The Three Capes Walk an environmentally, friendly, culturally acceptable, eco experience,costing $500 in the lowest socioeconomic area of  Australia. You can read more about it here if your into the copy writers dark arts. A friend of mine was keen to try it, I like walking ( even more after I have done it) so what's to loose. I sent the cash off, booked the flight, and pretty much forgot about it till the evening before the flight. 

      A quick scan through a multi part brochure mentioned lots of antechinus, Isoodon obesulus affinus, and Pseudomys higginsi, running around the place, but nothing about how easy they where to catch, and what sort of wine to serve with them. Looks like we will have to carry in our own food. Em suggested freeze dried rations to conserve weight, I've never had a decent freeze dried red yet, so I offered to cook. Sort that out when we get there. Otherwise, pack, sleeping bag, tooth brush, and cup seemed to round out the rest. 7am flight, pick up Em, off to Coles, to buy some food, then on to Port Arthur.

        Here we got on a boat with our other 48 travellers, We would get to know them quite well over them next four days. The best way to start walking is a nice hour and a half long boat trip about the local sights. Unfortunately this couldn't last forever, and we eventually ended up at our start point on the beach. The walk is divided into four days, with stays at three purpose built lodges. The distances aren't huge, and the first day was only about 4km up onto the plateau. We arrived there to find a beautiful lodge with a great view back towards Port Arthur. There were people lounging around in deck chairs, and kids running up and down the deck. Think Eco Club Med. Our "Host Ranger" introduced himself, and showed us to our rooms, a two bunk setup, with a bench and places to hang your belongings. After a brief talk, the gist of which seemed to be don't do anything while you are here, we settled down to cook dinner. Most people had gone the freeze dried route. We had, Entree, Chicken Pad Thai, and Self Saucing choclate pudding rounded out with a cheeky little red. I forgot to take my Atomic coffee maker in my last minute packing so it was a tea nightcap. The kitchens have good led lighting, and most importantly for the kiddies I phone chargers. Most people seemed to head off to bed about 9, but I generally stayed up a bit longer reading, being the last to turn out the lights about ten. 

          Our fellow travellers were a general cross section of people from seven to seventy, and the only group missing seemed to be blokes between the ages of fifteen to thirty five. After breakfast, we would pack up and head towards the next hut. Em and I were normally the last to leave about tenish. We would quickly catch up with the families and spend the rest of the day leapfrogging each other along the track. The tracks where feats of engineering. They were gravelled, stone steps or boardwalks, and very easy to walk on. The park was very dry , so we had to carry water for our lunch time cuppa's. The walk follows the cliff tops around the park so there is no shortage of spectacular lunch spots. We would get in about 4 and relax in the lounge/kitchen waiting for our obligatory "host ranger" talk, then chat, play cards or read till dinner time. One hut even had a basic shower to use.

       The walk is called the Three Capes, but it actually only goes to two. In a yes minister style the track to the other cape hasn't been funded yet. We could see Cape Raoul for the first couple of days but that was about as close as we got. Our third day involved walking out to Cape Pillar and back, a trip which only need a day pack for lunch. Day four was to Cape Hauy, another walk which let you ditch the main pack for a couple of hours. Finally we made it to Fortescue bay where our bus was waiting to take us back to Port Arthur. The promised coffee shop wasn't open but that's life.

       All in All a great walk, spectacular scenery, great accommodation, and good company. Not having to sleep in a tent was a bonus.

 

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