Walking through this landscape is an opportunity to reflect on the original inhabitants and traditional owners of this land. The Pydairrerme people experienced among the most brutal removals in Australia, thrown off the cliffs of these capes that I had tread. Walking in this place is not just an exhilarating hike, but a solemn reflection.

The Three Capes Track was million-dollar reconstruction by Parks Tasmania, which reopened in late 2015 and has been booked out since. I had to book around six months in advance of my early-spring September hike. This hike will set you back $360 for a concession price, which includes three nights of self-catered accommodation in architecturally designed eco-cabins in addition to a hiking guide book with maps and boat and coach transfers from Port Arthur and Fortescue Bay. The cost also feeds back into ecological work by Parks Tasmania and is a direct injection into the local economy of Tasmania. After completing the four-day, 46km walk, I can report that the Three Capes Track is a thoughtful balance between Australian bushwalk, historical reflection and contemporary embrace of landscape.

Day 1: Port Arthur to Surveyors HutStarting at Port Arthur Historic Site, hikers are given access to explore these convict prison grounds before departing on the boat cruise with Pennicott Wilderness Journey’s, which traverses the pristine arc of Crescent Bay before disembarking at the starting point Denmans Cove in the Tasman National Park. This day was a relaxing 4km traverse through coastal heathland and eucalypt woodland, with the perfect lunch spot on a cobblestoned beach before settling into Surveyors Hut to watch the sunset, enjoy a tea, read my book and reflect on the contrast in landscape that I had experienced on this day.

Day 2: Surveyors Hut to Munro HutI was one of the last to get on the track today because I started the day with some yoga on the deck, since the cabins included communal equipment and games for hikers to enjoy. Day 2 is an 11km stroll through the eucalypt forests changing into open moorlands and colourful heathlands with springtime blooms. It is hard to ignore the careful collaborations with the University of Tasmania furniture design students and the Tasmanian Aboriginal community, in the creative interpretation of nature’s art expressed by the design of sitting areas and accommodation that are threaded with story, curating a space for reflection every kilometre or so along the trail.

Day 3: Munro Hut to Retakunna HutAn exciting 17km day heading out to The Blade near Cape Pillar with a daypack for essentials only. I enjoyed my lunch - cooked fresh in the morning at Munro Hut - with the most expansive views in complete solitude on one of Australia’s most southerly points. I was at peace with the beauty and majesty of the blue ocean, and kept my eyes peels for the odd migrating whale. Blessed with blue sky’s, sunshine, and warmth, it was the perfect day and was welcomed considering I had been prepared for gale winds and rain typical of spring in Tasmania. Passing back through Munro after lunch to collect my pack, I found myself in some great conversations with other hikers of all demographics whom I’d been bunking with the past two nights. The rest of the way to Retakunna Hut went too quickly, and scrabble games with hot tea warmed the rest of the evening as it started to cool down.

Day 4: Retakunna Hut to Fortescue BayThe most diverse landscapes are traversed in one 14km day. Starting in fragrant heathlands, to a contoured climb up Mount Fortescue, then meandering down into ancient rainforest with enormous tree ferns and sky-high eucalypts, eventually back into eucalypt woodlands with occasional cliff-top lookouts across the Tasman Sea. There’s another convenient opportunity to safely leave your pack before hiking out to Cape Hauy, I bared the essentials of nuts, water and my camera since I’d been warned from other hikers of what was literally thousands of stairs, down, and up to the lookout, then down and up again back to the trail junction. Geology fans would be impressed by the variety of Jurassic Dolerite igneous rock on display along the entire hike, but particularly on this last day. The most beautiful decline into Fortescue Bay with the warm sun had me excited to end the hike with a swim in the pristine turquoise water that I’d been looking out over the past four days. It was a cold-yet cathartic cleanse that washed away sweat and soreness, and left me refreshed and rejuvenated for the bus back to Hobart.

by Cristina Margherita Napoleone

Instagram @cristinapoleone or link to my temporary bio page.