastal scenery, crystal clear waters, an abundance of wildlife and wildflowers in spring. Access to the track by public transport is limited but private providers are available for pick up and drop offs for a fee.
The walk is not a true wilderness walk as it passes through several towns where supplies can be obtained and road access is possible to many sections of the track. Continue reading
Tuesday 31/10/2017 Swan River – Kings Park
Perth, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Wajuk country
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report)
As this was our first trip together to Western Australia, with the help of our hosts Ian and Junko we decided on an orientation to Perth walk. From South Bank we followed the Swan River eastwards where we crossed at Windan Bridge (Graham Farmer Freeway). The bridge was well designed for pedestrians with the walkway below road level, providing a safe shaded passage for walkers. Our timing was fantastic, as we saw several dolphins swimming upstream and under us and the bridge from our vantage point. Continue reading
11/12/2017 – 15/12/2017 Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail
Flinders Chase National Park, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Karta pintingga
Distance: 81km Total Ascent: 1270m Total Descent: 1180m Time: 23 hours
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos), Sue Davies (Report)
The Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail (KIWT) opened in October 2016. It offers walkers access to many of the key features within Flinders Chase National Park. The trail is of a high quality with good signage and excellent campground facilities, elevated camping platforms, large cooking shelters with sinks and running water.
The KIWT website has good information about the various ways to do the walk as well as transportation options. The campground even offers a service to move packs between campsites to eliminate the need to carry a heavy pack.
Key features include encounters with the unique wildlife of the island, stunning coastal scenery, the amazing Remarkable Rocks and limestone caves.
As a huge anniversary treat we stayed at the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Retreat and were transported each day to beginning of the trail and picked up at a prearranged point. This was done for us individually so we did not need to walk with a large group. Continue reading
Sunday 28/05/2017 Wattle Ridge – Troys Creek – Emmets Flat
Starlight Trail, Nattai National Park, NSW
Gundungurra country
Participants: Penny Ackery, Mel Ardern (Leader), Stephen Davies (Photos), Sue Davies (Report), Ron Hutchings, Max McLean
This walk is accessed via Wattle Ridge Road from the small township of Hilltop. It is a circuit partly off track with some scrambling, bushbashing and track negotiation required. There is a picturesque lookout above the valley of Troys Creek and some impressive sandstone cliffs with bellbird songs in the background along the valley floor.
23/03/2017 Martial Glacier
Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Patagonia, ARGENTINA
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos), Sue Davies (Report)
The Martial Glacier is only a few kilometres from the city centre of Ushuaia and offers a pleasant half day walk with good views back to the coast and Ushuaia. It is possible to walk from the town but we drove up to the chairlift at the base of the walk. Continue reading
24/3/2017 Lake Lapataia – Lago Roca – Cerro Guanaco
Tierra del Fuego National Park, ARGENTINA
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos), Sue Davies (Report)
The Cerro Guanco trail is the longest of the day walks in the Tierra del Fuego National Park near Ushuaia, Argentina. The walk promises outstanding views of the Fuegian mountains and peat bogs and on this occasion it did not disappoint. The park is twelve kilometres outside of Ushuaia and we drove our hire car to the trailhead. Bus transport is available from Ushuaia. Continue reading
1/03/2017 – 11/03/2017 The O Circuit
Torres del Paine National Park, CHILE
Distance: 196km Total Ascent: 9100m Total Descent: 9100m Time: 73 hours
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos), Sue Davies (Report)
The Torres del Paine circuit, otherwise known as “The O Circuit”, is considered one of the world’s truly great treks. The route includes the shorter “W” Circuit, side trips to the iconic towers or “Torres”, the beautiful Valle Frances, crossing over the Paso John Gardner and the expansive Grey Glacier. The walk is situated in Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park, at the southern tip of the South American continent, in the area known as Patagonia. The park sits on the edge of the Southern Patagonian ice field, the largest sheet of ice in the southern hemisphere outside of Antarctica.
The start of the walk can be reached from the southern town of Puerto Natales with regular buses travelling to the park during the walking season from late November to late April. Direct flights to Puerto Natales are available twice weekly from Santiago with Sky Airlines. Continue reading
30/04/2017 Yarramummun Fire Trail – Boolijah Creek
Ettrema Wilderness, NSW
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos), Sue Davies (Report)
Steve and I had decided a return trip to Boolijah Creek was in order as we had really enjoyed it when we did it four years ago. Time seemed to have dulled our memories of how tough it was!
The start of the walk is located on a small side track off the Yarramunmun Fire Trail, which is accessed via the Nerriga road. Apart from a stroll in along the fire trail the walk is completely off track with no defined path. The clamber down the creek gives good views of cascades and waterfalls, the most pleasant being the large pool at the lowest section of the creek reached on the walk. Continue reading