Advice re WOJ planning

[Rod]

Hi all,
Thank you for a great site-it provides a source of inspiration for us mainlanders to head down for a visit!
Along with 3 friends I am planning to walk in the Walls of Jerusalem area in about 2 weeks.
I have walked in Tassie before but not in the WOJ.
It is a very quick trip but will hopefully allow enough time to see the area .
Plan to arrive at the trailhead at approx 2 pm Tues and have until Fri night ie 3 1/2 days
Possible options I have considered are:
1.Stay in the main area of the Walls the whole time and see it all well
2.Tues/Wed/Thurs am in the Walls -then walk out,drive to the Lees paddock area and head into there for an overnighter and out again on the Fri evening
3.Into the Walls and continue on out towards Lake Meston/Junction lake area and then out again as a circuit if possible

All perhaps weather dependant,and we can decide as we go but I am interested in the thoughts of people that know the area well.
I must admit that I would like to do option 3 -is it also possible to somehow link Lees paddock in after Meston Lake,all in the one walk??I realise it would involve getting back to the car along the road.
We are all fit walkers- but also don't want to push too hard and not enjoy the place.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance
Rod

[johnw]

Only my 2 cents worth, but if you want to really enjoy it I would advise against option 3 for only 3 1/2 days. We did that circuit over 7 days last Dec/Jan and I would have liked longer (we did have poor weather most days, with snow a few times). My suggestion is do option 1 and concentrate on exploring the central Walls area really well; there is plenty to see. Possibly based at Wid Dog Creek camping platforms. It's a good spot from which to launch short trips to places like Dixons Kingdom, Mt Jerusalem and so on. You can easily adjust the trips to suit the conditions etc. If you're really keen to do a circuit you could consider a shorter one by walking out via Lake Adelaide.

Not to suggest that your other options are impossible but I think they could become missions, with less time to "smell the roses".

[flyfisher]

Hi Rod, I agree with Johnw, I've been into the Walls a few times and you could spend 4 or 5 days in there and have a good explore,there really is a lot to look at.

A lot of trips are spoiled by trying to do too much in the time available and not really getting to see an area properly. Just my thoughts, although you can always come again.

ff

[Rod]

Thanks John and ff-good advice and almost certainly the way it is likely to go !
"Smelling the roses" is what it's all about afterall!!!
Will try to post a report afterwards...
Rod

[richard 3926]

Hi All
I am new to this forum but already have learnt so much! Reading through this forum is very inspiring - especially to Mainlanders like myself!

We are planning a trip to the Walls in a couple of weeks and from reading the various post on this forum, everything looks great and we are very much looking forward to it. However, some people who are also coming along to the walk are a bit hesitant regarding the roads in. I assume that the Mersey Forest Road is of a pretty good standard and from the WOJ NP 1:250000 Map it looks unsealed for just 10kms or so. Does anyone know the condition of that road and the amount of kilometres that are unsealed??? No amount of unsealed road will deter me and my nature loving instincts - just want to re-assure others!

We are planning to base ourselves from Wild Dog Creek for about 2 or 3 nights - final details yet to be finalised - then head to Loongana and stay there for a few days and do the walk up Black Bluff (part of the Penguin-Cradle Trail), explore Leven Canyon and do some day-trips and day-walks around Cradle Mountain. Then we will head east to the Bay of Fires & Freycinet for more bushwalking!

Also - just from previous posts I gather it is pretty difficult to set up tents on hard-wooden tent platforms that are present at Wild Dog Creek. Any advice as to special pegs / other devices could possibly be useful to assist with this task? Also I know that the weather could be great, awful and anything in between!

Finally for 2 - 3 nights should do you think we should just camp at Wild Dog Creek the whole time if we are focusing on the Central Walls or should move around to Dixons Kingdom or near (not next to) the Pool of Siloam?

Can't wait to visit your beautiful state!

Richard

[Son of a Beach]

The dirt road is pretty good for a dirt road. Ie, no big rocks, and no big ruts or pot-holes (until you get beyond the WOJ car park). There's just the standard corrugation that you'd get on any dirt road. I don't have my maps handy, but 10km of dirt sounds about right.

Wooden tent platforms are pretty easy to set up tents on. The first time you use them it might take a bit of getting used to, but only because it's different, not because it's particularly harder. I've only used them for tunnel tents, but if you've got dome tents, then I'd expect they'd be even easier to use.

[Erica]

i'd recommend just staying at Wild Dog Creek and doing walks from around there. The Walls is a very sensitive area (well, aren't they all) and its still easy to explore the central walls from WDC. There's also a toilet at WDC if that helps you decide at all.

I haven't really ever had a problem with using the tent platforms, re: special devices, i tend to find using rocks just to weigh areas down helps a fair bit, often there are lots that have been used previously around the sites.

[johnw]

i'd recommend just staying at Wild Dog Creek and doing walks from around there. The Walls is a very sensitive area (well, aren't they all) and its still easy to explore the central walls from WDC. There's also a toilet at WDC if that helps you decide at all.

I haven't really ever had a problem with using the tent platforms, re: special devices, i tend to find using rocks just to weigh areas down helps a fair bit, often there are lots that have been used previously around the sites.

WDC also has a reticulated water supply. You have access to running water near your tent, which is very handy. Ditto for the platforms, I found it a bit odd initially then worked it out fairly quickly using the provided attachments and a couple of strategically placed rocks. Don't dig up rocks from the ground though, there should be some already lying around.