Crossing Private Land

[kcwat13]

Hi all,

Other than calling QPWS, what strategies or secrets do some of this esteemed board's members hold in regard to finding contact details for private land holders.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Further details available if necessary.

KC

[tastrax]

I normally just rock up to the nearest house and ask who the owner is - if your are polite and honest, respectful of their property you often get access. Of course I am in Tassie so the properties are not quite as large as in QLD!

[kcwat13]

Perhaps I should be a trifle more detailed and ask straight out if anyone knows anything about private land traversing to Mt Neilson and then onto Lizard Ridge (sometimes known as Glucose Ridge).

If not what about traversing property surrounding Hell Hole Gorge, west of Mt Huntley?

Feel free to PM if you would prefer.

Thanks again

KC

[tas-man]

Perhaps I should be a trifle more detailed and ask straight out if anyone knows anything about private land traversing <Snip>
. . . . what about traversing property surrounding Hell Hole Gorge, west of Mt Huntley?
KC

Your query has brought back to mind a story about the risks of traversing private property in this particular area - the only time on a bushwalk I was on the receiving end of shotgun fire!

I led a BBW trip via Hellhole Creek to Double Top on the Main Range in the early 1970's. I had done a survey trip a few weeks before hand, to get the OK from the property owners, one of whom was an old codger living in a shack on Top Swanfells Road opposite to the junction of Hellhole creek and Swan Creek. He was OK with allowing us access as we had done the right thing and asked him first, but I couldn't help remembering the "Trespassers Will Be Shot" sign on his entry gate. I told him the date and the approximate time we would be coming back down the creek and crossing his property to where we would park our cars for the day so there would be no problems on the day. The day of the walk eventuated and we parked a few hundred metres past the old chap's hut and set off over his property as arranged. We crossed Swan Creek and onto the cattle track that led through Hellhole Gorge (this was before it was widened and turned into a road), crossed the grassy flats above the gorge, and then followed an old road to a point where we started ascending a ridge to Double Top for lunch. We retraced our route on the way back, and I had just crossed Swan Creek and was waiting for the tail to catch up when a shotgun blast stopped us in our tracks and had us diving for cover behind the creek bank. Another BANG and some shouted obscenities about "*****ing trespassers again, I'll have you picking pellets our of your ****ing a**e if you don't ****ing get of my property immediately!" He was standing outside his shack about 500-600 metres away, and after a bit of silence, I stuck my head above the creek bank and called out "We are the group from the Brisbane Bushwalkers Club that I talked to you about a few weeks ago." Another BANG and "I don't care who the ****ing bags of **it you are - GET OF MY PROPERTY!!!!" So there was no point in arguing any more, as he sounded a bit drunk as well, and had totally forgotten about my previous visit to get permission. We scrambled a quietly as we could in the creek bed heading south until we were out of sight of the shack, then left Swan Creek and walked back along the road to our cars. Quite a memorable walk, thinking about it 35+ years later.

[tas-man]

I have found some old Agfa CT18 slides of the survey trip I did, and it would be interesting to see what the country is like now, especially through Hellhole Gorge.

The top end of Hellhole Gorge where it opens out into a large grassy flat.

Walking down Hellhole Creek in the Gorge.

The original cattle track and gate at the Western end of the Hellhole Creek Gorge.