Day 3

We woke to a glorious day - azure blue sky and no breeze - apparently the best day in three weeks. Leaving our main packs at Munroe Hut we set forth at 8.0 with a light day pack and essentials. Today much of the track is on boardwalk with a number of stone steps and gravelled track.

All stone used is imported to the Peninsula.

Along the track are a number of seats designed to entice you to sit and read a story about the area. One particularly poignant story tells of the death of Joyce, daughter of the Tasman Island lighthouse keeper's. Joyce died because medicine and medical assistance were far away in Hobart.

          . Lesley on the Wild Winds seat.

The ecology of the area changes so frequently - here tall tea-tree becomes plains of she-oak and banksias - flattened and pruned by the winds charging up out of the Southern oceans.  The boardwalk takes you  over damp and fragile soils as you travel to the goal of Cape Pillar and the  Blade. The scenery is spectacular - around every corner is a "Wow!" Moment.

The track up to the Blade is steep and very narrow - Only 2 metres with drops off to the ocean below. I stopped about 5 metres from the tip but Alastair climbed up to the edge - only then remembering that he dislikes heights!

                             Stop - NOW!

The return journey to Munroe takes 2 hours and we were thrilled that we made it on time even with more photo ops.

Mosaic of Eye Bright- small purple flower indigenous to Peninsula.

We saw 3 black snakes, many skinks and an echinda doing  its best to dig away from us.

Tasmania echinda have fewer spines but more fur than mainland species to compensate for the cold.

At Munroe we picked up our packs (so much heavier?) and headed for the last hut, Retakunna, another hour or so away.  We reached it about 4.30. Yippee! Our biggest, but best day - 19K. We are pretty pleased with ourselves. Last 14K - "up and over, out and back" - mountain,cape and Bus.

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