Shag Bay Heritage Trail (5.5km)

Shag Bay Heritage Trail is a 5.5 km, grade 2 hike in Geilston Bay, Tasmania, typically taking about 2 hours to complete.

This pleasant family walk begins by crossing the bridge over Faggs Creek. Follow the edge of Geilston Creek Road until you reach a map board sign. From there, a well-graded gravel track follows the water, leading to an intersection with the takara limuna / Sheoak Walk. Continue to the right, gently climbing through open grasslands dotted with occasional eucalypts, before descending towards Shag Bay.

At the end of the trail, a short but steep section leads into Shag Bay. From this secluded bay, you can enjoy views of the western shore and kunanyi / Mt Wellington. A rusty old boiler, the remnants of an early 20th-century fertilizer plant and large wooden wharf, serves as a historical marker. In 1915, George Russell and his son tragically died when the boiler exploded. The Royal Navy ship HMS Nelson was also dismantled in Shag Bay in the 1920s.

Continue for about 700 meters past Shag Bay to the lookout and junction of an access track, which serves as your turnaround point. Retrace your steps back, with a slight variation around Bedlam Point.

The area is rich in Aboriginal middens, marking one of the shortest crossing points over the Derwent River.