Fluted Cape Walk
South Bruny National Park
Directions - Located on South Bruny Island near the small hamlet of Adventure Bay, the Fluted Cape Walk can be reached by driving south along Bruny Island Main Road until you reach the left turn for Adventure Bay Road. Follow this, passing through Adventure Bay to the small car park on your left, just before the main car park for Bruny Island Cruises. The trail head is located next to the path down to the beach.
The Hike - Often touted as one of the best walks on Bruny Island, and a popular place to visit because of that, the Fluted Cape Walk was a hike I was very much looking forward to. With a whirlwind trip to Bruny Island coming to an end, I had four trails I wanted to get done on my last full day on this lovely part of Tasmania. Having enjoyed walking through the rainforest on the Mavista Nature Walk and scaled the highest point of Bruny Island on Mount Mangana, I was ready to experience the coastal cliffs of Fluted Cape.
After stopping in at the Adventure Bay General Store for a quick bite to eat for lunch, I was looking around Adventure Bay and thinking I should have stayed here instead of near The Neck. With sunny skies and a nice temperature, this felt like a pretty idyllic spot for a holiday, and having a name like Adventure Bay adds to the fun. After lunch I drove the short distance from the main part of town to the trail head, and got thoroughly confused in the process. Given the time of year, things were busy and I didn't see the information sign thanks to the car park being full. Having driven into the Bruny Island Cruises car park, despite the warnings that this was not the place to park for the Fluted Cape Walk, I followed a dead end before doubling back. Getting a park on the side of the road, I eventually figured out where the walk started from and set about getting my gear together.
After having a short read of the information board, I headed down the small dirt track to the beach, which is a great start to the walk. As soon as you step onto the beach, the beauty of Adventure Bay hits you in the face, with the turquoise waters, distant hills and a narrow beach making for an excellent scene to photograph. The start of the walk sees you meander along the sand until you reach the forest lining the edge of the water. As I said before, this is a really pleasant start to proceedings, although a little strangeness crept in when I spotted the largest jellyfish I'd ever seen, just floating a couple of metres from the shore. These turned out to be Lion's Mane Jellyfish and some were the size of a small exercise ball, just bobbing up and down in the water. Deciding that perhaps a swim wasn't the best idea, I kept walking along and was in awe of these floating giants.
Reaching the end of the small beach section, you follow the signs and climb up to join the main path leading off to Grass Point. At this stage you haven't entered South Bruny National Park and at the time of my visit, there was some recently built accommodation just off the main track that kind of takes you away from the nature experience. It's a slight infringement on the walk but it isn't long until both sides of the wide track are surrounded by beautiful thick trees. Walking along the edge of the water, the combination of thick tree trunks, azure waters, distant hills and an endless horizon made this part feel pretty special. I passed a family out for a hike and they were fascinated by the Lion's Mane Jellyfish in the water and because I had a backpack on, with a camera in hand, they assumed I knew everything about nature. Asking about whether the jellyfish stung or not, I offered words of caution against swimming with them and post hike research indicated that you do not want to swim with them.
Leaving the family behind, I reached the blue wooden signs that tell you the path ahead is within South Bruny National Park. Excited by this prospect as it meant nothing but fantastic nature ahead, I soon came across the decision point for all loop trails, clockwise or anti-clockwise. To the left (clockwise) takes you to Grass Point before climbing up to the Fluted Cape, while right (anti-clockwise) takes you directly up to the summit of the Fluted Cape. I was enjoying the walk along the edge of Adventure Bay, so decided to continue on this path, a decision that I feel makes for a better hike later on. Continuing on, the walking was excellent as little rocky beaches started appearing down by the water. I stopped at a couple and loved the views across the water, along with the enormous trees growing right along the edge of the bay. After passing some of the thickest trees, including one that had a few large limbs detach themselves recently, I entered the She-Oak section of the walk.
Reminding me of the area past Hazards Beach on the Wineglass Bay Loop, I enjoyed the contrast between the gloomy oranges of the She-Oak needles and the bright blues of the shallows behind them. Reaching the rocky beach of Grass Point, I took the small detour off to experience the open views across Adventure Bay before re-joining the track as it started the long and sometimes steep climb up to the summit of the Fluted Cape. Rounding a corner, the hike completely changes character from a gentle stroll along the bay, to a rocky and hilly affair. The proper climbing begins right next to what feels like a small cove when you see it from the track but is actually a gap between the main island and Penguin Island. Here I was blown away with the volume of jellyfish that had gathered here with probably thousands of them just bobbing away. Beginning the ascent, the She-Oaks returned in great numbers and provide a carpet of soft needles to walk on as you start to gain elevation.
The track is narrow in places and with a steep drop off to your left, care must be taken if you're not the most confident hiker. This is the theme for most of the climb as there is a degree of personal responsibility to make sure you don't fall off the cliff. To aid navigation there are a series of wooden posts with orange markers on them, and given the ambiguity of some of the track, are necessary. Clapping eyes on the protruding face of the Fluted Cape for the first time was really cool and brought a smile to my face. That view really amplifies this hike above the other coastal walks on Bruny Island, and the dramatic cliffs set against the endless ocean beyond provides some lovely photographs. Along with that main view, the scenery looking straight down is pretty gnarly, made a bit more exciting by the steep drop if you get too close. At times you get a clear view right down to the base of the cliffs and while I visited on a relatively calm day, I imagine things can get pretty wild down there when the waves are pounding away.
After an initial steep section to reach the amazing views, the track levels off a little bit. This is only a small respite while you take photos and enjoy the stunning vistas before the gradients pick up again. Rounding a corner, the views start to change as the dolerite columns of the Fluted Cape disappear and you start to look back down at Penguin Island, looking more like an island now you can see it from above. Dotted along the edge of the track, you can see various rocky columns and lone boulders rising up and defying the forces that seek to tear them down into the water below. At this stage I was playing a little game of cat and mouse with another group of hikers, overtaking them when they stopped for a break, then having them overtake me as I stopped at various points for photos. With so many little viewpoints, I was taking a lot of photos, thinking every angle was amazing. Reaching ever higher, Penguin Island was starting to look tiny compared to when I saw it at ground level, and I was pleased to be able to see off to the Tasman Peninsula, where I had hiked a couple of weeks earlier on the Cape Raoul Track.
The climbing after the flatter section is some of the toughest of the hike, with the gradient averaging 27.5% for 500m, topping out at close to 40% in places. It's a good workout for the calves but with the aforementioned quantity of viewing spots, taking a break is most likely going to happen anyway. Rounding another corner, this final stretch leading to the summit provides some of the most awe-inspiring views, with the backdrop being the expansive blue of the ocean looking across to where New Zealand is located about 1700km away to the east. The track flattens out along here, allowing you to enjoy the views without burning legs. There are plenty more little side trips to get close to the cliffs (again, care must be taken in windy conditions) and if you look close enough, you might be able to see where climbers have setup their ropes on certain pillars. Along with the views, I was impressed with the quality of the forest up here, something I was expecting considering the exposed nature of the terrain, along with how rocky it is. It's a much more visually appealing forest then the She-Oak you get on the climb up, and the contrast between the thick trees and the wide open space on each side of the track made for some nice photos.
There is one last climb to reach the summit, marked by a blue sign pointing you into the forest and the descent back down to Adventure Bay. At this point you are about 270m ASL and the 1.7km climb from Grass Point is more than worth it for the views you get along the way. Not wanting to pry myself away from this final stretch, I had a short break on the edge of the cliffs and really soaked it all in. Looking across to The Neck, down at the forest at the base of the cliffs and over the deep blue of the ocean, it was one of those times I truly appreciated in the moment how lucky I am to be able to do this. With one more hike to do for the day, and a long one at that, I re-joined the track and followed the sign back down to Adventure Bay. As the old saying goes, what goes up must come down, and the way down was a really pleasant end to the hike. Rather than being a means to an end, the forest through here is stunning, with lots of mature trees combining with summer wildflowers to create a wonderful experience. Winding down the side of the hill, I was hoping for some uncommon wildflowers or orchids like I had found on Cape Raoul or the Labillardiere Peninsula Circuit but had to be content with Silver Banksia, Purple Flags and a few others that I had already seen on this trip.
A spectacular view that I really enjoyed through here was when Adventure Bay can be seen through the tree line and you get an array of tall trees with the water in the background. The descent down does feel like it takes forever but given you have drop a bit of elevation, it's not going to be a short stroll from the summit. Reaching the end of the loop section, you follow the link track back to the beach along Adventure Bay, exiting the national park and heading back into civilisation. Taking plenty of the same photos I enjoyed on the way out of the large trees on the edge of the bay, I was thinking this really is a great walk from start to finish. Walking along the final beach section, I managed to get some better photos of the Lion's Mane Jellyfish that were closer to shore. One final oddity of the hike was seeing a group of people getting onto a boat all dressed in bright red robes. At first I thought they were a church group or cult but then it clicked that it was one of those boat where you get quite wet and the red costumes were for protection. A comical ending to a fantastic hike.
Final Thoughts – The Fluted Cape Walk was one that I had hyped up to be a stunning experience and it more than lived up to the hype.
Exploring a variety of scenery ranging from mature eucalyptus forest, gentle coastal scenery, rugged cliffs and stunning views, I put this up there as the best hike on Bruny Island and a must-do if you're visiting.
As I alluded to before, going clockwise is the best option as your gaze throughout the climb is always on the Fluted Cape or over the open ocean, whereas going anti-clockwise you get some of the best views first and then descending down you'll have to look back at the Fluted Cape.
Either way won't disappoint and this was another tick in my life box of great hikes. So much so that I've included it on my new 10 Best Day Hikes in Tasmania list.
Get out there and experience it!
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