Virtual Banksia Grove Walk for Treadmills

The Banksia Grove and Caves Circuit explores the coastal heath of Rocky Cape National Park in north-west Tasmania, starting near the Sisters Beach boat ramp. This 26-minute walking video heads through banksia-covered hills towards the rocky Bass Strait coastline, passing caves and Aboriginal cultural sites along the way.

The track is natural and uneven, with rocks, short steeper sections and some rock-hopping closer to the coast. Saw banksias are one of the main features of the vegetation, with their distinctive cylindrical flowers standing above the lower coastal heath. The trail climbs through the hills before dropping back towards the shoreline, giving the short walk a bit more variation than you might expect.

From Banksia Grove, the track continues towards Lee Archer Cave, an Aboriginal shelter above the coast. A viewing platform has been built around the site to protect the archaeological material. Further along, the route heads towards Wet Cave before reaching the shoreline, where around 100 metres of rock-hopping provides one of the more physical sections of the walk.

The scenery opens up as the track gets closer to Bass Strait. Rocky headlands, sea caves and small sheltered beaches surround the coastline around Sisters Beach, with the ocean appearing between sections of heath and coastal woodland. Rocky Cape National Park also has a long Aboriginal history, with archaeological sites found throughout the area.

For the treadmill version, the pace is around 4 km/h with a 2% incline. This gives the walk a moderate and steady effort without trying to replicate the steeper sections and uneven rocks of the real trail. Dropping the incline slightly would make for an easier indoor session, while the 2% setting keeps a little of the uphill character.

The full Banksia Grove and Caves Circuit is only around 1.6 kilometres return, but can take up to an hour depending on conditions and how carefully the rocky sections are tackled. At 26 minutes, this virtual walk focuses on the changing scenery rather than simply covering distance.

Banksia heath, caves, rocky shoreline and Bass Strait views all appear within a relatively short section of Rocky Cape National Park, giving this compact walk quite a lot of variety.

Trail Information

  • Location: Rocky Cape National Park, Tasmania, Australia

  • Trail: Banksia Grove and Caves Circuit

  • Walk Duration: 26 Minutes

  • Terrain: Natural coastal track with rocks, uneven ground, short steep sections and rock-hopping

  • Suggested Treadmill Incline: 2%

  • Walking Pace: Easy to Moderate