Tali-Karng and nearby

I felt rather unfit because I have not done any pack-carrying walks for a while.  This was a warm-up walk for future longer walks planned for Tasmania early next year.  Lake Tali-Karng is located in the Avon Wilderness area of Victoria and north of Licola. 

The best time to hike is between November and April and this area has excellent alpine wild flowers in mid-to-late Spring.

Licola is approximately 4 hours drive from Melbourne through Traralgon and the start at McFarlane Saddle on the Moroka Rd is about a further 30 minutes from Licola (last petrol service).

The facilities at the McFarlane Saddle campsite include only a long drop loo and cleared campsites of varying sizes.

Park Victoria website suggests that you camp at Nyimba Camp and do a day trip to Lake Tali-Karng rather than camping on the shore of the lake.  This makes the descent to and ascent from the lake much easier as the access is very steep.  Also, the traditional owners of the lake prefer that people do not camp there and that visitors minimise their damage to a sensitive and sacret environment.

The walk from McFarlane’s Saddle to Nyimba Camp and Riggall Old Hut site across the Wellington Plain is approx 9km on a gentle gradient and it takes around three and a half hours including a long break for lunch.  The terrain is mostly alpine plain with occasional clumps of snowgums.  The larger snowgums are dead from the recent bush fire leaving only scrubby regrowth.

 Wellington Plain

The Nyimba Camp has a lot of campsites and a long drop loo with a 600 litres rain water tank and a flowing stream.

Nyimba Camp

There are 2 possible routes to the lake from Nyimba Camp.  Gillio’s foot track is about 4.5km and steep with multiple zig-zags to help the walker down the steeper parts of the walk.  The easy-graded Riggall Spur and Echo Point Tracks are a little longer, but less steep.

Routes to the lake

We took the Riggall Spur and Echo Point Tracks to walk down to the lake and Gillio’s Track back climbing almost 600m (take about 3 hrs), but, in retrospect, it would have been better to have taken the other direction. 

There are several campsites and beaches on the western lakeside.  Tali Karng is a fuel stove area and no fires are permitted within 1km from the lake.  There are no toilet facilities at the lake.  The southern shore offers access to the Snowden Falls at the eastern end of the lake, if the lake’s water level is low enough.

 

Looking east (L) and the Snowden Falls (R)

The scramble along the rocky shoreline to the falls is worth the trouble to see a very spectacular medium size waterfall.  YouTube clip of the Snowden Falls

 

GPS tracks overlaid on VicMap memo-map Topo

Mt Reynard

There is a short half day walk from Howitt Road to the top of Mt Reynard with a height of 1710m.  The shortest access route to the summit is across a small wooden foot bridge with a clearly visible from the Howitt road shortly after passing the Kelly Lane turn-off while heading north.

After crossing the bridge, you proceed due west climbing up a grassy slope and then bush bashing through medium height scrub to the top of Mt Reynard.

The foot bridge (L) and Mt Reynard top (R)

The summit is found by walking to the highest point.  There is no view at the top; but there are good views of the valley on the way up. 

Mt Ossa Summit, the highest peak in Tasmania

I am writing this blog entry, first, because of the recent sad news from the ABC broadcast of a 56 year old man, who fell to his death on the short steep slope section of the Mt Ossa summit track.

I attempted this track recently and would not encourage others, who are interested in “peak bagging”, to tackle this summit in slippery and/or misty conditions. 

It took me almost a full day for the walk and climb from Pelion Hut to the summit of Mt Ossa and back; at least 4 hours for the side trip with the start and finish at Pelion Gap on the Overland Track (OT) and over 2 hours go and return from Pelion Hut to Pelion Gap.

Having arrived at Pelion Hut and Camp via The Arm River Walking Track with the start at The Mersey Forest Road the day before, the Mt Ossa side trip was next, then a pack-carrying trip plan to Paddys Nut for two nights.

This was my second climb to Mt Ossa summit.  My first one had been (over 15 years ago?) with a few members from a walking group based in Melbourne–Victoria.  From memory, it had been cloudy when we had reached the summit.  The recent solo experience was unlike the group trip and the day’s conditions were calm and so clear, with superb panaromic views, unlike a previous solo trip on the OT, with a full pack, a few years ago, when the side trip had to be abandoned due to overcast conditions.

The first section of the summit track is the walk up to Mt Doris, where there are some good views on fine days.  A few OT walkers, that I spoke to at Pelion Hut, planned to only walk to Mt Doris. 

The track to Mt Ossa summit is well-maintained and marked.  There was one short steep slope section and I think that could be the location, in which the incident took place.

It is worth the climb and I would suggest an early start for your enjoyment.  Here are the photos:

 The gps track: Pelion Hut - Pelion Gap - Mt Ossa Summit

 

Me at Pelion Hut and Camp (left).  Mt Doris and Mt Ossa (right). 

Barn Bluff & Cradle Mountain (L).  Paddys Nut & Pelion West (R)

Mt Ossa's buttresses (L).  Mt Doris and Mt Pelion East (R)

Du Cane Range (L).  The summit plateau (R)

Useful links for walks in Tasmania

The festive season

New Year's Eve - Melbourne Fireworks 2016

I used to get away over the festive season exploring the wilderness and climbing the mountains.  This year I do the indoor 'walk' sorting out the photographs, which were taken on my walking trips in Tasmania early this year.  The areas where I hiked were remote, wild and fragile and I had to watch out my steps to avoid damages such as the cushion plants.  I enjoyed all the walks I did and most of them were in the Central Plateau, and in Cradle Mountain.    

My first walk was a 6-day trip around the Cathedral Mountain via Chapter Lake and Mersey River.   My second trip was a 8-day walk from the Mersey Forest Rd to Traveller Range via Lake Myrtle Track then back to north via the Never Never and Mosses Creek Track.  Based on the advise from a local walker I’d met at Lake Meston during my second trip, a 4-day Pelion loop plan was abandoned.  Instead, I just made it up to Paddy Nut campsite then explored and climbed with a day pack.   

All these walks were on and off tracks.  Route finding and navigational skills were essential.  Phone reception was very poor.  The only message went through when I was on a high point near the Cathdral Mountain.

Chapter Lake (L) -  Unknown tarn with Du Cane Range in the background (R)

 Waterfalls on the walks

Grail Falls, South of Chapter Lake

 

Hartnett, Fergusson and Boulder Falls on the Mersey River 

 Sunset on Lake Myrtle Camp; Mt Rogoona (L) 
Good view of Jupiter Mtns from Lake Eros tentsite (R)

 Clarke Falls (L), west of Junction Lake
and McCoy Falls in The Never Never

 Du Cane Range from Traveller Range (L)

The Acropolis and Mt Geryon from Traveller Range (R)

Camp near Paddys Nut.  Mt Thetis (L) and Mt Ossa (R)  
Click on the link to The Age - Victoria to see Australia - Melbourne fireworks 2015 video show by Fairfax Media.  
And, for some good firework videos, have a look at this in full screen