Mt Roland Face Walk Route

[Stasis]

Hey guys,
Went for a day walk yesterday up the Mt Roland Face walk route with a few mates, good bit of exercise. Lots of fun. Bit chilly though.

Anyways. Im trying to find an image of the track route. You know how they have posts up along the way of the track showing how far you've come along the track. Cant find one for the life of me.

Cheers,
Stasis

[Chrisbulldog]

Hi Stasis. There is a good map of that walk in the book 100 walks in Tasmania by Tyrone Thomas. Cheers Chris.

[vagrom]

Just of historical interest, I saw an enquiry sometime ago concerning an old route to Mt Roland from the direction of Mole Creek. This may have been something in an old Tramp. The author refers to having heard of such a route but laments no current info about it.
There are two ancient maps at the front of Bink's Explorers of Western Tasmania. The one covering northern Tasmania shows such an old route, only viewable with a magnifying glass. Superimposed onto a 1/25k map it seems the likely option, if quite steep, having crossed the Union Bridge over the Mersey. The Land Tenure 1/100k seems to support possible access without having to cross private property.

[Tassie Tigger]

Coincidently, myself and four others including Roseart walked most of the way up this track yesterday to go and see the Minnow Falls on the Minnow River which originates from the top of Mount Roland. As suggested in the previous post, access is gained off the Union Bridge Road onto one of the Belstone roads, all on the eastern or Mole Creek end of Mount Roland. Unfortunately the turnoff isn’t signposted. It’s in a pine plantation and for anyone that has ever been in one of those, you know they can be a bit of a maze so I won’t try and explain which way we went.

Once we started walking it was quite a climb through some bush on a well marked track. The only time we lost the track was when a large tree had fallen down the length of it but we soon picked up the markers again. There are quite a few trees and bits of trees across the track.

The first or lowest of the falls. To put some perspective into it, in the upper part of the falls you can see a log which is a bit thicker than a telegragh pole. I'd guess they've between 30 & 40 metres high in total.

The two Wedgetails were flying above the first of the falls and were an unexpected treat.

The track goes through a cave which was interesting. You sort of have to scramble up and through it. It’s marked right through it as you can see by the tag on the tree growing in it. The photo really doesn’t do it justice.

These two photos sort of join up. They are the second lot of falls and I estimate they are between 40 & 50 metres high.

[Tassie Tigger]

There are three sets of falls however we only went to the two lower ones as the second one up is apparently the best of the three. I wouldn't like to give an estimate of time as one of our party was 80 and isn't as quick as he used to be but still enjoys himself a lot. I'd like to think I'll still be doing some of the things he's doing at that age...

Looking east along the northern side of the Gog Range from the second falls.

The view east along the southern side of the Gog Range to the left, Quamby Bluff in the distant left and the Western Tiers all the way right, again, from the second falls.

[flyfisher]

Great write up, thanks for sharing.

[ILUVSWTAS]

What an awesome waterfall!! I usually think waterfalls are overrated, but that is quite different, thanks for the pics!!

[Phil]

Hey Guys

Thanks for the pics tassie tiger, wow, that waterfall looks magical!!

I was also up that way yesterday competing in the Triple Top Mountain Run - over Claude, Van Dyke and then Roland and down to the Claude Rd hall. Completed the 19.7km course in 3hrs, 11min and 1sec.

At times it was more like the Triple Top Mountain swim/wade with water and mud almost up to your knees in sections which made for tough going for this type of event. The section up the southern end of Mt Van Dkyke had turned into a waterfall!!

Thankfully it didn't actually rain during the event apart from some light drizzle a couple of times. Last year it was a 30 degree day ; this year one of the wettest that they've ever had, I wonder what Tassie weather we'll cop next time!!

Thoroughly enjoyed the event; as some of you may sympathise with, it's actually heaps of fun getting wet and muddy once you accept the fact that there's no other way around it

Cheers

Phil

[vagrom]

Thanks for those excellent shots Tassie. I met someone in recent years who spoke of a fairly easy route or scramble between the top and bottom of the falls, so apparently it can be done. The top is famously "sudden" and panoramic. The catchment is so large that the falls seen from the Paradise Road after heavy rain are pretty spectacular.
It would be great if there was a route or pad that allowed an overland from Gowrie Park to Mole Creek, or simply to the Tiers, up and over the top. I can't see that the Minnow Falls bottom track is it, as from the falls you walk north quite a way, unless you're coming in from further south, somewhere new.
An overland track like that would be great for the visiting walker as there's bus transport at each end, Gowrie's legendary backpackers ($13 for your own room and a great restaurant) and camping at Mole Creek, with a pub. Taking buses between the two would take days and a Cooks tour via Devonport and Deloraine.