Bryans Beach Freycinet Peninsula

8-10 November 2017

Water had never been a problem on a walk to Freycinet, but it was seriously so on this one. Our plan was to camp at a small sandy bay near Hazards Beach and source water from Lagunta Creek, but on arrival there it was not running and decidedly dry. A short way up a shady pool did contain some that didn’t look too bad.

Beach and Mount Mayson

Sunset on Hazards

Bryans Beach with rebuilt  dunes also being eroded

Pigface at Bryans Beach

Kunzia

There was a school group in the camp site and they had collected water from cooks Beach, as did a couple just arriving from there. On the day we headed back there were two people camped and they told us that they went back to the carpark for water when they learnt of the shortage. We left the water to boil rapidly for over 3 minutes and fortunately had no ill effects.  As we were going on a walk to Bryans Beach on the middle day of our stay, a full bladder of good looking water was carried back from Cooks.

Our inward journey was over the saddle and down all the new steps to Wineglass Bay and noticed with some concern that much of the lagoons were dry. Hazards Beach for once was quite firm and easy walking. Sunset from our campsite was delightful and the morning conditions as well, but the flowers on the walk to Cooks Beach were past their peak.

A surprise was in store at the hut with rubbish bins provided and they were chockers; I thought that perhaps Parks have them here because people were leaving a mess behind anyway, but it turns out the bin was for husk for the composting toilet and a visitor had moved it the hut.

Over the years erosion of the bank at Bryans Beach has progressively got worse, but since our previous visit a rebuilding of the sand has taken place and now there are effectively two bank lines. The new one has been undercut, so it must be part of an ongoing natural process.

Walk out was by the coastal track, which has had an upgrade with gravel to smooth it somewhat.

An album of photos is online.