Bushwalk Australia

Hello, I have a quick question about Lees Paddocks. I did search the forum and have googled heaps but with no luck. I wanted to know if Lees Paddocks is inside a national park. Does it require a parks pass? I even rang parks and wildlife and the lady didn't seem real sure. Im looking at the 1988 Mersey map 1:100000 and it appears not to be. I apologise if this is not the correct forum for this question.

Thanks
Jules

The paddocks are private property but you walk through NP to get to them, as I understand it. This seems a little odd since the owners move stock via this route, so you'd think it wasn't NP. I can see why the rangers are confused.

You can have a campfire there since it is not in a national park

Hi, thanks both for your answers. It seems then that we would be safe to go in without a parks pass. We would only be using fuel stoves anyway though.

My assumption would be that the owners of the paddocks have special permits to take their animals through the national park to get to their land. That doesn't mean everyone else can go through the national park to get to someones else's private property without a parks pass. Just doesn't make any sense to me.

Which Nat Park?

The track into Lees Paddocks doesnt pass through any Nat Park on my map. My map is old though (old Tasmap 25k).

The information on the map you have is out of date. Part of the Lees Paddocks track passes through the Cradle Mountain / Lake St Clair national park.

The most up-to-date information can be found on LISTmap:

http://www.thelist.tas.gov.au/listmap/l ... ledlayers=

So, technically you do need to have a National Parks pass when you are on the parts of the track that pass through the national park.

Yes, if say i was the ranger that found you passing through, you having no interest in other parks, i wouldn't give two hoots (speaking as a taxpayer)

Hmm all very interesting. Probably best if I just pay I reckon. Out of interest does anyone know if it is sign posted as a national park at the entrance?

Very unlikely to meet a ranger, however if you pay you are supporting the parks. Well hopefully it may just go into consolidated revenue.

It is not signed as such so I believe it not NP and there would be a registration booth I suspect (like the one on the Reedy Lake part of the Lees Paddocks Track)if it was and my 2010 Cathedral 4236 Map shows that the border of the NP is on the edge of the Lees Paddocks Track into and around the the Paddocks and the other privately owned blocks like those at Pine Hut Plains, so unless you intend to visit other NP this year I would not waste the money on a pass just to visit "The Paddocks" however beware you may catch "The Paddocks" disease and feel drawn back to it many many times
corvus

corvus wrote:It is not signed as such so I believe it not NP and there would be a registration booth I suspect (like the one on the Reedy Lake part of the Lees Paddocks Track)if it was and my 2010 Cathedral 4236 Map shows that the border of the NP is on the edge of the Lees Paddocks Track into and around the the Paddocks and the other privately owned blocks like those at Pine Hut Plains, so unless you intend to visit other NP this year I would not waste the money on a pass just to visit "The Paddocks" however beware you may catch "The Paddocks" disease and feel drawn back to it many many times
corvus

Geez, my heart skipped when I saw "disease". But yep, everything I have heard says its a beautiful place to visit so regardless I'm sure ill have a great memory from it!

Thanks again for the responses. Cheers.

Special place for sure. Was in there in December in the snow! I didn't see any parks signs only a couple from the Lees family. Go see and enjoy!

Just a note to clear up the confusion regarding "The Paddocks." None of the private blocks are part of the National Park or World Heritage area. The southern end of "The Paddocks" is owned by Judy Kilby, daughter of Reg Wadley. The northern end is owned by my mother Dympna Evans, daughter of Lewis Lee. My father Lloyd Evans owns a couple of blocks half way into The Paddocks. The Pine Hut plain is also privately owned. All of these blocks are surrounded by National Park.
As owners we have a legal right to access the property, something our family has been doing since the 1890's. This allows us to take cattle, horses, dogs, chainsaws etc through the National Park and we don't requirer a parks pass. From talking to Parks it is my understanding that everyone else accessing the area is required to have a pass.
The Parks and Wildlife service is in the process of placing signs at the entrance to the area, showing what land is National Park and where the private blocks are. These signs are going up in the next couple of months and should help clear up some of the confusion regarding this area.

Grant many thanks for that updated information ,so does that mean that parts of the Track are actually within the NP border and not on the edge as I mistakenly understood if so it was a bit of of a secret deal from being State Forest to NP( so when do we know which part you are on) also if your family has had legal access I believe that we as general public have a right of way on an established, by law a very long term (1890) track/path /road into this area without the constraints of imposed charges in the way of Parks Passes (I buy one every two years ) but tend to think that we are being Taxed by stealth by an under funded GBE grab of which it cannot possibly police and an email is on the way to the Minister to clarify this .
corvus

For anyone interested my email to the Minister
G'day Brian,
I am concerned to read that the Lees Paddocks Track is now contained as part of the Cradle NP ? and that those of us heading into the iconic Lees Paddocks will need to purchase a Parks Pass to traverse a short section of track to access privately owned land.
I have no problem buying a Parks Pass and have done so since inception however this inclusion to me is a bureaucratic stuff up from someone sitting at a desk and not knowing the area nor caring about those of us who actually use it especially when less than a metre North of the track would have avoided grabbing this or as I suspect does it not actually encompass the Track?

Regards,

Hi Corvus

Good approach. It does get annoying the endless push to charge fees and then charge fees again in the OLT area.

Must have another attempt to bring Tasmap's disregard for doing anything meaningful re electronic maps to the Minister's attention.

Cheers

Hi Corvus,
I walked into the paddocks with the land owners and two people from parks some time ago. It seemed that when the area changed from state forest to NP that the access road was omitted by error or ignorance and the only way to rectify the situation was by the permanent issue of right of way for the owners.
The disregard of many horse riders and other commercial groups using the paddocks without permission is one that the owners and PWS are addressing ,so unfortunately the actions of these trespassers may in time impact on the casual walker who could be fined for not having a pass .

gorby wrote:Hi Corvus,
I walked into the paddocks with the land owners and two people from parks some time ago. It seemed that when the area changed from state forest to NP that the access road was omitted by error or ignorance and the only way to rectify the situation was by the permanent issue of right of way for the owners.
The disregard of many horse riders and other commercial groups using the paddocks without permission is one that the owners and PWS are addressing ,so unfortunately the actions of these trespassers may in time impact on the casual walker who could be fined for not having a pass .

G'day gorby,

As I suspected the Track was omitted by a Bureaucratic type who just threw an all enclosing grab of all State Forest other than Private tracts of land in that area without considering the right of way corridor that had been in existence for around 125 years.
I am not a Lawyer however from my limited knowledge a recognised right of way is just that a legal access from A to B however if the legal owner of B denies access if you intrude on their Land you are "Trespassing" as per the sign at the entrance to "The Paddocks " banning Commercial Groups however will be a sad day when you need a Parks Pass to visit the "Paradise of the Paddocks".
If Parks do claim the track there are a couple of Creeks that could do with a Bridge
corvus

With the passing of the so called forest peace deal tonight, you will soon need a parks pass to venture anywhere on the western tiers
This includes all the tracks up the mountain to such places as Meander falls, lady lake, lake nameless,etc etc.
The area quoted to me was from lake Rowallan to Tunbridge tier

I may be wrong ...........I hope so

Seriously, I don't see the problem with requiring people to buy (and carry) a parks pass when they walk in any parks or reserves. I get the bit with Lees paddock when you are just passing through a very small corner of the park, but many people that go to Lees are very likely to walk in other Parks or reserves. In general I think it is a good idea to ask all walkers to buy a pass. At $1.35 per week it's not expensive.

It is also a good opportunity to hand-out some basic tips on responsible walking to new walkers and visitors. More should be made of this opportunity to educate the masses before they venture out. Things like leave-no-traces, good toileting practices, what to carry on a day trip, when to use tracks and pads and when to spread out, why fires are bad news in alpine communities, where to camp and why, carrying and using plb's, and a whole heap of other things could be part of this.

If the need to have a pass discourages some people from walking in parks and reserves, then I'm cool with that. They can go find a beach or council park and go for a walk.

Yep I'd like to see a more publicly visible and accessible resource for this information. Perhaps a seriously encouraged link for everyone that buys a parks pass to visit backed up with a CSA(community service announcement) on regular rotation on TV/radio.

gorby wrote:The disregard of many horse riders and other commercial groups using the paddocks without permission is one that the owners and PWS are addressing ,so unfortunately the actions of these trespassers may in time impact on the casual walker who could be fined for not having a pass .

commercial group uses the paddocks without permission?? I'd like to hear more about this, some don't seem to (or be forced to) give a rats.

The commercial groups (probably wrong terminology ) I mentioned include some government sponsored groups for wayward? youths and also some upmarket fly fishermen-hikers.
One group of campers let slip that they were paying their guides for the privilege of being guided and camping at the paddocks
Another group planned to have a festival up there for a two week stay, lucky that a local business owner alerted the owners and it was stopped before it started.
A horse riding group asked permission for an overnight stay with 4 or 5 horses and over 20 turned up.
One trip up there, the owners found a couple of PWS track crew using the hut as there base.
Just recently another group of horse people gained permission for a weekend stay and then decided to return again without asking and proceeded to cut down trees and erect 2 sets hitching rails .

these are only a few instances of the problem users of these private properties.