December 2025 - Platypus Tarn, Mt Field NP

Once again, Bob got the guernsey to organise this month's walk. A visit to Platypus Tarn had been planned a couple of times in the past and postponed due to weather conditions, now was our big chance. We expected it would be a pleasant stroll, with excellent views of a pretty mountain tarn, hopefully with a platypus sighting thrown in, and then a congenial nosh up at the cafe at the Visitors Centre.

A large group of thirteen convened up at the Lake Dobson carpark by 10.30am. We were: Bob, Summa, Gary, Philip, Kat, Janet, Wayne, Fin, Catherine, Peter, Di, David, Brenda. It was about an hour and 45 minutes drive from the city, and the drop in temperature up there was very noticeable as we poured ourselves out of the cars and quickly into additional layers! Some slight showers seemed to be imminent despite the weather forecast, which had just mentioned "haziness". Now we realised that the haziness was due to clouds - we were in them.

We set off a little after the appointed time of 10.30am. Thanks to Kat for this and many other memorable photos.

First we took the trail around the left side of Lake Dobson, the Pandani Grove Nature Walk. This is a beautiful and popular little walk, one of Tassie's "60 Great Short Walks". It is packed with pencil pines and the eponymous towering Richea pandanifolia. Also the more humble Richea scoparia.

Spring flowers were plentiful, and we could focus well on them as the more distant views of the Lake were obscured by a romantic mist.

Emerging from the Pandani Grove trail, we turned left onto a fire trail which skirted around the right hand side of Eagle Tarn. Then we turned right onto the trail signposted for Lake Webster and Twilight Tarn. Finally we found a signpost to the left for Platypus Tarn.

The track now descended fairly steeply into the mist, requiring a fair bit of concentration to navigate the rocks and tree roots.

The track was damp and slippery, and kept going down. Most of us were taken by surprise, realising we had not paid much attention to the topographical lines on the map!

We finally reached the tarn, which was swathed in thick mist, at 11.30am.

It was time for snacks, and peering around for a platypus sighting.

The clouds shifted now and then, offering glimpses of the lake.

No platypus sightings today, sadly. Twenty minutes later we set off back up the hill.

Half the group took the quicker route back directly along the fire trail, rriving back at about 12.50pm. The other half revisited the Pandani Grove trail, and took a bit longer to get back. Then we rolled back down the Lake Dobson Rd to the Visitors Centre, where we settled in for a late lunch. Our chatting continued non-stop of course, and the day made a very pleasant end to our year of walking and talking.

November 2025 - Crescent Beach

Thankyou Bob for this walk story and fab photos. Our planned walk for this month had to be postponed so an old favourite was substituted: Crescent Beach on the Tasman Peninsula. This is a shortish, about 7.5km, return walk that is relatively flat with coastal views, a blowhole and ending at the always stunning Crescent Beach. An added bonus today was that it was wildflower season. Only 4 could make it this time: Gaz, Gerwyn, Wayne and Bob.

The walk starts at the carpark for Remarkable Cave at the end of Safety Cove Road. It’s about 1hr 30mins drive from Hobart. We headed off a little after 10am and the abundance of wildflowers was immediately evident. About 10 minutes in we stopped at a lookout over Maingon Bay to soak in the peaceful atmosphere.

We then carried on along the well graded gravel path through consistent fields of wildflowers until we came to the Maingon Blowhole. A bridge over the blowhole was erected a few years ago and provides an excellent view straight down into the hole.

The walk continues with coastal views and wildflowers until turning to cross over the ridgeline to Crescent Bay, there is an excellent view of the Beach from its high point. There’s a 30mins side track to Mt Brown but none of us took up that option.

We arrived at Crescent Beach a little before 12:00 for lunch and a brief exploration around the waterline and the rocks.

The return trip was taken a little more slowly to stop and photograph the wildflowers and we arrived back at our cars around 3:00. We then headed to the Blue Seal Seafood Shack at Eaglehawk Neck for coffee before heading home.

October 2025 - Growling Swallet

This month's plan was an attempt on Mt Wedge, but enthusiasm waned as the date grew closer and we realised the extent of the challenge. In the end our leader Maryanne opted for the more popular nearby alternative of Growling Swallet. It has been years since we last did this delightful walk - - see this story in 2012. Today's walkers were Maryanne, Michael, Di, David, Angie and Dorothy. We were lucky with the weather - mostly fine - and we got in and out before the afternoon showers came along.

Dorothy had stayed the night before at Mt Field NP, and had tried to catch the glow worms on the Russell Falls track, with no luck sadly. We met up at the visitors centre's Waterfall Cafe for coffee at 10am. The coffee was good and the gift shop quite a trap for nature loving visitors. Maryanne had booked the key to the entrance gate some weeks beforehand, lodging a deposit, so she picked the key up. Also offered was a small pamphlet with information about the walk. We loaded into two vehicles which had all wheel drive, ready for the promised poor quality track.

We headed off along Gordon River Road toward Florentine Rd as instructed by the Parks pamphlet, but where we had thought the turnoff would be there was only a sign to the Giant Tree and the Styx Valley - no actual Florentine Rd sign. We weren't sure if this was actually Florentine Rd, so we kept moving. At this point we found that each of us had forgotten to pack their actual hard copy map of the area, and also that the internet/GPS was useless in this locality, oh boy. After driving on for a few more kilometres we finally agreed that we had gone too far, and returned to try the first road. If only we'd read Melanie Ball's excellent description of the walk.... For reference, this is the spot where Florentine Rd turns off from Gordon River Road: 42°45'56.3"S 146°35'36.4"E. Of course, 50 metres after turning in here we saw a road sign confirming that we were indeed on Florentine Rd!

We then drove 16km on this gravel forestry road to locate a road on the right named F8 East, where a locked gate barred the way. Maryanne wrangled the lock and our two vehicles proceeded through. This track was lumpy, potholed, muddy and slippery even after several days of fine weather. At 2km further in, the parking area is small and would not hold many vehicles.

Sorting out our gaiters and double checking that we all had our keys etc, we set off into the bush at about midday.

The track is easy walking, despite a few slushy bits. The photos show how lovely the rainforest is.

After about 50 minutes of quiet walking, as the sound of the rushing water gradually became louder, we passed a grassed campsite on the left and descended to the right down the side of the cliff to witness the fabulous Growling Swallet. Here we stopped for a bite to eat and to take in the sights and the sounds of the rushing river disappearing into a crevice and into the vast karst limestone caverns of this area. A magic spot. The 18,500 hectare Junee-Florentine karst system has the deepest two caves in Australia.

Then we walked back along the trail.

The total distance walked was 3.9km. Reaching our vehicles at 1.35pm, we did a quick leech check (nothing reported). We made it back to the gate without getting bogged, and turned back towards Maydena.

Here we visited Junee Cave, where the Junee River emerges from the Junee-Florentine Karst limestone system. Its blue-green colour indicates the presence of limestone. According to the signs, the Junee River would normally have flowed into the Florentine River, but it has been "pirated" underground by the cave system to appear on the other side of the divide to flow into the Tyenna River near Maydena.

Di, David and Angie stayed on overnight at nearby Giant's Table and Cottages (this had been booked when we thought we were doing Mt Wedge). Dinner was at Maydena Eats, the only place open for dinner here. As Angie noted, the two good things we can say about the meal are that we didn't have to cook it and wash up, haha. And it was interesting watching the clientele, a mixture of locals, mountain bikers and tourists.

The following day in now perfect weather we saw many vehicles loaded with MTBs heading into Maydena and the MTB park looking for a weekend of excitement on the trails. We had morning coffee at Waterfall Cafe and walked to the ever picturesque Russell Falls. Di offered some constructive feedback to the Parks officer about the directions contained in the GS pamphlet.

Finally, to round off our very pleasant visit to the country we took a scenic route to visit a couple of places opened to the public through Open House Midlands 2025. We were lucky to wander through Wolkenstein, a stunning house high on the hill above Mangalore. Can I mention our very Tasmanian experience in which each of us ran into someone we knew as the Open House visitors wended their way up and down the hill?

September 2025 - Two Islands Bay

We had an excellent turnout for this month's walk (probably because we had missed our monthly catchup last month due to nasty weather). Anyhow, Kat organised this outing to the Tasman Peninsula and eleven of us gathered at the end of White Beach Road, White Beach: Kat, Philip, Prem, Fin, Summa, Di, Angie, Maryanne, Janet, Gerwyn, Wayne.

It was about a two hours' drive from the city to get there, including a stop to pick up coffee. The weather was pretty changeable, with wind, sun and possible showers threatening, so we took a few layers of clothing to choose from.

The walking trail quickly took us away from the White Beach holiday shacks and we wandered along the shore line of the bay through pretty grasslands - dry bushland, groves of sheoak, and tussocky grasslands.

The views over the bay were spectacular, we could see kunanyi in the distance and what looked like Fort Direction in between.

The path became less defined, and we picked our way through the tussocks, but it would be hard to get lost here. The trail passes through some private property and so we had to negotiate a couple of gates - at one fence we had to just step over it. Kat had previously checked with the farmer landowner that it would be ok for us to walk through today, that it would not be a bad time for the farm or unduly disturb the sheep. We were pleased to discover that the land is protected by a series of conservation covenants, such a good thing because this area is definitely worth protecting.

We approached Wedge Island and at a rocky point near the island we stopped for first snack (or second breakfast). If you look closely you will see a neat rock fort that some locals have built for the kids!

We were egged onwards, over a small hill and around a small bay, to eventually look over the cliffs to Two Island Bay.

This is where we stopped for proper lunch.

Some of the more adventurous rockhopped down onto the beach to investigate it more closely.

There was a bit of weather approaching, so we soon headed back on much the same way we had come, but taking a couple of short cuts so the return felt a deal quicker than the trip out.

We said our goodbyes and headed off, feeling exercised and mellow. The walk had been over a distance of 10km and had taken us about 2.5 hours, including our two stops. There were some EV shenanigans on the way back. Both Kat and Di were planning to recharge a bit while enjoying coffee and snacks at The Cannery at Dunalley. Unfortunately a couple of tourists had just pulled in and needed a large charge for a trip to Launceston. Di, whose need was greater, continued on with her passengers to charge at Sorell - the afternoon tea options were not as attractive here, it must be said.