Trip 041 - Fairy Grotto - Seal Point

 

DATE: March 25, 2023 (Saturday)
LEADER: Antony Pettinger (03 473 7924)
TRIP GRADE: Easy (3 hrs)
MEET: Clubrooms, 9am

There are several names on early OTC trip programmes to places that aren’t familiar today. Two of these are ‘Beatties Beach’ and ‘Fairy Grotto.’ Running 100 Trips provides the opportunity to revisit these areas that for whatever reason have disappeared from the trin programme (the last trip to the Fairy Grotto was in 1962).

The Fairy Grotto is at Seal Point and can be accessed by semi-protected reserve land (YEPT). The grotto itself is at the head of long gulch on the coastline at Seal Point. In earlier times it must have been impressive, as the club built an access track into the Fairy Grotto – today it is a steep and slippery climb in and out (and the grotto has been taken over by the local seals).

The beach we know today as Boulder Beach was formerly known as Beattie’s Beach, named after the family that lived in the area.

This trip will visit both locations from Braidwood Road – there is a vegetation filled gully to push through to get to the Fairy Grotto, and we need to stay close to the cliff edge at one point to remain on reserve land, but it is worth it. If there is a large turnout for this trip, we may have to walk or car-pool from the nearby Sandfly Bay carpark due to limited parking in Braidwood Road.