Cape Gantheaume Banner

D'Estrees Bay Self Guided Drive

D'Estree Bay Self Guided Drive

Stop 1- Second Boat Ramp
Stop 2- Wrights Ruin
Stop 3- Osmanli Reef
Stop 4- Point Tinline
Stop 5- Wreckers Beach
Stop 6- Old Threshing Floor and Tadpole Cove
Stop 7- Weatons Beach
Stop 8- The Sewer

Stop 6 - Old Threshing Floor and Tadpole Cove

A 700m or 30 minute easy walk takes visitors from the carpark past the old threshing floor and associated cottage to Tadpole Cove.

Threshing Floor

It is thought the Threshing Floor was built in the late 1800’s by John Murray and his family. The floor consists of a circular stone pavement ringed by a retaining wall of limestone, placed on edge to hold the grain in as it was threshed. Wheat and malting barley were the main crops grown around D’Estrees Bay.

The largest stone in the center is possibly where horse-driver stood, driving 2 or 3 horses. The horses hooves were covered in hessian bags to reduce the impact on the grain but ensure the rain was threshed (stalks separated from grain. They also had to quickly shovel out the horse manure to stop it being trodden in. The grain was piled like an anthill at the center and gradually leveled out as it was worked.

A hand turned winnow was the used to separate the grain from the chaff before it was bagged and carted to either Kingscote or American River for shipment.

The Threshing Floor continued to be used until about 1930.

In 1970 It was repaired by Roy Tipping in the early 1970’d, fences and presented as an historical site by the local National Trust. The site is now a State Heritage Site.

Shack

Further along the walking trail are the ruins of the shack where the workers of the Threshing Floor would stay when operating the floor. It is thought that in the gully below the ruins was a well where water would be collected.

Tadpole Cove

At the end of the walk is a unique coastal feature known at Tadpole Cove.

Friends of Cape Gantheaume Activities

The Friends of Cape Gantheaume have a long history of undertaking works in this area. In 2000 and again in 2012 the group replaced the timber fencing surrounding the Threshing Floor with natural timbers.

In 2001 the group stabilized the shack ruins when the works were undertaken at Wrights Ruin and established the walking trail. The group continues to maintain the trail and infrastructure.


In 2012 the group commenced a revegetation project of the area near Tadpole Cove Lookout. This commenced with fencing the area natural timbers consistent with what was used at the Threshing Floor. Seeds were collected in the area and seedlings have been planted. This project continues.