Reynolds Falls - The Return

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Reynolds Falls - The Return

Postby crazyone » Sat 06 Oct, 2018 9:19 pm

So I'm having a convo with my mate. You know that mate, comes home to tassie and asks "where are we getting a walk in while im back?" No thought involved to reply "remember when we nearly killed your friend from Germany by doing Reynolds as a day walk? Lets go back there" What a great idea and so that's what we settled on , without his friend from Germany of course. Even if she had been in the country, I'm sure she had learnt her lesson unlike us.
It's not that silly of course, anyone that's ever been there before knows why you would go to such a magical place. So our day started not early enough for early October, around 8 we rolled out of the lodge's car park. We had managed to luck out an absolute cracker of a spring day, sunny but not hot at all and virtually no wind to speak of. So we laugh at the sign that says 2 days and roll up the boardwalk. How easy will this be! About 100 metres off the boards we encounter what will the first of a trillion treefalls smashing the track. We hadnt even left cradle valley! Anyhow, after out little ascent, the Speeler plains unfolded in front of us with their button grassy goodness and easy walking. So far so good. Meeting the 4wd track, we plunged down into the meaty goodness of the early part of this walk. Myrtles, mountain currant and celery topped pines just a few of the many plants you come accross early on. Fleece creek not giving to much resistance saw us at the log of rocks before we knew it and the easy part was in the can before we could say "dawdle". Now the fun begins. There's something to be said for the pandani forest that you go through here. Awesome. 20-30 foot high onesin this grove and super thick in parts. Brillaint to see them like this even if they do get a bit "cutty" at times. Once you get clear of the thick part of the grove, it opens up a bit and is mainly alpine coral fern to negotiate. Very important to stay left coming up here, last time through was where we had said German friend a bit nervous as it took us about an hour to find where we had to enter what I like to call "the plunge". It was still a bit of fun this time but nowhere near as bothersome. So here we were, ready to descend descend descend. Through the myrtles and then sassy etc down down down to eventually the cracking little waterfall and thoughts of "we have to go back up there. I cant wait!" By now the track was getting a bit sucky in bits. Someone has been through recently and added tape and for that i thank them for it. Pity they couldn't have bulldozed and paved it a bit but I won't hold that against them. It was a bit wetter than either of the previous times through and this added to the hard factor by diminshing footing somewhat. So know its up and down, up and down etc etc etc for miles now engrossed in the brilliant rainforest this place has. getting towards reynolds falls itelf the big trees really come into play. It truly is an awesome place. Im not sure what the trees were there, probably regnans but thats just a guess. Finally the end opens up to essentially a "wet and wild" type slide the last 50 metres or so to the final plunge to the Vale River and the unbelievable gloriness that is Reynolds Falls. We have some great waterfalls in tassie, thats a given but to see a ripper of a notch waterfall is something else in my humble opinion. The Vale has decided, what the hell, lets just spew out here and make the riverbed 50 metres down there. Or something. As you can tell, words are hard to find to truly capture it (take mine here for example, they're terrible). Magic to sit there and take it in. One of the problems with the whole day walk thing is that it is not nearly enough time at the falls. I've stated this shortcoming previously here when definitively stating that it would be no good to do it as a daywalk for this exact reason and its true.Still, 30 seconds at this place is so much better than no time at all. As it stood I spent about 15 minutes all up, eating drinking and snapping pics on my iphone. 15 very special minutes. Time to head it was and the enormous trudge back to peppers and my trusty kia rio. It seemed easier to navigate back but slower. A lot slower going up the plunge. Panting like a dog and sweating like a pig. Wouldn't trade it for anything tho. Still, we even managed to get in a k of trail running when we got near the fleece creek crossing.Good thing too because when we got onto the plains themself all usable light was gone and the last hour was walked in the dark with our artifical array of light (headlamp and said iphone). That duckboard was extremely welcomed I can tell. So once again, came saw conquered the mighty Reynolds Falls. Was it worth it? Without a doubt. Would I do it again? Well, i told my mate last night on the drive that that would be it for me and Reynolds. Today i spent thinking of when i would go back and how I could slightly improve the whole day walk experience. I reckon ill go back!

(Apologies no photos. cant drive that bit of it. My photos are pretty ordinary, just google the falls and check out the many talented people that have nailed it)
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Re: Reynolds Falls - The Return

Postby mypace » Sat 06 Oct, 2018 10:20 pm

Entertaining read Crazyone - enjoyed the flora names too, really helped me imagine the stages of the walk. Thanks!
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Re: Reynolds Falls - The Return

Postby ofuros » Sun 07 Oct, 2018 2:04 am

Thanks for taking us there, crazyone...enjoyed the rolling commentary.
Mountain views are good for my soul...& getting to them is good for my waistline !
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Re: Reynolds Falls - The Return

Postby Tortoise » Mon 08 Oct, 2018 7:50 am

Hey Crazyone. Thanks for the report. :)

One of the problems with the whole day walk thing is that it is not nearly enough time at the falls. I've stated this shortcoming previously here when definitively stating that it would be no good to do it as a daywalk for this exact reason and its true.Still, 30 seconds at this place is so much better than no time at all. As it stood I spent about 15 minutes all up, eating drinking and snapping pics on my iphone. 15 very special minutes. Time to head it was and the enormous trudge back to peppers and my trusty kia rio.

Wondering why not do it as an overnighter next time? :?
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Re: Reynolds Falls - The Return

Postby north-north-west » Sat 13 Oct, 2018 10:02 am

Tortoise wrote:Wondering why not do it as an overnighter next time? :?


Because you have to haul a full pack back up through at least one hideously steep bit of forest on the way back, over approximately two billion fallen trees. Worth it, but effing hard work. Although you can camp earlier, but that gives you less time at the falls . . . always a trade-off.
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Re: Reynolds Falls - The Return

Postby Hot073 » Mon 18 Mar, 2019 9:19 am

What was your walk time in hours and do you know how far in kms?
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Re: Reynolds Falls - The Return

Postby crazyone » Fri 11 Oct, 2019 9:23 pm

12 hours and about 30kms
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