Dead Island

 Wednesday 29 January 2025

 The walk was to Dead Island, which is far from dead with lovely snow gums and bushes. Commencing from Big Bend, it was substantially off track, and parts over spongy uneven plains.
 
On the way an old ski hut ruin and an ice skating rink were passed before heading round the edge of the plain to reach Dead Island.  In a variation to previous walks here, we crossed this 15 hectare island of trees and down more spongy plain to the infant North West Bay River, then through bush to Thark Hut ruin and finally back via the Thark Ridge Track
 
In all it was 6k with an elapsed time of 4:40

 

 

Wellington Ski Club hut site

Wellington Ski Club hut    See list the mountain

 

 

Moorland

 

Coronidium scorpioides  curling everlasting

 

Craspedia alpina     alpine billybuttons

 

 

Thark Hut 1940  with Jack Thwaites on left Alf White on right

 

Thark Hut 1966     note the fireplace is now tin, the window is larger, the tree is now in a poor state and there is a small tree growing in front of window which wasn't there in the 1940 photo.

Thark Hut 
Built in 1901 by survey team led by H. R. Hutchison. Hutchison was commissioned by the HCC to survey watersheds of the streams west and south of Collins Bonnet. Was occasionally used by Hutchison family as weekend hut after survey completed. In the 1920s it was used as a ski camp by foundation members of the Ski Club of Tasmania (incl HR Hutchison and L McAulay). Existence was kept secret. Built of sawn palings with a galvanised iron roof, wooden floor and with a large stone fireplace at east end. 

Information obtained from Wellington Park Historic Heritage Inventory

A photo album can be viewed by clicking here or from the image below

 

Dead Island