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Showing posts from 2013

Harry Walker Tier

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Thursday 12 December 2013 It was fortunate that the weather for this walk was mild and that the drizzly looking sky to the south didn’t really reach us in any significant way.  The property the walk started from had a host of cars and trucks in various states of demolition.  Initially a paddock with sheep had to be crossed to pick up a 4wd drive track winding up to bush of Harry Walker Tier and eventually we passed from the private land into a PWS reserve.  A walk through open bushland brought us to a depression with a running creek and soon Dave located the sandstone overhangs he was aiming for. Return was via another creek and then up to the cliff edge, which was surprisingly high.  An interesting looking flat was spotted and whilst walking over to it Greg and I became separated from Dave.  We knew he couldn’t have gone ahead because of the cliffs but a search about failed to come up with Dave’s whereabouts.  Greg suggested using a mobile phone to make contact; which is somethi

Lake McCoy and Mount Pillinger

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29 November – 1 December 2013 Whilst making plans for a walk to Mount Pillinger we discovered there was a geocache on top and one also at the not too distant Lake McCoy, so we decided to incorporate both destinations in the walk.  After driving from Hobart we came to a halt due to humped dirt over the Arm River Road and a ditch behind.  Following a backtrack to the Maggs junction, we followed that road to Maggs Spur 17. Fortunately we had plenty of time available and arrived at Lake McCoy to camp for two nights. The track into Lake McCoy is generally obvious and follows a long narrow valley, much of it open after the initial climb up through the dry forest.  Quite a lot of Coral Fern is present then deep sphagnum at the lake. Just before the high point of the valley we missed the pad but picked it up easily on the way back. Lake McCoy On the middle day we set out for Mount Pillinger, although a wrong assumption took us on a taped and cairned route to the cliff edge.  The wro

Mount Direction and Madmans Hill

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Thursday 21 November 2013 Originally we were going to walk elsewhere but the weather forecast persuaded us that a circuit of Mount Direction, Madmans Hill and Gunners Quoin would allow is to cut the day short when and if the predicted rain arrived.  After the climb to Direction, where mist was rolling in, it was down to an open plateau that was followed north to Madmans Hill.  At this point it looked like conditions would deteriorate, from the occasional drizzle we were experiencing, and the walk was changed to return via Saggy Flats. Kids cubby on slopes of Mount Direction Old gum that now looks to be dead on eastern peak of Direction Teucrium corymbosum on summit of Madmans Hill We were back at the cars at 2:40 pm and were just driving off when the rain arrived. Mount Direction had been subjected to a burn off several months ago, but it looked to us that the fire was too  intense, with lots of old trees having been so badly effected that they had fallen over.  Som

Mount Remus and Back Peak

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Wed 30 October – Fri 1 November The delightfully blue sky that we had seen all morning changed to grey drizzly looking as the Cradle area got close and stayed that way for the remainder of the day.  Pre-trip information suggested that after a section of buttongrass it should be pleasant walking, with just a bit of scrub on the last part getting to the top of Mount Remus.  However we discovered that the buttongrass went on for longer than we envisaged and the scrub covered a longer section and was thicker than expected.  Both Neville and I had been to Reynolds Falls Many years ago and recalled following a very distinct vehicle track over the initial part of the walk until entering the forest. On arriving at the sign at the walk start indicating that this was the way to the falls we were stumped by the seeing only open buttongrass moor with the old vehicle track not anywhere to be seen.   Prior to this when we reached the sign pointing to Reynolds Falls and also the Penguin to Cradle tr

Mount Dromedary

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Tuesday 22 October 2013 At one stage the Tuesday was the only decent forecast for the week, then it changed to being the worst with rain expected.  However a couple of days later it had changed back to the best weather for the week after all. The initial bit of the walk from Braslins Road was a steady but not steep uphill past some remnant buildings, although one the highest private bits of land looked to have recent activity.  At the first junction there was debate as to which way to go, but we opted to follow where the GPS pointed and went right.  It was a bit confusing as the waypoints put in the GPS had a track further to our north and where we were walking did not appear on the map.   Viewing our actual track from the GPS on return home showed that the map had the track in the wrong place. Some sections had plenty of vegetation growing in the track, but nothing too overgrown to require pushing through.  There were a few boggy stretches and the one creek crossing had a rock brid

Quoin Mountain

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Wednesday 11 September 2013 The track through the Long Tom property (private) was followed to a junction with a logging road which was followed until it began to dip downhill.  It was uphill through the bush with some snow now beginning to fall, until an old vehicle track was met.  This was followed south for about 200 metres before we climbed again to a rocky tor and then across fairly level terrain that had been once logged.  At a high point  we decided to turn back, stopping at a sheltered spot for lunch on the way.  Once the snow recommenced it was quickly up and off and down through snow covered understory to meet the inward road. On looking at our route on the satellite image it was noticeable that the old vehicle track, that we had been on for a short distance going up,  continued on to pass very near where we had turned back.  It continued for another 350 metres but there was still a further 500 metres to the actual Quoin summit and cliffs area.   Also on the satellite ima

Barren Rock and Falls

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Wednesday 3 July 2013 With a day to go to this walk, we had 5 starters. All that changed by the afternoon prior and 3 more added. Then on the morning of the walk, confusion reigned and a few hurried phone calls sorted things although not as well as could have been. Another phone call as we arrived in Harbacks Road let Neville know that we were a few minutes late. At this point we spotted Alan leaving, so we were lucky to have seen him before he reached the highway. We were all stopped beside a sign saying welcome to Woodfield, when Dave rang to ask where we were. At the entrance we said, but no you’re not said. True when we read the sign properly we did notice an arrow with an indication that the entrance was 300 metres further on. Eventually we were all together and able to start the walk. Even that was not without a minor bit of kerfuffle when we refused entry through on of the properties. This was overcome by circling the property and then it was on to climb Barren Rock. The des

Butlers Hill

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Wednesday 12 June 2013 In the Chauncy Vale area there is plenty of very pleasant bushland and the walk to Butlers Hill on the southern side passes through some dry Eucalypt zones with sandstone slabs. Below all this are superb cliffs with a number of caves and overhangs. We ascended to the top of the cliffs from the Chauncy Vale car park and wound our way along the tops until an old logging track was reached. This was followed as it contoured around a hill for a while to reach a tarn, which was quite dry. A steep climb followed to another logging track which was left for a stiff climb to the top of a wooded hill. It was here we realised that this wasn’t Butlers Hill and the map and GPS were consulted. Everything pointed to Butlers being about 500 metres to the east, however in the mist all we could see was a disappearing downhill slope. Although visually it didn’t really seem right, once an upward slope was reached we felt much more comfortable that we going in the correct direc

Collins Bonnet

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Tuesday 11 June 2013 On a fine and partly sunny day we walked up the track from Myrtle Forest, getting wet from the bushes with the previous nights showers still cloaking them. I  had been told of an exotic pine up there and when it was spotted I was most annoyed about not bringing a saw; oh well looks like another trip back there soon. On approaching the summit Neville and John were given a brief explanation on geocaching and Neville helped find the container that was up there.      Photo at top     Lunch on Collins Bonnet    above   Mount Connection and below   Mount Marian from Collins Bonnet summit

King William 11

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14 – 17 April 2013 After returning from our aborted trip in February by the much quicker Guelph Basin lakeside route, Dave and I decided we could get to King William 11 after all. This time Nigel joined us and good time was made to our previous turnaround spot. The GPS was invaluable in getting from the road to the Guelph River and then through more bush to the lake shore, with just one short, but slow to cross, buttongrass plain. However after making fairly good time west from the end of the lake we started to get into a bit of scrub and whilst having lunch, debated whether it would better to head directly up to Slatters Peak or continue up the valley to the planned ridge ascent. Our hoped for campsite was the same distance as just to the base of ridge further west, so on the basis of distance we took the plunge into the slopes above us. It proved to be quite a scrubby climb right up to the upper ramparts of Slatters, often having to be force our way through bushes. At one stage it

Mannys Marsh

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Saturday 6 April 2013 By the time we arrived at Ellendale to meet John we had entered into fog, but it was not very thick at all and it did not take long to drive above it on the way uphill to the start point.    This area had been logged many years ago and was recovering, but there was plenty of evidence of old logging tracks.  Part of the land is now in a reserve but after crossing creek and ascending through the wet forest we arrived at an open eucalypt forest on dry slopes that were neither in the reserve and still shy of the national park.  Soon after that we arrived at Mannys Marsh which is also unreserved and along with the surrounding forest very much warrants being protected from the threats posed by exploitive industries. Mannys is an attractive open area completely surrounded by trees with a few pockets of Baeckea bushes and large tea trees on the southern boundary. It took 1:30 hours each way to walk and most of us found a few leeches on our clothes from time to ti

Collins Cap 2013

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Tuesday 19 March 2013 There was a number of reasons to go on this walk; just for the pleasure of bushwalking there, to locate a geocache on the summit and to see what effect the fire in early February this year had on the area and on the track clearing that the Wellington Park Bushcare Group had done in the last part of 2012. As always it is a noticeable uphill walk, although not overly steep, other than a couple of quite short sections. Not far above the junction with the Collins Bonnet track we stopped for a rest on a small rocky ledge only to notice that a wasp nest was there.  So this encouraged us to continue on. Nearing the fire trail the new track clearing was noticeable and then the first bit of fire impact was reached.  The area was quite heavily burnt and this continued up most of the way until 200 metres from the summit, apart from a two or three sections of unburnt scrub.  Ironically the damage ceased only a short distance beyond where the track work ended and this l

Montagu Thumbs Falls Circuit

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22 January 2013 The option we chose to visit some caches Top of Wellington Falls along the ridges and peaks overlooking the North West Bay River was by riding our bikes along the Pipeline Track then walking circuit via Wellington Falls, Montagu Thumbs and Cathedral Rock. After parking the bikes the three of us, Adrian, Dave  Peter set off on the well-built track to the falls, after that the rough track to the old Montagu fire trail was used. The last part of this is getting overgrown by Bauera as was parts of the old fire trail. There had been some overnight rain and the bushes were quite wet to push through. It was good going along the Thumbs cathedral ridge, Mount Montagu from the Falls track although parts are starting to degrade from use, then down the zig zags to North West Bay River in the rain. After crossing we then struggled up the Siphon track, which is an almost unrelenting grunt for nearly 800 metres at a 1:3 gradient. No wonder we were tired by the time we got on our bike

Traversing the Triangle

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This is a trip report written soon after the walk in June 1990.  It may have been published in a magazine, but I am not sure now. Bushwalk to Mounts Byron, Cuvier and Manfred Does camping on a high plateau in strong winds and rain, pushing uphill through thick scrub, crossing a waist deep creek to set up camp at last light or forcing on frozen trousers, socks and boots in the early morning have any appeal to you. Well in spite of these obstacles, I and most of our party enthusiastically enjoyed just such an adventure. It all took place on a June long weekend when Dave T led Philip, Richard, Sandra, Nigel and I up from Narcissus to Byron Gap in fine windy conditions. Our objectives were a triangle of peaks, Mts Byron, Cuvier and Manfred, situated near Lake St. Clair in the southern section of Tasmania’s famed Cradle Mt. Lake St. Clair National Park. Each of these mountains is capped by dolerite overlying either a conglomerate or sandstone base and although not grouped under the nam