Distance: 41.6km (10 hours 25 minutes)

The sign for the beginning of this section can be found where Bayview Road meets The Esplanade.

Leaving Point Turton, cyclists will follow the road network to Hardwicke Bay, while walkers will find the trail follows the beaches. Just north of Point Turton is Flaherty's Beach. This beach offers 10km of long white sandy beach and azure blue waters, as well as being the location of the Flaherty's Beach Golf Classic, played on the sand during the summer. It's worth a look, and cyclists should look for the sign just before the Corny Point Road meets the Yorke Highway.

Shorter parts of this section can be walked as follows:

Point Turton to Hardwicke Bay 14.1km (3 hours 32 minutes)
Hardwicke Bay to Pt Minlacowie 7.4km (1 hour 51 minutes)
Pt Minlacowie to Parsons Beach 10.2km (2 hours 33 minutes)
Parsons Beach to Bluff Beach 2km (30 minutes)
Bluff Beach to Pt Rickaby Jetty 7.9km (1 hour 59 minutes)

The next town along the trail is Hardwicke Bay. This small town is well known for the colourful line up of tractors along the beach. As there is no concrete boat ramp, tractors are used to launch the boats. From here the trail continues north, and comprises shared trail, beach walk and bush track; before splitting at Parsons Beach with walkers following the coastline, and cyclists along the roads.

Just north of Parsons Beach is Bluff Beach. On the rocky point at the southern end of the village are the remnants of a boat winching system or 'davits'. The manual winching method for raising and lowering boats from cliff to water was introduced by George Parsons and Fred Schwarz in the 1920s to raise and store fishing boats away from potential storm damage. Ironically, in 1954 a storm destroyed several of the structures and three of the boats they were holding. The davits were repaired but by the 1980s they were no longer in use and subsequent storms have washed most of the wooden frames away.

Continue north from Bluff Beach, reaching the Barker Rocks shelter. From here, it's a shared walking / cycle trail along a bush track into Port Rickaby.

Shelters with seating and small water tanks can be found at Port Minlacowie and Barker Rocks.

Please refer to our Trail Notes for further information. 

Walk the Yorke is a linear trail covering approximately 500kms, and all distances mentioned are one way unless otherwise indicated.