Coastal Headlands Walking Track

First off, Coastal Headlands Walking Track is a helluva mouthful and clearly council needs some savvy IGen native to come up with a moniker that is at once concise and descriptive. Curious about the state of the track in the southern section, I took the local bus south from a stop on Beach Road, close to the north end of the track, to Malua Bay. The southern terminus of the track is Mackenzies Beach but there is no bus stop there so one either gets off at Malua Bay or Rosedale. As it was high tide and getting from Rosedale to MacKenzies Beach is tricky at high tide, I chose Malua Bay.

The southern section of the track has had no work done as yet apart from a new bit of pavement at Mosquito Bay. This does make the track hard to follow if you are not familiar with the area and there is one spot where there is no track at all. However, if you are good at finding tracks, you will find a footpad at the southeast end of Malua Bay that leads up onto the headland and shortly the track improves and leads pleasantly around to Pretty Point Bay. From there, the final bit of track to Mackenzies Beach is reasonable but at one spot a walker will find themselves pressed against a fence for a short distance.

North of Malua Bay, work needs to be done as the current track runs out in dense bush behind houses on Tallawang Avenue. There are, however, two legal access routes between houses on Tallawang Avenue so this section can be walked on Tallawang Avenue until the track is complete. There is a similar issue just south of Garden Bay but currently, the track is passable although a bit squeezed against fences. New steps will eventually be built down to Garden Bay.

Garden Bay to Mosquito Bay is good but it is easy to miss the small track that leads down to the southeastern end of the rock platform at Mosquito Bay. North of Mosquito Bay walkers will most likely use Baringa Crescent as access to the track but tide and agility permitting there is a route along the shore. The rest of the track is in good condition and easily followed by the average walker although a couple of areas will be better once some steps and slope stability works have been undertaken.

At the far northern end, where the new lookout precinct is – the lookout area is so expanded that calling it a precinct seems appropriate – the steps up from Caseys Beach are complete and the track around the final headland is in good shape.

Finished, the track will be about 17 kilometres with plenty of facilities along the route – drinking water, toilets, cafes, bus stops – and will be a great half day out. Walking the full length yesterday I noted that the track did feel a bit hilly, up a headland, down to a beach, up a headland, repeat, but that will make it a good conditioning walk. With multiple bus stops along the route, one way walks will be easy, cheap and convenient. How great is that?