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Recreation
Great Bushwalks
South Coast Track - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) and Answers
Current June 2005
Introduction
The South Coast Track traverses the rugged and spectacular coastline of the South-West National Park, part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. The track is 82 km. Allow 6 - 9 days for the walk. In comparison to the Overland Track, it’s a harder walk, about 1-2 days longer, less frequently walked, so it’s better to walk the Overland Track first, or an equivalent. In one day, the track climbs from sea level to 950m, and descends to sea level again, so be prepared for hard days.
Being coastal, the temperature is colder in summer and warmer in winter than inland areas. The South Coast Track is exposed to the Roaring Forties westerly winds, which blow uninterrupted across oceans for more than half the diameter of the earth. The air and rainwater are pure, and the winds are powerful.
Do I need to get a permit to do the track?
No. Unlike the Overland Track, currently there is no permit or booking system for the Southcoast Track.
You just need a Parks Pass, which
can be bought online, or from any Park centre, e.g. the Mt Field Visitor Centre,
or the Huonville Parks Office (for phone numbers see Contact details below.)
The Parks Pass covers you for bush camping during your walk, and day visits,
but NOT camping in the road-access campsites with facilities (e.g at Cockle Creek);
these campsites usually cost extra. For prices and facilities at all National
Park road-access campsites, see Campground and Cabin
Fee Information, or phone 1300 135 513.
Which map do I need? What other literature is there?
The double-sided 1:100,000 scale map called 'South Coast Walks' is the best for the South Coast Track, the Port Davey Track and South West Cape. It shows all tracks, huts, landing strips, plus text on walking notes, heritage and safety information. If you've got this map it’s not necessary to get the topographic maps, as they don’t show campsites or tracks.
You can get the map from outdoor gear shops, and online at TasMap, or phone-order from 03 6233 7741.
The free booklet Essential Bushwalking Guide & Trip Planner,
and a notesheet on the South Coast Track, are available online or by phoning
1300 135 513
Guide books; the most comprehensive and up to date walking guide is John Chapman’s ‘South West Tasmania’, 1998.
Which way is best to walk, east to west or west to east?
Most people go West to East; Melaleuca to Cockle Creek. This direction is not necessarily easier or with better views, it’s because the plane flights are weather dependent, and you may prefer to wait out bad weather in Hobart, rather than in the huts at Melaleuca.
However, there are some benefits of walking in, E - W, and flying out. You can see the track from the plane, so its better to see it after walking it as you can see where you've been. It's best to do day walks at the end of your main walk, as then you know how many days you have spare. There is the option of some good day or 2-day walks near Melaleuca. The beaches towards South West Cape are lovely, or you may want to go to the lookout over Bathurst Harbour, and Melaleuca itself is interesting.
How many days do I need?
Allow 6 - 9 days, but take extra food. Allow extra time for being tent bound in bad weather, or injured, or relaxing by a beach, or side walks.
How do I fly to/from Melaleuca?
By Cessna light plane, to/from Cambridge Airport near Hobart Airport. There are
2 companies:
Par Avion, www.paravion.com.au, ph 026248 5390
TasAir, www.tasair.com.au,
ph 1800 062 900
From Hobart, buses occassionally travel to and from Cockle Creek. Visitors wishing to use public transport or tours to access the start of the walking track should visit our web page on Access to Tasmania's National Parks, Reserves and Walking Tracks.
Where do I register my walk?
You must register when you start, and sign out when you finish the walk. There are registration booths with log books at Cockle Creek, Melaleuca, and Scotts Peak Dam. Log books are only checked if someone reports you missing or overdue. Leave a trip plan with someone and plan to call them when you return. If that person doesn't get your call they can phone the police, who with the Rangers will check the log books, and initiate a search if necessary.
What gear should I carry?
It's essential to have a good tent, large waterproof raincoat, warm
sleeping bag, sleeping mat, fuel stove (the whole area is a Fuel
Stove Only area), thermal top & leggings, a fleecy or woollen jumper,
warm hat, broad-brimmed sunhat, map, water bottle, large strong plastic
bag to waterproof the inside of your pack, gaiters and worn-in boots.
It’s also essential to carry a trowel, for digging a toilet
hole for faecal waste only. (If possible, use the toilets, which
are 4 – 6 hours walk apart.) A full gear check list can be
found in the handy booklet Essential Bushwalking Guide & Trip
Planner, also available by phoning 1300 135 513.
What should I expect of the weather?
There's nothing predictable about coastal weather. It can be sunny when
you set out and raining by lunchtime. Be prepared for cold winds and
heavy rain at any time of year. In summer, don’t forget to protect
yourself from the sun; heatstroke is common. In summer it gets dark
at 10.30 pm, and in winter at 5pm. The average summer temperature at
nearby Maatsuyker Island is 14 deg. C. and winter is 10 deg. C. Refer
to When to Go.
Can I walk the track in winter? Or alone?
It’s possible (but not advisable) to walk the track in winter, or alone, as long as you’ve read the Essential Bushwalking Guide & Trip
Planner, have good equipment, thorough experience and are well prepared.
However, walking the South Coast Track in winter and alone is definitely not advised unless you have excellent preparation, and have experienced freezing winds and rains elsewhere.
How do I protect my food from wildlife?
To keep the wildlife wild, be very careful to guard your food against
scavenging wildlife. Use heavy-duty plastic bags, Tupperware plastic
boxes and plastic screw-top jars to hide the scent. Cook only the amount
of food you will eat. Washing-up water should be scattered widely,
well away from water sources. At night, store your food inside your tent,
well-wrapped up in the pack. Don’t drop food scraps, no matter
how small or decomposable, as it will unbalance the local ecology and
create unnatural scavengers of the local wildlife. When wildlife gets
used to eating our foods, they frequently chew holes in tents and backpacks!
What is Minimal Impact?
Minimal Impact Bushwalking techniques reduce environmental damage
caused by walking & camping.
Cinnamon fungus (Phytopthora cinnamoni), a disease that kills certain plants, is present on the South Coast Track. It is spread by soil, so please be careful to not transfer soil. Start the track with clean boots and tent pegs, and clean your tent pegs each time you take down your tent. Wash your boots and gaiters once a day in flowing creeks.
If there are no toilets nearby and you need to dig a toilet hole for faeces, dig 15 cms deep, at least 100m from flowing water. Bury faeces & toilet paper firmly so wildlife does not dig it up again. Minimise toilet paper as it doesn’t readily decompose.
Please remember that plants 'grow by the inch and die by the foot'. They are killed easily by too much trampling. Especially while on the alpine Ironbound Range, stand only on hardened surfaces. Stay on the track. Camp in formed campsites.
When cooking with a fuel stove, be aware it is hot enough to kill vegetation under it, so put it on a hardened surface. Don’t light a campfire unless it’s a location where campfires are obviously allowed.
Don’t drop litter, no matter how tiny, like bits of plastic wrapping, cigarette buts, orange peel. Please pick up any litter you see. For more detailed explanations, please view Minimal Impact Bushwalking.
Do I have to purify the water?
This is up to you. You can collect water from any of the creeks marked on the map. Collect flowing water up-stream from camping sites or huts. Gastroenteritis rarely occurs as the mountain water is very pure by world standards, however it does NOT have a zero coliform count. If the water may be suspect you should boil it for 3 minutes, filter it or add iodine or puritabs.
Track conditions
When crossing the Ironbound Range, note in one day the track goes from sea level to 1000 m above sea level, and back down again. It’s a very full day. Start from the campsite right at the base of the Ironbounds. The South Cape Range is half as high as the Ironbound Range, but equally difficult. Its a rough and muddy track. Start from the nearest campsite and expect a full day.
When you row across New River Lagoon you will find a boat on each side. Please leave a boat secured on each side, with oars, for the next person. If you're alone, you may find the passage difficult as the boats are quite heavy for one person to drag across the sand to secure to the cables. If alone, consider waiting till high tide so there’s less distance to drag the boats.
Be aware that the outlet of New River Lagoon will not be as the map shows, as the river has shifted its course across the shifting sand dunes. There may be temporary signs to show you a new route. The boats are still as the map shows, but east of the boat crossing you may want to wade across to the sand island marked ‘B’, as the original track hugging the river bank isn’t there any more.
There is no reliable fresh water at the campsite at New River Lagoon crossing. Most other creeks marked on the map are big enough to be flowing even in the driest time of summer. Note that there's no creeks for most of the Ironbound Range and the South Cape Range.
If you want to visit Osmiridium Beach, be aware that the turnoff is NOT obvious and many people walk past it. Look for a little path meeting the track.
At South Cape Bay, there’s no track down to South East Cape (the southernmost point of the continent.) There’s no point leaving the South Coast Track to reach it as it’s an impassable coastline.
When walking along narrow or rocky beaches at high tide, beware of large wave swells.
Current track facilities
Facilities at Melaleuca include the airstrip, 2 bushwalkers huts, a toilet and a rainwater tank. Cockle Creek has road access, a public telephone, campsites, fireplaces, toilets, and a small unstaffed information booth. There are no walkers huts on the track. Campsites are regularly spaced along the track, as indicated on the map. Each one has a pit or composting toilet.
Are the river crossings difficult?
Be careful. It’s safer to do it with others, or wait till the level's dropped. If crossing near the ocean, watch the waves for at least 15 minutes so you know the average maximum wave size. Walk side-by side with arms linked, so the upstream person breaks the flow of the water to protect the downstream people, and they support each other. Wear sandals or boots to protect your feet from rocks. If alone, find a strong stick for support.
Miscellaneous note
The Bass Strait Ferry and airlines do not allow you to bring flammable items such as fuel-stove fuel. Fuel bottles must be empty, cleaned and aired for 6 hours before flying.
Tasmanian Quarantine has strong protective measures to keep Tasmania disease-free. You cannot bring in fresh fruit or vegetables, or any organic material that is not commercially packaged and sealed. Regional centres sell very limited food or equipment, so buy it from Launceston, Devonport or Hobart.
Contact details
Huonville office of the PWS, ph 03 6264 8460
For further queries, please use our enquiries form.
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