Vanishing Falls

[halls]

Hi guys,

A group of mates and I are planning a trip from Farmhouse Creek through to Cockle Creek via Vanishing Falls this summer.

Information on this area has been somewhat hard to find, has anyone successfuly completed or attempted this walk?

Any reports, information or advice on the walk would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Dave

[Marky]

I reakon you aint found anything cause theres not much out there.... all I know is that its meant to be one of the hardest walks in the SW!! Hope your allowing a week or 2.

I found a very interesting description of the walk a party did into vanishing falls a few years ago..do a search in google you'll find something!!

Theres a really good bit in the new version of JOHN CHAPMANS book, walking in the SW. basically it says expect alot of scrub thick scrub be prepared for scrub and you will need to cut tent sites out of the scrub........also navigation is described as somewhat difficult in the scrub

Have fun!! Though I gotta admit im a bit jealous........

[kantonysen]

Hi Dave
Five of us went into Vanishing Falls in 1974, we went in via the Picton River then onto Farm House Creek. The trip to Mt Bobs was relatively easy. From Mt Bobs over Bobs Knobs proved to be difficult, one day we travelled 3 kilometres in a whole days walking. It was a bit like a jungle gym clambering over horizontal scrub. Depending on weather conditions you need to carry water when traversing over Bobs Knobs. Going down to the Salsbury River from the last Knob took longer than expected. The campsite on the Salsbury proved interesting with limbs falling off mrytle trees throughout the night, even though it was completely wind free. Its straight forward to follow the Salsbury River up to the Falls. We followed the Salsbury River down to its junction with New River which was also easy going. There is thick bauera on the banks of New River so we used lilos to travel on New River, something that had been pre-planned.
We were extremely lucky to had had good weather for pretty well all of the trip.
Our trip has been published in Wild Magazine No 87 of Summer 2003. As can be seen in the opening panorama photo in Graham Wootton's article we wore volleys to make clambering over the horizontal easier.
Keith

[stu]

G'day Dave,
I haven't been any further than Bobs so can't personally help.
Good track notes here which include GPS co-ords (I have been planning to go to Bobs Knobs so found this via google).

mywebsite.bigpond.com/k.me/Walking_files/Track%20Notes%20Vanishing%20Falls%202001.doc

Hope it helps & the trip goes well

Stu.

[scrub master]

G'day dave
you might also find the link below interesting reading
It's not exactly about a VF trip, but it does give a good description of the scrub on the lower reaches of New River which I warned you about.

http://www.subw.org.au/archives/vsm/vsm15/vsm15.5.html

[kantonysen]

Continued from above
Our trip would have been significantly longer if we had tried to scrub bash through the bauera on New River Lagoon. We used lilos to bypass the thick bauera scrub, the lilos were able to take our weight plus the weight of our packs. We used heavy duty lilos which were quite heavy. Plastic plastic garbage bags kept our gear dry, there are now much better alternatives to plastic bags. We had food stashed away at New River Lagoon to keep weight down as much as possible going over Mt Bobs. I reckon that Lake Sydney is one of the most beatiful Lakes in Tassie, just below Mt Bobs. Mt Bobs provides great vistas of the South West even though its a fairly low Mountain.
Keith

[halls]

Thanks for all of the valuable knowledge guys, getting together a quite sizable collection of recounts from people who've hiked in that area.

Any information helps so thanks for the contributions! And keep them coming.

Cheers,

Dave

[Dave Bremers]

Hi Dave,

I'm doing a smiliar trip in about a months time (forum post "up new river to federation") and was wondering how your trip went? Any tips for the scrub?

Cheers,

Dave

[sirius Tas]

Found this interesting reading..
http://www.subw.org.au/archives/POR/Riveaux.html