Family Bushwalk to Pelion

Over Easter we took our 11, 9 and 5 year old children to walk the Arm River Track. While Pelion Hut was the loose objective it was not set in stone. The area has many lovely spots for camping so the plan was to do whatever we could do then setup camp. With enough meals to last 4 days our agenda was delightfully flexible.

On day one, we had a fairly late morning start. While there was a bit of complaining, we all made light work of the infamous hill one kilometre after the start. Ironically, it was after the steep bit that we struggled to maintain motivation as we sidled around the top of the hill to our lunch spot beside the outlet from Lake Price.

Lunch at Lake Price with Mt Pillinger looking over us.

After lunch, renewed spirits allowed us to scoot over to Wurragarra Creek and the highpoint where the Cathedral Range and DuCanes joined Mt Pillinger to provide a breathtaking panorama. Steady progress was made down the hill but, as we approached Lake Ayr, spirits were flagging again. The last 4km had taken us 1.5 hours, we had 4km to reach Pelion Hut and there were 1.5 hours of daylight left. It was not hard to make the decision to pitch our tent on a small rise beside a creek where we enjoyed spectacular views along the lake to Mt Oakleigh and back to Mt Pillinger. The remaining daylight was spent relaxing, and cooking a superb dinner. Mrs TasTrekker had invested in some of those fancy dehydrated hiking meals which cut down on weight and ensured we could enjoy fairly normal and wholesome food.

Mt Oakleigh and Lake Ayr from our campsite.

Day two started enthusastically and 90 minutes' walking took us to a deserted Pelion Hut where we settled in for morning tea and card games. A group from Anthology's Cradle Mountain Huts arrived at the hut soon after us en route from the private hut at Pine Forest Moor. They tucked into their gourmet lunch and then set off to climb Mt Oakleigh.

Mt Pelion West looms over the Douglass River bridge.

Pelion Plains offers some hidden treasures for a family not looking to scale the heights of surrounding mountains. Some copper mines and an old hut are worth exploring along with the recommended swimming spot at the pencil pine flanked Douglas River.

Old Pelion Hut

We took our lunches and stoves a short walk along the famous Overland Track to the historic Old Pelion Hut. While enjoying lunch in the hut's grassy surrounds we had a visit from the friendly local track ranger. She was heading down to the old bridge on the Wolfram Mine track (more recently known as the Forth Valley Track) to 'take measures' to prevent people using the bridge. The treated pine decking looked to be in good condition but underneath the steel beams were completely rusted through.

Rusty bridge over Douglas River on Wolfram Mines (Forth Valley) Track

Over an hour was filled as the whole family were entertained by the antics of tugging at planks and dismantling the decking. Everyone chipped in to lend a hand. In a weird way, there was a strong sense of irony heading into the wilderness and engaging in some serious demolition work.

Ranger Jen calls the shots as we 'take measures' to discourage people from using the bridge.

Once all the planks and old nails were collected, we got back to our original agenda which was a visit to the old Pelion Copper Mine. A distinct pad leads 250 metres down the valley from the hut to a brightly coloured tailings heap which extends all the way down the hill and into the river below. The boys and I explored the adit which went far enough in to be completely dark when we turned our torches off.

Pelion Copper Mine

On the way back to the Overland Track, the children stopped on a new section of board walk to test the depth of the bog. In the photo it looks like they are engaged in constructive track work. If Ranger Jen returned to continue her board walk construction, I'm sure there would have been three willing young helpers.

On the track to Old Pelion Hut.  Mt Pelion East in the background.

In the evening, dinner preparations and the ensuing feast were accompanied by a lovely sunset transforming Cradle Mountain, Barn Bluff and Mount Oakleigh into stately silhouettes against the fading hues of a fine and still autumn evening. Card games and socialising were the order of the evening. Even the junior walkers found friends they had met on a previous holiday camp so the hut atmosphere was very lively.

Barn Bluff, Cradle Mt and Mt Oakleigh are sillhouetted at sunset.

Ready to set out from New Pelion Hut

On the morning of day three we joined the throng of walkers preparing for departure and, after a family snap, set off along Lake Ayr. The first four kilometres melted away as we dawdled through the mist, taking photos of shrubs, cobwebs, flowers and berries along the route.

The gradual uphill climb from the Pelion Plains up towards the Wurragarra sadle caused spirits to flag a little so a cooked lunch beside 'Tarn of Islands Creek' gave us the necessary encouragement to continue back to the walk's high point. From here, the panorama opens up to include the Cathedral and DuCane ranges along with Mt Pillinger close at hand. Ironically, as they rested on a large rock, my family seemed more inclined to watch the tadpoles in a tarn rather than take in the stunning scenery. Each to their own I guess.

Twin Spires, Cathedral Mt and Castle Crag from the Wurragarra saddle.

At this point we had covered eight kilometres since leaving the hut and we were four kilometres from the car. We had food to do another day but being this 'close to home' with the possibility of a home day before returning to work made it an attractive option to push on. There was just the issue of enthusing the troops. We made a strong start heading down over Wurragarra Creek but the slight climb to Lake Price caused our youngest trekker to threaten mutiny. The others were starting to enjoy the thought of being back to their own beds that night.

Lots of encouraging and distracting chatter pulled us through to our day one lunch spot at the Lake Price outlet stream. An Easter Sunday afternoon tea of celebratory eggs was in order and, with all that chocolate in our collective bellies, it seemed only a hop, skip and a jump to the steep descent into the Arm River valley. At the bottom of the hill, I wondered how we would go with the final kilometre to the car. As it turned out, everyone was able to focus on the goal and with much celebration we bundled into the family wagon and headed for a Sheffield take-away dinner. There was even energy in reserve to don fancy dress for an easter supper with the in-laws in Burnie!

What a trip! Walking with young children is a joy when appropriate precautions are taken. We have been fortunate enough to gather some good gear for the whole family. Complete sets of thermal underwear, sleeping bags, inflatable camping mats, rain coats, boots and a 4-person Macpac Spectrum tent that fits all of us made this trip possible. Walking with an open agenda, listening to each other's needs and being willing to stop whenever the need arose were other critical factors. Of course, the trip would not have happened without the willing participation of the whole TasTrekker family. I am very proud of everyone!

Echo Point

Sunrise over Mount Ida and Lake St Clair from Echo Point

Sometimes it's quality, not quantity that counts. This walk was less than 24 hours but it felt much longer, we had such a good time. Work and childcare arrangements permitted Anne and I barely 24 hours to go bush but we made the most of it!

After work one night earlier this week, we packed our gear, said goodbye to the children and headed off to Cynthia Bay at the southern end of Lake St Clair. At 8:45pm we started the trek north along the famous Overland Track. The reason behind such madness was to surprise some German Friends who were expecting us to pick them up at 3:00pm the following day after they had spent 7 days on the track. I thought they would be at Narcissus, but Anne was confident we would find them at Echo Point.

A few minute's walking brought us to Watersmeet where a very large bridge spans the confluence of the Hugel and Cuvier Rivers. That point also brought us to the end of dusk so with headlamps on, we continued north as the forest around us changed from eucalypts to the denser myrtles which would accompany us for the rest of the night. There was not a breath of wind so the lake was eerily silent. Occasional gaps in the forest canopy revealed the sky was delightfully cloud-free and a myriad of stars shone brightly.

By 11:30pm we were hoping the hut was not far away. Neither of us had walked this section of track before but I had been to the hut by ferry and knew there was a creek nearby. Therefore, the sound of running water made us quite excited. Sadly when we reached a bridge, I did not recognise the location so the hut was still somewhere further ahead. As we approached the 3 hour mark since leaving the car, we began to wonder just how much slower our progress was than the 'guide-book-time.'

A second stream ten minutes later got our hopes up but again they were dashed. Thankfully, barely a minute later, we reached a stream which looked very familiar and the hut was upon us. We tiptoed past almost a dozen tents and made our way to the far end of the beach where I set up the tent while Anne cooked a delicious midnight dinner.
After some sunrise photography in the morning, it was terrific fun to see the surprise and delight on the faces of our friends. From that point, we had a leisurely morning, chatting with the 'united nations' of Overland Track walkers in and around the Echo Point hut. At 10:20am we shouldered packs again as the four of us wandered down the lake. A Sandy beach just before Platypus Bay made a relaxing lunch spot before our friends were able to make their triumphal arrival at the Overland Track finish line soon after 2:00pm.

Our crazy day-and-a-bit away from home finished with a drive back to the north-west coast via Hobart where we had dinner at Mures to farewell our friends who will soon return home.

Mount Maurice

Looking over Scoparia and tarns on Mount Maurice toward Ben Nevis and Ben Lomond in Tasmania's north eastern highlands.

I strongly recommend a trip up this diminutive peak in Tassie's north east. It is a rounded knob perhaps 500 metres in diameter and rising a mere 100 metres above the surrounding Maurice High Plains making it virtually impossible to see from any of the valleys below. Despite this, Mount Maurice commands spectacular views to the surrounding area.

Old track start on Maurice Road.

On my first trip a few years ago, I climbed via Knights Road from the Diddleum Plains (south west) side of the peak as described in "The Abels." To my surprise, when I reached the summit, there were star picket track markers heading away in the opposite direction. When I checked the map later, it shows a track climbing from Maurice Road to the south east.

Mounts Victoria and Albert from the scoparia adorned Mount Maurice.

On 3rd January this year, I tackled Maurice Road from Ringarooma to find it was just 4-wheel-drivable for the 7km section where it climbs a ridge from Trenah. It is still possible to follow the overgrown walking track but I would not recommend it to anyone who is not experienced in off track walking.

Moon rocks!

My 3yo son was my only company for this trip and I convinced him to join me (on my back) by talking about the moon rocks on the summit. As an avid Lunar Jim fan, he was quite impressed with the cratered granite dykes which scatter a section of the summit. The mountain was ablaze with scoparia on top which we thought looked like an enormous giant's garden. The waratah on the lower slopes were also very impressive.

Waratah in bloom.

Meander Falls

One overcast Saturday in August, I headed up to Meander Falls with a mate from Western Australia. My youngest son also tagged along on my back. Heavy rain the previous day had melted much of the snow on the plateau so we expected to be in for a treat. The falls did not disappoint.

Top half of Meander Falls

It was a cool over cast day but the clouds were above plateau hight so at least the falls would be visible. We followed the main track up from the end of the road near Huntsman's Hideaway, gradually climbing alongside the swollen river. At Staggs Creek, my mate asked about the Wood-Maynard Memorial Bridge. This gave me the opportunity to recall the tragic events which took place some 15 years earlier. I had another chance to tell the story when a question was posted on a local bushwalking forum recently. Follow this link to bushwalk-tasmania.com to learn more.

Even before reacing the falls, the wild raging cascades surrounded by the deep greens of the rainforest are a spectacular companion for much of the walk. At one particularly speccy rapid, we stopped for a hot chocolate and I inadvertantly entertained my companions by upending half of my mug's steaming contents down my shirt as I looked at my watch to check the time. In my defence, I'll say that most of my concentration was spent ensuring a certain 3 year old did not get too close to the rapidly flowing scenery.
Top half of the falls from the end of the track. Almost too much spray to get the camera out.

As we emerged from the forest, our objective loomed in sight and the roar was tremendous even with almost a kilometre to go. Just before the falls, some small creeks flow out from under rock scree beside the track. On this day, these small creeks were almost waist deep and charged fast flowing and icy snow-melt. We skirted the creeks by climbing over the boulders on the scree slope. Some of these were still icy and progress was slow so on the way back, my mate bravely declared we should just wade through the creek. "It's only 20 metres or so. How bad could it be?" Given most of my mate's recent walking had been in the Northern Territory, I think you can imagine the result of this icy plunge. Woo hoo, there was some high steppin' and hollerin'!!

The end of the track where the full extent of the falls can be appreciated was an anti-climax in a way. The mist from the falls completely enveloped the usual viewing spot so you couldn't see a thing. Driven by the 100 metre drop, the water surged through the air and seemed to penetrate every opening in our rain gear so it was a very quick stop. The photo below shows one very unimpressed TasTrekker Junior.At the end of the track with a very over-exposed and misty view of the lower falls.

On the way back, we picked up the Wood-Maynard Loop and followed it to Staggs Creek where the old crossing was flowing too strongly to be attempted. We went further upstream to where the old log crossing is still sturdy and reliable, complete with hand-wire. On this rarely visited alternative route, the stockyard at the end of the old road is a reminder of days gone by when the mountain cattle folk would drive herds up onto the plateau for summer grazing. It seems quite incongruous in this day of protection and world-heritage values. In a way, I'm glad there is still a bit of the Tasmanian 'Man from Snowy River' legend being kept alive in isolated pockets such as Lees Paddocks in the upper Mersey valley where descendents of the original cattlemen and women are still carrying on the tradition each summer.

Old high-level crossing over Staggs Creek.

A tree stump beside the Wood-Maynard memorial cairn gave us our last glimpse of the falls before we completed the loop and returned to the carpark.

Goat Island

Tassie's north coast has a number of islands and rocky outcrops which are fun to explore. Goat Island at West Ulverstone can be reached safely at low tide. On a warm sunny evening in late December we walked out there as a family. Highlights included watching fish in the traps, crawling through the 'cave of love' with its heart shaped entrance and climbing the craggy peaks.