Bushwalking: Cape Raoul, Tasmania

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“The walk out to Cape Raoul is one of the highlights of the Tasman Peninsula”

Day Walks Tasmania

This is a great day walk based in the Tasman National Park about an hour and a quarter out of Hobart. The objective is Cape Raoul at the southern tip of the peninsula and there are great views along most of the path, featuring some impressive coastline and rock formations. The cape itself feels quite isolated – apart from the birds and the sounds of waves it’s very quiet and secluded.

For this walk, I used the track notes from “Day Walks Tasmania” by John and Monica Chapman which were useful and accurate. The path itself is well formed and reasonably easy to follow for the whole distance, in some places though it skirts very close to the cliff edge and there are no safety barriers so take care. It starts in farmland but soon gives way to bushland and then exposed coastal heath. Near the very end of the track at Cape Raoul the track splits – it’s worth following both branches to take in all the vantage points – the track to the right provides a bit more room to stop for a break or lunch (the one to the left ends rather abruptly at a cliff edge). From the cape it’s back the same way.

Overall, another recommended Tassie walk.

Walk date: 6th March 2010
Time/Distance: Around 4.5 hrs / 13.6km
Grade: Moderate day walk
Map: TASMAP Raoul (1:25,000)
My rating: B+

Waterfall Bay and Tatnells Hill, Tasman National Park, Tasmania

“The spectacular coastline around Eaglehawk Neck is a popular tourist destination … less known is the Tasman Coastal Trail which heads south from these formations to the even taller cliffs around Waterfall Bay”

Day Walks Tasmania

This is a very enjoyable half day or so walk based in the Tasman National Park about an hour and a quarter out of Hobart. It takes in Tasmans Arch and Devils Kitchen as well as some spectacular coast line and great views. I used the track notes from “Day Walks Tasmania” by John and Monica Chapman.

The first section between Tasmans Arch and Waterfall Bay is along an upgraded track with plenty of lookouts and suitable safety fencing. From Waterfalls Bay it becomes a more traditional bush track and skirts quite close to the cliff edge in places with no barriers. As such it is suited to more experienced and careful walkers although I’d still grade it as moderate only. The views along this section are great, particularly from Morleys Lookout (take care here, it’s a long drop down the cliffs) and Tatnells Hill.

Well worth doing, the walk commences at the car park at either Tasmans Arch or Devils Kitchen (a couple of hundred metres apart) and is an out and back walk. Access from Hobart is via the A3 to Sorrell (the nearest town), then A9 towards Port Arthur and finally Blowhole Road (C338) to the aforementioned car parks.

Walk date: May 15, 2009
Time/level: Around 4 hours, moderate (approx. 11.5km)
Map: TASMAP 1:25,000 Tarrana, map in guidebook
My rating: B+