The parking area associated with the Carlton – Park Surf Club is the most convenient parking spot to access all the CarlDunes caches.
All the caches are of the plastic lunch box type and are close to well established tracks and open areas within the coastal reserve. If you are more than 30m from a track of one type or another, you are probably making it hard for yourself! The challenge of the area is to find the relevant tracks and cache sequence. The reserve is 0.7km long and 0.3km wide at its widest point. Allow ~90 minutes to casually wander from the parking area to all the caches and back. Take a diversion up the highest dune (which you should pass) for a wonderful view of Fredrick Henry Bay and the Carlton River mouth.
The Carton Dunes set of caches are intended to provide an interesting area of coastal dune morphology, vegetation and critters – all of which there is in abundance. Over 40 bird species have been sighted in the area. Wallabies, bandicoots, echidna and snakes are also present. Ditto, some pine trees which are of course introduced from their original habitat of the Monterey Peninsula in California. There are also some areas of bone seed – which PLEASE feel free to pull out in your travels – in sand, they are generally easy to pull. Also please pick up any rubbish you see.
Carlton Beach is a popular summer surfing beach located 40 km east of Hobart. The Carlton Beach Road runs off the Carlton Road and provides good access to the beach in a variety of paces along the 2.7km beach. The beach faces south-southwest towards the entrance to Frederick Henry Bay 15 km to the south. The Carlton River mouth is a small inlet and neighbouring Carlton Bluff form the eastern boundary with 20 m high Spectacle Head to the west. The entire beach is backed by a coastal reserve containing a 10-15 m high foredune, then holiday houses straddling each side of the Carlton Beach Road. The shacks are over time, giving way to more permanently occupied dwellings. Several walking tracks cross the dunes from Carlton Beach Road to the beach. The Carlton Park Surf Life Saving Club, founded in 1975, is located in a recreation reserve toward the eastern end of the beach.
While the beach is set deep within Frederick Henry Bay, owing to its southerly orientation it receives most south swell entering the bay, with waves averaging about 1 m and occasionally higher. These interact with the fine beach sand to maintain a low gradient beach and surf zone, with a 50-100 m wide bar often cut by rips spaced about every 200 m along the beach. In addition there is a permanent rip against Spectacle Head, and strong tidal currents flowing off the eastern end of the beach out of the 50-100 m wide Carlton River mouth.
If you plan to have a dog with you, please ensure that it is on a lead in this reserve (and they are not allowed on the beach December 1-March 30. We don’t want to scare away all the wildlife the locals have come to appreciate. Again - please pick up any rubbish, and don't leave your own.
Carlton Beach is usually safe but watch for rips if going for a dip.