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Have a good one! |
Saturday, December 23, 2017
Friday, December 22, 2017
Ben Lomond – Another peak unbagged
Ben Lomond in our sights |
It’s a pity that Ben Lomond National Park is a bit off the
beaten track, especially coming from Hobart – about 224.2 Km. Couldn't help thinking while wending my
way over backroads from Evandale that, given the traditional rivalry between
Launceston and Hobart, this was some kind of Launcestonian plot to
keep those pesky southerners out.
Even after you manage to find your way to Upper Blessington, there are still 12 kilometres of unmade road to negotiate before you reach the park entrance. That done, you will find yourself in one of the most stunning and geologically fascinating landscapes in Tasmania, with its escarpments rising abruptly from the surrounding farmlands like the ramparts of a vast mediaeval castle. Colonel Legge, who surveyed it in 1906 -09 regarded "(The) Ben Lomond Plateau as the most remarkable physiographical feature in the State..."
Even after you manage to find your way to Upper Blessington, there are still 12 kilometres of unmade road to negotiate before you reach the park entrance. That done, you will find yourself in one of the most stunning and geologically fascinating landscapes in Tasmania, with its escarpments rising abruptly from the surrounding farmlands like the ramparts of a vast mediaeval castle. Colonel Legge, who surveyed it in 1906 -09 regarded "(The) Ben Lomond Plateau as the most remarkable physiographical feature in the State..."
Small Waratahs line the lower reaches of the track |
At the time, Ben
Lomond was thought to be the highest peak in Tasmania, but re -measurement in 1911-12 using theodolites, rather than more primitive instruments, showed its
highest point to be 1572m, making it the second highest peak in Tasmania, after
Mt. Ossa (1617m). However, despite most of Tasmania’s mountains being in the west of the state, 6 of the 15 peaks over 1500m are located here. Indeed, Parks and Wildlife say most of the Ben Lomond Plateau is above 1300 metres and about 14 Km. long and 6 Km. wide.
Skirting boulder fields on the way to the Big Opening |
The walk starts at Carr Villa,* a few kilometres above the campground which boasts not one but two flushing
toilets. Only two or three other cars were in evidence there and we also met two mountain climbers at the start of the track. From there the
trail goes steadily uphill over rocks and low growing shrubs – some waratah (not
quite as brilliant as those in the Hartz, but nevertheless beautiful to see), mountain
pepper, orange and yellow scoparia, yellow flowering pineapple grass and several types of white flowering shrubs. These continue all through ‘The
Plains of Heaven,’ a wide swathe cut by a glacier, no doubt so named by the skiers who used to trek up here on horseback
until the road was built in the 1930s.
*Carr Villa is ironically named after a cemetery in Launceston as it was regarded as "the last resting place."
In The Plains of Heaven |
Small tarns and Cushion Plants near the ridgeline |
After what seemed like a very long climb, the track levelled off
and took us past a couple of chalets. The track to Legges Tor — the highest
point, starts here. As with Hartz Peak,
this is only a short sharp detour of around
20 to 30 minutes, but as with Hartz Peak, my legs were already threatening to
give way at any moment and I feared that even that bit of extra mileage might
do me in. With neither of us expected back until late the next day, we promised ourselves we would do it in the morning and continued on our way.
An older chalet below Legges Tor Track |
I was delighted to see the road far below us and hastened
down to meet it. Only another few kilometres I thought, and then we would be back at our
campsite having cups of tea. This was not true. A look at the map showed that
we had another 12.5 kilometres to go, and that was just to get back to the car.
The sign saying that the walk was 4 hours return had obviously been made by the same folk who thought that getting to Adamson's Falls and back should only take two hours.
View from the top of the road |
By the time we reached the road I was just plodding,
doggedly putting one foot in front of the other. The road itself – Jacob’s
Ladder as it’s called, is perfectly spectacular having been blasted out of sheer
rock on either side. As it snakes its way down there are views over other peaks, much of the Midlands,
the North East and even Flinders Island. It must be one of the most exciting drives
in Australia – better than Queenstown's 99, better than the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, especially
when spiced up with a touch of ice or snow.
Jacob's Ladder |
Rocky sentinels overlook the one lane road. Some don't look very stable |
... but the views are almost to die for |
See the scenery, the jagged, jumbled rocks and the hairpins here:
Looking up |
As I
sagged in a heap near the gate at the bottom of the main bends, my friend valiantly offered to walk the remaining five kilometres or so to get the
car.
He hadn’t been gone long when along came a car driven by the
lovely Kate who owns a chalet in these parts. She stopped to ask if I was OK and kindly gave me a lift. She also picked up my friend who, though a good way down the road, was also looking a bit worse for wear. Nothing more was said, but I suspect we
were both rather relieved that the morning dawned with light drizzle, getting
us off the hook with respect to Legges Tor. Thanks very much for the ride
Kate. We hope you have a lovely Christmas! And thanks to R for being so chivalrous.
Sunday, December 17, 2017
Two Native Gardens – 2 The Tasmanian Bushland Garden, Buckland
A disused quarry provides a home for the Tasmanian Bushland Garden near Buckland |
Getting to the Tasmanian Bushland Gardens takes longer –
around 55 minutes from Hobart via the A3 according to my GPS - and much longer
if you stop to pick your own strawberries as I did, but entry is free and it’s
a lovely rest stop if you happen to be heading up or down the East Coast.
Officially opened in 2010 and set in a former quarry this 20 hectare
garden was established by volunteers aided by donations from various organisations,
to preserve typical East Coast species. Much of the original vegetation has already been
lost due to clearing, grazing, forestry activity and other forms of "progress."
I especially liked that plants were not shown in isolation but together with other species with which they commonly occur |
Although I had probably missed the peak flowering season,
this garden was nicely laid out according to different kinds of plant
communities – e.g. those which grow on granite, those which grow on sandstone,
the grasslands, the marshes and so on, just as you might find them in nature.
There is also a bush tucker section and one devoted to Tasmania’s rare and endemic species of which around
30 are critically endangered. The idea is to show people how attractive our
native flora can be so that should conservation in their natural habitat fail
– through fire, development, global warming or some other catastrophe, some may
yet survive in dispersed locations such as domestic gardens.
A young girl studies the pond life at the base of a waterfall |
There are information panels about the plants - on the
history of the gardens, and on the geology, dotted around the walls of the
shelter and on the garden beds themselves. As with Inverawe, some sculptures
also adorn this garden, but here the use of recycled materials and subtle
weathering allows them to blend in more easily. Other amenities include
seating, a children’s playground, two ponds, toilets and a barbecue. It also
has walks and a memorial garden dedicated to those who have contributed to our knowledge
and appreciation of native plants. It is
an altogether pleasant and peaceful place and the fact that it has a wider
purpose and embodies a spirit of community, adds to its appeal.
A Tasmanian tiger lurks near the Playground |
Two Native Gardens – 1 Inverawe Gardens, Margate
Callistemons add a splash of Christmas colour at Inverawe Gardens - the birds love them too |
The Callistemons were in bloom when I visited this 9.5 ha
private garden a couple of weeks ago, feeling rather remiss for having
mentioned it in connection with alpine plants when I hadn’t actually seen it.
It does not specialise in Alpine or Subalpine species – i.e.
you won’t see any cushion plants, because the region is simply too dry (you
need a minimum of 1200 mls. of rainfall for this type of vegetation to flourish and
even more for rainforest plants) and it is also too close to the sea. One of the few
representative rainforest plants is the Athrotaxis Laxifolia, the one that is a
cross between The King Billy Pine and the Pencil Pine. Alas, it sits forlornly
in a pot near the entrance, presumably so that it can get the abundant water it needs.
Athrotaxis Laxifolia - the rare cross between King Billy Pine and Pencil Pine |
The good thing about this garden is that for the most part it works with
nature, rather than trying to grow plants with a high demand for water.
Instead, it includes plants from all over Australia which will thrive in these
conditions. While this makes for a more colourful display, not many of the plants
are endemic to Tasmania. The bright red callistemon for instance, though common on
the East Coast of mainland Australia, does not naturally occur in Tasmania, although Tasmania does
have two of its own, including a lemon scented one. The birds don’t seem to
mind however, regardless of the origin of the plants and they don’t seem to be
at all perturbed by visitors wandering around.
The view from Baudin's Lookout |
The Inverawe Gardens have a few other quirks – a pleasant
lookout featuring the view Baudin may have seen on coming ashore at what is now
North West Bay. There are also artworks and a couple of very odd animated gardeners
to be seen and heard. I would have liked to explore some of the walking tracks but
the friend who had come with me had “bad knees” and we had to leave rather
soon. It is possible to have afternoon tea here too, but since we were there in
the middle of a heatwave, we opted for a Valhalla icecream at the neighbouring Margate
Train instead.
"Tree Hugger" -There are mixed views about the artwork - some finding it delightful and whimsical while others consider it kitsch. Make up your own mind! |
Entry to the Gardens costs $12 for adults ($10 for
Concession/Seniors card holders) and $4 for children. It is easily reached from
Hobart via the Southern Outlet (A6) or the longer scenic route which follows
the coast more closely.
Friday, December 08, 2017
The Sloth Bagger’s Guide to Tasmania
Trip planning is a
very important part of your adventure and can take up a lot of your time. Sometimes it can take up all of your time
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For the actual Rules for Peak Bagging in Tasmania, check out
Wildtiger
It has great photos too, to spare you the effort of actually having to climb
mountains.
For those like myself, who are less fit or less
energetically inclined, I can thoroughly recommend Peter Zund and Heather
Ashton’s definitive Slothbagger’s Guide to
Tasmania which they have kindly
allowed me to share with you here.
As Peter and Heather write, “This guide has been developed to
encourage members to enjoy some of the less active destinations in the
state. Points can be claimed for the same destinations as many times as you
wish. Destinations have been awarded points according to the following principles:
A: level of
inactivity
B: ease of access
C: level of enjoyment
Get to it and have fun!?”
What kind of Slothbagger are you? Add up your points to find your category :-
Downright Active < 50
Member of Sloth Brigade 50-99
Dishonourable Sloth Bagger 100-199
Honourable Sloth Bagger 200-299
Sloth Bagger Extraordinaire 300-499
Sloth Bagger Supreme 500+
Brought to you by Peter Zund
and Heather Ashcroft.
Happy Sloth Bagging Everyone!
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