Hiking Tasmania’s beautiful South Coast track – and how to survive it

The South Coast track is not like the Overland track, Tasmania’s most popular walk. There are no huts and it’s not guided. We would be cooking all our own food, carrying our gear the whole way and carrying out all our rubbish.

The only access to the starting point at Melalueca is by light plane. A false start on day one – the fog was too thick for the plane to land – made it clear why most hikers choose to fly in and walk out rather than the other way, risking getting stuck in bad weather waiting for a flight back to Hobart.

Some days you need to time the start of your day with low tide so the tide chart, printed from the Bureau of Meteorology site, is essential. With various creek, river and ocean point crossings, just trying to cross quickly doesn’t keep the water out of your shoes. Take them off – it’s worth it.

The Ironbound mountain rangesinclude a 3,000 foot climb that is steep, rocky and full of false summits. Start early to avoid full sunlight and when you reach the peak the sun burns through the clouds and reveals spectacular views of Tasmania’s rolling mountain ranges and stretching coastlines.

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