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Showing posts from 2008

Mt Monash

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Although the scoparia and other flowers were quite good near Lake St Clair in early December they were not nearly as advanced at Mt Field, however the walk over the moors , into the valley near Mt Monash and on to the summit was quite pleasant. Early cloud gradually dissipated to give some sunshine and this was even more so at the picnic area at the park entrance where we enjoyed a BBQ lunch.

Mt. Hugel

Monday 15 December 08 to Friday 12 December 08 A 3 day walk to Mt Hugel, camping near at a tarn on an alpine plateau. We waited a couple of days until the weather forecast was good and had the great advantage of getting the first break of three days of fine conditions for quite a few weeks. On arriving at the Lake St Clair visitor centre one of the first things we noticed was the removal of the two gums that had been just outside the cafe. They used to have decking around them and we thought looked much better than the now bare look of the area. A note was also on the door about not eating outside due to animal problems; so it appears the currawongs have probably been getting handouts from visitors and now become a nuisance. It is back to old days when you had to be very wary of them outside the kiosk. Parks told us that an arbourist had checked the trees and condemned them but our guess is that this is a way of justifying the removal. The walk however wa

Budawangs and Blue Mts

We spent much of September walking whilst holidaying in New South wales, visiting the Blue Mountains and later The Budawangs in Morton NP. On the way a couple of days were spent in The Warby Ranges (near Glenrowan and a known haunt of Ned Kelly) and Weddin Mt NP a dry area in central NSW with gullies and on return called in to do a walk in the Cathedral Range SP in Victoria. The Blue Mountains offer many walking opportunities and on this our secoind visit we were able to walk on different tracks without repeating any from the previous time. Spectacular cliff country. We did a 5 day walk from the Wog Wog entrance to the Budawangs via Corang Perak and Arch then through the valleys to climb Mt Tarn and a spectailar day into the Monolith Valley. Some aspects of the country reminded us of South West Tasmania, with buttongrass, plains and scrub. Photos are on the web at the Picasa site and also at Jalbum (which has quite nice presentaion software).

South Freycinet

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Sunday 9 November 08 Friday 7 November 08 After travelling via the lagoons between Hazards and wineglass last year we decided that would be the route to take on this walk. It was quite different however, because all the lagoons were completely dry, whereas there was plenty of water in all but the furthest west one last time. It did mean that we could walk in a fairly direct line to join the end of Hazards Beach. The flowers on the stretch between there and Cooks were quite good, especially the Thryptomene and Kunzia which were starting to put on a good display. The continued erosion of the backing dunes and heathland behind Cooks was most noticeable and the same was observed at Bryans and to a lesser extent at Passage beaches the following day. The hut at Cooks was looking much better than of old after restoration work and now had a veranda reinstalled. There was ample water in the one tank connected. The main drawback from camping virtually anywhere on Fre

South Wellington to North West Bay River

Saturday 18 October 08 Left at 9am and returned about 4:30 7-8 hours 12.5k circuit When Dave collected me at 8AM it was lightly raining but by the time we reached Robyn's house it had just about stopped and things were brightening up as we commenced the walk from the Springs. The Ice House track had been cleared of scrub and some track improvements had taken place since last there; including a few small switchbacks on the early section and and some hardening on the upper area. Morning tea was at Smiths Monument and from there it was off-track along the pleasant woodland of the lower South Wellington plateau and onto the North West Bay River. The only resisting scrub was found just prior to reaching the river. The river was followed upstream for 900 metres and then a scrubby section was crossed to pick up the Thark Ridge track, along this to near Big Bend, then a bit on the road before ducking down the Zig Zag to the car. Photos can be viewed by clicking h

Salters Point

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Saturday 11 October 08 This is the most direct way to Salters Point, a narrow neck of land jutting into the western side of Tasman Peninsula. From the point there are quite spectacular views of the coastal cliffs near Tunnel Bay, Shipstern Bluff and Cape Raoul. We were fortunate to have a calm and sunny day and the bush was a delight especially along the high section from Moonlight Hill to the lookdown onto Salters. The highlight being the Tetratheca and many other wildflowers, which were quite spectacular. We followed a vehicle track through pine plantations until reaching a small pile of rocks that marked a walking track that ascended through bush to meet a sign indicating Salters to left and Curio Bay the other. From here we went through a fairly level area with the dominant Eucalypts giving way to a lower heathland before the views down onto the coastline appear. After an early lunch we began the sharpish descent and a circle around a creek before coming to Salt

Crescent Bay & Mount Brown

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Friday 1 August 08 A certain degree of luck was present for this walk, because the cloud and rainfall picture showed the only part of Tasmania free of both was the south eastern portion. Hence the predictions of rain did not eventuate and we enjoyed a sunny and calm day walking along this lovely section of coast. Prior to reaching Crescent Bay we ascended Mt Brown then returned via the lookout over the Dauntless Point. After lunch we walked to the Point Puer end of the beach, climbed to join the old track and went along this to visit the site planned for a resort by Dick Smith. The spot was covered in a vast swathe of Spanish Heath. A hoped for short cut over the heathland of Mansfield Plain meant we were off track for some distance and Alan who went along the coastal reserve to Safety Cove was back well before we arrived. Coffee was enjoyed at "Eucalypt" a fairly new establishment at Port Arthur. Click image below for photos Crescent Bay

Prosser Sugarloaf

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Saturday 26 July 08 This is the Dave T and Peter F version of the walk and everything that went wrong was the fault of Dave H. When the Buckland valley came into view it was filled with fog and we left Twamley in the thick of it. However, as height was gained we walked out of it and enjoyed morning tea in the sun. Apart from a minor and soon corrected diversion, all went well until arriving at a junction marked left to Tram track and right to Golden Gully. Our mistake here was not to get out the map. Ahead in the direction the Golden Gully track went was a prominent rocky eminence, and being the highest thing we could see, just assumed it was Prosser Sugarloaf. After descending into Golden Gully and then climbing to the ridge saddle we simply turned right off the track and headed uphill, only to find it all levelled out and a look behind revealed a much higher hill. Time to check the GPS, and on consulting the map discovered we were on Blue Gum Spur, and thus about 2 ki

Buckland Gorge

Friday 27 June 08 Off road NW of Buckland For the first time in about two months Hobart had decent rainfall and some showers were still about on the Friday that this walk was due to go. Thoughts of slippery rock and wet scrub were cause for some concern, and at the first rocks encountered the difficulty of walking on them was all too apparent as Philip slid into a pool and Wendy and Sue had trouble crossing over a slab. When the Bluff River was reached all agreed that keeping to the high ground above the gorge was the best option and we were able to enjoy the bush up there with glimpses of the gorge country from time to time. By good fortune we managed the second crossing of the Bluff River at an easy location and proceeded around some steep hills before crossing the old sand mining area and eventually pickling up a taped route past cliffs and caves to meet the exit point for the walk. See photos are at http://picasaweb.google.com.au/PeterJFranklin/BucklandGorg

Plunkett Point to Lime Bay

Friday 20 June 08 The whole day was delightfully fine and calm, with initial patches of morning fog about. On arrival at the Coalmines site near Saltwater River the fog was just starting to lift and after leaving cars at Lime Bay we started off via Plunkett Point though the tea tree dominated scrub to Ironstone Bay. It seemed that the fog had lifted but as soon as we crossed the headland to Monk Bay it was met again. When I arrived at the western end of the beach Dave was already there and had started lunch and soon after the fog cleared away. The remainder of the walk was in bright sun, it got quite warm and jumpers were put away in the packs and probably the only thing to complain about was the glare reflected off the calm water. David invited us to view his house at White Beach and we were all quite impressed; not really expecting to see either such a large place or the amount of work that gone into the garden. Soon after an equally impressive sunset we headed off to The

Grasstree Hill

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Friday 13 June 08 Walk in the Meehan Range On this walk we left the main Risdon Brook circuit track after the prominent bay and where a offshoot track leads to a gate. Once over the gate it was just a matter of following the mostly distinct old vehicle track to a junction with a higher grade track. Earlier we had heard trail bikes in the distance but were quite surprised when two bikes appeared along the way we had come, they headed off downhill in the opposite direction to us. From the junction we turned east then on arrival at a fence f ollowed a roughe r vehicle track steeply uphill where it ended at the top of the hill and from then on it was a matter of picking the easiest route to the over to a fence line and eventually up to the Grasstree summit. A vehicle track headed north then west and on leaving this track we headed south over the hilltops to reach another rough vehicle track but it would appear if we had continued for another 80-100 m etres we would hav

Mount Tyndall

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Wednesday 23 April 08 to Friday 25 April 08 This part of the West Coast Range is of conglomerate and is around 1000m. It is steeply sloped on the west and large cliffs on the east. Along the southern portion are many lakes and tarns and low alpine meadows. At the northern end is Mt Tyndall at 1179 metres and on the southern end Mt Geike at 1193 metres We had commitments for Tuesday, so could not take advantage of the best weather window and had to include the last day with a forecast of showers. Although it was a nice morning in Hobart this only really lasted until Derwent Bridge and a grey sky greeted us from then on, including a very light drizzle at times. However by the time the cars were parked below the Tyndall Range things had lightened up somewhat and we headed off towards a cloud topped mountain at 12:30. The walking track was reached 15 minutes later and after a short muddy bit of button grass the climb through scrub began then the moderately steep ascent up the side of t

Yellow Cliffs

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Saturday 5 April 08 Parks have improved the area at the Myrtle Forest picnic area by renovating the vandalised hut and installing a toilet. The initial section of track has been further upgraded and a wooden viewing platform placed at the first waterfall. It all looks good and it is hoped does not get ruined by louts. The approach to Yellow Cliffs was from Myrtle Forest using the Collins Cap track then downhill on the old Glen Dhu fire trail, which is even more overgrowing in the lower section than last year. The walking pad down to Glen Dhu Rivulet has been fairly recently marked with yellow tapes, but does not appear to be overly used. After crossing the Glen Dhu Rivulet we split and some went around the cliffs to the right whilst Sue and I went left. We rejoined again further up the slope without either finding any more cliffs. A steep ascent followed and even though we veered to the right we did not meet any more cliffs until close to the top. All agreed that the ret

Mt Anne Walk

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22 - 24 March 2008  The first section of plain has been burnt, probably from JM-S management burn, and there are plenty of dead sticks to push through and the boggy middle bit . Once through the first forest band it was back to unburnt scrub, although it is getting taller, followed by the ascent through the forest. Here we had several delays in locating the route and areas with Horizontal and other scrub to find a way through, plus a number of branches to clamber under or over. We were well behind on my original times which brought home to me how much age slows you down; for example the quickest of our crossings of the first part of the plains crossing took 50 minutes as against the old one of 40 minutes. More dramatic was the extra hour to both way between Sandfly Creek and the ridge, partly due to the greater difficulty in finding the track. Camp was reached later than anticipated and cloud had enveloped the mountain peaks, but as we started cooking the sky gradually

Circuit of Cradle Mt and Barn Bluff

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Friday 29 February 08 to Monday 3 March 08 This was a trip that benefited greatly from being able to choose days when the weather was most favourable. We delayed a day or two until the forecast was for 4 good, mild days and after travelling to Cradle spent the remainder of the day climbing to a delightful campsite that we have used on a number of occasions. It is a beautiful spot and we never tire of staying there. The last of the day, after a relatively early tea, was spent wondering about the pine studded area and enjoying the views of tarns, lakes, cliffs and steep valleys. Thinking that there would be heaps of time to fit in the second day agenda meant that we did not rush away and enjoyed the calm sunny morning. Eventually the Face Track was reached and followed to the junction with the ascent of Cradle. Now it is about 20 years since last climbing this peak and my notes suggested allowing 2 hours for the return walk; but we soon discovered that the climb was harder and

Mt Connection

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Thursday 21 February 08 High cloud and no breeze made for pleasant walking and we noted some bags of rocks ready to do more track work through the wet areas on the plain on the approach to Connection. Pentachondra was in flower on the side of the mountain and once on top we strolled about the summit area between The Lectern and Pulpit Rock before returning to the track and retracing our steps to the old fire trail below Thark Ridge. To make a change we made our way up on to Thark, mostly missing the worst of the screes and passing a few really delightful areas of snow gum that looked so inviting to sit and enjoy the scenery and environment. Once on the top we sidled to join the Big Bend FT at Mt Arthur. This enjoyable diversion took about 1:45 which is about double the time on the track. View of Mt Connection from Thark Ridge and distant Collins Bonnet More photos

South Wellington

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View from Ice House Track With a fine day forecast we headed up the Ice House Track on Mt Wellington. The bush looked great, despite the dry summer, and there were numerous birds about, especially Yellow-throated Honeyeaters and quite a few Green Rosella. The day remained calm all the time we were in the bush and the temperature hovered in the low twenties, and only the odd march fly bothered us during breaks. So an ideal day for a walk.

Mt Rogoona

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Monday 21 January 08 to Thursday 24 January 08 4 We managed to have four days of pleasant weather with the temperature not rising above the low 20s during the day and the nights cool. The Jackson Creek track was used and proved to be a good way into Lake Myrtle. It climbs steadily at first then crosses an area of fire damaged rainforest where ferns and grasses are the main vegetation then a steepish climb on to the escarpment where a nice open valley leads to Lake Myrtle. We didn't spot the track at the end of the valley so just headed through the bush until finding the track again near the shores of Lake Myrtle. The walk through to Meston was pleasant as usual, although fairly dry with little water running. Lake Meston campsite was empty and allowed us to pick the most desirable spot for the tent. There was frost overnight and the morning was still and beautiful with delightful views over the lake. From here we backtracked to the climb Mt Rogoona and greatly en

Mt Marian

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Thursday 3 January 08 I had forgotten how steep the start of the climb up the fire trail was, even though it was only about 6 months since last being there. It was quite a warm day but the flat Gumtop ridge had some shade from the trees. We continued through to the junction with the East West Fire Trail and shortly thereafter began the climb to Mt Mar ian via the marked track. The track was in good condition and appears not to be heavily used. On the climb to Marian there was a large black snake draped over bushes across the track and only a ste p or two ahead of me. It had flattened the body and did not seem willing to move. When it eventually did it snarled with a cough like sound. Needless to say we all kept a wide berth as we continued on to the summit. Our return route was by the north western facing slope, which initially had a lot of loose soil before reaching the thicker scrub. It took longer than expected to reach the track again and this was mostly due to our cours

Trestle Mt

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Wednesday 2 January 08 One of the aims of the walk was to check out the volume of Broom seedlings at the Bushcare site and quite a number of small seedlings were found. We continued on the summit of Trestle, noting damage to the Mountain River track sign and that the Trestle walking track sign had been completely burnt. One highlight was seeing 3 Wedge Tail eagles flying with two of them going over not far above our heads while we were having lunch on the top of Trestle. Quite a warm day Party Sue & Peter