Walking Tasmania

Hi family and friends. We are safely at Melaleuca on the first stage of our Reverse Traverse. More posts to come when we get wifi.

A straight forward 13km walk to Raminea and then Dover was over by just after 11.00 and I signed off on the Tassie Trail. More reflections to come, but now it was a cold poweraid drink and a decent hamburger.

Not wanting to put off cafe customers or bus travelers, I had put aside my least worn clothes and had them in my day pack to get changed in Dover. The cafe owner was happy to mind my gear while I got changed.

Then it was removing the TF gear from my pack and organising my possessions into my main rucksack which I suspected would go into the cargo hold.

I dont travel by bus often in Tassie and it is always interesting to see who uses the service. Glad we have it but some passengers probably need a little bit of either bus etiquitte or social intelligence – maybe both.

It was great to catch Justin briefly between buses and I am now on the Kinetic express to Launceston.

It is quite strange and also fascinating watching much of the same scenery I have walked and seen day by day from the west side slip past literally in minutes collaping weeks of boot wear into a few hours in a bus. The two journeys could not be more different.

It had rained again most of the night so a wet packup was on the cards. Thankfully, the tarp had kept most of the tent dry and was high enough to work under. That is until it had to come down and be packed away.

Several warnings from friends and Merran around the weather had me dressed in waterproofs and warm gear. There were highly conflicting forecasts ranging from -5 to +5, snow and rain. It certainly didn’t feel the former bit I did get the rain, sleet, hail and snow. I heard later even Hobart had snow.

Over the morning as I climbed higher into the forests, I got hit with scuds of hail, rain and low visibility only to vanish leaving me soaking wet in sunshine and blue skies. I think this cycled at least 5-6 times before easing to just cold and cloudy in the afternoon.

Scuds on the way

The forests were both stunning in their untouched places, with tall trees, ferns, and rainforest plants and a bit depressing were they had been logged leaving piles of waste lying about.

And the tracks changed from well made roads to little used side routes with lots of trees down and muddy sections again covered in water. Swearing Bob’s plains, through high buttongrass and clay soil gave me pause for reflection on the origin of the name.

Part of the day’s plan had been to avoid a 32km day by dropping down into the Esperance River. This would make at 28km day with a good campsite. What I missed seeing without my glasses on was the fine detail in the contour lines. This round about track took me quite a bit higher than I had been all day, several hundred meters more of climbing, then big and tricky steep downhills. One hand holding my TF back and the other steadying myself with my walking pole. Slow knee and quads workouts.

I was quite relieved at 6.15pm to walk into the campground. Not a person in sight. I could set up under a shelter and be ready for a dry pack up tomorrow.

Waking to a warm fire, coffee and the imminent arrival of a full eggs, bacon, mushrooms and tomato breakfast was a novel surprise.  Thanks to the hospitality of Jim and Cheryl I was spared toughing out another night in the wind, wet and cold.   Pilgrims are supposed to gratefully receive what is offered on the trail – not a problem in this case.  Thanks to Jim and Cheryl for a great respite stay after a big day over the range. 

Jim droppppd me back at Judbury and bemusedly watched me attach my training wheels and head down the road and across the Huon. 

I had seen that the next 8 or so kms had a 500m climb so I settled in for a long tough morning.  I knew I was not going to try for another 28km day after yesterday so had settled for finding a camping spot about 1/2 way to Geeveston.

The wind and intermittent rain made crossing the high country a bit challenging.   Quick pack up from lunch was necessary as a squall came in while I was in a lovely section of old rainforest.  Then back to forestry roads and plantations.

I decided to settle and se up for the night about 4.00pm when i found a water supply and some soft ground close to the track.  Just as I stopped and set up the tent and tarp, down it came.  I threw everything under shelter and crawled in myself.  The water supply was two raodside waterholes, I guess used for firefighting.  I was camped between them and did do a double check to make sure if one filled and overflowed, the water was not coming my way.  Having ensured this was the case (and slightly enlarging the drainage point on the waterhole which was more than full) I settled in for the night. 

I had only seen one vehicle all afternoon in this area and it was not on this particular track so I felt OK by being just beside the road – may 5m off slightly obscured but easily visible.  During the night twice I heard 4wds roaring away in the distance, but thankfully neither came down the road I was camped near.  Even so it was not the best night due to wind, rain, frogs and the rustling of my tarp. 

This morning I woke to light drizzle which showed signs of clearing up.  Not enough to dry the tarp and tent though so I packed them up wet and made a good coffee while I planned out the day.  With a slightly sore knee, that had come on yesterday I figured just getting safely into Geeveston would be a good plan – restock and prepare for the final two days to Dover. 

The track to Geeveston was pretty good apart from one very steep downhill section which followed powerlines to connect two roads.  My knee was mostly OK but was a little painful at times.  I strapped it pretty well and that seemed to help. 

Some fascinating conversations on the roadside with 4wd-ers and people just up for a chat.  Then into Geeveston by 11.15am.  That was celebrated with a coffee and lamb kebab at a great shop on the corner as I arrived.  Restock and set up camp just over the river near the Tassie Trail horse paddock. 

On this pilgrimage I have been keen to stop and pray for little churches I come across on the way.  Just opposite where I turned in to find my camping spot, the community church of Geeveston was open – 160 years anniversary.  I stopped in to say hi and was warmly greeted and treated to a hot drink and a chat. 

Settled by the river bank in the sun, its a good time to update my blog.  Another 28km down, this time over two days.  32km to go to Dover and the official end of the walk.  That will be two days at a fairly leisurely pace although as I have come to expect, there is another moderate mountain range to go up and over. 

It had rained lightly all night so I was conscious that the morning pack up would be a wet one. Thankfully I had pitched the tarp the night before so most of the tent was dry. The morning also was steadily clearing as the sun came up. I knew today would be a ‘big’ and challenging walk – mud, water, elevation and long at 28kms. I set out with high hopes of getting through in reasonable time. The promise of a fellow bushwalking mate (Jim) to pick me up a give me dinner and a bed at the other end was particularly enticing.

The first few kms were straight forward. I had thought I had camped at one of the last places on the track before it got rough. This was not quite the case, there were quite a few more properties before the road became 4wd only.

Once the track deteriorated to mud and water, I stowed my ‘trekkers friend’ and loaded my pack for the next section. My thoughts of a reasonably paced day soon evaporated. The mud was not too bad to negotiate but the long deep water sections (much more than puddles) with thick foliage overhanging them on either side slowed me to a stop. Several had tracks around but most did not. I was slowing down to less than 2km per hour and sometimes spending 10 – 15 minutes bushbashing around deep holes. I had reception and let Jim know that our dinner date would probably not be happening, I would need to camp out somewhere at this rate.

I finally came to the conclusion that getting wet and wading straight through the water sections was the only way to make reasonable progress. I did this for the final three or four water holes I came across. I was nearing the top of the range by this point at about 900m and suddenly the road completely transformed – logging I guess. It was from here on for the next 10kms well made, maintained and recently topped with heavy road metal. Still to rough for my trekkers friend but no more water holes in the road. I lunched and decided maybe I could make it after all. I would put a good 10km down and see how things looked. I had only done 10 km by my late lunch at 1.00pm.

The 600m of elevation loss downhill was tough on my knees but I was now making much better time. Chatted to a couple of mountain bike riders who were on their way up to Billy Brown Falls which I had passed a couple of kms back. They asked about the track and I warned them about the steepness (up for them). They continued on but within 10 minutes were back – way too steep for them they said.

I stopped at 4.00pm to assess my options and as I was now within 10km of Judbury, I reattached my ‘TF’ and headed down. The road was overall not too steep and good walking. I hit Judbury right on 6.00pm to be met 10 minutes later by a smiling Jim with the promise of good wine, a warm shower and a hearty dinner with Cheryl his wife – all of which went down very well at the end of what was probably my most challenging day so far.

Two day of wet weather and the need to replace my walking shoes had me in Hobart for a couple of days. It was great to stay with our son and to catch up with our two daughters for lunch. Requipped I was picked up by a bushwalking mate (Peter) and we headed off to New Norfolk for an easy walk to Lachlan and then I would continue on up Jeffrey’s Track to a spot I had arranged to stay just off the road.

Pete suggested we drive up and drop my pack there – great idea! That done, it was a Banjo’s stop for coffee and buying lunch. We wandered through a New Norfolk park spotting a Platypus enjoying the water running down into a creek. Then onto the Lachlan road. It was an easy and enjoyable walk with lots of good conversation. Not long before Lachlan was around the corner. We were looking for a spot for lunch and wondered if there was a bus stop or somewhere we could get out of the occasional light showers we had experienced most of the morning. Lachlan delivered with a great picnic area, shelters, tables and toilets!

Peter headed back to New Norfolk after lunch and I put on another 6 or so kms up to my pack and and early set up for the evening.

I was interested in the number of very muddy 4wds coming down the track – at least 10. It was a public holiday, so I guess people were out for a day trip. I did wonder what it boded for the next day. I wa about to find out.

I was expecting a pretty cruisy day through the back roads between Bushy Park and New Norfolk. The first section was just that… a 5km walk to meet the Lyell Hwy just below Gretna.  Once across the Hwy I thought it would be simple backroads winding around the hills.  It wasn’t until I had been streadily climbing for well over an hour that I thought there might be more to this straight forward looking rise than I had thought.  The climb over Black Hills at 500m turned out to be a good foretaste of what is to come over the Wellington Range, which will top 800 meters up and down and take two days.

I passed (or more accurately, they passed me) several small groups of cyclists on this section, each doing the Tasmanian Trail or part of it.  Groups were going in both directions, most had never come across a trekking trailer rig like mine and stopped to say hi asking about it.

The trekker’s friend has mostly worked remarkably well and I have enjoyed walking with it.  One interesting and slightly unexpected element of it is that it does not cope with very steep downhill sections well and can push the walking poles high if there there is too much give where they attach to the waist belt.  This means you can be almost run over by your own trailer!!!  I had this happen a couple of times going down the 14% hill descening into Magra.

Friends (Helen and David) had me stay at their place Monday evening which was much appreciated rather than camping in the wind and cold.  Looking, this morning, at the weather for the next two days on the Wellington Range crossing, my need for supplies and the toe still needing a bit of TLC, I decided to hang out with my adult kids in Hobart for two days.  Back on track once this next weather system passes through. 

When I rang Merran to say “good morning”, she was already on her way from Hobart to check me over and certify me fit to continue.  This done and me packed up, she offered to drop my pack at the end of the day’s walk at Bushy Park.  Doing this turned out easy to arrange and the choice to walk the 21km road was not hard to make over quite a bit of a longer through the back tracks.  Rain and a sore foot (a single sprained and bruised toe, if not broken) sealed the deal.

As the various mountains of the Mount Field National Park with their snow caps have come in and out of view over the last few days, I have been thinking of the missing photographer from Hobart – Daryl Fong.  Tarn shelf is a lovely walk but would be very challenging under these winter type conditions.  We all know snow, wind and cold – Antarctic scuds – can strike Tasamania at any month of the year.  This year, however spring is well and truly here in name but it hasn’t really shaken winter conditions off the mountains at all.  Police vehicles going up and down the road, some with lights, made me wonder if something had shifted with the search. 

The Tasmanian Trail meets the main road at several points so I was keen to try at least one of these sections.  The obvious loop was through the Fenton Park estate which trail users have permission to use.  However even this turned out not to work either. No sooner had I turned into the entrance than a 4WD bike came charging up and the farmer politely indicated it was not a good time on the farm for people to cross as all the lambs and ewes were being separated and things were a bit chaotic.  He asked if I would mind using the main road…  So back to the main road it was. 

$5 and signed in for the night at Bushy Park show grounds.  A hot shower even in the old toilet block coutesy of Neville who turned on the site power this morning. Im the first TT traveller he has seen this season.  Glad to have shelter from the wind as I write, I have set up in the Derwent region livestock shed, with a old table and chair, tent on a pile of hay. Seems almost ‘manger’ish. Now the wind has dropped and the rain has started, time for a hot drink and bed.

So far the Tassie trail has been foresty roads, back tracks and some main road walking.  The only other more interesting trails had been mountain bike connector tracks around the Mersey. 

Today threw me something quite different.  A very challenging river crossing and lovely walking tracks right away from roads.  Of course there were the main roads, forestry tracks and pretty wrecked 4WD tracks to content with as well.

The day began on a quiet road to the Repulse Dam on the Derwent – one of two quite close together near Ouse.  The Repulse was spilling dramatically which should have tipped me off about what was to come.  Merran and I again had scouted this yesterday. 

Over the closed (to traffic) Repulse Bridge it was into deep and remote forests.  Pretty soon I was right away from roads walking a slippery and muddy little used track down to the Broad River.  I had asked around if it was in flood, and no one seemed to know – although I have since found out there was a flood warning on the garmin mapshare site. 

I have crossed a few swift rivers over the years and took a good long look at the Broad.  It cretainly had high flow and looked mostly knee deep.  Rather than backtrack 4 hours and rejoin the track I decided it was worth the calculated risk of attempting a crossing. 

Perhaps a little more than I bargained for.  The river turned out to be thigh deep and with a very strong flow.  My walking sticks were working hard to hold me up and I edged gingerly to the middle of the river.  A few times I thought I might have been a goner but thankfully feet and sticks held – even when one suddenly collapsed one of its telescopic sections under the pressure.  At one point I considered going back but finishing the crossing seemed easier than trying to turn around and go back through what I had already passed. I was very thankful to wade out the other side and more than a littled sobered by the risk I had just taken.  I sit here tonight with what looks and feels like a broken toe for my trouble.  I was hobbling by the end of the 25km day. 

Early this morning, on the advice of a local lady we had met yesterday I dropped my big pack at her place and decided to stay at the Old School Playground near the fire station.  A little bit of stealth camping behind the basketball court seemed OK.  She assured me it was but I doubt it is encourged.      

Leaving the German sisters to head north (taking my recommended short cut as they were a bit pressed for time), I headed south down the Victoria Valley Road.  It was not long before a turnoff headed me into quite nice bush country and off road walking.  All good except some obstacles presented themselves one by one to make this an interesting day. 

The girls had tipped me off about the creek crossing.  One of them had found it challenging and had tipped over her bike on the way across.  Fairly warned, I took it carefully and had no problems carrying my trekkers friend pack over the water – knee deep at the far end.

A slightly more challenging expedition was around a large fallen tree.  I was impressed with how my wheeled pack dealt with this as it seemed to handle rough country remarkably well.

Over time however on this rough section, the way the harness attached to the pack started to give me some trouble.  The axle system had a tendency to ride up the back of the pack which meant some adjustments needed to be made.  This took a couple of attempts but I got it working satisfactorily after a few mods.