April 2022 - Tullah - Day 1 - Montezuma Falls

Wow, what a terrific trip this one was, thanks to Caroline for organising us (twice in fact, as we had to defer our planned trip from last year because of COVID and weather). We had a record turnout I think - Caroline, Warren, Wayne, Gerwyn, Kat, Philip, Di, Lyn, Angie, Fin, Summa, Gary, Adam, and a local guest Ian (Wayne's brother). And we were lucky with the fickle West Coast weather, hurrah!

Our base for the getaway was the Tullah Lakeside Lodge, a good option for groups, inexpensive, nicely located on the side of Lake Rosebery, and with a good bar and decent (pub style) restaurant. We all gathered on the Wednesday afternoon and evening, coming in from various parts of the state. On this trip Di was trying out long range EV driving, thumbs up on that!

There was a little rain on arrival. We sorted our rooms out and there was a bit of swapping around (thanks Fin for your thoughtfulness). Our first forays into the bar and restaurant were coloured by COVID, what a pain to have to decide to wear a mask and for some, to avoid the dining room altogether. Still we managed to plan our first walk over dinner - it was an easy starter and one of Tassie's Great Short Walks - the Montezuma Falls.

On Thursday we were blessed with a beautiful morning - here's Lake Rosebery (captured by Fin).

Some of us took a short walk to sample the coffee at the local Tullah Cottage cafe. Then we all set off to meet at 11am at the Montezuma Falls carpark.

The Falls are apparently named for an old silver mine which used to operate nearby.

The trail is shared with bikes, but we only came across a few. It meanders through very pretty rainforest, with lots of little bridges over creeks. All the bridges are marked for a load limit of 4 people.

The weather was kind to us, we barely needed our wet weather gear. It was lovely to chat as we strolled easily along the mostly level trail, soft myrtle leaves underfoot.

This is a rail trail, based on an old tramline, the NE Dundas tramway. We enjoyed strolling through the cuttings :)

There were some beautiful fungi amongst the lush mosses and ferns. Kat got some lovely shots.

Then we were at the Falls. They have been known to be a great sight for over a hundred years.

The old bridge is long gone:

Great fun on the swinging bridge :)

Just over on the other side was an open area in the sun, a good spot to stop for lunch.

Coming back over the bridge, the Falls viewing platform is just up to the right. Just awesome.

There was plenty of water! The sense of its power was amazing.

On the way back we ventured into an old adit mine entrance. Very dark! There were some creepy inhabitants.

The Montezuma Falls walk was posted as requiring 3 hours return, and that's just what we took. It was good to clamber back into the vehicles and return to the Lodge for a hot shower and refreshments :). There was a notable incident when the friendly electrician who was fixing the power points in Lyn and Di's room cut off the power. Kat happened to be mid-shower, mid hair wash, when the hot water shut off. There were screams. But she did recover nicely with the application of wine and food.

March 2022 - Organpipes and Lost World (kunanyi)

Wayne and Gerwyn came up with this idea for a couple of easy but scenic walks that we could combine to make a good day on the mountain. Our schedule was: an amble from the Chalet along the Organpipes Track to the junction with the ZigZag track, and return. Snacks at the Chalet, then a short drive to the Big Bend carpark, then a short walk to The Lost World.

Our group was Wayne, Gerwyn, Bob, Kat, Philip, Di, Angie and Fin (welcome Fin!). We scored a fab Indian Summer of a Sunday, and the mountain was very busy with visitors. Parking was at a premium, so car-sharing was the go, and the kunanyi bus service would be worth trying next time. We met at The Chalet at 11am and set off. Our first delight for the day was Kat showing us a tiny native freshwater shrimp in the pool just above the Chalet. She has identified it as Anaspides tasmaniae, a species of fresh water crustacean only found in Tasmania. It is also known by the common name "mountain shrimp".

The views over the city were great of course, and we could also look across and see The Lost World, our post-lunch destination.

A little further along we heard and saw some intrepid rock climbers taking on The Organpipes.

And the moon!

Some of us practised remembering the names of the mountain plants, here's a selection of what we identified: Mountain currant (Coprosma nitida) (pictured); Mountain pepper; Fagus cunninghamii; Hakea lissosperma; Water fern (Blechnum wattsii); Richea dracophylla; Pineapple grass; Banksia marginata; Snowberry (pictured); Thymeleaved purpleberry (Trochocarpa thymifolia) (pictured, this was on the Lost World track, drier terrain than the Organpipes track).

Then there was the fungus that Bob has identifed as: Hypholoma fasciculare var armeniacum.

After a chatty lunch in the Chalet, we moved up the road to Big Bend, and ventured into the Lost World.

For most of us it was our first visit there, and we were entranced. The trail has not been groomed for mass visitation, so is rocky and has steep bits. Within minutes we felt like we could have been lost in rugged rocky East Coast terrain.

We didn't risk descending off the cliff face onto the Old Hobartian trail, but just enjoyed the spectacular views and the easily obtained sense of remoteness. We parted ways and headed home at about 2pm, it had been a great day on the mountain.

February 2022 - East Cloudy Head

It was time to revisit this lovely walk, which we last did in 2014. Di and Dorothy made a full Island Weekend of it, staying overnight in a nearby cabin and making the most of the trip to Bruny Island by squeezing in some additional short walks. Angie did the same, staying with her friend Anne and bringing her along on the walk (welcome, Anne!).

Kat, Philip, Wayne and Gerwyn came over in the morning. Fortunately the ferry sailings are more frequent these days (every 20 minutes) so there is usually less of a wait at the jetty. We all met up at the carpark at Whalebone Point at about 10.30. After some catching up and organising we were setting off along the beach by 10.50am. It was a warm sunny morning, just perfect for the stroll along picture perfect Cloudy Bay.

The long easy walk is made for talking.

Inevitably we got to the "up" bit. It was a fairly steady climb, through some coastal heathlands and some small patches of trees. The views got better and better. There was a little less breath for talking.

A sea mist started coming over from the East, a bit unusual for these parts. The scenery got moodier, but was still very beautiful.

The sea coast was stunning.

Celebrating reaching the top!

After a short stop for lunch at the top of East Cloudy Head, we headed back.

The walk was about 13km and took us just under 5 hours.

Those returning by ferry that day encountered a long queue and had to wait almost an hour and a half at Robertsons Point. A great walk, and excellent company.

January 2022 - Devil's Throne, kunanyi/Mount Wellington

The hardiest of our bunch took on the walk to Devil's Throne. Angie, Gary, Kat and Bob were the brave ones. This track has been badly signposted in the past but now is well marked. You take the trail to Thark Ridge from the Big Bend carpark, and turn right at the signpost for Devil's Throne. Our walk started in the mist, but we had the promise of the clouds lifting by the middle of the day.

There were a number of patches of rocky and uneven ground which made progress slow.

Our very experienced Walk-a-Month walkers made it there and back relatively unscathed!

The walk is only 10 km but it takes about 6hrs, due to the rocky and uneven track.