The relaxing two kilometre walk, along Shag Bay Historic Trail, in Geilston Bay Regional Park, has both historic and scenic interest. The park is a twelve-minute drive from central Hobart, along East Derwent Highway, to Geilston Bay. The clearly-signed track starts from the carpark in DeBomford Lane.

The track follows the Geilston Bay shoreline to the headland. Along the track there are spectacular views across the Derwent River, from Selfs Point to the Tasman Bridge, extending over to the western shore as far as Kunanyi/ Mount Wellington.

Several interpretation panels, placed at regular intervals, explain the rich cultural history of the Murirmina people, the original inhabitants of this area. The track passes through wooded grasslands, then downhill into Shag Bay. There is a large deposit of chalcedony beside the track here. The Murirmina people valued the sharp flakes of chalcedony for weapons and trade. In recent times the amber-coloured stone has been popular for decorative purposes. As a result, much of the semiprecious stone has been cut from rock. We wandered along the beach where we found small fragments of chalcedony among the pebbles.

In Shag Bay a rusty old boiler is lying near the shore, all that remains of a fertiliser factory that exploded in 1915. Another historic point of interest in the bay waters are the remains of HMAS Nelson, which was dismantled in 1926. These remains can still be seen when there is a low tide.

We returned to Geilston Bay on the same track, enjoying the opportunity to see the spectacular river views from a different perspective.