South Coast Track

Walk Overview

This is not a walk for the faint-hearted. This is a walk for those looking for a challenge and prepared for the obstacles that come with true adventure. It’s for those for whom the idea of being delivered by light plane to a remote nine days walk, minus creature comforts, delivers a tingle of excitement.

There are enticing rewards on offer for those taking up the challenge - wild beaches, pristine rivers, unique alpine vegetation and massive, untamed mountain ranges that spill haphazardly into the ocean. The track delivers up breathtaking sea and mountain vistas, idyllic campsites and, in the right conditions, enticing swimming spots.

But, as already indicated, these delights need to be earned. For example, to reach the alpine plateau atop the mighty Ironbound Range involves a 1000 metre climb up a narrow, winding track. Then, as the track descends through the dense, temperate rainforest that covers the eastern side of the Ironbounds, the twisting, root-ridden, slippery track makes staying on your feet an achievement.

And the weather is particularly tempestuous in these parts. The mountain tops are prone to high winds, sleet and snow; the lowlands can attract fog and drizzle. In each case, the famed vistas are nowhere to be seen. In many stretches of the track, if it has rained, mud will be your constant companion. 

Some will hear about the South Coast Track and hunger for it. For others, there could be nothing worse. If you fall into the former camp, come prepared for a raw, unpredictable natural world experience.

The South Coast Track is located in Tasmania’s Southwest National Park. This park is massive by any measure, covering over 600,000 hectares and including the entire south-west corner of Tasmania and most of its south coast. It is Tasmania’s largest national park and forms a substantial component of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Road access is minimal.

The South Coast Track runs between Cockle Creek and Melaleuca, an airstrip on the western side of the Park, south of Bathurst Harbour. The track takes most people seven to nine days. Melaleuca is the usual starting point which involves flying in from Hobart then walking to Cockle Creek. The walk can be done in the opposite direction but that means finishing in Melaleuca and potentially waiting for a plane if flying/landing conditions are not suitable.

Currently, the only way to do the South Coast Track is camping and hiking with full packs. But change is afoot, with a private operator recently receiving a green light to build huts along the Track. When complete, this will allow the operator to provide clients with a more comfortable guided experience with lesser loads during the day and a fixed roof over their heads at night. 

Further information:

• A nine day itinerary is described below.

• For more information on walking in the Southwest National Park, click the button below.

Itinerary

The walk takes 8 or 9 days to complete. An itinerary completing the track in 9 days is shown below.

Day 1

Melaleuca to Point Eric

Distance: 13km

Time: 4 hours

Accommodation: Camping

Day 2

Point Eric to Louisa Creek

Distance: 10km

Time: 7 hours

Accommodation: Camping

Day 3

Louisa Creek to Louisa River

Distance: 9km

Time: 4 hours

Accommodation: Camping

Walk Options

Guided

A number of tour operators offer the South Coast Track as a guided trip. Most offer it as a nine day trip following the itinerary described above, but it can be done as an eight day trip by cutting out the rest day (and some operators do this).

Currently, the South Coast Track can only be undertaken as a full pack camping trip as there are no huts on the track, other than two basic huts at Melaleuca which you are unlikely to use if you fly in to Melaleuca.

Most of the tour operators use a food drop mid-way through the walk which lessens pack weight slightly. The tour operators indicate that pack weight is generally around 18 - 20 kg, but that of course depends a bit on the weight of your personal gear. 

Typically, the package offered by these operators includes:

• Transfers to and from Hobart (including flight to Melaleuca) 

• Two professional guides

• All meals (prepared by guides; clients usually assist)

• Hiking equipment 

• Emergency support

• National park entrance fees

• Group size: 5 - 10

Assisted self-guided

We’re not aware of any operators offering self-guided services for this walk. It is possible to organise transport to the start of the walk (ie the flight to Melaleuca) and from the end of the walk and there are hiking equipment rental businesses in Hobart.

Independent

Along the track there are campsites with minimal facilities. Their distribution has been planned so that there are camping locations roughly a day’s walk apart along the track. A campsite is located at each of the day end points in the itinerary shown above.

The track campsites have pit toilets but nothing more. Shelters are not provided. Water must be obtained from nearby creeks, rivers or lakes.

Essential Information

Access

The starting point for the South Coast Track is Melaleuca in the west or Cockle Creek in the east. Most people start at Melaleuca. There is no road access to Melaleuca, so most people fly in. There is no scheduled public transport from Cockle Creek to Hobart but several private transport operators will collect you or drop you off.   

There are walker registration books at Melaleuca and Cockle Creek. 

Park entry

As the walk is in a National Park, an entry pass must be purchased. Passes may be purchased through the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service website. 

Best time

The best time to do the walk is November through to May. The majority of walkers undertake the walk between December and March when the prospects of mild weather are higher and the daylight hours are longer.

Difficulty

The walk is rated at a hard level of difficulty.

Accommodation

There is no accommodation at Melaleuca or Cockle Creek. However, not far north of Cockle Creek in the vicinity of Southport and Dover there are several accommodation options.

Some of the tour operators offer accommodation in the vicinity of Hobart and these options are attuned to walkers’ needs or offer amenities suited to walkers. 

We can assist walkers in choosing the accommodation options which best suit their needs.

Other activities

As a popular tourism destination, the southern Tasmania region offers many attractions in addition to the South Coast Track. Many walkers choose to add extra days to their trip so that they can experience some of these attractions.

Assistance

We can assist walkers with various aspects of their walking holidays.