Chudleigh Lakes via Explorer Creek and Lake Nameless

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Chudleigh Lakes via Explorer Creek and Lake Nameless

Postby Son of a Beach » Mon 11 Feb, 2008 10:39 am

I enjoyed a great walk (except for the barefoot bushwalking issue) this weekend just gone into the area that I think fly-fishermen call the Chudleigh Lakes. I walked with 'delphin' (a keen fisherman) from Lake McKenzie, via Explorer Creek, Lakes Explorer, Snake and Nameless to Ironstone Hut. I'd been to Lake Nameless and Ironstone Hut a couple of times before, but I'd never before looked around the corner to the group of lakes just a short stroll away: Lakes Johnny, Chambers, Douglas and Halkyard.

They are a group of pretty lakes, all very close to each other, with ample camping alongside any of them. There are several large grassy areas where you could literally pitch hundreds of tents. There was reasonable camping at Lake Nameless (near the creek North West of Ironstone Hut), but nothing good, so we stayed in the hut (which is a nice hut). But I don't think I'll ever stay at Ironstone Hut or Lake Nameless again, now that I know how good the camping is, and how pretty that group of lakes is, just around the corner of Forty Lakes Peak.

When walking in via Explorer, we decided to take the route marked on the map, and as recommended by several people on these forums following the track along the East side of the creek, and crossing over before Lake Explorer and following the West side of Lakes Explorer and Snake. We then left the water course, and walked from Snake Lake to Ironstone hut via the West of the hill that lies between Snake Lake and Lake Nameless (looked more direct on the map), which proved to be quite easy.

However, I initially failed to pay proper attention to several people's notes here where they recommended crossing explorer creek before it flattens out below Lake Explorer. When we got close to the lake proper itself, and the creek was flat and essentially a long narrow extension of the lake, it was exceptionally muddy (even the water was very murky), and there was no easy place to cross. I realised I'd come too far, and decided to walk back about 200 metres or so to find a better place to cross. Delphin, however was in his fishing waders and decided to just go straight across through the water and mud.

Well, after walking back 200 metres, then crossing, and returning again on the other side, I could see delphin in the distance lying on the grass face down sliding along the grass. I couldn't figure out what he was up to, and thought that maybe this was some fly-fishing thing, and he was trying to spy out fish over the bank of the creek. But the creek was behind him so that couldn't be it!

Well, it turns out he was trying to scrape the mud of his waders. The mud in that part of Explorer Creek is over waist deep, and is more like a semi-settled suspension than mud. It was so deep that he got a little trickling over the top of his waders, and I think he was a bit worried for a while there.

Was funny in hindsight, but could have been rather nasty. The moral of the story is that if you are going to cross Explorer Creek, make sure you do it just before it flattens out. If you find that it is flat, GO BACK to where it starts to flow over rocks!

We unpacked at Ironstone Hut, and did a short afternoon walk to some of the other lakes nearby (see the barefoot link above for details), and then back to the hut for the night, where we had venison steaks in mushroom sauce and cous cous for dinner with a nice bottle of shiraz.

The next day, after spending the night at Ironstone Hut (Lake Nameless), we walked back over to Lake Halkyard, where Delphin reckons the fishing would be best, this time via Lake Fox. He fished while I went off exploring (boots on this time!).

I decided to walk over to Little Throne Lake where I'd been via the Blue Peaks once before (on the walk that inspired the creation of these forums, actually). It was a thoroughly enjoyable walk, unencumbered by a pack. There were several other lakes/pools along the way, and Little Throne Lake itself is quite large.

I climbed up Little Throne which is a very small mountain (more of a rocky hill really), and a very easy climb. I highly recommend this, as it is so easy, and yet the view of many lakes in all directions is just wonderful.

In fact, I now think that walking in via Explorer Creek, and branching off to Lakes Johnny and Halkyard from Lake Explorer would be a more enjoyable route (and in fact this is how we walked out). It would then be a nice circuit to walk out via Little Throne and the Blue Peaks (keeping in mind that the Blue Peaks track is more difficult to follow).

Also if Lake McKenzie was full, or if the Fish River was flowing too much (making access to the Explorer Creek track difficult), the Blue Peaks track would be a good alternative route into the same, or similar, area. It would be longer, but accessible from the same starting point without having to move cars elsewhere for a completely different walk (although again, the Blue Peaks track can be difficult to follow).
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Re: Chudleigh Lakes via Explorer Creek and Lake Nameless

Postby Penguin » Mon 11 Feb, 2008 2:34 pm

Nik

Great post. On the otther post, it remimended me of student days in teh 70's walking around barefoot - am I to assume you are a closet hippie?

The whole plateau area behind Mackenzie to Lady Lake and east is fantastic and so accessable.

The conflict is how many peple do you want to send that way as over use could well destroy what is a beautiful area. But if people don't see these lovely places what chance do we have in encouraging conservation.

There is no easy answer to this. But doing the Western Arthurs last year I can see the damage even well meaning boots and well pitched tents can do if there are anough going through.

I almost put my hand up to go with you on teh weekend, work commitments got in the way. Another time.....
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Re: Chudleigh Lakes via Explorer Creek and Lake Nameless

Postby Joe » Mon 11 Feb, 2008 3:02 pm

Ive talked a local fluff chucker into teaching me a bit about fly fishing. Think we might go to Blue Peaks area for that. Just got to find time to do it.
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Re: Chudleigh Lakes via Explorer Creek and Lake Nameless

Postby Son of a Beach » Mon 11 Feb, 2008 5:34 pm

Penguin wrote:Nik

Great post. On the otther post, it remimended me of student days in teh 70's walking around barefoot - am I to assume you are a closet hippie?

The whole plateau area behind Mackenzie to Lady Lake and east is fantastic and so accessable.

The conflict is how many peple do you want to send that way as over use could well destroy what is a beautiful area. But if people don't see these lovely places what chance do we have in encouraging conservation.

There is no easy answer to this. But doing the Western Arthurs last year I can see the damage even well meaning boots and well pitched tents can do if there are anough going through.

I almost put my hand up to go with you on teh weekend, work commitments got in the way. Another time.....


I've been having the same dilemma about how to conserve these areas without keeping them all secret. There is certainly no easy answer apart from overly restrictive regulations. The north east of the central plateau is not as sensitive as the Western Arthurs - thankfully, because it is so accessible and so well used.

I figured the one thing I can do with this forum, which is designed to make bushwalking information easily accessible, is to at least restrict the flow of information regarding the most sensitive areas that are not already well published, or tracked.
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Re: Chudleigh Lakes via Explorer Creek and Lake Nameless

Postby Joe » Mon 11 Feb, 2008 6:19 pm

Information should be free! But enough of that old chestnut Ive harped before onto deaf ears...

The big question is did you get a feed of trout?
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Re: Chudleigh Lakes via Explorer Creek and Lake Nameless

Postby Son of a Beach » Tue 12 Feb, 2008 7:48 am

No, he hooked a couple, and saw some big'uns, he reckons (I saw one myself, without polaroids, and without even looking for them), but he didn't land any this time around.

So we just had to make do with venison eye fillet for dinner. :( That was such a disappointment, I can tell you!
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Re: Chudleigh Lakes via Explorer Creek and Lake Nameless

Postby delphin » Tue 12 Feb, 2008 12:29 pm

Besides - I C&R almost all the fish I catch - and well we had venison for tea - why bother really?
Kind regards,
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The Lakes Last February (2008)

Postby Son of a Beach » Sun 13 Apr, 2008 4:33 pm

It was a long time ago now, but I've finally got the photos from my February walk to Lakes McKenzie, Nameless, Explorer, Snake, Johnny, Chambers, Douglas, Halkyard, Little Throne, (and a few more I can't remember the names of).

All photos are by delphin...

Explorer Creek:
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Thirsty Wallaby:
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Lake Chambers:
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Returning from Walking with Under 1kg (ie, barefoot, no pack, in pain :) )
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Ironstone Mountain Sunset
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Lakes Douglas, Chambers, Johnny (and Lake Fox in the background)
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Spider on Delphin's Boot
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Large Cushion Plant
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Lake Explorer Quick Mud
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Re: Chudleigh Lakes via Explorer Creek and Lake Nameless

Postby Onestepmore » Mon 14 Jan, 2013 9:14 pm

Great post. Just got back recently from a few days' successful fishing the Central lakes. First fishing and waking trip to Tassie
Can't wait to be able to plan a Western lakes hiking and fishing circuit in the next year or so.

Fantastic book http://www.troutflies.com.au/store/inde ... ct_id=1577

Tight lines guys!
(And hard feet???!)
We can learn a lot from crayons. They come in different shapes and colours, but they all have to live in the same box
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Re: Chudleigh Lakes via Explorer Creek and Lake Nameless

Postby vagrom » Tue 15 Jan, 2013 3:07 pm

That is the cutest little spider...
Surgite et .. andiamo!
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Re: Chudleigh Lakes via Explorer Creek and Lake Nameless

Postby Davo1 » Tue 15 Jan, 2013 5:15 pm

Great post and thanks for putting a smile on my face - biggest leech ya ever did see huh...
Love that whole area, enjoy it every time I'm up there but yes you can run into strife every now and again if you don't watch what you are doing.
Sorry to see you had to do it so tough and settle for Venison :D
Enjoyed the pics as well, ta.
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Re: Chudleigh Lakes via Explorer Creek and Lake Nameless

Postby ofuros » Wed 16 Jan, 2013 7:42 am

A great area to explore with a wide variety of access points.
Mmmmmm.... I can almost hear/smell the venison sizzling in the pan.
Posh nosh in a windswept landscape....nice.
Mountain views are good for my soul...& getting to them is good for my waistline !
https://ofuros.exposure.co/
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Re: Chudleigh Lakes via Explorer Creek and Lake Nameless

Postby Tortoise » Sun 15 Sep, 2013 5:48 pm

Son of a Beach wrote:
Also if Lake McKenzie was full, or if the Fish River was flowing too much (making access to the Explorer Creek track difficult), the Blue Peaks track would be a good alternative route into the same, or similar, area. It would be longer, but accessible from the same starting point without having to move cars elsewhere for a completely different walk (although again, the Blue Peaks track can be difficult to follow).

I'm wondering when there's lots of water around, where would be the best place to cross the Fisher River if accessing Lakes Fox, Douglas etc via Blue Peaks track?
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Re: Chudleigh Lakes via Explorer Creek and Lake Nameless

Postby Son of a Beach » Sun 15 Sep, 2013 7:29 pm

Up the top amongst those lakes the river isn't much more than a trickle. If you didn't mind getting wet feet it would be easy to cross at almost any time of year. When I crossed it going from Halkyard to Little Throne I did so without even getting my boots wet much above the soles. It was reasonable wide where I crossed but very shallow. And I didn't spend much time looking for a better place to cross.
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Re: Chudleigh Lakes via Explorer Creek and Lake Nameless

Postby Tortoise » Sun 15 Sep, 2013 8:29 pm

Ta. I must say I prefer dry feet if possible... :roll: So I might do a little bit of exploring. :)
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Re: Chudleigh Lakes via Explorer Creek and Lake Nameless

Postby greyim » Tue 17 Sep, 2013 7:24 pm

Yes, v.G spider snap!!
This from John Douglas
http://www.tasmanianspiders.info/022.htm
Nothing beats a nice camp fire
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Re: Chudleigh Lakes via Explorer Creek and Lake Nameless

Postby DanShell » Tue 10 Mar, 2015 9:56 am

I know this is an old topic but I am heading into this area this weekend and I am looking for some info.

I am hoping to walk in via Explorer Creek Track, have a look around the area and stay the night around Lake Explorer or Lake Nameless. Then I want to walk out via the Blue Peaks Track over near Middle Lake.

My maps don't show a track to join the two but plenty of others have walked across there so I was wondering if there is a pad or is there anything in particular I need to look out for? Any particular area to avoid, being to scrubby or too swampy?

Thanks for any advice.
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Re: Chudleigh Lakes via Explorer Creek and Lake Nameless

Postby Son of a Beach » Tue 10 Mar, 2015 1:57 pm

By coincidence (as the original poster) I just did almost this exact route but in reverse last weekend. No, there is no track or pad between the Blue Peaks Lakes and the Chudleigh Lakes and Lake Nameless.

If you are inexperienced at off-track navigation, I would avoid trying this. However, ...

If you are experienced at navigation, I would suggest that you'll find it very easy going. The landscape is very easy walking, with only the occasional bit of scrub to push through. And when you do come across scrub, it's not terribly dense (at least not compared to in the SW!).
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Re: Chudleigh Lakes via Explorer Creek and Lake Nameless

Postby DanShell » Tue 10 Mar, 2015 2:03 pm

Son of a Beach wrote:By coincidence (as the original poster) I just did almost this exact route but in reverse last weekend. No, there is no track or pad between the Blue Peaks Lakes and the Chudleigh Lakes and Lake Nameless.

If you are inexperienced at off-track navigation, I would avoid trying this. However, ...

If you are experienced at navigation, I would suggest that you'll find it very easy going. The landscape is very easy walking, with only the occasional bit of scrub to push through. And when you do come across scrub, it's not terribly dense (at least not compared to in the SW!).


Thanks SOB I wouldn't say I was very experienced at off track walking, but I have done some and I am slowly trying to expand my experience, hence wanting to give the route I mentioned a crack. It doesn't look too intimidating on the map.

Im happy to back track if I think I am getting in over my head.

Was any of the water crossings deep or tricky to cross last weekend?
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Re: Chudleigh Lakes via Explorer Creek and Lake Nameless

Postby Son of a Beach » Tue 10 Mar, 2015 3:26 pm

Water levels all quite low up there last weekend. No tricky crossings. :-)
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