Little Deadmans Bay to Osmiridium Beach
South Coast Track
The Hike - With a monster day under our belts thanks to crossing the Ironbound Range, today would represent somewhat of an easier task but with 16.7km of hiking, it still wasn't going to be a casual stroll. Sleeping in a bit, the legs were feeling pretty fresh as I emerged from my tent and greeted the others. There was no rush today given the guidebook suggested about 13-14km of walking, with a couple of beach stretches that go a long way to increasing the average speed of any day.
Leaving camp early wasn't a big priority this morning, so I took my time packing up and ended up wandering around to explore the area a bit more. Given we didn't have too much time before dark to enjoy the campsite, I headed down to the main beach again to fill up my water bottle for breakfast and bask in the sunnier weather. Add in another visit to the rocky platform I watched the sunset from and this was a fantastic way to start my morning. With no rush, the others decided to have a hot breakfast, and as I was carrying the water boiling equipment, I savoured my protein shake instead, while getting my gear ready for final assembly. It seems almost everyone in camp was taking the same relaxed approach, with a large group of youths enjoying the start of a rest day here. As such, it was up to us to figure out the way out of camp, with everyone we talked to at the creek crossing near camp unsure of where to go. One downside of these expansive campsites is that they become a bit of a maze to figure out if you don't do some advanced scouting.
We knew the track left the pebble lined beach at some point but after walking to near the end and looking for a path into the forest, we were a bit dumbfounded as to where to go. I was busy photographing a Sooty Oystercatcher, so wasn't too fussed about finding an exit but eventually Bronwyn spotted a small cairn that might solve our problems, about halfway along the beach. The track leading off the beach isn't obvious at all but it was confirmed to be the right one when we passed a blue sign pointing to the campsite. The short section of fern-lined forest doesn't last long before you exit onto a boardwalk snaking through the buttongrass plains. This was a fantastic opportunity to gaze upon the Ironbounds for the first time from this perspective and it was a nice feeling seeing where we had come down the previous afternoon. Along with the Ironbounds, there were great views looking across to Pindars Peak and Pandani Knob to the east, and south towards the Southern Ocean.
I was happy being at the back of the train, photographing the wildflowers that line the edge of the boardwalk, and generally enjoying the sweeping vistas. After a bit of an up, followed by a gradual downhill, the boardwalk disappears into the forest once again. I took one last look at the great views, before brushing the thick vegetation guarding the entry passage and heading into the greenery of the forest. Greeting us not long after entering was another small creek crossing but as had been the case over the first three days, the water level wasn't very high. The rope provided suggests this might get a bit hectic after some rains but for us, it was a matter of using the exposed stones so we didn't even need to get our boots wet. The wooden steps on the other side looked super photogenic with all the ferns and moss growing everywhere, and this would be the experience until we reached the first of the two beaches we would walk along today, Turua Beach.
After less than a kilometre of nice forest filled with exposed tree roots, a bit of mud and plenty of ferns, we descended down and were soon on the sandy shores of Turua Beach. This would serve as the warm-up to the longest beach section of the whole track that was a bit further along, and initial impressions were positive. Having not done any beach walking since early on day two, it was a nice return to the coast. With only a kilometre of beach walking I decided not to remove my boots and with a hard surface to walk on near the water, this wasn't an issue. One thing I noticed straight away was the cool geological feature of a rock face extending diagonally up from the sand, I'm assuming due to being forced that way over many millions of years. It looked pretty cool to me, a simpleton, and as we walked along the beach, more interesting rocks appeared. Reaching a flat platform near the end of the beach walking, you skirt along the edge of it to access a sheltered bay where the track disappears off into the vegetation once again.
As we walked along the rocky platform, the sun decided to come out to play and this provided some much better lighting for the photos looking back along the beach and towards the Ironbounds. Stopping for a short break here, I was having fun photographing the seaweed covered rocks and the patterns on the platform. Spotting the marine debris that signals a beach exit, Bronwyn put on her shoes while Donovan and I took shelter from the summer sun under some nearby coastal vegetation. Donovan wanted to get some footage of us exiting the beach and after following a track that seemed correct, we looked back to see a bit of wooden decking leading directly off the beach that is hard to spot when you're standing on the sand. We had successfully exited the beach all the same and ventured along a fern lined path leading along the edge of the coastline. This was a different style of forest that we had walk through leading onto Turua Beach, with a more open undergrowth and a spaced out feel to it.
Rising up a small hill, it doesn't feel like you've climbed that high until you reach an opening in the tree line and get your first views looking back towards Turua Beach. With the sun still shining it looked a treat but there were better views ahead as the gradual ascent continued. This area turned out to be a good location for fungi and I spotted a few different varieties, with two making it into the gallery above. Along with the fungi, I spotted a few Tasmanian Laurels, something we decided not to rest on (I'm here until Thursday, try the dehydrated mango), flowering Silver Banksia and some Tasmanian Christmas Bells. As the track route takes you along the edge of the coastline, it wasn't too long until we got some more views, this time overlooking the cliffs below. Little gaps in the vegetation made for convenient lookouts that we all stopped at to take photos and gaze down upon the waves crashing into the jagged rocks below. There was even enough of a gap in the trees that the top of the Ironbounds could be seen through the canopy.
After meandering around for a little bit, slowly rising and falling with the contours, the track enters more temperate rainforest, complete with large old growth trees and many different shades of green colouring the undergrowth. Rising up a small hill to the 100m ASL summit, it doesn't feel like much of a hill (at least from memory), mainly because of how distracting the scenery is. Hoping we would get to walk through a decent amount of this type of temperate forest, I was not disappointed by this section at all. Reminding me of the excellent time I had exploring Corinna and hikes such as the Savage River Walk, Whyte River Track and Old Telegraph Hill. It's a bit of a cliché but I find this type of forest to hold a majesty to it, especially when there is overhead cloud cover and the lighting is just right. Coming from WA where the forests are mainly woodland in style, with the undergrowth being either minimal or extremely overgrown, depending on how long it's been since a fire, temperate rainforest just has a natural feel to it..
This is most likely because it's mainly left to its own devices, with fire coming relatively infrequently to this part of the world. Enjoying this lovely stretch, the best part was something Donovan mentioned he was looking forward to, a long moss covered log he remembered from a YouTube video. It was easy to recognise when we did come across it, with stairs carved into the end of the log, before you navigate your way along the semi-narrow passage it provides through the ferns. This was very reminiscent of Wirraway Bridge and Boarding House Bridge on the Bibbulmun Track and all of us agreed it was a pretty feature of the morning. Making things much more enjoyable were the large tree trunks dotted around place as we started to descend down to Prion Beach. Life got a little muddier and steeper as the track leading down to the Prion Beach entry point got closer. There is a small creek right as you enter the beach, and seeing it was both exciting and sad as it meant the end of the nice forest walking but the start of the wilds of Prion Beach.
This cosy little corner on the fringes of the forest and the beach is where a small creek deposits its tannin stained water onto the sand as it eventually flows into the Southern Ocean. With a few boulders strewn around the place, this seemed like a good place for a break so we could fill up water bottles, take off our boots and get ready for the longest beach walk of the track that laid ahead. Donovan was keen to pay homage to fellow WA Hiking YouTuber, Josh Carr, by having a shot of him filling up his water bottle direct from a creek and drinking it straight away. I obliged and took over camera duties as he faithfully recreated the shot (I can confirm it made the final cut). This spot has a charm to it that made leaving a bit hard so we ended up dawdling there for quite a while finally getting going. Prion Beach ahead would be about four kilometres of beach walking and thankfully we were blessed with firm sand for pretty much the whole journey.
With shoes off, pants rolled up and not a care in the world, we got into a rhythm, stopping frequently to photograph Bull Kelp, washed up jellyfish and anything else we could find, including what turned out to be the eggs of a Cart-Rut Shell Snail (Dicathais orbita). With a large, open beach stretching to the horizon, we made good time along here, although I stopped for a bit to pop some blisters that had developed the previous afternoon. That sort of did the trick and my walking was improved somewhat as I caught up to the others. It was a moody walk with the cloud cover not really deciding if it wanted to go full rain clouds or hazy blanket, so the lighting was muted at best for the majority of this part of the day. The parts that were looking darker were mainly inland, so the mountains and forest were looking a treat and I kept taking photos of essentially the same scene. As the beach walking carried on, Donovan decided he would power on into the distance, leaving myself in the middle and Bronwyn happy to take up the rear as she stopped frequently to beach comb.
This gave me the opportunity to break out the little JBL bluetooth speaker I always keep in my hip pocket when hiking. Full disclosure, I'm not one of those people that blast their music at full volume on well visited trails but on long distance trails with no one around, I like some music or a podcast on while I walk. Given there was plenty of space between me and the other hikers, I put on some music and it lifted my mood as I finished the last kilometre or so of beach walking. The exit is easy to find with more marine flotsam indicating the blown out part of the dunes was the place to leave the beach. Donovan was waiting for me near the edge of the lagoon so he could record my triumphant completion of Prion Beach. This moment is pretty special as you walk down the sand and the views open up over the lagoon where the New River flows through. The pictures don't really do it justice but the sweeping views overlooking the water with the imposing peak of Precipitous Bluff directly ahead, the Ironbounds to the left and Pindars Peak to the right. Add in the black swans and sea birds enjoying the water downstream and this was yet another idyllic spot on a track that is 98.34% idyllic from start to finish.
Bronwyn eventually arrived and we all discussed the strategy to tackle the famous Prion Boat Crossing. To cross the New River, one must use the row boats provided to make it to the other side but the catch is, there is only one boat on each side so the journey must be completed three times to keep the status quo of a boat on each side. With three of us, this wouldn't be as difficult as we would each take a turn at rowing. Bronwyn would row herself and Donovan over, Donovan would row back with the other boat attached and then I would row Donovan across to the other side, leaving the boat he towed across at the southern beach. With the plan agreed and doubled checked, I went off and sought refuge in the shade while Bronwyn figured out how to row in a straight line, something that doesn't come naturally and isn't easy when you are facing in the opposite direction to where you're headed. With it being near low tide, dragging the boats to and from the tie-up points wasn't easy but we figured in the end that lifting them up and dragging made it much easier thanks to the surface area you need to drag being less. Donovan returned after a bit of faffing on the other side and I did my best to put my practicing into reality. We reached the other side and decided that the campsite next to the crossing would be ideal for lunch.
New River Lagoon Campsite is a short walk from the boat shed, so we put our packs down and tucked into a well earned lunch. One thing that makes this campsite a winner are the two the fishing net hammocks that have been erected for hikers to relax in. I wasted no time in getting comfy and enjoyed my Clif Bar swinging away without a care in the world. We suggested these would be fantastic in every campsite but Granite Beach was the only other campsite we saw that had one. Given our late arrival in camp every night, I don't think we would have been lucky to get one so I was happy enough to use one for a lunch stop. I asked Donovan to take some pictures of me so this is a rare occasion when I appear on my own website. We heard a bit of noise from the lagoon and there was another group attempting the crossing, so we spectated for a little while. All up including lunch and the boat crossing, we were at the New River Lagoon for about two hours. With only a few kilometres left for the day and it being 3pm, we had plenty of time to make it to camp. The New River Lagoon Campsite is another rabbit warren and after taking one wrong turn, we eventually found the orange markers leading out of camp to continue along our merry way.
Having brushed up on the guidebook at lunch, we knew we had to cross Milford Creek ahead but wasn't really concerned given the water levels at all the other creeks we had encountered so far. The walking was pleasant as we made our way through thick vegetation that occasionally opened up to reveal views overlooking Prion Beach, New River and the ocean. At one point we noticed two Ravens having a suspicious conversation in the dunes below and I can only surmise it was a drug deal or illicit affair. As we got closer to the Milford Creek crossing and saw how wide it was, I was having doubts about how easy it would end up being. It looked waist deep from our vantage point but we figured there might be a rock barrier or something as the guidebook didn't really mention it being a problem. Eventually we reached a set of newly installed stairs and this became a moot point as they led straight down to a shiny new bridge. This must be a recent development as it isn't mentioned in the latest John Chapman guidebook update from 2018-19 (I checked when I got back to Hobart). Standing on the bridge, the water level still looked high and given this was the height of summer with little to no rain in the previous few days, I completely understand why Tas Parks have put a bridge here.
With that issue no longer a concern, the day got a lot easier as we joined what I assume is also a new section of track that has been made to reach where the old alignment intersects closer to the coast. Now in the dune system between the plains and the ocean, the track goes up and over a lot of small undulations that thankfully have some steps in places as the soft sand would have made life more difficult. I loved this area thanks to the combination of epic views looking inland towards Precipitous Bluff, across the New River to the lagoon and wild ocean vistas complete with moodier weather. Add in views of Hen Island and the copious amounts of Austral Bracken lining the trail, and this was a nice stretch of walking. We caught up to a group of three hikers that were on the same schedule as us, so we said hello before moving on to the last of the views overlooking where the New River empties into the ocean. That whole Prion Beach and New River section was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and really made the day memorable. The track heads inland from here up a small hill and after a bit more tunnel like vegetation, we popped out onto the grassy plains for the final walk into camp. This was a nice change in scenery and with views looking over the water towards Chicken Island and back to where we started the day, I was savouring this last part of the day. After rounding another small hill, we caught sight of something that made us excited, the toilet block of Osmiridium Beach Campsite.
Knowing camp was within reach was a nice feeling and with only a downhill to go, spirits were high. We had read in the guidebook that it was best to continue along the track and get water further upstream from Tyler Creek but decided we would take the side track leading towards the campsite first and assess our options. Only a short 400m detour off the main track, our last obstacle was the muddiest section we had encountered all day and Bronwyn got unlucky when she stepped into a deep section and muddied her pants quite a lot. Reaching the Tyler Creek crossing, it was barely flowing, so easy to cross but we weren't sure about the water quality for drinking. The campsite is right on the other side of the creek, so we went off to setup camp and would worry about water later. The campsite was once again full to the brim but we managed to find some space among the mallee trees. We ended up filling our water from the trickle of Tyler Creek near camp and it was fine to drink after treating it with Aquatabs, it was just very tannic. In the afternoon we wandered down to Osmiridium Beach, located by following Tyler Creek as it weaves through the dunes and then reaches the ocean. With the moody weather and crashing waves, it felt very wild, and thanks to the cooler temperatures, I wasn't keen on a swim. We did a bit of beach combing and photo taking before heading back to camp to sort out dinner. Another long but enjoyable day in the books and we were over halfway.
Final Thoughts – This was meant to be a easy day and in most regards it was, we just took our time enjoying the experience. We ended up being out on the trail for 8.5 hours but a lot of that was spent stationary, taking photos, dealing with row boats and admiring views.
After the physical day climbing up and over the Ironbounds, this was a relaxing experience in comparison. The Prion Boat Crossing is a fun wrinkle to the day and although canoes would be easier, I wouldn't have got my shot of Donovan holding his umbrella pretending to be in Pride and Prejudice.
With a lot of variety spread throughout the day, there is a lot to like about this section, even if the photos look a little dull thanks to the cloud cover. There are some views from this day that have stuck in my mind and I won't be forgetting them soon.
Get out there and experience it!
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