May 2026 - Clarence Coastal Trail to Roches Beach

Gerwyn, with some assistance from Fin, organised this one. We had been watching the weather coming in earlier in the week with some doubt, but Thursday foretold Friday’s fair weather and so we gave the go-ahead. We were ten today: Gerwyn, Wayne, Di, David, Fin, Caroline, Graham, Dorothy, Angie and Maryanne. We met at 10.30am at the carpark at the very southern end of Seven Mile Beach and took the coastal track to Roches Beach. For the first part of the trail we stayed low on the rocks alongside the beach, led by Caroline who knew this path.

We then climbed up to join the main path.

It was a short path, and well-trodden, with plenty of fellow walkers and their dogs to say hello (hello, hello) to.

Some pics — including a well-made stone bridge, some small magpie-lark like birds (pee wees?), water for walkers and dogs near an unusual (to us) house, some curious (to us) ant nests, and an incontrovertibly beautiful sky!

We took our snacks with a bit of a squeeze around the picnic table at Roches Beach.

Then headed back via the bush track.

All up, we walked about 8 kms, and took about 2 hours (including our snack stop). Probably more talkin’ than walkin’ – but jeez it was good to be out!

There was an animated debate about the best place for coffee/lunch, and at last we set off up Surf Rd to find a recommended new cafe. Success! We found Tidal Cafe, a converted container near the plant nursery on Surf Road.

We were lucky to have arrived before the 2 pm closing that we hadn’t known about. Good coffee, beautiful pastries (no joy for our coeliac walker-talker), plenty of seating, and a nice cruisy, outdoorsy, push-bikie, walkie, talkie vibe. The track notes start at Roches Beach, but we seemed to manage it without walking backwards: Clarence Coastal Trail - Roches Beach to Seven Mile Beach Track | Greater Hobart Trails