Introduction to Bushwalking on the Grand Strzelecki Track

It's been a while since my last post, six months in fact. Winter in Victoria isn't a terribly popular time to go bushwalking. But this winter did see the opportunity for some plans to be made for a fun weekend walk.

Over the last six months I've had several friends talk to me about taking them, and their boys, on a weekend bushwalk to introduce them to the joys of this brilliant sport. After a bit of discussion, some thinking and planning, a lot of procrastination, and finally some decisions, we decided on a section of the Grand Strzelecki Track. This is a relatively new track that was officially opened in May 2012. The section we decided to walk was the Balook to Macks Creek section. While this section is only about 10 kms long, it allows us plenty of time to explore on the way, climb waterfalls and have some fun at camp.

The first night we parked at the Tarra-Bulga Information centre and walked about 400m to our first campsite. This was the old Balook State School which ceased functioning as a school in 1954 (I think). It was converted to a school camp some time through the 2000's but from the six foot trees on the volleyball court it's been some time since it's seen school groups. For a small piece of family history, my dad was one of the last students to attend Balook Primary School.

Friday night saw a small shower of rain go through but not enough to be any bother. What was a bother, for anyone thinking of walking this track, was the lack of water at the campsite. The nearest available water was back at the visitor centre. This wasn't a problem but a note on the map would have been appreciated.

Starting out near the old Balook State School

 Saturday saw us wake to a clear, blue sky with nothing but some left over drizzle on the tents. A quick breakfast and we had our packs on ready for the days walk. The track leaves the school and heads into the park proper. The track is a beautiful, wide, leaf-strewn track where 3 or 4 people can walk side by side. There was the obligatory stopping to adjust packs and shoes but we quickly settled into our stride.

The track descends steadily until it meets Wild Cherry Track and we turn left. At this point of the track we start to discover how damp a rainforest can be. Yep, we're walking through some of the remnants of the temperate rainforest that originally covered this area.

Wild Cherry track junction

At this point we saw the sign to Macks Creek Hall so we knew we were on the right track although not going all the way to the hall. The track remained quite wide at this point but we did meet some of the local fauna at this point in the form of leeches. 

Wild Cherry Track

 We continued on a steady downhill for the next couple of hours avoiding the damper spots to stop. Along the way we saw, and heard evidence of the local wildlife although no sightings as such. This probably had more to do with the amount of talking going on rather than the lack of wildlife. The track became steep enough, and muddy enough, that we almost all took a fall at some stage. Thankfully none were serious, just seriously funny.

Pause for a snack and leech check

We reached to bottom end of the park and noticed an obvious change in the bush as we passed from original rainforest to pine reforestation. Although dropping to the creek in the gully the ground became steadily drier as the bush opened up. We eventually came to a great waterfall that was asking to be climbed so a rest break was called. As is always the case, there were a few minor scratches, scrapes and bumps from climbing but nothing serious so we continued on to our campsite. 

Climbing the falls

The campsite we were aiming for tonight turned out to be quite popular with 4x4s. When we arrived there were 5 or so 4x4s well established in the camping area. Not being aware this might be a possibility meant we had an impromptu discussion to decide what we would do. The suggestions made included walk to the cars at the end of the track (another 1 km or so) and drive home, drive the cars and the packs back to Balook while the kids ran back u the track, or continue walking and hope we came across another campsite.

Macks Creek

After only 400m or so we came to a section where the track opened up enough for us to fit 5 or 6 tents with beautiful access to the creek. We settled in for the night and were soon met by a couple of friends who couldn't make the whole weekend but came for the night. We had a great night learning to whittle sticks, telling stories and messing around in the creek.

The group of walkers

We all had a great weekend and it was a good introduction to bushwalking. No doubt there will be more walks in the future. But how to fit these in while also getting out with my family. Oh well, guess I'll just have to make time for more bushwalking.

Easter at Mt Feathertop

We had aimed at getting up to Mt Feathertop some time in February but due to some very unfortunate circumstances we weren't able to make it. We made new plans for Easter and were able to be joined by some friends this time.

The day arrived and we started walking in cloud, with the threat of rain and a forecast of thunderstorms. This didn't slow the boys down who took off a a great pace with no sign of slowing down.

Foggy statrt

 We managed to keep pup with the boys for the first hour and met them at a couple of rest breaks before they well and truly left us behind. Of course, I was using the excuse that I needed to stay at the back of the group "just in case" but I think they saw through my excuses.

Break time

 Thankfully the weather didn't close in any further and never developed into the threatening rain. This meant we had quite pleasant walking with plenty of time for photos and  video. I think April particularly enjoyed not having to keep up with the boys and so she made good use of some Mum time.

On the Razorback

 As we approached Federation Hut we could see a few tents already set up but were hoping there wouldn't be huge crowds. Due to the cloud the hut popped up out of nowhere rather than seeing it grow closer for the last hour or so.

Approaching Federation Hut

 The second day (Saturday) couldn't have been a greater contrast. We woke to ice on the tents and cloudless skies after an incredibly windy night. Sunrise promised a great day of exploring.

Mt Buffalo in the morning

 We summited in the morning as all the boys had a full day of exploring ahead of us. The girls summited also then returned to the tent for a restful afternoon.

Summit of Mt Feathertop

We left the summit via the northwest spur along a track that was something less than a very minor goat track. We made our way to the MUMC hut then returned around the side of Mt Feathertop in time for a late lunch.

That evening we made our way up Little Mt Feathertop for a chilly, but fabulous, sunset. Remarkably we had no cloud, no rain and no storms today despite persistent forecasts by the weather bureau. We built a cairn, took some photos then climbed down in the dusk.

Sunset

Twilight

Sunset from Little Mt Feathertop

We walked out on Easter Sunday in much the same conditions we walked in with. What a stunning weekend, with some good friends, and fantastic weather.

The last day of our walk welcomed us with a beautiful crisp morning that promised to be a clear and dry day. As I mentioned previously, because of the rest day we had due to snow we were booked on the ferry that departs Narcissus Hut at about 11:00 am. In order to arrive in time we set off from Bert Nichols Hut at 5:30 - 6:00 am. Yep, an early morning but we wanted to make sure we had plenty of time to finish the 10 km walk with time to rest at Narcissus.

Mount Olympus

This is a beautiful, undulating walk along the edge of button grass plains. Much of the walk is spent looking ahead to Mount Olympus laid out in magnificent panorama.

Mount Olympus

As we were again nearing the more accessible parts of the park, due to the ferry, we noticed an increase in both the amount, and quality, of the boardwalk. One of the highlights of this section is the swing bridge over the Narcissus River. This is strictly a one person at a time bridge that has a remarkable amount of bounce in it. This is amplified by the fact you're carrying roughly 20 kg on your back which has a tendency to upset your balance somewhat.

Last of the Buttongrass plains

Whether it was the coffee waiting for us, the ferry to take us along the lake, or the bed waiting for us in Hobart, we made excellent time this morning and ended up with an hour or more to rest and explore the river and upper reaches of Lake St Clair before the ferry arrived.

Yep, we all made it

Narcissus Hut

We had a few goodbyes to make here, although this wasn't the last we'd see of some of our walking companions as we bumped in to several of them at Salamanca Market in Hobart.

The ferry, what a beautiful sight!

Watching the ferry arrive was a lovely feeling. We knew we'd finished and were very proud of the effort everyone put in, particularly the boys. It was a hard walk for them considering the two days of snow we encountered, and the winds strong enough to blow the boys over. Despite the difficulties we encountered there was immediate agreement that we'd be back. Next time, though, we're going to climb as many mountains as we can, and we're going to take the youngest in our family as well.

The date of the next trip? Hopefully, January 2014. Overland, here we come!!

Check back over the next few days and I'll hopefully have a link to a couple of minutes of video.

The Overland Track Day 6 - January 6, 2009

Today we are truly on the downhill run, except there's still one range to cross. Thankfully the track crosses the lowest point of the Du Cane range and not over Castle Crag as shown in the photo. Today would be a beautiful walk through a lot of temperate rainforest and then into drier eucalypt forest.

Du Cane Range

After a short 45 minute walk we came across Du Cane hut. This is one of two original huts still standing (the other being the original Pelion Hut). For this reason it's heritage listed and not appropriate to sleep in although it does have some beautiful campsites around it.  

Du Cane hut was originally known as Windsor Castle and is home to the legendary "Possum Pete". This is an infamous possum of indeterminate, yet extremely old age. He has been considered responsible for opening any and every make of pack, tent, sleeping back, container and sundry other items. He can remove food from the most difficult and well hidden places and has never been able to be caught. Thankfully we didn't see him and our food resources stayed intact.

Du Cane Hut

 We walked past several significant waterfalls today, however considering the climb down to them we didn't head too far off track. We had some restful stops in the mossy, temperate rainforest before starting the climb to the 1070m high Du Cane Gap.

Trackside stop

 Once we reached the top of the Gap we noticed the environment start to dry out and the fauna start to change. After the steady climb to the top we then had a steeper climb down the other side of the range to reach our final nights accommodation, Bert Nichols Hut.

Resting at Du Cane Gap

 There was one last highlight for todays walk before we would reach the hut.  Once we reached the forest floor on the other side of the Gap we spotted the "Bottom Tree". It didn;t get it's name because it's at the bottom of the descent. If you look carefully at the photo you'll work out for yourself why it got it's name.

Yep, it's the "Bottom Tree" (look closely)

 Bert Nichols Hut is a very controversial hut. It was built about six months before we did the walk, and cost over $1,000,000 to build. Much of the cost was due to the fact that the materials all had to be airlifted in. the controversy arose because many trees were cut down to clear the space (you can see the firewood under the hut in the photo) and despite all this expense and tree clearing, it only sleeps as many people as some of the smaller, original huts on the track. Hopefully this isn't the direction that the rest of the huts go when they need replacing.

Looking back at Bert Nichols Hut

We had one final night with the friends we'd made on the track then settled in for a very early night as we needed to be out at the ferry pickup by 11:00 am tomorrow and we really wanted to be able to enjoy the last days walk. The early night meant we could be in the track by 6:00 am giving us 5 hours to reach Narcissus Hut and the ferry.

The Overland Track Day 5 - January5, 2009

We made a scraggy looking group

 Today would be the day we cross Pelion Gap which sees a distinct change in the fauna. We would move from an alpine environment to a more temperate region. There's a real contrast as we cross the Gap. The saddest moment is realising it's the last time we'll see Cradle Mountain. This thought brought on a well deserved rest as it's quite a climb up from the plains to Pelion Gap.

Some ran out of energy at the top

 Once we arrived we took some photos while others settled down for a quick nap. Pelion Gap is overlooked by Pelion East on one side and Mt Ossa on the other. We weren't in a position to be climbing either one but enjoyed talking to others who were setting off for the 2-3 hour round trip up Mt Ossa. We found out later that many who climbed today got caught on top in a bit of a rain squall so we were thankful we didn't attempt the climb. All it did was whet our appetite for the return trip.

Some didn't

 The boys' sure enjoyed this part of the day as from here to Kia Ora hut is all down hill. It amazed a lot of other walkers to see the amount of energy they had after the climb up.

In fact some had energy to burn!

The boys at the top of Pelion Gap

 It was great to show the boys some of the original sections of boardwalk that still sit on Pelion Gap. Comparing the new track with the old track makes you feel like you're walking on dual carriage way...but not for long.

The original boardwalk

 The descent from Pelion Gap to Kia Ora Hut is a beautiful descent, not too steep, but incredibly scenic as you look toward Cathedral Mountain and the Du Cane range. Castle Crag on the right of the valley is certainly the most imposing peak in this section so it was quite a relief to realise we would skirt around this peak and not have to climb it.

Descending off Pelion Gap

Ghost tree

Looking toward Cathedral Mountain

As we descended into the valley we left the boardwalk behind and got back onto traditional stone and dirt tracks. While these tracks make for slower going sometimes, as you have to negotiate more obstacles, they definitely make for more interesting walking.

We did notice an interesting phenomenon today. Throughout the walk we had often passed, and been passed, by several of the private guiding companies escorting the "well heeled" walkers along the track. These groups were most obvious because of the small, lightly-laden, day packs they carried. They stayed in private huts, built to a much more luxurious standard, and rarely mixed with the general riff-raff. Today we noticed the guides from these groups would often talk to us, particularly the two boys, as they passed. This is quite possibly a recognition of the hard work, and sustained effort, that is required to be self-supporting during a week long walk.

Kia Ora Hut

We arrived at Kia Ora Hut just as the weather closed in and a light, misty rain started to fall. We settled in, got some hot food into us, then had a lovely night catching with everyones' stories from the days adventures. Tonight was the first time my professional skills were really put to use as a german couple arrived with the bloke complaining of a sore shoulder that he thought he had dislocated earlier. It was back in place so there was nothing to be done for him now but I could give him some advice to follow up on when he finished, and some signs to watch out for in the mean time.

The Overland Track Day 4 - January4, 2009

The fourth day dawned with the most spectacular weather we'd seen yet. In two days we were going from frostbite to heat stroke. Maybe not heat stroke, as you can see we were still rugged up, but it was beautiful walking weather. Today was to be the longest day for the week at almost 20 kms from Windemere Hut to New Pelion Hut.

Looking back to Barn Bluff and Cradle Mountain

Our first real break for the day came at the Forth River Gorge lookout. It was only a short side trip but the most spectacular views came from the stop on the track itself where we got our best view of Cradle Mountain and could see all the way to Mount Ossa.

Looking Forward to Mount Ossa and Pelion East

My beautiful wife who gets credit for most of the photos

Our best view of Cradle Mountain

Snow dusted Mount Ossa from Pine Forest Moor

 The walk across Pine Forest was damp at times but quite straightforward with only the occasional creek to cross. The hard section came when we started the descent from Pine Forest Moor to Frog Flats. There's nothing really hard about this section. Lots of mud and tree roots to dodge which in and of itself is not hard. The difficulty lies in the tedium. You walk in a steady descent for many kilometres while knowing the whole time that you will just have to climb the other side of the valley before reaching Pelion Hut for the night.

Resting on the descent to Frog Flats

The saving grace is sitting in front of your tent watching the sun set on Mount Oakleigh. Suddenly the feet don't feel quite so sore and the freeze dried meal tastes so much nicer...okay, I lied about the last bit.

Mount Oakleigh

The Overland Track Day 3 - January 3, 2009

Day 3 dawned sunny with the snow starting to clear off the track. The weather wasn't going to hold like this all day but at least it gave us an encouraging start. Our snowmen were starting to feel the effects of the weather but it was time to leave them behind.

Barn Bluff

 By the time we loaded up and started walking the cloud had closed in a little but there was no threat of snow, or even rain,  so we started in good spirits. It was great to be able to put on some dry clothes today. The other encouraging fact about today was that it was only a short day.

Starting Out - Day 3

One of many waterfalls

 As we crested the last ridge before Lake Windemere we got a great view into the valley and we could even see the hut which was to be today's destination. Encouraging for some, disheartening for others.

Looking toward Lake Windemere

Just some proof I was there

Lake Windemere - the hut is to the right of the lake

 We made the hut in good time and settled in to have a rest and then explore. This was aided by the ranger we met at Waterfall Valley, Brian.

Windemere Hut

Well deserved rest

 The advantage of a nature walk with a park ranger, who is a qualified botanist as well, is that he can freely pick plant specimens that the usual walker isn't permitted to. He gave us some great insights into the local botany and geography which gives a fantastic appreciation of the area we were walking through. people like this are a credit to Parks and Wildlife Tasmania.