Tasman Peninsula: Three Capes Track

General Information

Grading:  hard

Distance: 48.2 kilometers

                            Day 1 - 4.4 kilometers

                            Day 2 - 11.6 kilometers

                            Day 3 - 17.9 kilometers

                            Day 4 - 14.3 kilometers 

Total climb:   1,994 meters

                            Day 1 - 211 meters

                            Day 2 - 407 meters

                            Day 3 - 633 meters

                            Day 4 - 743 meters 

Time taken on track:   16 hours 20 minutes

                                           Day 1 - 1 hour 20 minutes

                                           Day 2 - 4 hours

                                           Day 3 - 5 hours

                                           Day 4 - 6 hours
Moving time on track: 11 hours

                                            Day 1 - 1 hour 10 minutes

                                            Day 2 - 2 hours 30 minutes

                                            Day 3 - 4 hours

                                            Day 4 - 3 hours 30 minutes

Start point map grid reference: 55G EN 69385 22514

Destination map grid reference:  55G EN 78364 22846

Dates walked: 4-7 December 2025

 

Day 1

 

This adventure actually started with a bus trip from Hobart to the Port Arthur Historical Site. After a few hours to look around at Port Arthur, we started the official Three Capes journey by a boat trip to the cliffs below Mount Brown and thence to our landing beach at Denmans Cove.

We walked along Denmans Creek for a short distance before taking to the track and walking the relatively short distance to our first night's accommodation at Surveyors, with occasional views across Port Arthur.

A spectacular view southwest towards Mount Brown and Cape Raoul can be had from the deck at Surveyors.

 

Day 2

 

Waking up early we continued along the track southwards towards Arthurs Peak, which proved to be a lot easier to climb than it looked from the boat on Day 1. From the peak we had views back to Cape Raoul and got our first glimpse of Cape Pillar.

 

Continuing from Arthurs Peak we walked eastwards through open heath full of seasonal wildflowers...

 

...before turning south back into forest on to Cape Pillar and our second night's accommodation at Munro.

 

Day 3

 We got up early to watch the sunrise.

Leaving our heavy overnight packs at Munro, we started walking with light day packs southeast towards the tip of Cape Pillar. This was a mix of walking through heath and along cliff lines.

Eventually we reached a side track to The Blade, a notorious narrow outcrop with sheer drops on both sides. I walked up until I felt uncomfortable, then turned around.

 

Eventually we reached the end of the track on Cape Pillar with its excellent views over to Tasman Island.

We returned to Munro the same way we had come, picked up our overnight packs and made our way to our third night's accommodation at Retakunna.

 

Thanks to our early start we were able to get there before the rain started. It lasted all night, accompanied by howling winds.

 

Day 4

 

The first challenge on Day 4 was to climb Mount Fortescue, which looms above Retakunna to the northeast. I think this was my favourite part of the track, passing as it does through some very pretty rainforest.

Continuing northeast along the cliff line from Mount Fortescue we came to an intersection, with the left heading to our final destination of Fortescue Bay and the right towards Cape Hauy. Leaving our overnight packs again by the trackside we headed towards Cape Hauy. Even without our overnight packs, this proved to be the most physically demanding section of the Track, with a series of steep ups and downs on uneven stone steps.

 

Eventually reaching the end of the Track at Cape Hauy, I observed seals basking on the rocks far below (so far that they looked more like slugs) and sea birds flying around the cliff face.

 

Turning around we then made our way back to the intersection and collected our overnight packs. We then continued on the track towards Fortescue Bay; a short distance, but made difficult by the level of exhaustion after the earlier sections of the day's walk. From Fortescue Bay we were bussed back to the Port Arthur Historical Site, and then on to Hobart.

Canberra Nature Park: Tuggeranong Hill

General Information

Grading:  easy

Distance:   9.4 kilometers

Total climb:   346 meters

Time taken:   2 hours 10 minutes
Moving time: 2 hours

Maps:   Tuggeranong 8727-3S 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   26.5 kilometers

Start point map grid reference: 55H FA 92169 74114

Destination map grid reference:  none

Dates walked: 21 November 2025

 

Route

 

Description

The walk started at Callister Crescent in Theodore. Inside the Reserve we followed a management trail to the northeast until we almost reached the Monaro Highway before turning around and heading back via the ridge we had just passed. There were some good views from the top of the hill.

 

Returning back to our starting point we did an anticlockwise loop around the base of Tuggeranong Hill.

 

Murrumbidgee River Corridor: Casuarina Sands to Knoll Lookout

General Information

Grading:  medium

Distance:   14.9 kilometers

Total climb:   451 meters

Time taken:   4 hours 30 minutes

Moving time:  3 hours 15 minutes

Maps:   Cotter Dam 8627-2N 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   22 kilometers

Start/end point map grid reference:  55H FA 77526 89718

Destination map grid reference:  55H FA 79969 84636

Dates walked: 31 October 2025 

 

Route

 

  

Description

This walk starts at the western end of the Casuarina Sands carpark and follows the Casuarina Sands to Kambah Pool section of the Murrumbidgee River Corridor track. For my part I was largely doing this walk to complete the last untrod section of the River north of Point Hut Crossing.

The trail begins at the end of the carpark and soon passes under the road bridge and heads south. Initially it is quite flat, following an alignment about 100-150 metres from the River. It then trends further away from the River, providing only limited views through the trees.

At two points along the track it deviates into private property over fences via stiles, with warning signs to stay on the track and not interfere with livestock. Not a difficult request, but we were bemused as to why these sections of track (which in some places followed the fenceline) were not constructed in the Reserve.

There are quite a few creeks to cross along the way, some of them bridged (the bridge over Bulgar Creek being particularly impressive, and as it turned out, a good place to have lunch) and others with steep steps down and back up again.

 

Just before our destination, the track veers left and through the fenceline once more. From here we could see Knoll Lookout in front of us.

 We climbed up to the lookout, which features elevated views of the Murrumbidgee in both directions.

 

We returned to our starting point by much the same route, stopping at Bulgar Creek for lunch.

Namadgi National Park: Horse Gully Hut

General Information

 

Grading: Medium

Distance: 17.6 kilometers
Total climb: 517 meters
Time taken: 4 hours 25 minutes

Moving time: 3 hours 35 minutes 
Map:  Colinton 8726-3N 1:25 000
Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:  80 kilometers
Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 81464 29033
Destination map grid reference:  55H FA 86626 33637

Dates walked: 2 September 2015, 24 October 2025

Route

 

Description

 

This walk starts at the Mount Clear Campground, just off Boboyan Road in the far south of the Australian Capital Territory. The walking trail follows management trails through the Naas Valley which are part of the Bicentennial National Trail. There are a number of points of interest along the track that are marked with numbered posts (there is a published guide that provides information on these points of interest, so it's a good idea to take it with you).

Leaving the campground the track passes through fairly open terrain, past the Mount Clear horse yards and with occasional glimpses of Naas Creek.

About 2 kilometers into the trail there is a bow in Naas Creek which means that it has to be crossed twice, or walked around. The first time I did this walk the water level was quite high so we decided to walk around the bow rather than try to ford the creek twice. This was quite heavy going through thick grass, and was a bit swampy in places, and we were probably lucky not to encounter any snakes. The second time I did this walk I was able to cross the creek with some deft rock-hopping.

The trail continues through more wooded terrain with a lot of climbing up and down.

About 7 kilometers into the walk the trail goes noticeably downhill with some moderately steep sections down to a grassy clearing and Horse Gully Hut.

 

 

The hut itself is a comfortable place to have lunch, with amenities including a table and chairs.

I returned to the Mount Clear camping ground the way I'd come, but on my second walk (October 2025) took a short side-trip along the way to the Demandering Hut ruins. This hut was destroyed in the 2020 bushfires and sadly I never got to see it.

 

Googong Foreshores: Gelignite Crossing via London Bridge Arch

General Information

Grading: moderate
Distance:  11.5 kilometers
Total climb:  470 metres
Time taken:  3 hours
Moving time: 2 hours 25 minutes 
Map:  Hoskinstown 8727-2S, 1:25 000
Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:  40 kilometers
Start point map grid reference:  55H GA 04782 67958
Destination map grid reference:  55H GA 07377 67642
Dates walked: 26 September 2025

Route

 

Description

The starting point for this walk is the London Bridge carpark at the end of London Bridge Road, about 3.4 kilometers from Burra Road.

We started off by following the trail to London Bridge Arch.

 

From there we continued along a management trail to the north and followed a few turnings to reach Gelignite Crossing on the Queanbeyan River.

 

 

Rather than retrace our steps back up the hill, we headed south and then east through the bush and eventually found the management trail once more. When we reached the North Urialla Fire Trail we headed south into the Burra Nature Reserve before turning west towards London Bridge Homestead.

 

 From there we headed north back to our starting point.

Canberra Nature Park: Palmerville and Gold Creek

General Information

Grading:  easy

Distance:   14.6 kilometers

Total climb:   152 meters

Time taken:   2 hours 20 minutes
Moving time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Maps:   Hall 8727-4S 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   10.3 kilometers

Start point map grid reference: 55H FA 87709 99827

Destination map grid reference:    Palmerville 55H FB 89814 01432

                                                       Gold Creek 55H FB 89626 03881

Dates walked: 17 September 2025

 

Route

 

Description

This walk started at the McDermott Place carpark on Lake Ginninderra, for no other reason than to make the walk as long as possible. From there I headed to Ginninderra Drive, which I followed to the bridge before turning north and following Ginninderra Creek to the Palmerville Heritage Park.

 

I took a stroll through the Heritage Park and then continued along Lake Ginninderra until the Barton Highway. From there I went through the Gold Creek village area and stopped at one of the excellent cafes there for a rest before heading back to the starting point by much the same route.

Canberra Nature Park: The Pinnacle and Kama

General Information

Grading:  easy

Distance:   12.2 kilometers

Total climb:   367 meters

Time taken:   2 hours 35 minutes
Moving time: 2 hours 12 minutes

Maps:   Canberra 8727-3N 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   9.4 kilometers

Start point map grid reference: 55H FA 86284 96432

Destination map grid reference:  55H FA 83460 95004

Dates walked: 19 August 2025

 

Route

 

Description

This walk starts at the parking area off Springvale Drive near De Salis Street. From there I walked southeast and then southwest around the edge of The Pinnacle Reserve. At map reference 55H FA 85379 96011 I turned off down the track linking The Pinnacle and Kama Nature Reserves. Passing under William Hovell Drive through the underpass, I walked roughly southwest down as far as the Molonglo River.

 I did some further exploring around the river and a bit downstream...

 ...before heading back to the underpass and the beginning of the link trail. From there I turned left and completed a loop back to the starting point via The Pinnacle itself.