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Trying to get back on track! A rest day or more..

Deciding to stay out of the weather on Friday by having a day back home, turned out to be a wise move.  The wind and water did end up causing significant damage across the North of the state.  In fact, sadly two people lost their lives right in my home community due to a falling tree.  While we did not suffer major damage, the storm shorted out one of our external gas hot water systems.  Having also discovered that our dishwasher’s intake value was malfunctioning we realised we might have some work to do.  By Saturday morning I was keen to get back on track but the weather was still not ideal.  We decided to head out anyway and stay at a friend’s place in the Central Highlands.  I would walk the 7 kms to the base of the Caves Track on Saturday afternoon and we would return on Sunday for me to do the climb and continue down the Poatina road. 

The 7kms was a fun walk and then we drove up the mountain and through the highlands.  It was cold and windy as predicted and we drove in to the cottage at Shannon in the late afternoon while snow swirled around us.

Things cleared a bit by early evening and as one possible route over the next few days took me down to a ford over the Ouse river, 12kms away, we decided on a careful reconnaissance drive – careful due to the large number of animals on the road in the evenings.  But… not careful enough.  Even though we were driving at about 60kmh, a kangaroo doing a last minute dash across the road collected the front of our Subaru and pushed the front panels right in.  Hmm!  Now to add this to the things needing to be sorted before getting back on track!  I limped the car back to Shannon and thought about how to find a way to push the dents back out and tie everything up to make the car drivable. 

So today was spent under, over, and in the front of the car, pouring hot water on the front and side panels and trying to bend them back into shape.  Eventually I managed to find a way to remove the driving light and could get a lever in behind the main panel to force it back (roughly) into its correct profile.  Then zip-ties (from my trusty emergency kit) to hold the various panels together and we are back on the road. 

All this likely means another day at home arranging repairs and resetting my pilgrimage journey.  Pilgimages, Merran and I know from experience, always present the unexpected and we need to be flexible and adaptable.  Thankfully even at 120+kms in, I am still within range of home.  One of my commitments on setting out had been to attend to things at home over things on the road if the need for this arose.  This may well be one of those moments. 

I’ll be back!

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Wet and windy – walking Day 6

Heavy rain on Thursday morning put a damper on my planned early start.  I sat under my tarp with everything else packed up for quite a while hoping for a respite.  It wasn’t to be.  So I shook out my tarp as best I could and stowed it in my day pack not wanting to open my main rucksack which was ready with wheels attached.

The rain was intermittent all morning, wind and moments of sunshine, a typical Tassie spring day.  I enjoyed the walk through the farms and forests of Liffey, passing Bob Brown’s Oura Oura reserve on the way.  Creeks were overflowing as they rushed down the banks to join the Liffey river which wound through the base of the valley.  A mist covered Dry’s Bluff hovered over the region.  By lunch I had emerged from the forests to the open plains underneath the Western Tiers and stopped out of the rain for a break in the porch of the old Liffey Schoolhouse, a documented trail stop. 

I had contact with Merran there and she informed me of severe weather predicted for the next few days – wind, rain and snow.  My planned rest day at the base of Caves track looked a little dubious.  We made the decision for her to collect me at the end of the day and I would walk as far through to Blackwood Creek as I could.

Fascinating the little connections one makes on the way.  As part of the pilgrimage, I had decided to stop and have a friendly chat with anyone open for a conversation where and whenever these opportunities presented themselves.  A farmer stopped for a quick check out of who I was and where I was going, and we got talking about places in Tassie.  Turned out he was born in Sheffield (by accident) in 1967 while his mother was enroute by car from Launceston to the West Coast.   When I suggested the name of the doctor and the small maternity hospital, Sheffield’s well known Dr Leslie Sender, he jumped with surprise!  He recalled his mother crediting his safe arrival to the quick hands-on skill of this Sheffield GP.  There would not have been a family that did not know the care of this doctor right through the fifties, sixties and seventies in Sheffield.  He delivered me in the same maternity hospital and patched me up on many an occasion through my childhood.         

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Fire and Rain – Day 5

I was looking forward to the walk to Liffey, back on quiet dirt roads winding their way through old and new forests. No disappointments on that front today. The surprise was the long steady climb up Bogan Gap and the sharp drop (see the elevation profile) into Liffey, neither of which I had quite anticipated from the trail notes. Still the weather was good and I enjoyed the solitude.

The fun for today was for the first time trying out my ‘Trekker’s Friend’ and I have to admit to being impressed! (see the separate post.)

On arriving at the Liffey Falls campground about 11kms in, I set up for lunch and fairly quickly decided to stay the night as the next camping spot some distance away. Popped up the tent and tarp and then down came the rain. A good move I thought to myself and settled down under the shelter for the afternoon. I did some writing and reflecting as the showers came and went.

Just as I finished dinner and was about to crawl in for an early night, a car drove up and parked quite close to where I was camped. Hmm… there were actually dozens of other places to set up… The couple started getting organised, so I repented of my annoyance and decided to be friendly and wander over to say hi. A bit of help with the tent and a chat, and I was invited to hang around the fire?? with them.

The reason for the invitation was that the male of the party was dead set on having a campfire. Thankfully the rain had mostly stopped by this point. The problem would be getting a fire going as everything was seriously sodden! Still with a bit of help from my home made firelighters, my new lightweight mini-handsaw for exactly this scenario, and my tiny battery operated mattress pump (for airflow) we eventually succeeded. I was shouted a good glass of SA Shiraz and BBQ sausage for my trouble while being praised as a true ‘man of the bush’. Lots of interesting conversation ensued before we all hit our various sacks for the night. I waved them off this morning, they were going early as they had no shelter apart from joining me under my tarp from time to time before leaving. I now contempated the rain – bucketing down with a thunderstorm in the background, trying to decide on the best time to pack and get back on the road.

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Meandering on Day 4

On the map for today I could see the 41 South cafe inviting me for a morning tea stop. It was only an hour or so in but well worth the visit. A good coffee and a tasting plate of their local produce – ginseng spice mix, hot sauce and smoked trout (not entirely compatible with full pilgrimage mode but then again the occasional celebratory moment of goodness and grace is permitted..)

From the cafe, the trail crosses Western Creek and then follows Long Ridge to the Meander river. This was a great spot for lunch although I had to rig my umbrella to my Helinox hiking chair to stay dry.

From here it was walking for another good stretch along the Highland Lakes Road to Golden Valley. I had not looked forward to this leg due to the traffic but was pleasantly surprised to find a wide verge on the side of the road safely out of harms way for most of the walk. Sadly lots of litter on the road took the edge of what was a much more interesting walk than I had thought.

A relax at the Quamby Corner Camping Ground ended a solid day. (Note again the GPS traking is underestimating the true distance walked, my garmin inreach (which has a much higher tracking resolution set) tracked this day at 21.7)

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Farewell tulaminakali – Day 3

The Mersey River has been my companion for the last 2 and a half  days.  I started my walk at its end as it empties into Bass Strait.  The trail crosses it high on a suspension bridge half way through the first day and follows it most of the way to Railton.  From then I was walking steadily crossing the various rivers and creeks that feed it from under Mount Roland – all of them running much higher than normal. Today, a long downhill run from Beulah to the final crossing of the river at Dynan’s Bridge.  This was not strictly on the trail but an alterative route for when the Mersey is in flood.  I certainly needed this alternative today as the river was running 1.9m over its base level … well over my head at the usual crossing several kilometers upstream. 

The Mersey (tulaminakali) has a special place in our family as we have annually camped next to it for a couple of weeks for well over thirty years. Memories of our time in and around this river abound. Other families have come and gone, camping with us over the years, but we still come back.. to the same spot every year, even though the space itself has been transformed by the river. The owner of the property, I think rather proudly just books us in each year, we are the longest regulars of his camping families.

Below is the track we take to the property on which we camp each summer, I smile as I walk past, how many times have I driven up and down this track?

Through this bush was also a very significant aboriginal route from the coastal regions to the important tulampunga ochre deposits upstream under the Gog range. I am reminded as I walk of the genocide of the first Tasmanians and feel the echoes of that kind of dehumanisation and unrestrained violence still present in our world today.  I think too of the ongoing journey of reconciliation desperately needed with our first nations neighbours. Sober thoughts. 

After a relaxing morning tea stop at the Weegena commnity hall, it is on the road to Dunorlan and then to the Red Hills turnoff near the Bass Hwy.  I listen to more of the gospel of Luke which I had decided would be one of my friends for the journey and also N T Wright’s reflections on Romans 8.  This brings back to mind my morning contempation on creation, reconciliation and the evil of genocide.  Much to ponder today, yet in true Psalm 8 and Romans 8 terms the beauty of the countryside lifts the spirits and gives joy to the heart.  A good day of walking.  24.9kms down by 2.00pm

Garmin logged this as a 25.1km day in just under 6 hours walking. This is the map but figures are somewhat inaccurate as explained above.

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Reedeming the Second day

My second day started at home sewing some woven tape onto my pack to strengthen the shoulder straps. Then it was off to church to farewell the Chapel folk. I appreciated the blessing given to me by three church leaders as I begin the walk. More about why this is so significant later. So I headed back to Railton and said goodbye to Merran and headed off for Beulah.

A quiet wander along the Park Run / Railton Rattler / Tasmania Trail heading out over Railton. Merran regularly runs this track at about 3x the speed I walk.

Climbing the significant hill into Beulah the weird and wonderful were out and about. From Dr Who to a private zoo. The camel was flanked by Ostriches (I kid you not) and dozens of emus.

Knowing the Tasmanian Trail directs walkers to a ford crossing of the Mersey River, I was interested to see how much water was still coming down the Dasher (pictured below). This is way higher than normal and settled my decision to take the flood alternative route through Weegena. A bit sad to miss the Mersey crossing and Gog Range campsite but it is early spring and there is plenty of water about – current river heights place the Mersey at 1.7m above normal height. So … a bridge it is.

My father is a local historian and has recently written a great series of articles on the fascinating history of the families who first settled Beulah and why they gave it this name. https://alandyerbooks.com/101-back-to-beulahs-golden-beginnings/

Seven years ago on my last Sabbatical at the end of the second day while chatting with friends, I experienced a sudden cardic arrest (due to an undiagnosed / and non-symptomatic congenital heart condition). 22 minutes of CPR and a Defib courtesy of Ambulance Tasmania and I was back but it was a very close call. There is a bit more to the story which I won’t go in to now. I am very thankful however to be safely home at the end of day 2 of this journey. Another meal and warm bed while I am in close range of home. Enjoying this while I can.

A 17km (probably over 18 due to cut corners) as I only had an afternoon walking.

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My journey starts – Part One

7 years ago Merran and I started our first Traverse of Tasmania at East Devonport in front of the house we lived in for 8 years. I was back there this morning for the start of my walk / pilgrimage through Tassie on the Tasmanian Trail. Merran dropped me off before heading to Park Run in Devonport hoping for a new PB (and she did it!). We had a quiet prayer of blessing for the trip and I shouldered my pack (just a day pack today) to head off. This is the first part of a there and back pilgrimage plan for Tasmania. I will be on my own for much of the Tasmanian Trail with Merran and a friend Libby joining me for the more challenging walk back largely through the wilderness.

They say be prepared for anything on a pilgrimage and this was certainly the case. My main shoulder strap tore out as I put on my daypack! So saying goodbye to Merran I unpacked on a picnic table and commenced repairs. A zip tie and some knots in the strap seemed to look secure and I was hitting the path toward the start of the Tassie Trail at the Ferry Terminal.

I only went about 100 meters before coming across the labyrinth (photo above) mown into the grass near the beach. Wow. I paused and thought “what a way to begin a pilgrimage”. Bring into consciousness the juxtaposition of physcial and spiritual journeys – settle and quiet the heart at the start of the journey especially after the challenge of unanciticapted repairs. Another 20 mins walking but not moving… but well worth the pause.

East Devonport beach to Latrobe was straightforward, an enjoyable footpath along the Mersey to Bells Parade. I thought of Merran as I got mixed up in the Latrobe Park Run which was on the same track. The runners thought I was a little overprepared for Park Run with walking poles, a back pack and a GPS unit. I declined the photo ops.

About 13kms in, and just beyond Latrobe, I decided to bypass the main Tasmanian Trail to Railton which winds on the East of the Mersey, crossing the river at Native Plains and then into Latrobe, and pick up a dual use mountain bike and walking trail called the Railton Express. It is just slightly more up and down with the switchbacks (one set of 22) built into the trail but much more enjoyable than walking on the road. A high suspension bridge takes bikers and walkers over the Mersey and then it is largely through forests and plantations until we get to Railton.

I enjoyed being back in the forests and walking the softer ground. The day was warm and dry and I was happy heading out on the first day.

Overall a good starting day – a bit foot sore after a 24+km start to the trip (my GPS registered 23.7 but as it was only picking up points at intervals it missed most of the dozens of switch backs on the bike track). Thankful for Merran picking me and feeding me a great homemade meal. I will enjoy these first few days when I am close enough to home to stay there courtesy of a driver and cook but I am very conscious this will not last as Sheffield disappears off the map.