Wukalina Walk

You will be picked up from your hotel in Launceston, or make your own way to the Aboriginal Elders Centre, to be welcomed by a palawa Elder.

Enjoy a traditional morning tea after viewing the artefacts and historical photos within the Council centre having been issued with back packs, gaiters and rain jackets, if required.

At 09:00 am depart Launceston to enjoy a scenic drive North to the trail head while learning about the Aboriginal and European history of the districts they pass through.

The cultural walk begins with a Welcome to Country and a Smoking Ceremony, prior to a guided walk to the summit of wukalina. At the summit enjoy a picnic lunch and experience 360 degree views of the magnificent, and culturally significant, landscape laid out all around you.

On a clear day truwana (Cape Barren Island) is visible, and you will hear stories of the significance of truwana and other Furneaux Islands – historical and contemporary heartlands of the palawa community and culture.

Following lunch, you will be guided along a newly crafted walking track to the purpose built standing camp (krakani lumi), stopping along the way to hear cultural and botanical interpretations from our qualified guides, and potentially spotting one of the vast array of animal and bird species endemic to the area.

Once you arrive at krakani lumi you can relax in your private hut before regrouping to enjoy pre-dinner drinks, followed by a traditionally inspired Seafood dinner. Evening activities include interaction with a palawa Elder and the telling of the palawa Creation Story.

distance – 11km
difficulty – medium
walk time – 4.5 hours

After breakfast you will be guided along a traditional coastal pathway, which includes significant Aboriginal middens. Interpretation will focus on learning about traditional food sources, medicines and native animals.

Lunch will be served back at the Standing Camp, following which our guides will lead cultural sessions which include kelp and reed basket making, making and playing clap sticks, and working with shells and native animal furs.

After a traditional dinner including mutton bird, wallaby, and doughboys, guests will enjoy a starlight night walk – where you may encounter native wildlife such as wombats (prupilathina), wallabies (payathanima) and kangaroos, as well as possums and many more of Australia’s famous critters in this untouched landscape.

distance – 5km
difficulty – medium
walk time – 2 hours

Day 3 comprises of a guided walk south along stretches of pure white sand and past rocky headlands covered in the red lichen typical of the Bay of Fires region.

Lunch is enjoyed at the unusual Marsupial Lawns where the chances of spotting a wombat or two are quite high.

Arrive at the Aboriginal landholding of larapuna (Eddystone Point lighthouse precinct) in the mid afternoon, to one of the most beautifully restored Lighthouse Cottages in Australia.

The cottage has been redesigned throughout to provide a purpose built experience for guests, while the beautiful exterior walls of local pink granite have been given new life.

You can then settle into your ‘hotel style’ room in the Lighthouse Keeper’s cottage, enjoy the lounge and extensive library of reference books, or take a seat on the broad verandah to watch the sun fade into a magnificent sunset.

distance – 17km
difficulty – medium to hard
walk time – 6 hours

Today provides an opportunity for you to explore the larapuna area – including the coastline, rock quarry and lighthouse precinct.

You will be offered a tour of the fully operational lighthouse, with unmatched views of the world-renowned Bay of Fires (larapuna) coastline awaits.

It is not uncommon to see black swans and arctic terns or pelicans, sea eagles, and the odd whale or dolphin in the surf below.

After your tour, you may wish to spend time with our guides reflecting on key learnings from the cultural journey.

Lunch is served prior to the drive back to Launceston via a ‘quirky café’ stop in Derby, a little town becoming more famous by the day due to its place on the Mountain Bike ‘map’.

Arrive back into Launceston at approximately 17:00 and enjoy farewell drinks and nibbles, before catching a flight home or settling into one of the city’s many boutique or main stream hotels.