A vistitor to tas after a ref for a great 3-4 day walk

[gennifa]

Hello everyone,

I LOVE hiking, and want to share it with my partner.

Were from melbourne, spending about 10 days in tas soon and need a reference for a 3 - 4 day hike.

Hoping to find a mission that isn't too much of a pedestrian hwy...my fave is forests and rivers...but all the outdoors is beautiful, and tasmainia particularlly so!

SO, I'd love any ideas people have for a great, (more remote) walk.

I have an all wheel drive vechile, decent gear and reasonable experience.

I've only walked in Tas once before, friends took me into the Tarkine for 4 days, just amazing, 4 days of rainforest, not something you find in victoria, very very special!!

THANKS

Jen

[Son of a Beach]

If you're experienced enough, and good with basic navigation, the Never Never is a great river and forest walk. There are several variations of start/end points for this, but basically, start on Moses Creek Track, through Junction lake, then follow the Mersey River to Hartnett Falls, then up to the Overland Track, then out by whatever route suits you best (eg, down Kia Ora, and back along the Mersey again and out via Lees Paddocks).

NB: This requires reasonable navigation skills as there is no real track to follow for some significant sections.

There's also a variety of tracks that start/end near the Moses Creek Track that visit a variety of lakes in that area. You can combine them to suit your preferences, and preferred length of walk. Eg, Lakes Bill, Myrtle, Meston, Junction, etc. This way you could do a circuit, and not have to do a car shuffle. Depending on what you end up deciding, you may need to do a few kilometres on gravel road at the beginning or end, in order to get back to your car.

Let us know a bit more about your experience and skills, and suitable level of difficulty if you want some other suggestions. How well do you cope with walking through substantial bogs?

[gennifa]

Thanks sooo much for taking the time to reply!! I've been lost for where to start planning a trip.

My navigation skills are fairly low level, most of my walking has been on at least semi-identifiable routes, (to a degree)...I have a queen scout (he he), so I have had some time off track experience, but nothing significant (intentionally anyway). As it's just the two of us, I don't want to stretch my skills too far.

hmmm, bogs...The other person on the walk is going to have pretty basic footwear so maybe prefer to avoid really boggy walks...dunno if that is an unreasonable call in tas?

Sound like a softy don't I, he he. We are both fit, I've got medium level bushwalking skills, and the other person has a great head for maps. Don't want a walk thats too tricky tho, want a not super challenging, but fun walk to introduce my partner to hiking.

All my walking has been in Victoria, other than one 4 day in the Tarkine. Which was WONDERFUL! It was a tagged walk starting near the Arthur river, and ending with a crossing of the same river.

A circut would be GREAT, tho were prepared to hitch back to the car, if any walks are conducive to that.

Are there plenty of places to buy topographic maps in Tasmainia? The map shop in melbourne just moved.

Any suggestions would be eaggerly welcomed

Were arriving in Tas on the 26th of Novemeber

Thanks!!

[dee_legg]

The Hobart Map Shop on Elizabeth Street (a block and a half up from the Elizabeth Street Mall) has a full set of TASMAP 1:25000 maps available as does Service Tas which is on Macquarie Street (about a 600m walk against the flow of traffic from the Hobart Bus Mall).

A more basic circuit in the Walls would be easy enough to plan, and would offer some great Tasmanian alpine scenery. The area offers easy to follow tracks and wonderful tarns and lakes as well as good campsites. This area is commonly used by Tasmanian high schools and the like to introduce its students to bushwalking.

Another option could be the Freycinet Peninusla Circuit, allow 2 nights to completely enjoy the area staying at the Cooks Beach camp and then over Mt Graham to the beautiful Wineglass campsite at the southern end of the beach. Water can be absent or contaiminated during the warmer months though which can add to pack weight quite dramatically.

Have a look at the Parks website, this should have details on both the walks mentioned above.

Have fun! Nothing I love more than planning walks!

[Son of a Beach]

There's decent bushwalking/adventure/outdoor shops in Hobart, Launceston, Burnie and Devonport, all of which have good maps. The 1:100,000 series are good for most track walks, and the 1:25,000 series are good if you need to do any significant navigation, or just want a close-up look.

As dee_legg said, the Walls of Jerusalem could be a good place to look around, and you can join it up with Lake Adelaide, then on to Lake Meston, and any of the other Lakes I mentioned above. These areas are not too boggy, compared to the South West of Tasmania.

Where are you flying in/out of Tassie?

[gennifa]

Thanks!!

We're flying/boat in Launceston/Davenport.

We intend to check out freyceneit for some camping and day walks, but for some reason have my heart set on something on the west or south part of the island. Is there anything not too boggy or is that just where its at in those parts of tas.

[Son of a Beach]

Just about any track in the South West will have some substantial bog involved somewhere along it. However, the central plateau (Cradle Mtn, Lk St Clair, Walls of Jerusalem, Lakes area) is nowhere near as boggy (although not entirely without mud). Look out for anything with button grass plains. These have the worst of the bogs.

[Singe]

+1 vote for the Freycinet circuit - I finally walked this track last weekend (every time I'm in Freycinet it seems to be with a group that just want to hang around the beach all day ) and it is simply magical. Easily doable as a two-day walk, so you could always go for a second overnighter somewhere in the highlands if you felt like some variety...

Obligatory photo of the Hazards (from Mt Graham)...

[gennifa]

Beautiful photo!!

Thanks for the ref

[frank_in_oz]

Obligatory photo of the Hazards (from Mt Graham)...

Great pic Singe, it is just a beautiful place

[gennifa]

We found a wonderful 4 day walk, roughly along the lines of what 'son of a beach' has refered me to.

Day one: into Lees hut (short day) from Mercy valley road.
Day two: up to the overland track, through pelion gap to Kia Ora hut...fantastic rainforest, then alpine, then snowgums...and snowcovered peaks
Day three: to Harnett falls across (the flooded mercy), and throught the BEAUTIFUL never never. We were initially intimidated by trying to find a way down the the valley, once we did, was great.
Day four: past a series of lakes to Chapter lake and falls. Some stunning scenery, but 2 major navigation challenges: First trying to find the track out from the Junction lake hut at the end of the 'never never', the whole area is riddled with minor tracks: many human made in the the fragile vegitation, after a few kms of bushbashing we found the the track at the top of the saddle. Second challenge was keeping the track as it passes the swollen lakes. A tiring and scary day spent predominantrly off track in thick veg. Due to the geological set up of the area it was reasonably easy to assertain which direction we needed to be travelling in, even on a 1/100 000 map, but hard going to actually do it through steep THICK veg. This area is STUNNING, and I'd like to return when my energy and skills and morale was not so streached!

...so....my point is: Thanks for the ideas for hikes,
AND if anyone is heading into the Chapter lake area be prepared to make your own way down the valley as the track is submerged in many places, and use a more deatiled map then we did, and you may not be as surprised as us when you climb a thickly vegitated cliff and find the track up there!

...and, the walk would be nicer as a 5 day, so there is more time to enjoy the scenenry and do side trips!

...also, what do people think about the issue with tracks around the hut at Junction lake, I think some signage and/or arrows and tags would eliminate more damage to the veg in the plains in the area. Or would such additions be taking something from the area? Should people - such as myself- just work it out?!

[Son of a Beach]

...also, what do people think about the issue with tracks around the hut at Junction lake, I think some signage and/or arrows and tags would eliminate more damage to the veg in the plains in the area. Or would such additions be taking something from the area? Should people - such as myself- just work it out?!

A little more signage in both directions would be handy. When walking in the other direction, the start of the track from Junction Lake heading down the valley into the Never Never is not obvious if you've not followed it before.

However, they may be trying to avoid people using the Never Never route and keep the area a little more 'wild'. I'm not sure if it is even a recognised official track? Certainly when I did it, there was no track to speak of for much of the way - not even a foot pad to follow in some long sections. I wouldn't want it becoming overrun with people as the area could easily be degraded by overuse.

[sirius Tas]

Hi gennifa,
Have just read John Chapmans notes re Junction Lake to Chapter Lake...he also says the track is hard to find...but does give excellent directions and distances to where you can easily pick it back up. I take it you don't have this book?...if not I'd certainly recommend it as easily the best walking book I've seen covering the Cradle/Lake St Clair NP's, CPCA & PCT....in a detail I've not seen any where else. The many included maps are excellent...and personally...I would put this book in the list of mandatory items taken on any extended walk in this general area.
In relation to signage...I personally would hate to see signs all over the place as I think it would definitely detract from the experience. Once again...as John says...these tracks are for very experienced walkers with good navigational skills and shouldn't be taken lightly...as some others may do.
Obviously your own skills were certainly up to the task with successfully finding and negotiating all the various tracks....even though at times difficult to find. BTW...the circuit you walked is definitely on my to do list...among hundreds of others of course ....just hope my dodgy knees can hack all the intended kms.
Cheers

[tas-man]

+1 vote for the Freycinet circuit - I finally walked this track last weekend (every time I'm in Freycinet it seems to be with a group that just want to hang around the beach all day ) and it is simply magical. Easily doable as a two-day walk, so you could always go for a second overnighter somewhere in the highlands if you felt like some variety...

Obligatory photo of the Hazards (from Mt Graham)...

Interesting to see the evidence of further drying up of the freshwater lagoons between the Hazards and Mts Graham & Freycinet since my photo taken in March 2007.

[tas-man]

Just a PS to my previous post above on the drying up of the freshwater lagoons - I am reviewing the LWC 16mm movies for our DVD production, and thought these two images from movies shot in the 1970's might give some historical background to this area of Freycinet, and show how much the rainfall has declined.

Freycinet 1973.png (576.91 KiB) Viewed 8656 times

Note the extensive areas of freshwater behind wineglass Bay, that have now disappeared.

Freycinet 1976.png (416.63 KiB) Viewed 8656 times

[Nuts]

..

[corvus]

Yes, exactly..... The area is getting trashed by penny pinchers looking for alternatives to spending a few $ on the Overland Track. It has always been a 'route' through the never never but was never intended as a track. Perhaps this should be kept in mind by guide book authors as they direct people into these areas... Easy to list all sorts of walks without a thought or care as to how they are supposed to be managed or protected. Perhaps He doesn't give a toss, not the first time is it....

Hey Nuts ,
Some of us do this as an alternate circuit walk and to be perfectly honest with you I would not have known about it until I read about it in the early guide book,additionally the NN has still not been degraded(trashed) like parts of the OLT nor has the area around Junction been overrun with human tracks/braids and I suspect owing to the nature of the tracks in to the area may well not be .
c

[crazyone]

Nuts,

I think your being a bit hard on someone like John Chapman. he has made some of these areas accessible but not without the effort it takes to get to a place like junction. i havent been to Junction for a yr or so but it seemed all right last time i was there. Penny pinchers is a bit stiff as well, the Never Never is a great link to some fantastic circuit walks in the area. I wouldnt mind a bit more signage and track marking but if its not there well then thats ok too.

Dave