Western Tasmania hikes

 

January 22. First, the bushfire. I had driven through Tullah and was heading for the track to Sandra Lake to camp; it was 5pm when I got there and the track looked sketchy so I decided to head back to Tullah and camp at Mackintosh Dam near the town. Driving towards Tullah I saw a cloud of something in the sky that I thought was dust from the roadworks there but as I got into town I could tell it was smoke coming from the other side of the highway from the dam. I found a place to camp at the dam where there were other people, because I was concerned about the smoke, and they said the fire was atwatch and act level. I put up my tent and ate dinner by the lake. Within an hour there was way more smoke and two planes were repeatedly flying over the lake, presumably getting water for water bombing from a part of the lake that was out of sight to us. 

The road back across the dam wall was very narrow and I was nervous about getting stuck at the lake but nobody else was in a rush to leave; then one camper said the dam road was now closed lower down so we couldn’t leave. Suddenly we all got a text message telling us to evacuate from the dam. I packed up ready to go and had driven a short way when the firies showed up and told us we would leave in convoy once we were all together (there were a lot of campers in an area I had not seen). So we drove down, into smoke and passing many little fires, and once down in town I could see a huge blaze at the road. Most of the campers were locals and were not allowed home. I had no reason to stay there so I drove to Rosebery and camped at the (dismal) caravan park.

January 23. I headed for the trail to Montezuma Falls and was first arrival at the car park. The trail was deep in the rainforest but the hike was rather monotonous, along a former tramway so the path was wide and flat. The falls were impressive - Tasmania’s tallest - and best viewed from a very narrow suspension bridge which had big gaps between the chicken wire sides and the metal base. I didn’t like it. But it’s an extremely popular trail; there were 12 cars in the car park when I got back. 10 kms

In the afternoon I felt I needed to do something better so I went off to climb Mt Murchison (height 1275 m), rated very highly. I set out at 1pm, which is late for an all-day hike. The trail climbed steeply from the get go, first in dense myrtle beech forest where the skinny tree trunks were just right for hanging onto. This was easy climbing on packed earth. Then the trail came into the open with knee to shoulder high vegetation and finally onto open slopes. There were lovely wildflowers among the flowering tea tree including some little white snow gentians. Plenty of cyathodes bushes full of bright red fruit. For a long time I climbed above a kidney shaped lake. The track became looser and I wasn’t looking forward to my descent but the views were improving by the minute. The track seemed to go into a cirque and was well cairned although with some steep pitches. Near the top were huge granite slabs and the trail descended to get around these, finally climbing on very loose rocks to the trig point. Two girls were sitting there and we chatted. The views in every direction were wonderful: to Cradle Mtn and Barn Bluff, to Frenchmans Cap, to the coast at Strahan, the Murchison River gorge far below.

The view down to Sandra Lake and adjoining lakes inside the cirque was fantastic.

I could see smoke rising above Tullah. I descended really slowly on the loose ground and at one point I came to a very tricky narrow gully which I found a bit hairy; when I was down I couldn’t see the track and realised I was no longer on it. I had to go straight back up that tricky bit to rejoin the trail! Once I got back to the forest I descended rapidly and I was at the car by 5.15pm. 7.1 kms

January 24. Time to see the Tyndall range before it becomes the site of the next commercial Great Walk. I headed to the trail to Tyndall Lake. Initially the trail climbed in dense myrtle forest, a bit boggy in places, then through shoulder high bush and out onto open slopes with flowering heaths, grasses, tea tree, scoparia and scattered boulders. The path was narrow but clear. In places there were lengthy granite slabs to walk on. The path was steep and a ridge line was in sight for ages without getting closer but views of surrounding mountains took the frustration away. Quite suddenly I reached the top and the walking here was some of the nicest tops walking I’ve ever done: many lakes, close and distant peaks, scattered rocks, wildflowers (beard heaths, white pimelia, tea tree big and small, purple trigger plants, snow gentians). It was hot and still. I detoured towards Mt Tyndall and walked to the first knob for a great view over Tyndall Lake nestled beneath The Bastion and several other lakes close by.

Then I continued to the lake itself, still some way away by trail because of intervening gullies. I had a paddle in the lake - not cold - and sat awhile, but the March flies and wasps made sitting less than pleasant.

On my way down I met a couple walking up and we had a long chat. Then I passed someone else and almost immediately after that I saw a big snake on my trail; it turned to leave but seemed to think it was ok to remain at the edge of the track and I had to speak sternly to it as the track was only narrow. 8.6 kms 

January 25. The couple I met yesterday recommended St Valentine’s Peak (height 1084 m) so off I went. From the road the mountain looked daunting and I presumed the car would do some of the climbing, but this was not the case. The track started in mossy forest, typical Tasmanian, with a river crossing on stepping stones and then some fire trail - half an hour in, when I got a glimpse of the mountain, I realised I hadn’t started the climb yet.

The trail climbed moderately steeply in wonderful forest for a long time until emerging close to a ridge. Once on the ridge I could see a bulge ahead which I guessed was the summit, but pink tape instructed me to sidle around this knob which was one of several false summits. The trail went up and down along the ridge, often with steep drop offs both sides and requiring me to hold on to rocks or bushes, until I eventually saw the summit trig point still about half an hour ahead.

When I reached a chain screwed into the rock to help with an ascent I ditched my poles as they are a nuisance on a narrow rocky track like this. I sat at the summit for as long as I could tolerate the March flies, pleased that it was not windy. St Valentine’s is a peak on its own so the views were all distant: I could see Cradle and Barn, the coast, nearby mining activity, and peaks in every direction plus an amazing amount of forest. I took the descent carefully and met a group walking up when I was back in the forest. 9 kms

January 26. Meant to be a day off but I went for a hike anyway. I drove to Arthur River and the ranger suggested the walk to Church Rock. It was blowing a terrific gale and I had the wind behind me at first so I knew the return would be unpleasant. I walked along the beach, crossed a grassy headland then another beach. There were a few squeaking oystercatchers and gulls and the wind possibly affected the seagulls’ takeoff. The main feature of the beaches here are the large number of logs all over the place, giving a whole new meaning to flotsam.

Off shore were sharp, angled ribs of black basalt and inland bare hills. The track became grassy and I was surprised to see a big snake retreating - the ranger hadn’t mentioned snakes. I could see Church Rock well before I reached it: it was much larger than the surrounding rock formations and from the direction I was coming it definitely looked like a church.

Nearby was a pebbly beach with the same hollows I’d seen at the Bay of Fires, and I’m informed these are Aboriginal seal hunting pits. Walking back was not too bad and heading into the wind kept the flies off my face but when I reached the final beach I could barely move forward the wind was so strong. 8 kms

The next day I drove through the Tarkine forest to Smithton with stops for short walks, of which the best was the walk to the summit (230 metres) of one of the Milkshake Hills; these were bare hills in a heath filled clearing in the forest.

January 28. Rather perversely I decided to go back south to Corinna which I could have reached more quickly from Arthur River. The drive involved 75 kms on a gravel road, not too bad surface as it turned out but very hilly and winding. The scenery was great (typical Tassie moorland interspersed with treeless mountains) until disappearing into cloud. I was surprised at the width of the Pieman River in Corinna. I went for a short walk by the river, which is in dense forest, while waiting for the weather to improve, and then sat watching the vehicle barge that crosses the river. 

At 2.45pm I set out on my hike up nearby Mt Donaldson, hoping the low cloud was gone. From my starting point I could see a fair chunk of the mountain so I thought I might be in luck. The climb began in temperate rainforest and emerged into high tea tree then button grass hillsides. Everything was bone dry and this was clearly unusual; the centre of the path had become a narrow gully probably due to water coursing down and there were alternative pads through the grass as if to bypass boggy sections. I saw several green ground parrots. It proved to be an easy climb and I was on top before I expected. I could see two stretches of the Pieman River, a lot of coastline (the west coast) and a lot of forest, but what really amazed me was that once again there were mountains in most directions: yet another part of Tassie that is full of mountains. 8 kms

When I got down I intended to camp by the river where I had parked but I felt it was too visible from the road so I drove off; I soon regretted this and was pleased to find lovely camping just outside Waratah by Philosopher Falls. In the morning I walked through wonderful primeval forest to the falls, which gushed down a rock face in a series of two skinny falls.

On this visit to the northwest corner of the state I bypassed Rocky Cape and Stanley so I went back there before returning home.

March 3. I set out to do a loop day walk in Rocky Cape National Park. First I walked inland via Postmans Pass, climbing via Cathedral Hill to the trail along the ridge of the Sisters Hills. It was unpleasantly windy and the sky was black. I contemplated turning back. The flies were atrocious. I saw lots of different wildflowers: red blandfordia, heaths with white or pink bell-shaped flowers, dwarf bottlebrush, daisy bushes, needle bushes, coral ferns and low acacias. There were few trees. It was was quite odd to be in this wilderness environment, similar to the Western Explorer scenery, so close to major towns (and from Cathedral Hill I could see cleared farmland). 

I descended to the coast at Anniversary Point for lovely views of coastline backed by hills.

The coastline was mainly long ribs of sharp rocks, many with orange lichen covering, with some small sandy coves. It was high tide so difficult to get along the rocky parts. I had lunch on the beach and the sun was out, the sky was blue.

The next hour was perfect, crossing little beaches that were either pebbly, rocky or sandy and sheltered by the hills looming over.

I had a good view over the weird shapes of the Cathedral rocks before I left the coast. Then I climbed through a grove of dense tea tree to Postmans Pass and back down to the car. Although it was now sunny the wind was again horrible on this last part. I went for a nice swim at the beach at the end of the road. 16 kms

March 4. I went to Stanley and walked up the Nut on the very steep path, then did the short loop around the top with views over the long sandy beaches on both sides of the peninsula. I think the hazy sight of the Nut from a distance, a dramatic cuboid lump of extinct volcano, is possibly more interesting than the view from the top. 3 kms