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THE HUMBUG

Humbug Point Nature Reserve, North-Eastern Tasmania
Level 2: Playing Wilder
Everywhere I look there are hulking red, red rocks and boulders, their rich hues contrasted to absolute perfection by the pure blue of the waters of the Tasman Sea and the cloudless skies, which meet on the horizon and stretch to forever. Disappointment is not an option. - The Australian Traveller
Humbug Point is located just a short drive to the north-east of St Helens and marks the beginning of the Bay of Fires. A region rich in biodiversity, spectacular coastlines and smoothly meandering trails, we feel it is one of the undiscovered trail running gems of Tasmania.

The Humbug route begins in Binalong Bay and follows a weaving coastline trail to Dora Point and the gaping mouth of George's Bay, a narrow inlet which opens into the frequently roaring Tasman Sea. From here you will pass through the Dora Point campground to meet the loop trail around Humbug Point, traversing the loop in an anticlockwise direction. The loop first takes you over an open, dry sclerophyll forested hill to Moulting Bay where pelicans and water birds rest in the calm shallows. The return to Dora Point traverses the coastline to Humbug Point and then through spectacular grass tree forests whilst the distant ocean beaches may be roaring on a wilder day. The final leg of this route retraces your earlier steps from Dora Point to Binalong Bay via the coastal trail, once again passing Grants & Skeleton Point. From these points you will catch glimpes of the northern Bay of Fires, with their white sands and blue water calling to you.  After completion of this route you will be able to enjoy a refreshing swim in the pristine blue waters of Binalong Bay, followed by refreshments at the local cafe. This really is a spectacular place and we hope that you love this route as much as we do!

We wondered how this area got it’s current name. According to the Tasmanian Nomenclature Board, the regions earliest mentions are of 'Point Puzzle', named by a gentleman called  J. H. Wedge, a frustrated farmer who suspected Thylacines of raiding his sheep and lambs.  However, the term 'Humbug' is an exclamation pertaining to "nonsense or gibberish". So how Point Puzzle became known as Humbug Point is quite, well... a puzzle!

The original vegetation of Humbug Point remains remarkably intact, protected inside the Humbug Point Nature Recreation Area. This reserve expands across both Humbug and Bald Hills where proud Eucalypts tower above low grasslands. The region consists of mostly dry sclerophyl forest, although there are also expansive stands of Casurina forests hugging the coastline.  In some protected pockets there are low lying swamps, grass tree stands, and thick banksia fields. This Reserve delivers a truly unqiue trail experience!
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Route Highlights:

  • Weave through Casurina tunnels past glowing red rocks, white sandy beaches and deep blue bays.
  • Listen to roar of the ocean beach get louder and louder as you near the heads of George's Bay at Dora Point.
  • Marvel at the size of the Xanthorrhoea grass trees as you return from Humbug Point.
  • Finish the route at the famous Binalong Bay beach which heralds the start of the Bay of Fires.
  • We highly recommend starting this loop at dawn so you can catch sunrise in the Bay of Fires.
GET YOUR COMPLETION BADGE!

Overview:

Difficulty
Level 2, Playing Wilder
Distance
25.4km
Ascent
439m
Descent
446m
Terrain
Varying from smooth, sandy footpaths to forested trails which are mostly beautifully graded. Some short climbs, stretches of beach, and sections of trail where visibility is limited by bracken ferns.
Approx. Duration
3 - 5hrs
GPX File
Download Here

Start & finish facilities

 
START
FINISH
Toliets
Yes
Yes
Water
Yes
Yes
Parking
Yes. There is extensive parking although be aware that this region can get busy during peak periods and we suggest arriving early.
Same
Services
There is a small cafe located just 150m from the finish in Binalong Bay. St Helens is a 10min drive where supermarkets and full services can be located.
Same
Phone coverage
Telstra and Optus only
Same

Detailed Route Description:

NB. whilst these trails are relatively easy to follow, this route is comprised of a number of shorter walking trails. We strongly recommend using our GPX download on a GPS device for accurate route guidance.
  • Begin at the main Binalong Bay Beach carpark, located on your LHS shortly after passing the entrance to Binalong Bay township marked by a  vast statue of a female beach go'er. The carpark contains a toilet block where you can also access water for the run. This is the official start of the route (see map insert).
  • Follow Main Road east through the Binalong Bay township until you reach a LH junction with Skeleton Bay Road after approximately 1km. Follow Skeleton Bay Road for 800m gently downhill until you reach the Skeleton Bay Track trail head. This is in a small carpark off Skeleton Bay Road behind the rocky bay, and it is clearly marked with signs and a very obvious footbridge over a small, dry rivulet.
  • Follow the Skeleton Bay Track for approximately 4.5km through winding Casurina forests past Skeleton & Grants Point until you reach a very obvious white beach where you will see the Dora Point Heads at its end. Run along the beach and scamper over the headland to the beach on the southern side of the heads.
  • Follow this second beach south-west from the heads until you can almost not go any further (ie. the beach tapers into the lagoon where vegetation is obscuring your path). Here a small track leads inland off the beach and which pops you out at the Dora Point Campground toilet amenities block.
  • Head south-west along the road through the Dora Point Campground for approximately 500m until you reach the Dora & Humbug Point trail head. This is a narrow walking track that weaves behind the lagoon.
  • After 600m you will reach a very obvious track junction. Take the RH track marked 'Short Cut to Moulting Bay'. This climbs steadily up and over the hill to Moulting Bay, a distance of approximately 2km.
  • When you reach Moulting Bay you may be surprised to see a very large metal pedestrian bridge on your RHS. DO NOT CROSS THE BRIDGE! Instead, TURN LEFT and follow a meandering forest trail for approximately 1km until you reach a beach. This is called Wilsons Bay and you will have beautiful views down George's Bay to St Helens from this section of trail.
  • Follow the Wilsons Bay Beach for approximately 900m. This beach can be harder to negotiate at high tide and you may have to sidle around the very back of the beach (or get your feet wet!) There is normally a lot of seagrass washed up on this lagoon beach too.
  • After leaving Wilsons Bay you will follow the main Dora Point Trail all the way back to the Dora Point Campground. This track weaves through a variety of terrains, from thicker bracken fern clumps to grass tree stands. Obviously, 600m prior to reaching the campground you will again pass the track junction marking the end of the loop you have just completed.
  • Retrace your steps through Dora Point Campground to the toilet amenities block and return to the beach. Retrace your steps along the two beaches past the Dora Point Heads and once again pickup the Skeleton Bay Trail.
  • Retrace your steps along the Skeleton Bay Trail past Grants & Skeleton Points to the trail head on Skeleton Bay Road. Retrace your steps along Skeleton Bay Road and Main Road to the start/finish location in Binalong Bay. Well done! You did it!
Picture
Start/Finish location is on Main Road, Binnalong Bay
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Picture
Picture
The trail head is located 1.8km from the Binalong Bay carpark and is just off Skeleton Bay Road.
Picture
Dora Point campground amenities block
download ROUTE GPX FILE

About larapuna - The Bay of Fires

The Bay of Fires has long fascinated my imagination: an unfettered coastline scattered with mammoth boulders of rich ochre red and steely blue granite that is lapped (sometimes violently thrashed) by azure waters. - ​Australian Traveller

Overview

The Bay of Fires (indigenous name: larapuna) on Tasmania’s East Coast extends from Binalong Bay in the south to Eddystone Point in the north. This unusual name was given to the area by Captain Tobias Furneaux, in 1773, when he noticed numerous fires along the coast. This led him to believe that the country was densely populated. Abundant evidence of this occupation by Aboriginal people can be seen along the coast today.  Whaling was extensively carried out in the area during the 1840s which turned the waters a deep, blood red. Further to this, the coastline is covered by a vibrant red-orange, lichen-covered granite boulders. Therefore, the region really has lived up to its name, 'The Bay of Fires'.
​
From our route's starting point at Binalong Bay, there is a scenic view that takes in the length of the coast right up to The Gardens. This picturesque area was named by Lady Jane Franklin, the wife of Governor John Franklin, who spent some time in the region.

Aboriginal heritage

Aboriginal bands who frequented the area called it larapuna - the meeting place for Panpe-kanner, Leener-rerter and Pinter-rairer family groups. A number of Aboriginal midden sites found in the sand dunes containing distinct concentrations of shells and strong evidence of active hunting, gathering and food preparation activities in the area. Today, these sites are significant, sacred areas to the Tasmanian Aboriginal community.

European Culture

Surveying the landscape it is easy to make the assumption that the Bay of Fires was named for the colour of the rocks I am currently standing on, but the name was actually bestowed in 1773 when Captain Tobias Furneaux, sailing aboard the HMS Adventure, noticed the fires lit by the indigenous people who existed along the coastline. Furneaux didn’t set foot on the land but he did change it forever: the naming of the Bay of Fires was one of the first imprints on the area by Europeans. Furneaux went on to name nearby Georges Bay and St Helens Point, after St Helens on the Isle of Wight. - The Australian Traveller
And then suddenly all is blue as I traverse the last leg into St Helens, the largest town in the area and my base for exploring these parts. A former hub for the whalers and sealers who plied their trade here in the early 1800s, St Helens really came of age when tin was discovered in its surrounds in the 1870s. But the tin mines closed in the early 1990s, and since then St Helens has settled into a slower pace, trading on its natural wonders in a more positive way, through tourism, oyster farming and fishing. The area is not quite sleepy, not really bustling either, but there’s something instantly likeable about it. - The Australian Traveller
The Bay of Fires and St Helens regions were home to early explorers, pastrolists, whalers, tin miners and later, fisherman. The area is richly seeped in history, from the scarred inland areas called 'the moonscape' where past tin mining forays have left eroded undulations in the white quartz sands. The small coves, once home to the whaling communities are now frequented by cray fisherman. And today, the Bay of Fires marks the conclusion of one of Tasmania's most famous mountain bike trails, a 42km descent from The Blue Tier to Swimcart Beach, just north of Binalong Bay. 

Flora & Fauna

Between September and November you may see whales off the Bay of Fires Coastline.
The Bay of Fires is part of the East Coast Whale Trail. Humpback and Southern Right whales come sufficiently close to the coast to allow regular sightings.

Seals and pods of dolphins also cruise the area. On the beaches, keep a lookout for hooded plovers, sooty and pied oyster catchers, a variety of gulls and the occasional white-bellied sea eagle. On the inland bays of George's Bay you will likely see Pelican resting.

The coastal heath and dry sclerophyll forest flanking the Bay of Fires provide ideal habitat for a rich variety of native mammals. Wallabies and possums are relatively common in the area. Spotted-tail quolls and Tasmanian devils are much more elusive. 

The critically endangered swift parrot can be seen occasionally in the warmer months. They return to Tasmania from Victoria and New South Wales to breed in the blue gum forests in the Bay of Fires hinterland and feed on the nectar of blue gum flowers.
We ask you to tread gently, remembering that we are visitor's to their habitats.

Help larapuna - the Bay of Fires!

There are some active volunteer groups who help to preserve & protect the Bay of Fires. We strongly encourage you to get involved!
Friends of Larapuna (WildCare Inc)
Wilder Trails is a community project proudly brought to you by Find Your Feet Australia. We wish to acknowledge and pay our respect to Tasmanian Aboriginal people as the traditional and original owners, and continuing custodians of this land and we acknowledge our Elders – past, present and emerging.
Find Your Feet Australia Pty Ltd
info@findyourfeet.com.au
​www.findyourfeet.com.au
​ABN: 69619367029
Find Your Feet Hobart
107 Elizabeth Street, Hobart, Tasmania
​PH: 0466 906 167
Find Your Feet Launceston
23 Kingsway, Launceston, Tasmania
PH: ​0416846967

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  • Home
  • About
  • ROUTES
    • FIND A ROUTE >
      • ALL
      • Kunanyi-Wellington Loop
      • Frogs' Wine Loop
      • Pole Dancer
      • The Humbug
      • Labillardiere Loop
      • Rock the Cradle
      • Dialled in at Penguin
      • Fields of Gold
      • Double Trouble at Maria Island
    • Submit a route
  • MOJO
    • INSPIRATION
    • EDUCATION
    • CONNECTION
    • PREPARATION
    • RECUPERATION
    • ACTIVATION
  • Contact
  • SHOP
  • TOURS