Shipstern Bluff & Tunnel Bay 2020

Today we're making the long trip down to the Tasman Peninsula to do the tracks to Shipstern Bluff and Tunnel Bay. The last time we were here was back in 2018.

I had my doubts when I left home as it drizzled most of the way into Kingston, but we are going to the Eastern Shore and it's always good weather there, and it was.

We turn off into Stormlea Road to find it's under construction, looks like it will be paved in the future. We reach the parking area to find it's almost full, but Peter finds a spot he can squeeze into. There are now toilets here and it's obviously quite popular with the tourists.

The car park

You may remember from our last walk that Bob has one arm in a sling and must rely on others (Ron) to tie his boots.

Ron tying Bob's boots

You can tell from Peter's face that some interesting conversation is occurring between the two. I'll try and re-create it below.

Bob: "Right over left! Right over left! How many times do I have to tell you!"

Ron: "Sorry Bob, I thought you meant my right."

Bob: "I want double knots. Make sure you go left over right."

Ron: "No problem Bob."

Bob: "The ends of the laces aren't even!"

Ron: "Sorry Bob, I'll just get my scissors and fix that."

We'll leave the conversation there.

Everyone is ready and we head for the start of the track. We pass a rental camper that on the way in thought he was going to pass all the cars stopped for roadworks, only to find a large truck was coming his way.

They also rent this kind of camper

 

Start of the track

  A short way in, we reach a shelter that has information re the track and book to sign in and out. There is also a boot cleaning station with directions to put your boot under the metal cover and pump the rubber bulb next to you to spray the bottom of the boot to kill off anything that shouldn't be tracked into this area. Great. Except there is no chemical and it's a complete waste of time. There's an old chemical container tossed off into the ferns a little distance away. A complete waste of money.

Enough complaining, off we go.

Old track leading off

Lots of young gum trees

There are some parts of the track on duckboards but most of it is gravel.

There is a small bridge over this gully, but you can see the original log crossing in the bottom right corner

Bush flowers are out which is always good

We begin to talk about stopping for Morning Tea and start to mill about. As we do, a group of young women make their way through and one makes a comment that I didn't hear properly, but something like "Old, attractive and fit" or words to that effect. I only know that we gentlemen suddenly stood straighter while pulling in our stomachs.

We find a spot with a seat for our break before moving on.

It's not long before we come to a branch leading off to Cape Raoul. This will be for another day and is something to look forward to.

After a while, the track begins to head down and expose some views.

Our first view. Looking towards Shipstern Bluff and the hills beyond.

Farther down is a proper lookout with fence and seat

There was a family there with their 2 little girls taking in the view. Good on them, hopefully a couple of bushwalkers in the making.

The track starts dropping down via a number of stone steps leading down to switchbacks which continue taking us down a couple of hundred metres.

Looking back

Fascinating shapes and forms

Decision point. We choose Tunnel Bay for lunch

They were working on the track down to Tunnel Bay the last time we were here. Lets see what they did.

Another boot cleaning station

No chemicals involved and no explanation as to why it's here.

Oh goodie! They've made lots of poorly spaced steps

Down we go, I lost track of how many steps there are. After a while we reach the bottom and see our objective, Tunnel Bay.

Tunnel Bay

Looking for a lunch spot. There is a bit of a breeze at the moment. That large dark opening is the tunnel

Looking across the bay

Everyone finds their own spot.

Most shelter below me

Ron found a sunny spot just at the entrance

I found a natural seat that is just behind me.

Lunch finished, we head out of the bay in a slightly different direction through a dry wash.

Heading out of Tunnel Bay

Bob has assumed the lead and we're heading for that old track in the distance

We follow that track which leads to the original we came down, but bypasses some of the steps.

Now we make our way back to the Shipstern Bluff turnoff where we decide to walk in. I start to follow, but not having walked for a while, turn back as I know it's a steep climb up all those switchbacks and I want to get a head start so I don't hold everyone up.

Track heading to Shipstern Bluff

I'm making my way, slowly, up the track and meet a walker coming down who tells me there's "An echidna just behind the gum tree around the corner".  I thanked him and thought to myself that there are lots of gum trees around the corner. I needn't have worried as the echidna was very much in plain sight.

An echidna as promised

It could have cared less about me being there, it was busy trying to get a feed out of the crack in that rock. About this time Peter caught up with me, and I left him looking at our friend as I continued climbing.

I was getting near the top and as the photos below show, the sun was out and the water was blue. It was a beautiful day now.

Unnamed bluff

Looking back towards Shipstern and Tunnel Bay

I met a few walkers along the way heading in and greeted all with a cheery (for me) G'day! and all smiled and replied. All except for one group of about six I met on the little bridge I mentioned at the beginning. I said my usual greeting and all I got were stony faces and no eye contact.  I was tempted to just put my stick across the bridge and trip a few to get a reaction, but managed not to succumb to temptation.

About the Morning Tea spot I began to get my second wind and made my way back to the cars, no problem.

It's a beautiful area and obviously popular to tourists as it gives them a taste of the bush and great views.

We had 13 walkers and covered13.33km in 4:48hrs.