Cape Deslacs Two 2018

We attempted this walk back in June and due to cold, wind and horizontal rain, I called it off. Today is our second attempt and the weather was perfect and very warm for the time of year.

We travel to Clifton Beach, parking off Bicheno Street.

Ready for the off

We head to the beach, turning right to make our way down to the Surf Club for Morning Tea. There is a bit of surf and some board riders are taking advantage of it. However, every time I point the camera and get focused for a photo, they fall off!

Looking west

East and Cape Deslacs

We're heading away from the Cape and will sneak up behind it by another route.

Surf's up!

We reach the far end of the beach, heading up to a couple of picnic tables for our break.

Leaving the beach...

...for Morning Tea

Tea finished, we head into the interior of Clifton Beach. Our path takes us through a small park onto a path leading between the houses. We're heading towards Pipe Clay Lagoon.

Shortly after we enter the path, a woman calls out from her back garden, asking who we are. She was pleasant, but to cut a long story short, she claims we're walking on a private path which belongs to the Clifton Beach Community or some such thing. There were no signs or fences at the end we entered.

After a chat, we continue on our way. Since than I've had a look at the map and there is a path shown there that appears to be public.

Anyway, we reach Pipe Clay Lagoon, heading east along the shoreline.

Heading east along Pipe Clay Lagoon

Pipe Clay Lagoon

We're heading to the turn off that leads to the car park. When Tas took us on this walk last year, we turned off the road and went off track for a little distance until we reached the track we want to take us to the top of the Cape.

Since than, it has grown up and become wetter, so I decide to continue along the access road and take the track from the junction with the road.

Wetter and more overgrown since our last walk here

As Spring has just sprung, many flowers are appearing.

We turn off into the track leading up.

We turn left here

A pleasant walk through the bush on a sandy track leading gently up.

At the top, we keep left along the top of the seaside cliffs.

Soon, we reach a fence and a stile leading to an open, grassy area.

We cross the stile (fairly elegantly) and continue on.

How to cross a stile with style

A glimpse of Clifton Beach in the distance

The area along the top of the cliffs is public, soon a fence appears to show the boundary

There are many spots giving a view over the edge to the water, and there are some interesting features.

A natural window

We continue on. I know the public area stops in the distance,as the northern end is private property.

Views in all directions

The public area is fenced off now

Looking back

At one spot we get a view of a blowhole in the distance.

The land drops off steeply on our right hand side.

As we come in sight of the end of the reserve, we can see a large mob of sheep that appear to be on our side of the fence. We don't want to cause any problems as there is no fencing on the cliff top and if they panic they could go over, so we turn around, making our way back across the stile to find a good spot for lunch.

I had a walk around the area during lunch so no photos. After we finished we head back, passing where we originally came up. I'm looking out for a track onto the cape, as I've not walked there before.

On the way, someone points out the first orchid of the season.

I find the track we want and on we go. So far on the walk, we've not seen any wildlife. As soon as I start on this new track a lizard scurries across in front of me, too quick to photograph.

A few steps later and I can see something moving in a bush in front of me. I stop and motion to the others to wait until I have a look. As I suspected, it was an echidna which promptly stopped and went into a defensive pose.

A fairly small echidna just beside the path

On we go and the top of the cape is one big muttonbird rookery. Luckily, the burrows are not inhabited at the moment.

Top of the cape

Typical muttonbird burrow

What's a muttonbird? I hear you ask. It's a Shearwater and a food source for Tasmanian Aborigines. If you want to know more, CLICK HERE to read the Parks & Wildlife description and CLICK HERE to have a look at the uses and recipes for the yolla.

 Wayne tells me I have to have a muttonbird if I want to call myself a Tasmanian.
I'll let you know the results when I do.

We make our way back to the main path, passing a still hiding echidna, and continue down to the viewing platform overlooking Clifton Beach.

Going down

Clifton Beach with Watsons Hill in the distance

We had 17 walkers and covered 9.62km in 3:41hrs. Perfect day for a walk.


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