This walk follows an old disused tramway through some magnificent tall forests up to 80 metres tall, whilst also traversing a steep slope down to Haulage Bay on the wild East coast of Bruny
Highlights
Dense and beautiful tall forests with rainforest understorey
Track details
The Slide Track follows an old tram line south from Adventure Bay for about 11 Km. While many maps and websites indicates the entirety of the track is open, a vegetation slide has created major problems several kilometres in, and a bridge has been closed on Lockleys Road, which provided...
The Slide Track follows an old tram line south from Adventure Bay for about 11 Km. While many maps and websites indicates the entirety of the track is open, a vegetation slide has created major problems several kilometres in, and a bridge has been closed on Lockleys Road, which provided access to the southern end, meaning that we strongly recommend just venturing into the well maintained northern 3km of the track, which is accessed from the end of Sawdust Road in Adventure Bay.
The track heads south along an old tramway. Horses, oxen and carts were used to help drag huge logs to various small sawmills on or near the slide track. Here large trees were cut-up, before being carted further along the tramway from the forest through to another sawmill at Adventure Bay – originally via horse & cart and then with the assistance of a steam engine. The track traverses magnificent eucalypt forests with a beautiful rainforest understory. The track has been maintained by the Hobart Walking Club for over 3 Kms to a little past a relic from the old tramway, the Upside-Down Bridge. However, further south, the track has not been cleared, as controlling the vegetation and clearing other obstructions has proved unfeasible.
Bevs Lookout
Shortly before the Upside-Down Bridge on the Slide-Track, there is turn-off to another track to the east at a large well-signposted stump which has recently fallen across the slide track. This side-track, again maintained by the Hobart Walking Club, initially rises and then descends through some magnificent rainforest, and eventually approaches the coast near Bev's Lookout. From here, there are superb views south to Bay of Islands and east to Cape Connella. Bev's Lookout is under 2 hours walk from the start of the track on Sawdust Road. From here you can retrace your steps and return to your starting point on Sawdust Road.
Bevs Lookout has been named by locals to honour Bev Davis, a local nurse, historian, and, with husband John, maintained tracks and led walks, walking here in the late 1900s.
Key info
6 hours return
9.5km return
Grade 3: Difficult