March 2012 - Deep Hole beach, Ida Bay

Eight of us made up the party, arriving in our pooled cars at the Ida Bay railway station at about 10.30am on a perfect autumn day.   After securing our tickets for the return leg ($14 for an adult) on the historic Ida Bay Railway, we set off to follow firstly a four wheel drive track and then the rail lines to Deep Hole Beach.  Donnelly's Gates were curious - a well maintained front gate and garden, now  in the middle of nowhere.  

There was supposed to be a walking track from here which meandered around the track but that does not seem to exist any more.  So we walked along the tracks themselves.  This wasn't too hard, but meant more concentration on each step.  As we discovered afterwards, walking along the tracks also means picking up a fair bit of engine oil on the bottom of your trousers!  Luckily the oil came out OK following a good soak.  

The walk to Deep Hole bay is 7km long, and took us 1.5 hours.  We stopped briefly at the Cemetery at Ida Bay, where young members of the Tyler family (some early miners?) and the Jager family (early fisherfolk - later at the Dover Hotel Robert saw a picture of a boat they had built) are buried.  

The train takes about 45 mins to get to Deep Hole, you have to keep an ear out for it and get out of the way! 

  

 Walking to the end of the lines out to the old jetty, Philip found a more secluded part of Deep Hole beach, where we had our lunches.  No-one was game for a swim, although the water looked lovely (there is a good safe shelf for kiddies). 

Some of us enjoyed a solitary stroll along the beautiful beach.

 

We caught the return leg of the 1.30 Ida Bay train, which left Deep Hole at about 2.40pm. What a luxury!

The views were better with a little elevation, and not having to watch our feet!

Back at Ida Bay railway station, we piled into our cars and headed back to Dover pub for a beer.  

Directions:

Leave Hobart at 9am.   Follow the Huon Highway (A6), turning off before Southport toward Hastings (C635) .  Head towards Lune River, then Ida Bay, park at the Railway station.  Buy train tickets from the cafe.  Walk from here on the four wheel drive track (near the railway crossing)  towards Deep Hole Bay/Southport Bluff. 

Option for next time:

Southport Lagoon and Southport Bluff: Take the railway to Deep Hole beach, then walk.  Easy grade, 2 hours return to Southport Lagoon and 2 to 3 hours return to Southport Bluff from Deep Hole. Round trip via Lagoon AND Bluff is 3 to 4 hours return. A profusion of flowering native plants may be seen in November and December.  

This would require taking the 9.30am train to Deep Hole Bay, arriving there about 10.15am.  Walk about 4 hours.  Catch the return leg of the 3.30pm train at 4.40pm.