Bushwalk Australia

Hi

We went to Tassie a while ago and had a great time. We took our then 11 month old up to Lady Lake hut for an overnighter and then went onto Maria Island and the Tasman Peninsula. It was so great. We're coming again to check out Launceston and the North East, but we're looking for another overnight hut trip. Meander Falls and Huntsman's Hut look pretty good, staying at the hut and doing day walks. Is it OK to stay at this hut? Meston Hut has captured my attention too. The Jackson Creek track sounds good, but the thread I found on it is 10yrs old. Can anyone tell me whether the track still exists and for thoughts on a trip like this? It looks like a much longer walk than the Lady Lake one, and the little boy is a fair bit bigger, so it might not be a great idea. It is an exciting idea though; it looks lovely up there.

The other things I've thought about are to go back to Lady Lake hut - which is excellent - and then maybe walking on to Ironstone, either as a day walk returning to Lady Lake hut, or to stay there and then walk all the way back down the next day.

Other places we're looking at going to are Narawntapu NP (I don't think there are huts here), Derby (Mtn bikes woo!), St Helens/Binalong Bay, and Ben Lomond. Any suggestions or ideas for these areas would be welcome, particularly walks and accommodation in/around Ben Lomond.

Thanks!

Had a look at Huntsmans Hut 2 or 3 years ago and I am afraid I wouldn't stay there due to filthy state and heaps of bogans. Maybe it has improved since then ?

G'day WestcoastPete. What time of year are you planning to come?

November!

oops. pm may be coming

Although it is not in the north east as such, there is Parson's Track which has the old logging hut and then Haberle's Hut (Haberle's is very rustic, but a lot less accommodating than Lady Lake). This is in the Mole Creek area.

I would not recommend staying at Huntsman's Hut for reasons mentioned above.

There is the option of staying at the Scout hut at "Carr Villa" on Ben Lomond. This requires booking and paying with the Scout Association, but fees are reasonable and the hut is very well equipped.

There is a hut on the plateau (Northern Tasmanian Alpine Club from memory), not far from Legges Tor. Maybe contact them regarding access/use of hut.

Clarence

Clarence

Great tips!

Thanks

I camped next to Huntsmans Hideaway a few weeks ago. It is in woeful condition, very neglected and honestly quite spooky. It appears to attract some lower class people at times. The toilet is like from a horror movie. But there is a covered table and barbeque area there.

Some recent work was done on the Lk Bill track (to Meston Hut) and diverted around some boggy sections. It's a steady climb straight away but on a good track and a doddle after the initial climb. Doubt Jacksons Ck would be much better than a route these days (?)

Small hut though, like at Junction L. so there's a good chance of needing to camp. Great little huts if you can get them to yourself.

I would be very surprised if the Jackson Creek track is in any kind of walkable condition. I had trouble finding it about 7 years ago, and it wasn't great. If you went from Lake Bill and followed the creek down you would probably be ok. There are some large scree patches on the way down towards the Moses Creek track. Probably not a trip to be taking little ones on though. Heading on through to Meston/Junction is well worth the effort though. Fantastic area, and good fishing if the season is right!

Thank you all for your replies and suggestions with this. Many seeds have been planted!

I have a question though; how worried should I be about mozzies and other bitey bugs on the Western Tiers in November? I'm considering which shelter to take in case we can't stay in a hut for whatever reason, and the lightest/strongest combo that fits us would not have flymesh.

Ta

Any insight into nighty bighty creatures in November up there? We'll probably take proper tents, but it'd be good to consider just a tarp. The little fella is getting heavier and heavier

Always lots of mozzies on the Plateau, and the warmer the weather, the worse they are.

Thanks for the info. We'll pack a couple of tents

Righto. Our plan is to set off on the Lake Myrtle track with the aim of getting to Meston Hut. If it's a bit much with the weight of the little boy in the pack then we'll camp at Lake Myrtle. We plan to spend two nights out there, maybe going on to Junction Lake Hut or up Mt Rogoona depending on how we're feeling.

Can't wait!

Ah so it doesn't look like this is going to work out after all. My wife is feeling a bit unwell. Lethargic and a bit nauseous and stuff if you know what I mean. She's not up to carrying a heap of weight on some mountain tracks so we're going to find somewhere nice in the North of Tassie to hole up few a few days and take it easy instead. If anyone has suggestions on where that could be, feel free to let me know.

Ta

How about a nice comfy camp at Golden Valley camping ground. Plenty of nice days walks to Liffey falls (could also camp there), Pine Lake etc etc.

It seems like you will need to stick to day walks.
Stepscape has catalogued over 1800 day walks in Tasmania, so wherever you stay you can find walks that you can do and also walks your wife can do.
http://www.cowirrie.com/stepscape/
Most walk-start locations (carparks) listed show a long walk if available and some shorter walks that you can do from the same carpark. So you can head off on your long walks, while your wife does something less strenuous. Whenever I go on a longish walk, my wife checks out any shorter walk from the same starting point that will take you to some interesting feature that makes a suitable turning point.
Walks range from 10m from the car, up to over 30km (but not from every possible starting point).