Trial Bay-Manuka Hills 2020

Today I'm taking the group from Trial Bay just south of Kettering around and about to the Manuka Hills Track and return.

Parking a the start of the track at Trial Bay, we set off around the headland.

Off we go

Looking south down the Channel

Woodbridge is around that point

The locals put in quite a pleasant path around the point to Kettering, replacing an older track.

A local

More colourful locals

We follow the track to a spot just before Kettering where there is access to a place where you can get your first look.

Down just off track to a viewing spot

Kettering Marina

Back on track

It's not long before we reach the end of the track at a street that leads down to the Bruny Island Ferry Terminal.

End of track

Heading down to the Marina

One of the new ferries

The new ferries require new terminal facilities on both sides of the Channel and are smaller but faster than the older ferries. Time will tell if this is a good decision.

Oyster Cove Inn

Leaving Ferry Road

We make our way down and head towards a footbridge over the creek just below Kettering Oval.

Really?

If it's that cold, we breed them tough down here

A bit of colour

We cross the footbridge and follow a nice track around the bush next to the Oval before stopping just below the highway for Morning Tea.

Morning Tea

Tea finished, we continue north to pickup Manuka Road.

Heading for start of D'Meure Track

Kettering from Manuka Road

We find the start of the D'Meure track and head down. Luckily the tide is out today so our feet stay dry. A raised section of the track has been constructed, but it's not quite high enough in a high tide.

As we walk, we find a turnoff that leads down to a mysterious brown box set just above the shoreline.

Despite inspecting it, its use isn't apparent. Perhaps something to do with the Kettering Incident in 1976 when a UFO landed on the shore of Little Oyster Cove which is this bay.

Mysterious brown box

On we go, following the track around to the place on the other side of Oyster Cove Point where it rejoins Manuka Road.

lml

Many good views along the way

Back to Manuka Road

We start looking for a lunch spot and find a path leading down to the foreshore. It's a bit rocky but most of us manage to find a seat.

Down for lunch

Ron spotted this extraordinary root system

Lunch at Oyster Cove

If only we'd gone a bit farther

 We would have had a sandy beach to sit on. Next time.

After lunch we continue on, looking for the turnoff to Warremar Way which will take us to the start of the Manuka Hills Track.

On the way we pass a couple of interesting features.

Old cabin. I had a look in the window and it appeared to be empty. There is a rear door that was open and possibly a coat hanging up next to it.

Next came some interesting fungi

Soon we come to the turnoff and start up.

Up Warremar Way

There is nothing Bob likes more than a friendly dog

We're walking a fence line below a property. There used to be horses here and I think it gave riding instruction but now appears to be a victim of the corona virus. No horses in sight, but they do have goats.

Friendly local goat

We turn to our right to follow the track through very dry and sandy bush.

Eventually, we reach Dough Boy Drive and head towards the Channel Highway.

House just opposite the entry/exit to the Manuka Hills track

Not a bad view looking north.

Channel Highway ahead

A distraction on the way down

We head left, heading south, back to Kettering.

South towards Kettering

We cut through the Kettering cemetery. I think the earliest grave spotted was dated 1835 or 1845.

One was obviously a St. Kilda Football club fan.

Up the Saints!

I know at least one of the group spotted the grave of distant a relative. There is a website that gives a list of (most) of the inhabitants and if you click on their name, a photo of the grave stone.

If you want to have a look, CLICK HERE

We make our way past our Morning Tea spot, through Kettering and back to Trial Bay and the cars.

Along the way, I found a perfectly good pair of shorts behind the crash barrier and farther on a really good Coles tee shirt, but no one was interested. 

We had 11 walkers and covered 13.31km in 4:53hrs