The steep Mount Amos hike reward with stunning views

Mount Amos has been on my Tasmanian To Do List for a few years, and having finished a long but rewarding hike around Maria Island I’ve got a few days at Coles Bay during which to undertake this bushwalk. It was exactly two years ago that I hiked the Freycinet Peninsula with my son, and after three days of walking I couldn’t persuade him to do the relatively short (but steep) walk up to the summit of Mount Amos! Starting at the Wineglass Bay carpark, the track soon veers off to the left, with a warning sign for good measure.

The Mount Amos walk starts with a nice and gentle ascent, through banksia, she-oaks and eucalypts and along a few short sections of boardwalk.

After about 800m, there’s another warning sign – just in case you missed the first one! (It would be a bit slippery after rain, but there’s no sections with any serious exposure and my 12-year old daughter had no issues with the climb.)

Soon after the second warning sign, the track heads up large granite boulders. Frequent yellow markers show the route, with Mount Amos directly ahead. While none of the granite slabs are particularly steep, there’s a few spots that would be tricky if the rocks were wet.

As we gain altitude, there’s a nice view of the multiple granite tiers below the Mount Amos peak. The pink colouration is from iron oxide impurities in the feldspar (a component of granite) and the black from micas (a black mineral).

Looking back to the north, there’s a great view over Coles Bay – both the bay and the township on the opposite side.

Just after the views of the granite tiers, there are some rough sandstone steps, before we reach one of the steepest sections of the track.

The route goes directly up one of the granite tiers we saw earlier: while it’s pretty steep  and looks a little daunting, there are crevices and a few trees that provide handholds.

The path then flattens and goes through low scrub. To the right there’s a rock outcrop that looks like our destination, but it’s a false summit. A final rocky slope leads to the summit of Mt Amos (454m above sea level).

From here there are sweeping views to the south over Wineglass Bay and the Freycinet Peninsula.

We reach the Mount Amos summit shortly after 8am – a couple of hours after sunrise, but still early enough to enjoy the nice morning light. (Our timing works perfectly, as we’ve encountered a number of people on their way down, who started early to be on the peak for sunrise. The last person leaves just as we arrive, and we have the summit to ourselves for half an hour.)

The view from the summit makes the ascent worthwhile, with fantastic views over Wineglass Bay – one of the most beautiful and most photographed beaches in Australia. The best view over the bay is from the right of the true summit, and 20m below the peak there’s another flat area that’s popular for photos.

To the north are some of the other peaks that make up The Hazards, with the Coles Bay Conservation Area beyond.

We return to our car at the Wineglass Bay carpark via the same route, having spent half an hour at the top admiring the view and taking photos. The skies have cleared since we reached the peak, so I take a few more photos on the way down of Coles Bay.

There’s many interesting rock formations that we were less inclined to admire as we scrambled up the mountain. The “chaise lounge” rock provides a nice spot for a rest!

By the time we reach the carpark it’s exactly 9am. It’s taken us 2.5 hours, including the 30min on the summit, so if you’re aiming to reach the top for sunrise you could get to the top in about an hour if you’re fairly fit  (or allow 90min to be safe). On the way back to our accommodation, there’s a nice view of The Hazards from the other side of Coles Bay – Mount Amos is the one in the middle (second from the right).

Accommodation near Mount Amos

The nearest town to Freycinet is Coles Bay, which has a few restaurants and a holiday park – but not many other accommodation options. Lodges, resorts and houses for rent are be scattered along the coast, incuding the upmarket Freycinet Lodge (one of the closest resorts to the national park) and the even more up-market Saffire Lodge.

Booking.com

More information on Mount Amos

• Melanie Ball, Top Walks in Tasmania, p.132
• TasTrails – Mount Amos