Handkerchief Beach to Tilba
18 km (1489 km) | 8 hr
What an extraordinary day. Just loving this part of the coast and all its under-explored treasures.
Watched the sunrise from Bogola Head with an exquisite view of England Beach and the 3 beautiful little semicircular coves between there and Barunga Point. So sad to see anti-dumping gates in the Bogola Head Sanctuary Zone - how anyone could think to dump waste in such a pristine location is beyond me, orcs must dwell amongst us...
Then it was down to Fullers Beach - no orcs but plenty of wallabies and roos. Enjoyed a coffee at what I guess is Cat Rock, immediately below the headland, then a delightful saunter past Nargal Lake.
Hadn't realised how troublesome the little rocky patch jutting out into the waves between Fullers and Loader Beach would be but made it southwards with some waist to chest deep wading (near high tide) in the small swell.
Loader Beach was excellent - seals catching their breakfast, large fish leaping into the air to try to escape and me just sitting back and enjoying the show. Sublime!
Next it was across Olsons Creek, running fast today after last week's rain - indeed quite a few open ICOLLs today - love the crossings mostly but it slows you down considerably if you want to keep your boots and gear dry.
Nice track up from the southside near Georges Point to Corunna Point which was once, apparently, a famous party location (back in the earlies) but today it was just me and a few seabirds and wallabies - party for one (human).
Sat and absorbed the majestic views before heading down to beautiful Billys Beach - which demanded yet another imbibing of the glory of this gorgeous cove and its solemn cave..
Next it was a bush track meander through the fantastically located campground before arriving at Mystery Bay - nice name - the mystery being the disappearance of a crew of surveyors from Bermagui in 1880 with only the empty boat ever found. Could have played a role (too soon?).
From wonderful Mystery Bay (and its excellent sea cave) it was around Cape Dromedary to outstanding Pooles Beach and the even more amazing rockshelf walk to 1080 Beach - not sure why we named a stunning beach after our most widely used fox poison but there you go.
Cute little Victoria Creek provided another waist deep wade - felt like an ice bath with the clouds and the wind and the strong current but afterwards it did reset the walking muscles.
Had planned to walk to the end of the beach to the Wallaga Lake Entrance and then swim across but, as the largest lake on the southern NSW coast and with a backing swampy creek blocking any escape route Plan B to Akolele, I opted to cut my losses about half way along Wallaga Beach (another isolated cracker btw) and head up to picturesque Tilba Cemetery where I concluded this frabjous day with views of Gulaga Mountain and the sapphire sea.
As a consolation prize I did snap a wonderful shot (IMHO) of the dawn glow on Wallaga Lake early this morning - a place worth visiting if only for its amazing one lane wooden bridge!
And my one tiny bit of advice to any who find themselves working on uplift projects on the NSW coast - build benches not fences - along with heartfelt thanks to those thoughtful souls who are already doing so!
And so ends another day southwards on this perfect, and little walked, stretch of the coastal camino. On on...