Wherrett's Lookout

[bluewombat]

Has anyone been up to Wherrett's lookout in recent years, is there any sort of track. I have always tended to drive past it but was out that way today and it was looking quite impressive with a bit of snow on top
cheers
bw

[Bap]

Memory map says there is a track.

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[ILUVSWTAS]

There is a track of sorts.... it's quite good for about 3/4th's of the way. Then it just stops. Not TOO bad from there to the top, a bit scrubby. Around 4-5 hrs return.
The start of the track can be hard to find. It's near the 10k sign on the Florentine road

[oldina]

Afternoon,
The best place to start your walk from is the highest point on the rd ie the "gap". The track your are referring to is a "cavers" track and is not suitable.
By starting higher its MUCH easier with a small amount of "spiteful" scrub near the summit. No track, but the going is straight forward.
Views are very different and worthwhile, although there is NO water as this is limestone country.
Have a great walk.

Cheers

Oldina

[bluewombat]

Thanks to everyone for there input on this one
bw

[stepbystep]

If you get up there bw, keep an eye out for an aluminium drink bottle, we pretty much straight lined it to the summit from where we lost the route, about where the landslip is....

[rohjoe]

I did this as a circuit, starting from the 10 km sign and using the track marked on the map above, then descending from the summit to the gap and walking back down the road. I'd have to agree with Oldina that the route on the gap side seemed to be easier - if I had my time over again I would go up and back that way. The 10 km route is tagged most of the way but follows a steep, slippery gully which is not much fun, although it was mid-winter for me so very icy.
Cheers,
RJ

[stu]

If you get up there bw, keep an eye out for an aluminium drink bottle, we pretty much straight lined it to the summit from where we lost the route, about where the landslip is....

...and a Pentax Optio digital camera (waterproof), I lost this just below the summit in scub on the 'regular' route
Seems this little peak has an appetite for gear...

[bluewombat]

Well I decided I would walk up Wherrett's today although the forecast was pretty average in the Maydena region. I took Oldina's advice and parked the car at Florentine Gap, took a compass bearing and off I went. About 2 hours to the top, 90 minutes down. You wont get me up there again and unless you absolutely have to have the 1 point this is worth dont bother with it. I really wanted to like this walk, to find a little gem but what I found was scruffy steep forest with lots of dead wood and other slippery stuff underfoot, largish areas of bracken fern covering some nasty ankle breaking rocks, followed by more scruffy forest soon to be followed by face high pandani, which was replaced a couple of hundred metres below the summit with head high scoparia. I am not surprised you lost stuff up here SBS and Stu, I was not even sure if I still had feet it was so long between glimpses. Unfortunately the peak was socked in by cloud so I did not even get to see the view. I did not linger due to the wind and rain. The walk back down was not any more pleasant. If you do head up here make sure your navigation is up to scratch, on the way down the terrain keeps trying to suck you into one of the gullies running westwards, these would not make for a fun afternoon. This one scores 1 out of 5, can you tell I didn't like it.
bw

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[ILUVSWTAS]

Hahaha ah geez it's not that bad!! I've been to many more worse.

Maybe the track is a better if not longer way to go then???

[stepbystep]

HeHe, that's a funny one bw, I'd give it a similar rating.

I think you may have found the walk better from the tagged route at the 10Km sign - when the tags disappear the forest is quite nice and open.
The last 100m or so is more 'interesting' as we hit the clifflines on the sthn side which indeed had head high scoparia and was pretty unpleasant and steep.
I think the traditional approach runs up the SE spur(Cutting ne when tags disappear) - the times we were given for this route took longer than we took going directly up from the south but probably not as steep.

The views were pretty good esp Field West-Florentine Pk area, but the road scar running up Tim Shea stands out when facing West, not to mention the forestry...

I found Mt Dawson(which we went up on the same day), bother nicer walking and with a really surprising view towards Wylds & The Denisons. Still had scoparia thick-ish up top, but much lower and leads were easy to find.

Cheers,sbs

[stepbystep]

Hahaha ah geez it's not that bad!! I've been to many more worse.

Maybe the track is a better if not longer way to go then???

You were following behind the whole way "navigating"...

[ILUVSWTAS]

I was thinking of it as good experience for you

[bluewombat]

Yes, I suspect the longer but more travelled path may be better
bw

[Buddy]

I have found this an interesting little walk-especially if you have a botanical bent. Near the summit is Richea curtisiae x scoparia and Telopea truncata lutea-or yellow waratah if you prefer. When the last Mt. Field Mgt. Plan was open to submission I successfully recommended this patch get special recognition because of that flora.