Making waves: larapuna Community Weekend 2023

Making waves: larapuna Community Weekend 2023

At Tasmanian Walking Company, we have a deep-seated appreciation and respect for the lands and ecosystems in which we operate. From Wineglass Bay to Bay of Fires, Three Capes Track to Cradle Mountain, we not only know our privilege in working in these precious areas, but also our obligation in maintaining them. 

That is why for the last ten years, we have been involved in the larapuna Community Weekend at Bay of Fires. The event runs over three weekends and focuses on a range of conservation projects within the Mount William National Park. The most notable of which is the control of sea spurge along the Bay of Fires foreshore. Over the years we have seen remarkable results in minimising sea spurge, and we hope to continue this trend until it is eventually eradicated from the area. Watch this space! 

Bay of Fires beach clean up

This year's event was an enormous success with a great turnout of like-minded, connected people all sharing a passion for the conservation of the Bay of Fires area, a precious part of the world. As part of National Science Week, we collaborated, educated and enjoyed the remoteness of the coastline from wukalina / Mt William National Park to Ansons Bay.  

Thanks for all organisations involved including: 

 

A huge thanks goes out to all the volunteers who generously donated their time and efforts to the cleanup, as they say, many hands make light work! 

Lastly, special thanks go to Polly Buchhorn for organizing another successful clean-up weekend.  

 Beach clean-up Bay of Fires

Here’s the results from the weekend, as supplied by Polly: 

Sea spurge 

  • Over 65,000 found occupying 15Ha of beach 
  • 46,000 removed and 19,000 left 
  • 32,500 cleared from infestation sites to assign Patrolling status (5.4Ha ‘sea spurge-free’) and Controlling (6.3ha) 
  • 3.5Ha of Uncontrolled infestations had 31,000 ss removed, 18,000 left behind 

  

Marine debris 

  • Policemans Point – The Gardens: 109 items/8kg collected + another 8.8kg of large & other items 
  • Stumpys - Deep Creek: 56 items/7kg 
  • Ansons Bay - Deep Creek: 165 items/23kg 
  • Abbostbury beach: 83 items/12kg 

 

To see a map of the area we traversed, click here. 

 

Overall, another hugely successful initiative but still lots of work to do to continue the control and conservation of this special part of the world. Keep an eye out for next year's Larapuna Community Weekend if you want to get involved. 

 

 

For our guides, it’s to do with a sense of custodianship…(we’ve) got a real connection to the places we’re walking through, that we’re taking our guests through. 

Heath Garratt – General Manager, Tasmanian Walking Company