February Plains

2 weeks ago on ANZAC Day, Tuesday 25th April, I dashed up into the Mersey Forth high country for an afternoon exploring around the north end of February Plains.

I was inspired by Ned Terry’s book “Identities and History of Tasmania’s High Country.” Several of the trappers, snarers and stockmen spoke about “the February.”

February Plains average about 1100 metres above sea level and can be a very inhospitable place during the winter months. They lie along the flat-topped ridge that runs north south between the Mersey and Forth River valleys. In the north, they rise above Borradaile and Emu Plains, south of Mount Claude. In the south, February Plains come to an abrupt end at the cliffs of Mount Oakleigh.

I approached from the north along logging roads over Bare Hill and Borradaile Plains. A few years ago, the Cradle Mountain Lake St Clair National Park and World Heritage area boundary was moved north to include February Plains and to protect the dense forest of the Lemonthyme Valley.

After leaving the car at a locked gate, I walked south along the disused logging road before heading up onto the button grass plains on top of the ridge. After an hour walking, a large coil of rusty wire hanging from a tree served as the first reminder of times past when mountain cattlemen would bring stock up here in the summer months.

Tucked among the trees on the northern end of the plains, I visited the decaying remains of a snarers hut. The roof had gone and three walls were nothing more than an open frame. The one standing wall still had chicken wire over the open eaves where smoke used to escape from the fire used to dry the possum and wallaby skins.

From the high parts of the plains Cradle Mountain, Barn Bluff and the surrounding ridges could be seen to the west sporting a thick coat of fresh snow. At one point, Mount Pelion West also showed its snowy head. In the east, the peaks lining the western rim of the central plateau glowed in the sinking sun.

I completed my circuit by following Sardine Creek back to the disused logging road a few kilometres south from where I started. As I approached my car, the sun set right behind the Cradle Mountain massif creating a stunning silhouette to cap off a pleasant afternoon.

Mount Pelion West

Here goes! My first attempt at blogging.

Normally I would avoid computers like the plague outside of work but blogging seems to be all the rage and I have a bucket load of Tassie trekking tales to tell.

I am passionately proud of this island state, Tasmania. I grew up on the north west coast and the world heritage wilderness surrounding Cradle Mountain was my back yard.

Now I have moved to another part of the island where I am IT Manager for a factory owned by a large US-based multi-national company.

The first trek/bushwalk/ramble I want to describe was a trip to Tassie’s 3rd highest peak, Mount Pelion West. The following text and pictures are from an article I have just written for our company magazine…


Tasmania is one of the most mountainous islands in the world. A book called “The Abels” lists 155 mountains over 1,100 metres above sea level. When the IT Manager (tastrekker: that’s me) and Chemical Research and Development Manager (tastrekker: my walking companion on this trip) looked for a mountain to climb earlier this year, there were plenty to chose from.

tastrekker tells the story…
The chosen candidate was Tassie’s 3rd highest peak, Mount Pelion West at 1,560 metres above sea level. The highest mountain, Mt Ossa is climbed by many people who walk the Overland track and we had both ‘been there, done that!’. The second highest, Legges Tor has a road up it with the Ben Lomond ski village perched on top - not much challenge there!

We approached our objective from Arm River in the Mersey Valley on Saturday 4th March. As a warm-up, Mt Pillinger (1285 metres) was climbed after a steep ascent from the car park. The views were stunning with clear sky and dozens of mountains in every direction. Tarns and Lakes on February Plains sparkled to the north while the upper Mersey River meandered its way through the native grasslands of Lees Paddocks. 600 metres below our sublime lunch-spot, every shade of green imaginable was present in the rain forest lining Wurragarra Creek.

From Pillinger, a gradual descent took us down to the shores of Lake Ayr where we met the Overland Track at Pelion Hut. In the past, anything up to several hundred campers could be found in and around Pelion Hut on a fine summer night. A new permit and fee system limiting the number of walkers during the peak season has made such overcrowding a thing of the past. On this balmy afternoon, a mere 30 to 40 walkers were making this their accommodation for the night.

While the ‘luxury’ of Pelion Hut was tempting, Pelion West beckoned. If we were to make it back to the car the next day, a little more progress would be needed before stopping for the night.

An hour north along the Overland track brought us to Frog Flats where the infant Forth River lazily trickled by our grassy campsite.

Next morning, with breakfast dispensed with, we left the tent to dry and set out towards our goal. The gradual climb through rainforest revealed occasional glimpses of low cloud filling the valley. Pelion West brooded silently above us. Even after climbing above the tree line, the clouds only briefly parted to reveal the cliffs surrounding the base of the mountain.

Upward, ever upward, the climb continued over house-sized boulders precariously perched atop towering cliffs. Careful route selection was needed to avoid the cavernous gaps in between.

Finally, the summit was reached. A finger of rock jutting skyward from the edge of a south-facing precipice marked the highest point. Any concern about heights had to be ignored to climb the obelisk beside a 250 metre drop to the scree below.

The cloud came and went during our summit stay. Views opened up in most directions with peaks from Cradle Mountain to Frenchmans Cap and Mount Murchison to the Walls of Jerusalem presenting themselves in turn. The Overland Track could be seen, threading its way to the north between the tarns of Windermere Plains.

Bushwalking in Tassie is a great past time. This walk was a little on the ardous side with 50km covered in 2 days and 1,500 metres vertical climb. The good news is there are many walks to choose from for every level of ability where spectacular scenery and a sense of isolation can be achieved. If you have never tried getting into the bush before, it’s never too late to have a go!