Three Capes Track #3: Munro to Retakunna via The Blade

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Today was going to be a longer day as the route would take us down the prong of the peninsula near to The Blade, near Cape Pillar before retracing our steps back to Munro and then on to Retakunna to spend our final night on the trail. It felt like the past two days had gone by so fast and hard to believe that this would be our final evening in the cabins. Since we would pass Munro on the way back, we didn't have to carry all our crap. Score! We could just take water, snacks, lunch and cameras. We prepared all our stuff after breakfast. The hike today was 17 kilometres, so it the longest day so far and would be the longest day on the track. We headed out on a path near the cabins. There is a small shed there, where we could leave our big bags. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the sun was coming through the trees as we walked through the forest.

We walked through Corruption Gully to reach our first 'Encounter', which was called 'Lunchtime!' It was a little early for our lunch, but this spot is popular for birds in the area. There is an abundant menu on offer. They can choose fruits, nectar, bark, berries, insects, seeds, and skinks. I love that these 'Encounters' give me deeper knowledge of the area, as I would have just wandered through thinking 'ooh, this is pretty area' without thinking of how it provides nourishment and sustenance to the wildlife population. I also really liked how the booklet gave the descriptions of the different birds' beaks and explained how that decided which type of food they would eat. The path soon came out from under the trees and we could see some of the dolerite pillars in the distance. The track headed rather gently uphill and we came to the next 'Encounter' of 'Windsong'. This had a really nice curved style bench so we took the opportunity to chill there for a bit and did as the book instructed 'relax, close your eyes, and focus on the movement of the air around' you. It was nice to have a peaceful, meditative moment. I know some of the other hikers on the track thought that my friend and I were a bit mad as we stopped at each stop and read each of the accompanying story, but for us this was a major part of our enjoyment and understanding of the trail. We weren't just hiking it as a race to the finish each day or to see the natural beauty of the area, we wanted to know and understand more about the area we were in.

I liked that there was quite a lot of boardwalk along the trail as it made the walk easier and protected the land for the wear and tear of hiking boots. Like the earlier 'Encounter' of 'Lunchtime!', which had had a small watering/feeding tray built in to it, this part of the board walk had some mosaics built into it. There were pretty little flowers dotted along some of the planks of wood and there was also a mosaic eye that was rather pretty. I love all these small attentions to detail along the trail. 'Eye See Bright' described how near this part of the trail there used to be a healthy population of around 2,500 tiny eyebright plants on Hurricane Heath. Since there was a lack of regular burning these plants were outcompeted by larger heath plants. Now these peninsula eyebrights are confined to Arthurs Peak Cape Hauy and Cape Pillar. In the past, the flowers were thought to resemble bloodshot eyes due to the purple and yellow spots and stripes. We continued along the track in glorious weather, we had been lucky so far with Tasmanian's unpredictable weather in that we hadn't been caught in a big downpour. The weather was beautiful now, but we knew that could easily change. I loved seeing the track stretch ahead of us, wondering what we will see next. The coastline soon came into sight and we could make out some rocky outcrops in the distance. We came to 'Converging on the shelf' next. It was a simple bench just next to the track, but we could see the heathland all around us. Since we could also see the Tasman Sea, we were to learn a bit more about underwater activity in the area. The East Australian Current sweeps warm water southward mixing it with the cooler temperate waters of the Tasman Sea to meet the Zeehan Current and these mix with cold sub-Antarctic water that rises up from the Southern Ocean. This causes a lot of productivity and all kinds of life to the area. It is a biodiversity hotspot and is also an ocean hotspot due to the ocean warming at an alarming rate. This change in climate has lead to a change in current pattern, which is having a dramatic impact on the marine life. Giant kelp forests have disappeared, long spine urchins have invaded the area, and increasing number of jellyfish type species have arrived in the area. It's sad and scary to think of all the issues climate change has caused, especially these ones that a regular person cannot see. Our planet is so fragile and we are killing it by messing with nature's equilibrium.

The sun was beating down hard on the Tasman Sea and it glittered beautifully. It was so nice to look at along with the adjacent coastline. We came to 'Sex on the Cape' next. We realised that we had missed the previous 'Encounter', but since we would be retracing our steps we could look for it on the way back. I think we were just too awed with the views. I really liked the style of this bench as it was a circular seat around a set of five tall, bright orange stamen. Here, we learnt about 'the birds and the bees' and also echidnas and wombats. I was rather shocked to find out that male echidnas often impregnate the female, while she is sleeping. It was interesting to learn that a female wombat's poo is laced with pheromones that signal to passing males that she is ready to mate. The females even leave a trail of scats (poo) to their homes to make it easier for the males to find them. No playing hard to get for these female wombats. In the distance, we could see The Blade and Cape Pillar. I was getting excited to reach them. We passed a small pond of water that as next to the trail and was filled with little fish or tadpoles. I can't remember which now and the photos isn't clear enough for me to discern. At the end of the boardwalk, we came to our next 'Encounter', 'My blood runs cold'. The end of the boardwalk had been fashioned to look like a snake's head, I love the creativity involved in adding these extra dimensions to the walk. This was all about snakes, luckily we hadn't seen any on this trail and I was hoping that it would stay that way. I found out that Tasmania is home to three species of snake, tiger snakes, lowland copperhead snakes, and white-lipped snakes. All three are venomous, so I was really hoping that we wouldn't come across any. A really interesting fact I found out is that due to the colder climate in Tasmania, snakes give birth to live young. If they were to lay eggs, the foetuses would die due to the chilly temperatures. I also learnt about Lady Jane Franklin, who was the wife of Sir John Franklin the lieutenant-governor of Van Diemen's Land. She hated snakes with a passion and wanted to rid the colony of the ghastly things, so she offered, much to the convicts' delight, to pay a shilling for the head of every snake killed. She paid out over £600 in1883.

We were getting nearer to the cliff edges, but still not closer enough for it to be dangerous. We saw some people straying off the trail, so we went to investigate. They were probably just going for a pee, but we decided since we still had loads of time to take this alternative route for a while and see where we ended up. We could still see the main trail clearly, so we wouldn't get lost. After walking through the bushes for a bit, we came to a really nice pond. We chilled there for a bit and then decided to continue up to higher ground as we felt that we would get a better view of Cape Pillar. We did get some better views, but it was getting pretty windy so we had to head back down pretty quick. The ground was also covered in boulders and loose rocks, which made it difficult to walk on. When we got back on to the main trail, some people from our group were already heading back towards Munro. I don't think they could believe how slow we were. Once we explained that we had gone rogue for a bit, they seemed to understand why we were so far behind and that it wasn't just down to our leisurely walking pace.

The landscape had now opened up and were getting closer to the water and the cliff edge. Luckily, not to close but we could see where the coastline contoured. We couldn't quite see the bottom yet, but I definitely got the sense that it was a long way down. After walking for a while, Tasman Island came into view. It looked awesome, even though it didn't seem to be too far from the mainland, there was a sense that it was really isolated. I think it was because of the solitary white lighthouse jutting out at the back of the centre of the island. It just looked so lonely. Also, the sharp, high cliffs all around the island added to its look of isolation. I wondered if it would feel as lonely if you were on it, looking back at the mainland. Personally, I felt it wouldn't as you could probably make out beaches and ports of entry, so it would that it is possible to reach the mainland. The big thick clouds added to the feelings. We soon reached our next 'Encounter', which was 'The Lightkeeper's Daughter'. This told the sad tale of the Assistant Lightkeeper, Andy Mitchell's daughter Joyce. In 1929, she was gravely ill with pneumonia and there was no medicine left on the island to give her. The island had no radio to contact the mainland and relied on signalling passing ships and carrier pigeons. Both of these attempts to contact the mainland failed and a huge bonfire was lit on the island to attract attention. It was noticed and a boat was sent to the island, on which Joyce left. However, it was too late and she later died in Hobart. It's sad to think that if better communications had been available, she would have had quicker access to medicine and treatment and a better chance at survival. I found it interesting that the lighthouse keepers were required to have all their teeth taken out prior to their arrival on the island to reduce the risk of tooth infection. It just demonstrates how remote life on Tasman Island was. I also wondered how on earth the people and their supplies got on to the island. We couldn't see it from our current vantage point, but we would get to see it later, there was a place called Haulage Way. While it is a ruin now, for 75 years, it connected everyone an everything they needed to the summit. First, a flying fox would transport people and gear off boats onto the large timber landing stage. Then they would be winched up the cliff on a trolley on steeply inclined tramway. The final stage involved a horse-drawn carriage across the plateau. It sounds like quite an ordeal, but I bet it felt like a real adventure, especially for the children of the island.

We were closer to the edge now and I could see the waves crashing off the jagged rocky below. It was a long way down and it was pretty scary. The wind had gotten stronger, too, which didn't help. However, the trail and the surrounding scenery were stunning. I loved seeing the coastline and Tasman Island from a different perspective as we walked along. The slabs of the rock pillars were all cracked and some of them looked very precariously balanced. The trail headed away from the coastline and in land a little. We walked under the cover of the trees for a while, before re-emerging near The Blade. The were some stone steps leading up The Blade. I managed the first set before deciding I could go no further. It was just too scary for me. The final set of steps leading to The Blade were very precariously perched and there were no rails or ropes to stop me plunging to my death on in the ocean or on the rocks below. The wind was also pretty strong and I just didn't have the confidence or bravery to do it. My mate made it though and when she came back said although the views were amazing, in her mind the whole time was knowing that she had to take the path back was pretty daunting.

We headed over to Cape Pillar and the 'Seal Spa'. When we got there, we realised that we had missed another 'Encounter', we would have to keep our eyes peeled for it on the return journey. We sat at 'Seal Spa' taking a break and eating our lunch. There were a few other hikers there from our group so we chatted to them. It was nice relax there for a bit. The views were glorious, and although it was windy, the skies were blue and the sun was shining. The place is named 'Seal Spa' as at the water's edge, at the foot of The Blade and at Tasman Island, seals can be found. We tried to spot some but I couldn't see any. I can't remember if it was because there weren't any there or if it was due to them blending into the rocks. On our way back, we came across the 'Curiosity', one of the 'Encounters' we had missed. This section of the booklet described the feral cats in the area and how they present the biggest threat to Australia's mammals. A scary statistic was that feral cats have contributed to the extinction of at least 28 mammal species. While not being solely responsible, it is still frightening how much influence they have over the life, death and extinction of other mammals. There is an initiative to cull the feral cats and it has been successful on Tasman Island.

We continued to retrace our steps, taking in the gorgeous views as we did so. We found the other 'Encounter' that we missed; 'Bank of Oaks'. This described how the landscape had changed as we had left the messy eucalypt forest and we could see lots of banksias and sheoaks. They need fire and wind to prosper. Heat, generated by fire, is needed to crack open the hard shell in order to release the seeds, which are then distributed by the wind. In this area, banksia and sheoaks dominate the landscape. This is due to a fire ripping through the area, a few years ago, and wiping out the other species of plants. We reached Munro and grabbed our backpacks and headed back along the trail we had taken the day before. Before we knew it, we were back at the turning we had been at the day before. This time we headed to Retakunna. It was a short walk from the sign. We reached the cabin and after dumping our stuff in our room, headed over to the kitchen/dining area for the ranger talk. Once again, the lay out of the cabins was slightly different. I loved the area the cabins were in. It just felt so peaceful. There was a night walk with the ranger, but because we had arrived late (as always), we had to skip it in favour of dinner. Then it was another early night, our last night in the cabins. Tomorrow would be our last day on the trail. I didn't feel like I was ready for it to be over.

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