Veronika Wild

A glimpse of  the Walls of Jerusalem,  though this photo doesn't even hint at how tall and imposing they are I had hoped to post some lovely pictures of waterfalls today, but alas it was not to be. The first of these lay on the eastern side of the Walls of Jerusalem - not the famous historic sort, though they probably should be. The “Walls” are a somewhat mysterious mountain range which lies between Cradle Mountain - its well -known cousin, and the Central Highlands. While traditionally visited by hardy bushmen, snarers and mountain cattlemen, the forbidding terrain, the lack of any kind of services and the difficulty of access, renders it less likely to be on the tourist itinerary.   The road in itself had been closed for several years after the devastating floods and fires of 2015 and 2016 and has only recently been reopened. For some beautiful photos of the region check out David Noble's post about same. Looking over a deep gorge towards Clumner Bluff ...

  A feast of ferns - Ferns are among the oldest plants on earth and Tasmania has more than its fair share of endemic ones. These fishbone ferns (Blechnum Nudum) were especially prolific in these parts. This one simply loves disturbed ground, so long as its wet It had been excellent weather for both ferns and waterfalls lately, so last weekend I set off  in search of Rueben’s Falls. The directions were in an old walking book I had but they had thus far eluded me. They lie in dense logging country somewhere to the south of Judbury. My previous enquiries at usually helpful Forestry Offices had yielded only a tight -lipped  "That road‘s been closed for years.” Something to do with an unresolved landslip apparently. Soft Bracken -like fronds of the Batwing Fern ((Hystiopteris incisa). These grow to around 1 m. This one is only a baby   I was very surprised therefore to see several reports of recent visits on the Waterfalls of Tasmania site and thought it was ...

  A hardwon glimpse of Kermandie Falls in the rain Oh dear. Another porridge day. Winter isn’t over yet. Yesterday my walking buddy phoned to ask if I wanted to go to Cathedral Rock. I looked at the weather app. Cloudy today with rain for the rest of the week, so today was the day if we were going to do anything at all. However, remembering my last three and a half hour uphill slog to Cathedral Rock, I emphatically declined and texted back  “Been there, done that!”     “Hartz Peak then?” he offered hopefully. He is one of those masochistic souls who thinks it’s fun to climb uphill over exposed boulders and scree slopes for half a day in the hope of catching a beautiful view, weather permitting. There weren’t going to be any orchids there either. “How about Kermandie Falls?” I countered. “They might have finished logging there by now.”  This is another lovely waterfall somewhat spoiled by large fallen trees and a poorly maintained track. I had to ...

Waterfall baggers delight - Main Fall at Liffey. These photos taken too late in the day, do not convey its true beauty We all know about  peak - baggers- those intrepid souls who like to climb every mountain. Then there are people like me who belong to the secret society of waterfall -baggers. There are more of us than you might think. I am just mesmerised by falling water. It’s not just the water however. Nor is it  the challenge of simply ticking another one off a list. It is also the beautiful scenery that goes with it – the richness of the vegetation -the tree ferns, the mosses, the tall trees and the thrill of discovering another of nature's wonders.  Craig Doumouras, creator of the beautiful Waterfalls of Tasmania website, puts it very well, " For me personally, having been a sufferer of depression for many years, chasing waterfalls fills my soul with a sense of freedom I never knew existed..." I couldn't agree more. Liffey is really...