38km Run Through Freycinet National Park

I’ve dabbled in trail running but never fully dived into it. Over the last couple of months, I’ve had more time (and phenomenal trails) to focus on improving my running.

It was nearing the end of our two months living in Freycinet National Park I wanted to do something big, something that challenged me before we left. Recently I turned 38 and had been mulling over the idea of running 38km (23.6mi) to celebrate. The idea was a bit crazy since my longest run to date was 12km, a run I did in the last few weeks.

I was studying the trail maps to see what hikes I left to do on the peninsula. The only trail left to do was the farthest beach from our house, Bryan's beach. It was exactly a 38km round trip. I had my challenge. 

Up to the night before I wasn’t sure I was going to do it. But when I woke before dawn, I figured it was now or never.

The run started with a climb to the Wineglass Bay lookout. I had done this run several times, but starting in the dark gave my mind something new to focus on. 

The crisp morning air at the top had me feeling good. I flew down the other side of the saddle and across the peninsula to Hazards Beach. The next 1.25 miles was on the beach. Thankfully the sand was hard-packed. Around this point, a switch was flipped in my head. I went from maybe to 100% laser-focused on doing the whole thing. 

I stashed my day pack on Cooks Beach and ran the remaining 3 miles to the end of Bryan’s Beach, my halfway point.

On the return trip, the tide was starting to come in. The sand higher up on the beach was less firm. A slog. Back at my pack, I took a 5-minute break to eat all my snacks. The tide was even higher now on Hazards Beach. My legs were starting to burn.

I took the Hazards Beach Track, a slightly longer way back, to make my route 38km. This track is also more scrabbly with small ups and downs. It was starting to get hard to control my speed on downhills, which was freaking me out a little. But I had done this route many times and thankfully knew the terrain.

The last half mile on this trail stretched on for eternity. It was feeling like days. My lungs were burning along with my legs. Then the meticulously groomed Wineglass Bay Track appeared. All downhill to home. I was glad the parking lot was clear cause I was too exhausted to stop for traffic. 

I got home and collapsed on the floor.

Links:

• My Route (Gaia GPS)

• Freycinet National Park

• Wineglass Bay Trailhead (Google Maps)

Mount Graham and Freycinet Summit

19 miles, 4,500 feet of elevation gain, and 2 summits. This is the hike I’ve been most excited about since we moved to Freycinet National Park. Between work and the shorter days, it’s been harder to actually squeeze into the schedule than I’d imagined. 

We headed off on the well-maintained track to Wineglass Bay. The beach is picturesque and the day is stunningly clear. After the beach, we climb up the much less manicured Penisula Track to Mount Graham. Rocks, roots, and a lot of vertical. Or, as I like to think, a lot more fun walking. We climb higher views begin to open up on either side of the peninsula. 

The track enters a long, flat, wet tarn field. Entering the bowl-shaped area feels remote even though I know we’re not all that far from the very popular Wineglass Bay. One more small climb and we tag the summit of Mount Graham. 

After a brief break, we drop down 600 feet into the saddle between the two peaks. Then up another 800 to the summit of Mount Freycinet. It’s slow going. The track up to Freycinet is closer to a scramble. But it’s definitely worth it. The views from the top are incredible.

Claiming the summit of Freycinet took longer than expected and we don’t linger too long at the top. After the scramble back down the trail becomes much more gradual. We had debated going back the way we came to make the hike shorter. But we're glad we didn't. The long way around turns out to be much faster walking. Especially after we get down to sea level at Cooks Beach. From here it is flat walking for the next 5 miles.

On Hardzards Beach we turn around and grab a golden hour view of Mount Freycinet. We even see a wombat running along the beach!

In the fading light, we walk along the Hazards Beach Track eventually returning home in the evening twilight.

Links:

• Freycinet National Park

• Route (Gaia GPS)

• Wineglass Bay Trailhead (Google Maps)

Scrambling Up Mount Parsons

Scrambling around on rocks is one of my favorite ways to hike. Especially, scrambling coupled with a choose your own adventure style route. And this hike you can do without climbing gear or difficult navigation challenges. 

As a disclaimer, this is not an easy hike. If the rocks were wet or frosty your day could go sideways fast. The exposed cliffs along the coast could drop off quite a ways. But on a sunny day, as we had, it made for an excellent time picking our way up the rocks to the top.

At the end of the short Sleepy Bay Track, we scramble up on the rocks and were greeted with a sign that warns us about the dangers of off-trail scrambling. The trail leading into the brush grows fainter and many side spurs appear. From here the fun begins. 

The track climbs about 1,000 feet over ~one mile of climbing. The strategy is to stay on the exposed rocks and avoid getting mired in the brush. We found it was easier to travel closer to the coast. This also gave us sweeping views over the Pacific.

At the summit, we have lunch looking out over Wineglass Bay, Mount Freycinet, and the endless ocean. A multi-day trip known as the Skyline Traverse can be made by continuing on to the summits of Mount Baudin, Mount Dove, and Mount Amos. Maybe another time.  

For us, it was back down more or less the same way we went up, along the steep coastal cliffs. We glance down and see the ocean churning. Dolphins! A pod of them was circling a school of fish. One-by-one they take turns jumping into the middle of the circle and feast. 

If you go:

• Freycinet National Park

• Route (Gaia GPS)

• Trailhead (Google Maps)

Living In Freycinet National Park

Heading into the slower winter travel season with the international borders still shut we got the idea to look for underused vacation rentals to rent. What we didn’t anticipate was to find one that was INSIDE a national park.

Freycinet National Park is one of the most visited parks in Tasmania. Home to the iconic Wineglass Bay and a network of trails crisscrossing the peninsula, we’ll have plenty to do right out our front door. Or maybe not do. Our rustic vacation home has a deck in the treetops overlooking Coles Bay. An ideal place to sit and relax. 

If living at the trailhead to all the trails on the peninsula isn't enough, there is also a small private beach for residents. And our rental comes with two kayaks. Also, a few small wallabies living outside 😍 Unbelievable. 

Mount Field National Park Weekend

One thing I love about Tasmania (and New Zealand for that matter) is the walking club culture. The vibe is similar to a casual community or church potluck, except with a bunch of hikers. Like the community potluck, the makeup of these groups spans all ages and abilities. 

From my experience, these types of large tent groups are rare in the US. Meetups have a similar openness but are too decentralized to achieve a strong community vibe. More formal groups often are hyper-focused on a specific activity, age group, or cause. Maybe it’s just like that in the midwest though 🤷.

Over the weekend, we went to Mount Field National Park with the Hobart Walking Club. The club has been around since 1929 and has over 800 members. Almost every weekend there is at least one trip planned. Each is organized by a leader and assigned a difficulty rating.

Our trip is an induction weekend for newcomers. There are day hikes each day and the best part is we get to stay at the private club hut near Mt Dobson. The hut has been mostly unchanged since the 1960s due to park regulations limiting the types of repairs the club can do. 

The first day we did an out and back hike to the Tarn Shelf to get views and see the alpine Fagus (beech family) bushes changing color for the autumn. 

The trail starts with a steep climb past the ski area and onto a ridge. After that, it’s a mix of walking on boardwalk and trails with expansive views into the wild, untamed western side of Tasmania. The changing color adds a pop to the scenery but compared to autumn in the deciduous forests of Wisconsin, it’s a bit of a letdown. 

The next day, after an evening cozying up next to the woodstove and talking with the other club members, we set off on a longer hike to Lake Webster & Lake Fenton. A short car shuttle is needed for this hike, but well worth it. These tracks are less traveled, through thick forest and underbrush. The going is slow, but it gives us a chance to chat as we go along.

About 4 miles in we find a pleasant spot to take a break near an open field. All seems fine for the first 5 minutes until an itching sensation hits our feet. Leeches! We pack up and get out there fast. Overall only 1 or 2 bites in the group, nothing like my trip to Ben Nevis years ago.

Near the trailhead, we find a rockier spot (not leech territory) to sit and look over the lake. On the way out of the park, we take the quick 10 min walk to Russell Falls before heading home.

Links:

• Tarn Shelf Hike (Gaia GPS)

• Lake Webster & Lake Fenton Hike (Gaia GPS)

• Lake Dobson Trailhead (Google Maps)

• Hobart Walking Club

• Mount Field Website

Leech Attack on Ben Nevis

It was a cold misty morning when a group of us decided to drive up to summit Ben Nevis. The “road” where the trailhead starts can scarcely be called that. More like an overgrown logging track that is just wide enough for a 4WD vehicle. There’s not even a real place to pull off, so if another party would come in they’d likely block you in.

Just as we’re approaching the trailhead our friend who organized the trip casually mentions that this area is in fact known to have “some” leeches. Yay. But I’m told they only come out when it’s misty and wet -- great…

15 minutes in to the hike my ankles start itching. Weird, but i’ll keep walking. 10 minutes later they are really itching. I look down (I shouldn’t have looked down), there are at least a dozen leeches on each ankle. I frantically start ripping them off (the itching increases by factor of 10). I’m told not to stop as more will just get on me. Sound advice as the ground is literally MOVING with leeches. Holy. Shit. The “good” news is that if we walk fast and get out of the forest there will be no leeches on the rocky top. I walk fast.

We break through the forest line and everyone stops to remove the leeches the second we get onto the rocks and we continue the misty march to the top. There are no views but walking through the mist above the tree-line has its own eerie beauty which I quite enjoy. When we reach the top we take off our shoes, ring out our wet socks and remove a few leech stragglers.

We hang out at the top hoping for a break in the clouds but one never comes. As the mist comes and goes we get views below us and it’s surprising how high we climbed from the tree-line. Heading back down the mist get thicker and it takes a second to locate the saddle we climbed up on. Once we find our trail it’s every person for themselves as we race through the leech infested forest.

I’ve never been so happy to see the car.

If you dare to go:

• Ben Nevis TH

Meander Falls & Split Rock Circuit

Ringing in the New Year by… surprise… hiking! Tassie is really great for day hikes and there are a lot of them within an hour or two of Launceston where our family lives.

Today we are heading to the Western Tiers to do the Meander Falls and Split Rock Circuit.

The first part of the trail to Meander Falls follows the Meander River up to the falls. The tread is rocky but easy to follow. As we went up the trees started to thin and we got peeks of the falls in the distance.

At the base of the falls there is a small pool, which if it was warmer would be nice for a swim/soak. The falls themselves are quite dramatic and much larger than I had anticipated. Cool.

The map indicates that the trail continues up to the top of the tier behind the falls but there isn’t any evidence of the track. We tried in a few places to locate the trail but with no luck. If you were determined it would be doable to get up to the top but it would be slow going as it is very steep here.

To head back via the Split Rock trail we headed down the trail we came up about ⅓ of a mile. There is a sign at the trail junction (somehow we missed it on the way up). The faint trail heads over the river which is easy to rock hop across but recent rains could change that so keep that in mind.

After crossing the river the trail heads up a scree slope. Cairns can help guide you but it’s fairly easy to see where to go (aim for the saddle at the top of the scree). There are great views from the saddle. We chose not to scramble up Meander Crag but it could make for a quick side trip.

Heading down the other side through a smaller scree field we were able to follow the cairns and pick up the trail as it entered the forest. The forest is much more lush on this side and we passed numerous small cascades and falls along the way down.

Make sure you take the longer more winding trail vs the “main” Split Rock trail to see these. The trails rejoin shortly after the falls and eventually the aptly named Split Rock is reached. The trail became less steep as we got closer to the car.

A really nice walk with a little of everything: Dry(ish) forest, falls, scree scrambling, long views and rainforest.

If you go:

• Meander Falls TH

• Hike Map: Caltopo / Gaia

Cradle Mountain Summit

I’ve wanted to summit Cradle Mt for the last 8 years (ever since my in-laws moved to Tasmania) but every time we visit it’s either 1. Winter or 2. Storming. Finally this time around we have a good weather window.

It’s peak season so we had to take the shuttle in. The good news is that this allowed us to start and end from different trailheads.

We got dropped off at the Ronny Creek trailhead and started walking on the Overland Track (sidenote: someday I want to do the full overland track, 51 miles to Lake St Clair to the south). It’s late December but it was a chilly start as the trail steadily climbed up to Marion’s Lookout. At one point I saw a snake on the trail, probably deadly, this country is horrifying.

From there the trail heads to Kitchen Hut and shortly after we turned onto to the Summit Track. All of these trails are very well travelled and heavily used. After some steep climbing the trail turns into scrambling for the rest of the way to the top. We had a blast on this part and some sections are fairly challenging. There is a main route most hikers take but at points it becomes a bit of a choose your own adventure -- awesome!

The views from the top are stunning, much of Tassie can be seen, mountains in every direction.

The way down is nitpicky. Scrambling down, IMO, is much freakier than going up. I wouldn’t want to be going down this in rain let alone ice or snow.

We headed back via Kitchen Hut and Marion’s Lookout and then took the Wombat Track back to Dove Lake to grab the shuttle back to the park entrance. If you have the time I’d recommended taking Face Track at Kitchen Hut to the Lake Rodway Track and out that way. Overall it’s longer but you get to stay high for the views for more of the hike.

• If you go:
  Ronny Creek TH (start) / Dove Lake TH (end)

• Hike Map: Caltopo / Gaia

• Main Visitor Center (Shuttle Pickup/drop-off, entrance fee payment)

• Cradle Mountain Website