Monday, February 6th, 2017 - No Wine in This Glass!

We were on a mission today. Our goal, climb to the Wineglass Bay lookout on the Hazard's Range and then for Angus and I to go down to the beach on the well known Wineglass Bay on the Freycinet Peninsula (pronounced Frayjinay). We knew that the trail head gets very crowded, so we were up and at it at day break. 

We had perfect walking conditions - cool, sunny, and yes, we did beat the crowds.

We're ready to go! (Judy took the picture - she didn't start 'til a while after us.)

Wineglass Bay from the lookout. It is a beautifully shaped half-moon beach which I guess constitutes the 'glass', while the narrow passage out to see is the 'stem' of the glass. Whatever the naming metaphor, it is pristine and beautiful as you can see. 

Looking south west down the Freycinet Peninsula.

The story is told more by the photos than the words. The trail up to the lookout is one of those wonderful superhighways that the park services can do. Well reinforced, excellent paving and even steps. 

But that was it! After the lookout it was very uneven, steep, and hard going for old knees. I was very glad for my walking pole and Angus was wise to have brought two of them. There were occasional places where the track was flat and easy going, but even there we found tree roots presented a need for constant watchfulness.

The path headed down to the beach - much narrower and unevenly placed steps.

But the beach left me feeling like Robinson Crusoe - these backpackers could have been Man Friday!

Once on the beach, Angus and I decided that we would walk across the ismuth to Hazard Beach and return around the end of the peninsula formed by the Hazards. It was an extra 1.5 hours and 5 km, but we thought our knees would be happier, we had the time and it would be good conditioning for future walks.

We were treated to several wallaby encounters - both climbing to the pass and crossing the isthmus.

I was impressed with how close they allowed me to get.

This looks south down the Freycinet Peninsula.

We were glad for the planking keeping out feet dry.

Hazard Beach ahead.

Hazard Beach itself, looking south.

Hazard Beach was another Robinson Crusoe type setting. These young backpackers were a little faster than us - heading north!

We did witness a little parenting drama on Hazard Beach. These two gulls had a little chick - the one that has it's wings spread on the right.

Above was a sea eagle circling...........

At the same time, the parents chased off a much larger Pacific Gull that was bothering their chick. Happily the eagle must have decided it wasn't worth the trouble and wandered off.

Although we were close to the sea, it was mostly obscured by the thick vegetation......

...........with occasional exceptions!

By the end of the day, Angus and I had walked 11 km (about 7 miles), but it was slow going. By the time we got back to the parking lot, we were quite tired. When got there we discovered that after Judy returned from her walk to the lookout she had found a flat battery in the car. How fortunate we were to arrive just as the RACT (similar to AAA) had finished getting her started. So while Angus and I had been enjoying (mostly) our walk, Judy had been hard at work making phone calls and waiting, waiting, waiting!

It was a day that confirmed for me the value of keeping untouched nature in our environment. The beauty of these complex environments is that it becomes exercise, not only for the body, but also for the brain - constantly scanning, choosing the best strategy to get around obstacles with minimal hazard to the body! The timeless process of moving through steady steps gets me back in touch with an essential part of my being that says 'All is OK with the world!' I so appreciate being able to do this.