A Changed Track - Cape Raoul

Saturday 1 July 2017

It is now a quite different experience walking to Cape Raoul now that the track has been upgraded, although it was far from finished. The initial early part is predominantly gravel with a little boardwalk and means the slippery mud is now thankfully thing of the past. From the creek crossing it is all gravel and winds up to the Raoul lookout, but on the descent after there some large zig zags have been added and maybe just a bit more than needed. It was still under construction as was long sections between there and cape Raoul. It was pleasing to see the track will continue under the casuarinas but that section was always good walking and it seems a great waste of resource and money ripping through it to add gravel. The same can be said for the last part where the track crosses the heathland before the cape, where the old track has been dug up and rocks removed.  This seems to be very much overdone and again unnecessary and expensive, whereas a little gravel topping would have been quite sufficient.

Cape Raoul from lower lookout on a bend on new track

While on the subject of the track upgrade; it looks likely, based on the yellow paint on the Raoul lookout cliff edge that railing is planned.  Surely quite unnecessary.  Storage sheds were noticed a little off the track and two of them seemed to have been hit bit very strong winds and had blown off the base platforms and one was knocked about quite a bit.

The scenery was as usual marvellous, especially in such lovely calm weather and a great highlight was seeing a group of whales rounding Cape Raoul below us as we ate lunch.  You could hear the spume and at times some of them beached with one frequently whacking the water with its tail.

Whales

Just before leaving a couple of walkers turned up and both were quite annoyed about the track upgrade. The bloke looked familiar and Sue eventually recalled that it was Dave from the radio who interviewed people at the Mount Field Fagus Festival last year.

Cape Raoul 

The return walk is 15.4k and takes about 2:15 each way.

We plan to return and make use of the old track now reopened to the public and stated to have convict heritage. This goes to Tunnel Bay and the return would be via the upgraded Shipstern Bluff track to make a circuit of the walk.

View a photo album from the walk by clicking the image below.

Cape Raoul 2017