One of
the classic walking tracks in Tasmania is the South Coast track - part of
the magnificent Southwest National Park.
The track
can be divided into two parts. The first part commences at the southern end of
the new Lake Pedder and continues south to the small settlement of Melalecua -
an old tin mine site. About a three day walk to here. There is an airstrip at
Melaleuca for light aircraft.
The track
from here heads south to the coast at Cox Bite. The track then follows the coast
to the small village of Cockle Creek. Another three or four days walk. The
end of the road here is the furthest you can drive south in Tasmania.
The drive
back to Hobart is 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The drive from Hobart to the northern end of
the walk takes about the same time.
The
controversial hydro electric scheme which flooded the original Lake Pedder has
allowed vehicle access to the area. Access to Meleleuca can only be made by
foot, air or sea.
We flew
in on a clearing winters day in August 2018. The flight from Hobart follows the
coast. The sky was overcast for this part of the trip with the mountains covered
in cloud. The weather cleared for the trip back to Hobart providing near perfect
conditions for aerial photography.
The South
West National Park encompasses over six
hundred thousand hectares of wild, country and forms part of the Tasmanian
Wilderness World Heritage Area.
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