Celebrating Mountains - Harz Peak

The Goal - Hartz Peak 1455 m. It didn't look too difficult a climb when we were here a couple of weeks ago.

I may have been late for Environment Week, but I am way ahead for International Mountain Day on December 11. Though I didn't make it right to the very top and can't yet claim peak bagging rights, we did have a lovely day and I should at least be awarded an “E” for effort.

This is my real reward

The weather was superb. Those incipient waratahs we saw a couple of weeks ago were now in spectacular bloom and we found ourselves walking between fields of wildflowers. The landscape itself is remarkable.  Hartz Peak is the highest in the region and its craggy cliffs rise up over mountain tarns and look out over row upon row of mountains. To the West you can see Federation Peak directly opposite and other famous peaks such as Precipitous Bluff, the Eastern Arthurs, Mt Weld and Mt. Snowy, as well as being able to look into the South West Wilderness. To the North East there are glimpses of settlements bordered by farmland while to the South East the Huon River snakes its way to the sea.

Waratah lit up the bush like Christmas trees

... and we passed through valleys of wildflowers.

Ladies Tarn

Cushion plants

Lake Hartz is a proper ice - carved cirque, hence its smooth rounded edges

Mountains to the North

Mountains to the West and a glimpse into the forested valleys of the South West Wilderness

Those boulders didn't look as big from below

As I was admiring these views from the saddle just below the summit, a few wispy clouds began to drift across. Not a problem I thought. A few clouds had come and gone throughout the day. Bad weather usually came from the West - courtesy of the Roaring Forties, but the sky was as clear as a bell in that direction. Then we started on the short sharp climb to the top. This requires much rock hopping and scrambling over large boulders.

These are the rocks you have to climb over

 My friend being so much fitter and long of limb reached it well before I did. “Don’t bother, “he called back when he reached the top. “You can’t see a thing from here.”  The cloud had become quite thick and was now engulfing the summit. As the sky grew darker and the wind became stronger he was most anxious for us to be heading down. Such is the fickle nature of Tasmanian mountains. They go from delightful to treacherous in a few moments.

How quickly things change

I hate to admit it, but I wasn’t overly sorry at having to turn back so close to the top.  My legs already felt like jelly each time I launched myself up and over another rock. On the pretext of studying the lichen I had a few rest stops on the way down but was quite relieved when we finally reached the duckboards which started near Ladies Tarn.  Looks like one for another day. You could say I am a mountain appreciator - a visual peak bagger, if not much of a mountain climber.

For fast facts, the science of mountains or more about the International Day of the Mountain, take a look at some of the clips below:

  

Make it, Fix it, Do it!

Still to come - December 2 -10  [ Greenpeace design - no time to make my own]

I totally missed Recycling Week from November 13^th to  November 19.^th   However, while it’s good to have a week to really think about what we are doing and better ways to do it,  recycling, like Mother’s Day, shouldn’t just be a one off thing which we forget about the rest of the year.

Not everything sticks of course - we have abandoned our green bin since we rarely had enough to fill it and my attempts at rug making are languishing somewhere at the back of a cupboard, but the Bokashi composter which I bought last year is still going strong and we still have separate containers for batteries, plastic caps and so on. I am also proud to say that I haven’t used a single disposable coffee cup since I discovered what an environmental disaster they have become. There are also plenty of other things we can get involved in and new ideas to share.

This is not exactly a Bicycle Kitchen, though it might look like it. - Read on to find out what they are....

Bicycle Kitchens for instance, where you go to fix your own bike using shared tools and expertise, have really taken off, not just in Tasmania or Australia, but all around the world. Make and mend cafes and recycled fashion markets – for him, for her and for children, mentioned previously are also mushrooming. Even if there isn’t a repair café near you iFixit is an online resource where you can find out how to fix things yourself, especially electronics.

Still to come:

On the 4^th of December the ABC will be screening “Turning the Tide” -a new episode of the "War on Waste” series and Greenpeace is sharing all sorts of wonderful ideas and patterns for recycling textiles and other materials via its Make SMTHING Campaign which doesn’t formally kick off until December 2 – December 10. This would be a great idea for schools as it involves lots of measuring and some manual dexterity, even if it does bring back painful memories of  my primary school sewing classes.

Though recycling feels good and is better than dumping, we need to go much further to reduce waste and resource consumption.  We need to pay more attention to what we buy. Do we need it? Are there more environmentally friendly options? Can it be repaired? Could we encourage manufacturers to take more responsibility so what we buy doesn't have to be replaced every couple of years - either because of planned obsolescence or because we can't buy parts or because it costs more to repair than to buy a new model?  Another part of iFixit.org is about making that happen. It wants us to have the "right to repair,"  adequate information, products that can be repaired, and reasonably priced repair shops.

Those sensible Swedes now give generous tax relief to repair initiatives, thereby creating employment as well as reducing waste. It would be nice if our government's proposed tax cuts could be applied to something like this which would benefit society as a whole, rather than the already wealthy.

I'd also like to find a manual to fix my ailing washing machine - it sounds like a jackhammer when it gets going and this is likely to be terminal according to the technician, "Cheaper to replace the machine!" But enough with the wishful thinking. I am actually going to make some pot mitts - not thrillingly creative I admit, but something I really need. 

In the Hartz Mountains 2 – Lake Esperance

The views get better as we ascend

Since our first walk finished fairly early and the weather was still kind, we decided to walk to Lake Esperance as well. This is South West of the first walk and on the way to Hartz Peak. It takes about an hour and a half and starts beside the shelter at the same picnic area at the end of the road in the Hartz Mountains National Park. 

The plant communities grow more compact at higher altitude

Although this lake is a product of the same glacial processes, it lies somewhat higher in the mountains and the vegetation is noticeably different. Before we go in we sign the register – only two groups have done so before us, though we encounter several couples and a family group on this walk. If you need more incentive to do so, one of the first things you notice along the track is the prominent memorial to two members of the Geeves Family who perished after being overtaken by a blizzard, despite knowing this bush well and, as I write, searchers are still looking for an elderly man who disappeared from the not too distant Duck Hole Lake Track a couple of weeks ago - a short well marked track you couldn’t possibly get lost on unless stricken by illness, injury, bad weather or nightfall.  In other words, sign the register, even if it doesn’t look like you need it. It never does.

Memorial to two members of  the Geeves family who perished here serves as a warning to bushwalkers

The second thing you must do, is wash your boots on the way in for the reasons explained in previous posts. It stops the root rot fungus and dieback affecting this very fragile ecosystem. The process is very easy here as there are brushes and an automatic washing system at the start of the track which you virtually have to go through, so you may as well do it properly by doing it twice.

Not an implement of torture or a midwifery aid but a semi automated boot washing station

Nagging done, the path ascends to the first level of a saddle or plateau and then goes to the right if you don’t want to proceed to Hartz Peak - a much more challenging walk which takes about 4 hours return. The glimpses  of serried ranks of peaks reaching southwards, does make the longer walk tempting on a day like this, but not having done much walking lately, I don’t want to push my luck.

The Lake Esperance Route proves rewarding enough. The vegetation is shorter here, reflecting the higher elevation, greater exposure to winds and possibly poorer soils than those which have been able to  accumulate on the valley floor. Here you can see dwarf Pandani with pink tops and the beginning of cushion plant communities. In sheltered spots below the ridgeline, you can see larger Pandani and also several species of eucalyptus, many of which are also unique to Tasmania.

At this altitude we begin to encounter cushion plants. These are individual plants from several species which grow close together in a bolster form which protects them from severe winds and ice. All but one species is endemic to Tasmania

The cushions look like they would make a lovely seat or save you from stepping into marshy ground, but they are in fact very delicate and easily damaged

It is this wide range and strange assemblage of nature’s experiments which makes this a World Heritage Area and Tasmania a floating ark, a sort Galapagos of the South.  The cushion plants have developed an interesting survival strategy, clustering together for internal warmth and keeping a low profile to deflect the cold winds, but like coral, they are easily damaged by careless feet. It takes around thirty years for them to recover from so much as a bootprint.

Richea Pandanifolia- Nine out of eleven species of Richea, the world's tallest heath plant, are endemic to Tasmania

On days like this, looking into the clear waters of the lake and breathing the fresh air, you forgive Tasmania its dark days and long wet winters. In fact, although there is no air monitoring station here, I am fairly certain that with uninterrupted airflow from the Southern Ocean and Antarctica and the Roaring Forties from the west, this area would have cleaner air than that in the North West which is billed as having the cleanest air in the world.

R's favourite plant - one of many unique alpine species

In this ancient and seemingly timeless landscape the daily cares of upstart humans seem trivial.  Reluctantly we start to retrace our steps towards our everyday lives, but not without a wistful look back at the track towards Hartz Peak.  Who knows, my walking buddy may make a peak bagger out of me yet.

Coral Ferns getting ready to unfurl -Gleichenia Alpina

P.S. If you can’t make it to the Hartz Mountains National Park, or Mt Field or Cradle Mountain, there are several other places where you can see many of these plants:

1.  The Botanic Gardens right in the City has a small section of Alpine and Subalpine plants as well as the deliciously cool sub Antarctic house which is full of cushion plants. Admission is free but donations are appreciated.     
2.  The Plants of Tasmania Nursery, at Ridgeway just near Mt. Wellington has a wide range for sale and will even send them interstate. As the blurb says, they are "specialist growers of Tasmania native plants. An astounding range of Tasmanian plants from alpine, rainforest, heathland and coastal plants, including Huon pine, Leatherwood, Myrtle, Sassafras and hundreds of other species! Stroll through our display garden. Peak flowering Oct-Dec. Mail order available." 

Open daily 9:00am-5:00pm (4:00pm in winter).

65 Hall St, Ridgeway 7054. P: (03) 6239 1583

E: sales@potn.com.au W: www.potn.com.

I haven’t been to the following but they could be of interest too:

3. Inverawe Native Gardens at Margate in the Huon Valley, specialises in Tasmanian Plants

“Thousands of colourful native plants in a garden setting.

Stunning views, history, poetry, sculpture and interpretive signs.

Take tea on the terrace, be entertained by the extraordinary variety of

birds. “

Entry $12/Concession $10 Open 7 days September-May, 9.00am-

6.00pm Last entry 5.00pm. 1565 Channel Highway, behind the

Margate Train. 15 minutes south of Hobart. P: (03) 6267 2020.

E:gardens@inverawe.com.au

 4. Inala Jurassic Garden, Bruny Island

“A comprehensive collection of over 500 species and subspecies of

plants with a Gondwanan distribution gives insight into the flora that

was part of the ancient supercontinent.

Enjoy 5 acres of winding garden full of interpretation panels and

explore the museum full of shells, fossils, minerals & fascinating

artefacts of the natural world.”

Open Daily: 9.00am-5.00pm Adults $10.00/Child $5.00

P: (03) 6293 1217 E: inala@inalanaturetours.com.au

W: www.inalanaturetours.com.au

5. Tasmanian Bushland Garden - Buckland (South)

“2ha display gardens featuring indigenous plants of SE Tasmania, in a

20ha reserve with peaceful walking tracks, enhanced by sculptures

and a landscaped quarry with waterfall. A delightful, natural

experience. Picnic tables, toilets, barbeque available.

Free entry. Open daily - daylight hours. Tasman Highway,”

Buckland. P: (03) 6239 1688

W: www.tasmanianbushlandgarden.org.au

6. Tasmanian Arboretum – Devonport (North)

“Tasmanian Arboretum, Devonport Walk among extensive labelled collections of Tasmanian plants,

southern hemisphere conifers and deciduous trees from temperate

areas of the world on 66ha. Wildlife, landscape and our Limestone

Heritage make the site interesting and enchanting in all seasons.

Entry $5. Kiosk hours may vary. 46 Old Tramway Road (off C146),”

Eugenana, near Devonport. P: (03) 6427 2690

W: www.tasmanianarboretum.org.au

7. Crawleighwood Nursery and Garden - Nicholls

Rivulet (South)

“A delightful 3.5ha garden featuring rhododendrons, maple woodlands,

Gondwanan rainforests species, rare and unusual plants. Brilliant

spring and autumn colours. Great for weddings and family picnics..

Wide variety of plants for sale.”

Entry $8.00. Open 10.00am - 4.30pm on Open Garden Days

4th-5th November 2017, 22nd -25th April , 27th-28th October 2018

Also open any time by appointment.

51 Underwoods Road, Nicholls Rivulet. P: (03) 6295 0269

W: www.facebook.co

Most of this information comes from the delightful BloomingTasmania brochure, which also has information on other gardens – secret gardens, historic gardens etc.  and related events such as floral festivals and open days.