S

DETOUR

186 PRESTIGE J U LY 2019

itting at the edge of the Blade, a soaring dolerite

column at the end of Cape Pillar, with Tasman

Island bursting from the sea in front, and the

coastline advancing and retreating to the right,

makes a person feel very insignifi cant. Climbing 300m above sea level

in Tasman National Park, the Blade is the highest sea cliff in the

southern hemisphere, a vertiginous landmark that irresistibly instils a

humbling respect and wonder for nature.

Naturally, it’s one of the highlights of the Three Capes Track, a

four-day hike in Tasmania’s jagged south-east. Opened to the public in

2015, the sedate 48km trail with boardwalks and gravel paths was an

instant hit, even though visitors only had the option of staying in

modern, functional national park huts and bringing their own food.

That changed last year with the introduction of the Three Capes

Lodge Walk (taswalkingco.com.au), which

includes accommodation in the form of two

new eco-conscious luxury lodges artfully

hidden along the Track that let adventurers

enjoy the same jaw-dropping scenery without

sacrifi cing any creature comforts. At the end

of a day led by insightful guides, hikers can

decompress in hot showers, nibble on canapés

in front of a fi re, enjoy freshly cooked meals

accompanied by Tasmanian wine, and retire

to rooms with large glass windows looking out

to the forest.

My four-day hike traverses a heart-stirring

trail that rises from sea level, taking in a

cloud forest, undulating coastal heath and

sheer-drop cliff s in a region rich with history.

Dutch explorer Abel Tasman landed in this

part of the country in 1642, the fi rst convict railways nearby were built

in the 1830s and Point Puer was the British Empire’s fi rst boys-only

prison, housing children as young as nine years old. I learn all this

during the fi rst moments of the walk, as we slowly climb the hills above

the offi cial starting point of Denman’s Cove, a short boat ride from

Port Arthur, which is a 90-minute drive from central Hobart.

With a maximum of 14 people allowed on the Three Capes

Lodge Walk, and the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service permitting

only 48 hikers per day in the national park cabins for the normal

route, the beautifully maintained trail is blissfully empty. Taking fi ve

years to build, and requiring 18,000 helicopter fl ights to transport

gravel, timber and other materials, this dry-boot track is devoid of

slushy sections and rocky terrain,

making it navigable year-round.

On an easy fi rst day, the group

strides past towering she-oaks,

brown-top stringybark trees and

silver peppermint bushes, with the

occasional stop at benches made by University of Tasmania design

students. We see the outline of Cape Raoul, its shape broken because it

was used for target practice by naval ships in the last century. In the

autumn sun, the sky mottled with clouds, a light breeze on my face, and

plants such as sword-grass and banksia everywhere, the setting feels

almost Mediterranean.

By late afternoon, the group arrives at Crescent Lodge, accessed by a

faint trail off the main track. One of the three guides – Charlotte, Josh,

Gus – arrived earlier to prepare some hors d’oeuvres of cheese and

charcuterie cuts, crackers and condiments, accompanied by Tasmanian

wine. Over these bites, the strangers in the group intuitively break the ice

and soon settle into the rhythm of old friends. The slow enjoyment is

Bunches of mountain pinkberries