Track closures Friday 4th January due to fire danger

[greyim]

Latest update from Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service

[

Well todays ABC heaadline is just shocking

"Tas man to be charged over unattended campfire"

[Geneva]

I'd like to send an enormous thank you to Brendan, the pilot Adrian, the cheerful fuel man, Justin and Matthew for rescuing us yesterday just after Junction Creek. We hadn't realized how close the fire had come. You saved our lives. So thank you for your calm, friendly professionalism, and bravery. We are immeasurably grateful. Now very sad for the loss of amazing wilderness. Please keep yourselves safe. G

[rockpaper]

hey, just want to say thanks, as well.
i think you may have picked up my wife and her friends some time during the day. Like geneva, i think you probably saved their lives, too...

[Binder]

Doonish, Geneva and rockpaper. Will pass the message on to the other staff involved. It appeard that the fire burnt to Junction Creek area an hour or two after Geneva's group was lifted out. A few showers at Mt Field now so hopefully it might slow down a bit.

Cheers

[nickward]

Can I also just add a huge thanks to Binder for posting about the extent of the fires. With no mention in the media and only the briefest of summaries on TFS, you're updates are the only reason I now know where the fire has actually reached. With several friends presently on the southwest coast for SPRATS, I'd been finding the lack of information pretty frustrating.
Cheers!

[tastrax]

TFS has updated the boundary for the Giblin River SW fire

Capture.JPG (79.88 KiB) Viewed 30732 times

[tas-man]

My first reaction to the image was that of a silhouette of a dragon, with the Arthur's in it's jaws!

Last edited by tas-man on Sat 19 Jan, 2013 1:08 am, edited 1 time in total.

[whynotwalk]

My first reaction to the image was that of a silhouette of a dragon with the Arthur's I'm it's jaws!

Absolutely tas-man! I know it's not been enough to douse the dragon's flames altogether, but I was glad to see that Strathgordon received 19mm of rain overnight. Long may it rain (with due apologies to the boys out in the PoWs!)

cheers

Peter

[Hallu]

There's a fire in Rocky Cape too, so the park is closed, it's not only in the South.

[north-north-west]

There are fires all over the *&%$#! island, Hallu. From Victoria yesterday morning, all you could see was a half dozen or so peaks jutting out from and endless sea of smoke haze. On the Saturday, every time I turned around I saw a new plume of smoke. Driving up on Sunday arvo, it was the same: "Oh, there's a new one over near Mathinna", etc.
Hellish.

[greyim]

http://eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/im ... 06_lrg.jpg

[ILUVSWTAS]

(with due apologies to the boys out in the PoWs!)

cheers

Peter

Hahaha thanks Peter... we went from heat exhaustion to bunkering in the tents from snow within 36 hrs. Insane.

[Nuts]

(with due apologies to the boys out in the PoWs!)

cheers

Peter

Hahaha thanks Peter... we went from heat exhaustion to bunkering in the tents from snow within 36 hrs. Insane.

Cool!!, now show us the pics, do a write up, have a beer & pizza, then a bath

[ILUVSWTAS]

Had a counter meal and beer at 10pm at Strathgordon last night. Beautiful meal!! Beer was great! showered at 1am, no pizza yet tho...

Pics will be coming, but dont expect a write up!!

My gear needs a bath, or it needs to be burnt.

[north-north-west]

My gear needs a bath, or it needs to be burnt.

No more fires, please. You should have chucked it into Lake Gordon as you passed, and then retrieved it in a week or so.

[zakbaillie]

hey GUYS, just wondering if anyone could give me an update on the Giblin River fire? Havent heard anything from parks and wildlife in awhile.

[whynotwalk]

The basics are here: http://www.fire.tas.gov.au/Show?pageId=incidentItem&h=false&viewIncidentUpdateID=83600696320976

Last I heard from anyone in PWS, it was still burning, though mainly in buttongrass, not in forest or alpine areas (that much is good). As for the effect on tracks, PWS has regular updates on closures here http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/?base=7785

cheers

Peter

[clelander]

Looks very nasty indeed...I was planning on completing the WA traverse in late February, still a worthwhile goal?

From what I can work out through maps so far the eastern part of the trail and alpine areas are unburnt. I'll be interested to see the first reports coming out of there as soon as the track re-opens and some walkers check it out.

[whynotwalk]

I was planning on completing the WA traverse in late February, still a worthwhile goal?

5-6 weeks is a long time in Tassie weather. But unless we get substantial rain, the fire could easily keep burning till then. I'd suggest (a) keep an eye on the PWS website here http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/?base=7785 for track closures, (b) check the "Giblin River Fire" on the Tas Fire Service site here http://www.fire.tas.gov.au/Show?pageId= ... 0788292420 for fire updates; and (c) consider alternative trips (eg South Coast Track, Walls of Jerusalem, a Central Plateau through walk, Frenchmans Cap, Southern Ranges etc etc).

So do keep planning to come. Tassie will welcome you and there's no shortage of great walks

cheers

Peter

[Binder]

G'day all

Just a heads up that the Mt Field alpine area (via lake Dobson Rd) will be open from Saturday morning, and all Tasman National Park tracks have also reopened. The Fortescue Bay Rd and campground will reopen at 10 am Saturday morning.

The large fire in the Southwest (started at Giblin River), is still active despite the rain. Tracks still closed include the Port Davey Track, Junction Creek Track, Arthur Plains Track, Cracroft Valley Track, Blakes Opening - Huon Track and the Old River traverse.

The Mt Anne Circuit, Lake Judd track and the Scotts Peak Road are open. Huon and Edgar campgrounds are still closed. The closures may be in place for an extended period of time.

Cheers

[Hallu]

I have a question : on most documentaries about Australia, you see people mentioning the fact that gum trees are beautiful when they generate new growth after a fire. How long "after" are we talking about ? I'll be in Tasmania for 10 days for Easter, and I'm wondering if it would be worth it (and the right time) to witness this event in Mount Field or Tasman National Park.

[stepbystep]

I have a question : on most documentaries about Australia, you see people mentioning the fact that gum trees are beautiful when they generate new growth after a fire. How long "after" are we talking about ? I'll be in Tasmania for 10 days for Easter, and I'm wondering if it would be worth it (and the right time) to witness this event in Mount Field or Tasman National Park.

Doubtful, usually the next growing season, next spring that is. Plenty of fires all over Aus to find this.

[clelander]

I was planning on completing the WA traverse in late February, still a worthwhile goal?

5-6 weeks is a long time in Tassie weather. But unless we get substantial rain, the fire could easily keep burning till then.

Thanks Peter, I'll have a look at some other options. it'd be just my luck that a week after I buy my flights something like this happens... still plenty more parts of the state to check out, although I'll be restricted to treks beginning along bus routes.

[whynotwalk]

from the Flickr Photostream of elizabethdonoghue

Regrowth.jpg (218.56 KiB) Viewed 29428 times

You're probably right about good thick growth Dan. But the epicormic shoots in this photo, which may be what Hallu wants to see, come up after just a few weeks. You may see some of these on the Tasman Peninsula by Easter. But you won't find any in Mt Field, as the park hasn't actually had fire this time around. (PWS closed some of the tracks because of the risk that fires could quickly spread there through the Broad River Valley. They're open again now.)

cheers

Peter

[clelander]

Also, just got off the phone to Evans Coaches, and the lady there said she had heard the possibility that the tracks south of Scotts Peak won't be reopening this season. Might be time to check out Walls of Jerusalem/Lake St clair based options

[Hallu]

Yeah I'm talking about something like this :



On a large scale it's beautiful, but it must be rare to be there at the right time.

[stepbystep]

That quick Peter? Wow!

I grew up in the Darling Range of WA and saw this every year of my life so probably took it for granted without taking great notice, we had lots of fires!

Surely the climatic conditions of the area affects the regrowth? For example a late summer burn with a cold Tas winter wouldn't be optimal?

Just thinking as I type, as per....

[gayet]

I think the speed of regrowth would be highly dependent on the situation immediately after the fire and the weeks that follow. If there is sufficient rain and weather is warm enough to encourage growth, but not so hot as to burn it, then it can be visible surprisingly quickly. I don't know how likely the right conditions in Tas would be, 'cause I haven't been here long enough to experience it but it is possible if conditions are right. Given that Feb is apparently warmer, and there may be enough rain to aid recovery, then in some of the more sheltered areas, I'd say quite possible.

But I don't know and its only an ill-informed hunch

[north-north-west]

Depends on the rain And underlying dryness of the ground. After the '05 fires up past Licola there were areas that had heavy epicormic growth within a month - the roadside trees were all fuzzy green, top to toe, rather weird looking. But the higher up stuff took years to get to that point. The amazing thing is how long they can survive effectively dormant - some patches didn't start sprouting again until the drought broke, about three years back.

[Binder]

G'day all

Bit of good news.

All access tracks to the Eastern Arthur range are now open and the Western Arthurs are also now open but access is limited.

The tracks remaining closed: Arthur Plains Track/Mackays Track, Moraine K, Moraine E and the Port Davey track beyond the Moraine A turnoff.
are still closed due to fire impact on infrastructure.

Hence the Western Arthurs can only be accessed via Moraine A and walkers must return via this route or exit via Lucifer Ridge in the East.(ie the Arthur Plains remain closed).

Tracks in the western end of the Western Arthurs, in particular the Junction Creek area and to Mt Hesperus, Lake Cygnus have been impacted by fire, and the Junction Creek campsite is not available for use.

Southwest National Park: The Scotts Peak Road, Mt Anne Circuit and Lake Judd Track are open. The South Coast Track is open. Access is still available to Melaleuca, however visitors are advised not to travel north of Melaleuca. The Huon and Edgar campgrounds are now open.

Cheers