Tasmanian Wilderness Hiker - Day 6

Thursday 16 January

After breakfasting at the bakery just along from our motel it was onto the bus and farewell to Sheffield.

It took us close on 1 1/2 hours to dive the 60 odd kms to the Cradle Mountain Visitors Centre. Along the way the trailer with our luggage was dropped off at the Cradle Mountain Chateau where we were to spend the final two nights of our trip.

On the drive to Cradle Mountain I discovered that the battery on my camera had gone flat. Trevor gave me his camera to use for the day. As I was unfamiliar with its functions it took me a little while to get going with documenting the days activities.

After a quick look around the visitors centre and a trip to the loos we returned to the bus and we trundle through the National Park to the Interpretation Centre and Ranger Station.

First up we were off on a relatively short walk along a boardwalk through the Enchanted Forest.

The first thing that was evident was the dominance of the button grass in the open fields. In places this gave way to a low growing fern with bronze tips.

A field of Button Grass

Bronze tipped fern

The walk through the Enchanted Forest took us along a babbling brook. There were a number of interpretive displays primarily intended for children although some of the members of our group got down on hands and knees and crawled through some of the displays. One informed us that we could see platypus in the brook. No such luck. We did see a wallaby eying us off from a vantage point a little way off the boardwalk.

We continued on to see the King Billy pine before returning to the Ranger Station.

The base of one of the King Billy Pines

Looking up at the canopy of the King Billy Pine

King Billy Pines can be determined from the distinctive foliage ... the green and brown bits in the top half of this photo

 From the Ranger Station we set off on the Cradle Boardwalk which took us along the Dove River in the direction of Cradle Mountain.

Cradle Mountain off in the distance

We found a spot on the river to have our lunch and Marie demonstrated the pleasantness of the water by going for a swim, fully clothed. She didn't convince the rest of us to take the plunge.

Lunching by Dove River

Marie in the river

The boardwalk meandering through the button grass fields

After lunch we continued along the boardwalk until we reached Snake Hill where a number of the party elected to pick up the shuttle bus rather than continue walking on what was proving to be quite a hot day. The remainder of the group continued their walk as far as the Ronny Creek car park where the shuttle bus travellers rejoined the walkers.

Crossing to the other side of valley we headed along another boardwalk to Waldheim. Waldheim Chalet contains displays that give an insight into the early days of Cradle Mountain park as a place to be revered and preserved.

The walk proved to be particularly interesting as we came across a wombat right next to the boardwalk. It turned out that there was also a baby however I didn't see it.

A little bit further along Trevor spotted a large tiger snake not far from the boardwalk. It moved away quite smartly and I didn't manage to get a photo of it.

Waldheim chalet established by Kate and Gustav Weindorfer in the Cradle Valley was opened for business in 1912.  Over the years it was extended however the current building is a replica, as close as possible, to the early chalet. It is constructed in raw timber and shingles.

There are a number of displays inside the chalet as well as audios providing information about the chalet and the people who played such a significant role in the creation of the Cradle Mountain - Lake St Clair National Park.

Returning to the bus we headed off to the Cradle Mountain Chateau. This is a modern eco resort in a secluded bushland setting.

After dinner Trevor and I returned to our room. It was still quite light outside. In the garden just outside our room was a wallaby happily munching on the plants in the garden. He seemed totally unfazed by the attention he received from the many hotel guests who spied him in the garden.

At 9 o'clock a number of us gathered to do a night walk with our guides. There are boardwalks leading from the hotel and we took this to suss out the night life. We came across a possum. Quite a few birds were maintaining a chorus although we didn't see them. Coming around the high side of the hotel we discovered a wombat trundling through the very same garden that the wallaby had attacked earlier in the night.

Tasmanian Wilderness Hiker - Day 5

Wednesday 15 January

The town of Sheffield is dominated by Mt Roland. It looms above the town. According to our trip notes we were to climb to the summit of this mountain today. supposedly, the summit provides spectactular 360 degree views to Bass Strait, Cradle Mountain and Barn Bluff.

The forecast temperature was 37+ and our guides decided that it was too much of a risk to tackle such a difficult objective in the anticipated heat. Mt Roland would have to wait for another time.

The guides provided a range of other walks for us to replace the scheduled one. These proved to be great alternatives and very pleasant and pretty walks.

Firstly, we headed for Tulapanga on the Great western Tier to see the Alum Cliffs. This area was used by the local aborignal communities for ceremonial purposes. The women collected ochre which was used to paint their, and the men's, bodies.

Our next stop was in Chudleigh, at least I think it was Chudleigh. This town has made roses its symboland they are planted along its main street. The platings are labeled so that visitors can go away knowing exactly what rose they were looking at.

Trevor and I had a coffee in the local store which seemed to double up as a whole heap of things. The shelves contained quite a variety of items but generally only one or tow of each thing. There were tables and chairs where diners could sit. In winter they would be warmed by the innovative heater: a converted 44 gallon drum.

Along with the roses there was some old farm machinery on display.

While we were not climbing Mt Roland we actually circumnaviagted it. Our next stop was at the Lemonthyme Lodge where we lunched in the Lodge grounds before heading off to see yet more waterfalls.

The first of the falls was Champagne Falls.

The track up to the falls started with quite a steep vechicle track

Trevor besides one of the tinteresting trees that lined the track

Brett, one of our party, contemplating Champagne Falls

Another view of Champgne Falls

Plants in this neck of the woods showed just how tenacious they were. here is a small colony clinging to a rock with roots flapping in the breeze.

Leaving Champagne Falls we tackled the challenging trail to the next falls: Bridal Veil. Fortunately it was only the early part of the track that was challenging.

Once again there was a profusion of plants in bloom.

We were walking beside the Liffey River and it bubbled and gurgled over the rocks which kept us company.

As part of the initiation into manhood, many of the tribes marked the passage of boyhood to manhood by the candidates passing through a split tree. Here is an example of such a tree.

Bridal Falls was a delight.

We were able to climb up and go behind the falls. Here is Trevor behind the waterfall.

There was evidence that this area had been logged in the past. This large stump and the young regrowth clearly demonstrates this.

Arriving back at the very hot bus we were glad of the cool drinks provided by our guides. After the bus cooled a little it was off on the road to complete our circumnavigation of Mt Roland and a return to Sheffield.

Northern Tasmania has a number of places with quirky names. Here is a signpost found outside the Visitors Information Centre in Sheffield with a lovely collection of definitely quirky names:

Trevor and I wandered through Sheffield looking at the murals. It was hot and Trevor opted to return to our motel and have a cool shower while I did the scenic track up behind the town. While a hot walk the views across to Mt Roland was good. For some obscure reason I don't appear to have taken a photo of this mountain. Oops!

Tasmanian Wilderness Hiker - Day 4

Today was another early start with breakfast at 7:00. As I was ready with 20 minutes to spare I took a walk around the town. There are oddles of buildings scattered throughout the central area that date back to early colonial times and many of them are dated or have identifying plaques.

We were on the road just after 8 o'clock.

As we headed north we passed through farmland. Poppies were a common crop. Tasmania grows about half of the world's legally produced opium. The crops were in various stages of flowering through to harvested. Grazing, mostly sheep but also some cattle, was the other rural persuit.

We stopped Bothwell, another town founded early in the establishment of Tasmania. The pub has been continuously licencced since 1828.

A cup of coffee and a toilet break and we were off again.

Our next stop, a leg break, was at the site of the Miena dam wall. This dam is one of many that have been created for hydro electricity generation.

The wall was constructed with hollow semi-circles. This produced a wall with about half the cement required of a solid wall an advantage in such an isolated spot.

The road wound around the edge of the Great Lake. This area is dotted by shacks and shack communities. The original shacks were constructed without anyone being sure who owned the land. A little like modern day squatters. eventually it was decided that the shack owners could buy the land on which their shack stood.

A stopped at Lake Pine, a small glacial lake which lies at about 1200m. An interpretive walk has been constructed to point out features of this alpine environment. Here are some of the photos of the area and flora.

A river of rocks ... left from glacial action

Yes, there was a lake, too.

 From Lake Pine we proceeded to the carpark for a walk to Liffey Falls. The road got increasingly challenging with some very tight hairpin bends which were challenging for our drivers as we were pulling a baggage trailer and they couln't get the bus and trailer around without backing up. We were on the wilderness hiker trip after all ... so a bit of out of the way had to be expected.

We lunched next to the parking area for the walk. There were no toilet facilities and I encountered blackthorn in the spot were I went to relieve myself. Between the prickles and the thought of snakes it was almost enough to put me off!

The walk to Liffey Falls passed through some delightful forest with tall trees and ferns in abundance. There were also challenges as a number of trees had fallen across the track. I didn't get a photo of the very large tree that blocked our path which required a scramble up, over and down to continue.

Here is some of the scenery along the track.

The falls were pretty, too.

We climbed above the falls for a different perspective.

This is known as "The Spout"

It was then a case of back to the bus along the track we had walked in on. This meant that we had to negotiate THAT tree again (and still no photo!).

We did a deviation to see another seriously tall tree although this one was a mere 50m.

Occassionally we came across more open areas. Unfortuantely these areas were often populated with bracken and these ferns could be pretty tall as the follow photo atests.

There were also areas where the track was lined with ferns of various sorts (other than bracken). Here is one such place.

I really enjoyed the walk to Liffey Falls and the falls themselves.

Back on the bus we headed for Sheffield which is known as the town of the murals. For some time now, decades actually, the town has been filled with large murals on many of its walls. The murals generally depict themes associated with the premises or the area generally. They are a point of interest for the town and do bring in tourists however not enough to keep the town ticking over so they are thinking of other things that will attract outsiders to come to their town and spend their money.