Favourite Bush Dunnies

[Son of a Beach]

Where are your favourite bushwalk toilets and why?

I reckon Ducane Gap is pretty cool. Bit of a view over the area, but nicely made out of raw materials, and just the lid on the ground looks very amusing the first time you set eyes on it.

But I think my favourite so far is out on the Arthur Plains - I think it was for the camp site near Cracroft Crossing, but it was a long time ago, so I'm not certain. There was pretty much nothing around it except button grass (and a little shrubbery off to one side a bit), and it was an actual white ceramic dunny just sitting there on its own amongst the button grass in the middle of the plain. Again, it just looks good in a bizarre out-of-place kind of way, but the whole concept of sitting there in the middle of a wide plain, doing the thing, with button grass high enough to barely obscure anything that needs to be obscured is very cool, and the magnificent views for miles of the mountain range are absolutely fantastic.

Not necessarily one of my favourites, but does deserve an honourable mention: The outhouse near High Camp hut (Mt Eliza en-route Mt Anne) has a window with a nice view over the new Pedder. When it's windy (which it often is), it feels like you in a rocket ship on the side of the hill and it's about to take off (due to the noise and the shaking).

[kramster]

I agree with High-Camp-Hut's "Loo with a view" - apparently one of the best placed conveniences around the world ... however last visit up there (Dec 08) it was apparently closed and decomissioned - the end of an era.

Du-Cane Hut is pretty special too - there is even a little "occupied" flag to put out a few paces back down the track.

The South Coast Track has a few worthy of honourable mention...
(Point Eric, Little Deadmans Bay and South Cape Rivulet are the ones with the most fond / un-fond memories for me... I especially like the bit where you can pull the lid off the ground-level hole and see the mass below writhing with maggots... will never really consider the aspect of flies around my food in quite the same way again).

Have a nice lunch
Kramster

[stu]

Definitely the one at the Hanging Lake platforms (Eastern Arthurs) for mine.
Magical views over Lake Geeves & down to PB & the south coast.
Having said that, there have been some pretty spectacular 'unofficial' ones at various out of the way locations as well

Stu.

[Tony]

These are my two favorite Dunnies mainly for the views they have.


Valentines Hut Toilet KNP, Sadly it is now closed and the new toilet has no views

Round Mountain Hut Toilet KNP, with the best view of Mt Jagungal in the KNP.

Enjoy

Tony

[tasadam]

Other end of the scale, worst dunny is the one at Melaleuca huts - definitely the smelliest. Any experience there is destined to be brief. The log books in the hut make for interesting reading too...
"The system of burearcracy above them is severely costipated..."

I still get a good laugh out of this creativity...
I left the original image a bit bigger so if you can't read it, click on it to get the bigger version.

Attachments

Extract from log book in Melaleuca hut

[frank_in_oz]

Other end of the scale, worst dunny is the one at Melaleuca huts - definitely the smelliest. Any experience there is destined to be brief. The log books in the hut make for interesting reading too...
"The system of burearcracy above them is severely costipated..."

I still get a good laugh out of this creativity...
I left the original image a bit bigger so if you can't read it, click on it to get the bigger version.

You ARE a trouble maker Adam! - maybe too much coffee!

We were in there 2 weeks ago and the dunny is still ROTTEN. It is a completely sealed unit with NO fresh air entering (or putrid air) leaving. We just chucked something over the track in, like a coat, and kept the door open. Even so, we had 2 nights in the original Charles King Hut (20 paces from the dunny) and got the aroma wafting over us most of the time.....

In Parks defence, there is a stack of timber and other building supplied right near it. I assume a new one is about to be built...........

[frank_in_oz]

One of the dunnies on the South Coast Track - great walls - at least the odor can dissipate!



View from the super flash dunny at the Devils Kitchen Campsite on the Great Ocean Walk in Victoria - it is spectacular and the photo does not really do it justice.



edit: wrong location fixed

[tastrax]

Here is the hanging lake Loo - great views!

HangingLakeLoo.jpg (88.77 KiB) Viewed 18906 times

[Ephebus]

I'm not sure if this one from Grey Mare Hut in the Snowies is really a favourite of mine but its lack of functional design gives it something you could only describe as character. Probably due to a lack of materials and tools available some interesting choices were made in the building of the dunny. It has a wooden seat (not so great if it gets wet...) with a hexagonal shaped hole which slopes backwards giving you the impression that you could fall backwards into the toilet if you were to lean back to far. It also has a rusty tin shaft which sticks out slightly from the hole at the very top on which one (if male) could potentially cut oneself (probably not very likely but its always best to move with caution in these situation). However, it is a dry place to go when its raining and a more memorable experience than some of the newer ones dunnies in the region.

The only photo of it I could find was this one with Dulfin the inflatable dolphin (which has successfully swum down Valentine Falls and climbed Jagungal) relieving himself (oddly the seat is down...).

DSCN2735a.JPG (103.27 KiB) Viewed 18855 times

[Tony]

I'm not sure if this one from Grey Mare Hut in the Snowies is really a favourite of mine but its lack of functional design gives it something you could only describe as character. Probably due to a lack of materials and tools available some interesting choices were made in the building of the dunny. It has a wooden seat (not so great if it gets wet...) with a hexagonal shaped hole which slopes backwards giving you the impression that you could fall backwards into the toilet if you were to lean back to far. It also has a rusty tin shaft which sticks out slightly from the hole at the very top on which one (if male) could potentially cut oneself (probably not very likely but its always best to move with caution in these situation). However, it is a dry place to go when its raining and a more memorable experience than some of the newer ones dunnies in the region.

The only photo of it I could find was this one with Dulfin the inflatable dolphin (which has successfully swum down Valentine Falls and climbed Jagungal) relieving himself (oddly the seat is down...).

DSCN2735a.JPG

The toilet at Grey Mare Hut is built on an old mine shaft, it is what is called a long drop dunny.

Tony

[prankphonecall]

Not a local shot, but rather one taken in NZ (about 1800m up).

Not a bad view...

[BarryJ]

Dunny at Lake Fergus. I will post a pic of the view from the dunny later tonight (thought I had one on Photobucket but I haven't)

[Son of a Beach]

Is there still a huge pile of broken bottles next to the hut at Lake Fergus? I've only been there once a long time ago, and was disgusted with the mess left there by what appeared to be a large number of people over a long period of time.

[BarryJ]

No, the area is very tidy. The land owner has done a lot of work in there recently; he has even left a wheely bin beside the hut (presumably he empties it on a regular basis).

[Son of a Beach]

Wow, that's good to hear. Thanks for the info, Barry.

[BarryJ]

No worries, Nik.

Some of the recent work includes an upgraded road, use of which is restricted to those who have access to a key to the gate. The land owner had problems in the past with 4wd's indiscriminately churning up the track, so he has closed the area to vehicular traffic (other than those who have his permission, of course).

Foot access is still permitted via the old 4wd track and use of the hut and toilet facilities is still available to those who walk in. The land owner has also place a visitors' book in the toilet; I would encourage all those who walk in to sign it. The area is still not overly frequented by the look of the book (I was in there a couple of weeks ago).

[prankphonecall]

The land owner has also place a visitors' book in the toilet

can anyone else see potential problems with this...?

[BarryJ]

View from the Fergus dunny. Unfortunately it was overcast and completely still, so the lake (in the middle distance) doesn't show up well in the photo:

[abowen]

In the same vein as other discussions on toilets, thought that it might be interesting to start a thread on the best bush toilets that we have in Tassie or elsewhere for that matter.
My favourites so far are:
1. Osmiridium Beach pit toilet, South Coast track- would have to have one of the best views towards PB
2. Du Cane Hut pit toilet - love the quaint signage system; and
3. High Camp - best view in town! Hopefully the newer version has the same appeal.
Cheers
Andrew

[stu]

There was this thread from a while ago Andrew in a similar vein.

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1901&p=16418&hilit=BEST+BUSH+TOILET#p16418

It's hard to beat either the one at Hanging Lake in the Eastern Arthurs or High Camp Hut, both with spectacular views.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Yer probably hanging lake for me! Only bad thing about that loo is while your doing yr buisness you have the best view in town , but the location of the toilet means anyone else who happens to be on the tent platforms gets the worst view in town, seeing someone else doing a brown barrell job

[Molly-]

long drops?

[north-north-west]

I'm not sure if this one from Grey Mare Hut in the Snowies is really a favourite of mine but its lack of functional design gives it something you could only describe as character. Probably due to a lack of materials and tools available some interesting choices were made in the building of the dunny. It has a wooden seat (not so great if it gets wet...) with a hexagonal shaped hole which slopes backwards giving you the impression that you could fall backwards into the toilet if you were to lean back to far. It also has a rusty tin shaft which sticks out slightly from the hole at the very top on which one (if male) could potentially cut oneself (probably not very likely but its always best to move with caution in these situation).

It also has a decided list to starboard, which is increasing at about the same speed as that of that other famous tower, in Pisa.
I love it. Love everything about the Grey Mare, in fact.

[flyfisher]

The new toilets at Dixons kingdom don't have a view but are a very welcome addition to the area. Well done pws.

[taswegian]

Now this is a very cosy one on the Gordon River.
Well it was there about 20 years ago.

I'm not too sure of it's intended use.
there were no instructions but it did have the Daily Rag
The mind boggles!

Attachments

Seating for 2

[Bush Walker]

My worst memories were the last two pit toilets on the South Coast Track nearest to Cockle creek in about 2004. Wiping maggots off the seat is never a pleasant experience.

My best: well there are many recent ones eg Frenchmans Cap, Mt Anne Tasmania, Great South Coast walk , Victoria

[ILUVSWTAS]

Now this is a very cosy one on the Gordon River.
Well it was there about 20 years ago.

I'm not too sure of it's intended use.
there were no instructions but it did have the Daily Rag
The mind boggles!

Where on the Gordon was this Taswegian??

[taswegian]

Not exactly sure, but somewhere on lower Gordon downstream of Horseshoe Bend and probably about Tuan Gabby Flats??
We were surveying the new river cruise landing and stopped here on one of our trips for billy tea courtesy of some of the top brass from various departments.
Someone from P&W might know more precise?

[Gippsmick]

Yep - cant beat Hanging Lake.

[Phil Box]

The dunnies at the Pines campground at Arapilies are a work of art. Climbers from all around the world entertain with their written wit. Priceless. Damn parks painted over all of that poetry a few years ago but they have since been rewritten upon.