I ran the Dam Loop this morning through wet vegetation and down the hill to the house as the rain set in. My legs are so stiff now I can barely walk which does not seem to bode well for tomorrow’s regular Park Run. But, it does make me think about walking up Mount Rugby on the north side of Bathurst Narrows just west of Bathurst Harbour.
The day we blew in – literally – to Port Davey from the west coast, we had walked up Mount Stokes from a lovely beach camp in the northern edge of Bramble Cove. This was a delightful walk on a good trail with views that started almost immediately. Mount Rugby, on the other hand, was wet, viewless and had the kind of track that one associates with Tasmania, narrow, and overhung with spiky vegetation, not much more than a rough footpad. I am sure in good weather (it was raining when we walked up) the view would be amazing, but I still think if you can only do one of the two walks: Stokes or Rugby, Stokes is likely better.
Anyway, here’s how the day unfolded. The three of us left Claytons Corner where we had been enjoying a picnic table, a toilet and, when it rained, a dry space to sit (Claytons Hut) over the past couple of wet and windy days, and were moving camp to Bramble Cove in the expectation that we would soon be able to paddle out of Port Davey and continue our sea kayak trip around the southern end of Tasmania to finish at Southport. I really wanted to get up Mount Rugby which appears to be – at least by my reading of the map – the highest peak in the immediate surrounds of Bathurst Harbour and, has the added advantage of a “track”.
We paddled to the start of the track which is just off a very small beach (disappears at high tide) about a kilometre west of Platypus Point. There were no really good places to take loaded sea kayaks ashore so we paddled as far west as Starvation Bay looking for a better spot but when nothing else presented itself, we went back to the track head and labouriously carried fully loaded boats up to a grassy ledge where we could leave them. It was a grey, drizzly sort of day with a moderate westerly wind blowing, the sort of day that seems pretty common around these parts. Nick decided to forgo the ascent which left Doug and I to wallow and wade up the track while Nick caught the tide out Bathurst Narrows and Bathurst Channel and set up camp at Bramble Cove.
Incredibly, we got to the summit in two hours which is a bit amazing as the track is a really narrow ankle and knee twister and it was raining solidly from the first saddle about half way up all the way to the top. We were wet through as the thick vegetation was, of course, streaming with water and it was too cold to stop, which might have contributed to our solid pace. Doug asked somewhat plaintively “Will you ever turn back?” to which I replied, characteristically “No.” This was difficult for both of us because alone neither of us could manage our boats so even if Doug walked back down to the trail head he would have to stand about in the wet and cold in soaking clothing to wait for me. I greatly appreciate Doug enduring an unpleasant few hours in exchange for making me happy while getting no views at all!
PC: DB
The absolute top of Mount Rugby requires a bit of scrambling to gain which was somewhat dodgy given how wet it was, but we did stand atop the last rocks, shake hands and immediately descend. Such is mountain climbing. There were quite a few slips on the way down as no matter how careful we were, our feet frequently went out from under us. Luckily, years of falling over have made me not only somewhat resilient but pretty good at falling without injury.
We had a small snack near the trail head when the rain stopped and the wind, which was blowing solidly from the west, had begun to dry our clothes. Back at our boats, we had to carry them back to the water, and then we set off to paddle 14 kilometres west to Bramble Cove. Paddling out to Bathurst Narrows we quickly gained a full appreciation for how quickly the tidal current runs through this narrow waterway, particularly when the tidal current is running in the opposite direction to which you are paddling. The current must have been running at around two knots and with the wind howling up the narrow channel, also against us, getting back to Bramble Cove was a laborious affair. We tried desperately to catch back eddies along the channel and to hug the shore to lessen the impact of the wind but I’m not sure either of these tactics made a big difference. It was one of those days when you just need to put your head down and plug along.
Mentally, I was calculating how long we had until dark and thinking that if we just kept paddling we should make Bramble Cove before dark. At Turnbull Island, at the south end of Bramble Cove, we finally got a little relief from the wind and the current and had a little bit of food. It had been another long day with little to eat – a familiar theme on this trip.
As we paddled north into Bramble Cove, the current no longer a bother and with some shelter from the wind, we saw an orange and white kayak on the beach, and then a figure in a dark green anorak, and with plenty of time before dark we landed on the beach and were very grateful for Nick’s help in carrying gear up to camp and carrying the kayaks up to the top of the beach for the night.
Later that evening, the guests from the luxury boat “On Board” landed at the eastern end of Bramble Cove for a wine and cheese sunset extravaganza. The guests strolled along the beach, well dressed, well coiffed and smelling fresh. How different our experiences were.
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