Lake Tahune hut's mouldy walls

[Kelly Jones]

Last week I spent a few days at Lake Tahune, and noticed the mould on the interior wood cladding is pretty widespread. The wood itself is beginning to rot, and it smells dank. I doubt it's healthy. I've emailed Parks / Lyn Robinson, with the offer of participating in a cleaning session. But I think a more permanent solution would be ventilation under the floor and in the roof, and windows on the western side, and skylights.

Lake Vera's hut doesn't have any mould, and has a lot of sunlight pouring in, but it's also not clad in steel or sited at the higher altitude. It's also raised higher off the ground, with plenty of under-floor ventilation.

Here's a suggestion: if you're visiting, keep doors and all windows open during the day, to help to dry the place out.

Also, would anyone be interested in joining a cleaning party? It'd probably take an afternoon, with vinegar/alcohol, lots of clean cloths, scrubbing brushes, masks (to keep spores out) and gloves.

Anyone know how to get in touch with Terry Reid? He visits the place more often than anyone else, so he would probably be a good person to contact.


Kelly Jones

[JamesMc]

I reckon the Lake Tahune hut is due for replacement. It's too small and there's only a few spaces around for tents. Total hut and tent capacity at Lake Tahune is a fraction of what is at Lake Vera and they should be about the same.

JamesMc

[flatfoot]

A ranger was thorougly cleaning mould from the interior walls of the New Pelion hut in the week before Christmas. She did a pretty good job too!

[Kelly Jones]

I've emailed Sandra Beams (thank you, Tastrax/Phil, for the contact details), so I'll post an update when she replies.

[tasadam]

Total hut and tent capacity at Lake Tahune is a fraction of what is at Lake Vera and they should be about the same.

I'm not sure on this, many do Frenchmans as a day trip from Vera.

I remember when I was at Tahune between Christmas and new years in the early 1990's, I was the only one there, and the next day I found out there were 29 people at Vera.
I was feeling lucky to have had such a wonderful place to myself, I still remember the view from the hut window of the fog in the valley to the east (yes the trees were lower back then).

Does anyone have a photo of that massive sketch that used to be on the hut wall? That was fantastic!

[Kelly Jones]

Here's Sandra's email reply (yesterday 4/1/11):

Hi Kelly

Thankyou for your email, we are aware of the mould in Tahune Hut it has been an ongoing problem for a number of years, staff generally spend time every few months cleaning the walls and ceiling however given the environment and the weather conditions it is very hard to keep the mould at bay. At the next infrastructure inspection of the hut (due in February) an assessment will be made to determine the hut life and also modifications that can be made to try and aleviate some of the mildue problem.

Terry Reid is curretly employed as a track ranger on the Frenchmans cap track and has access to all the cleaning products kept under the hut. Terry is completeing maintenance tasks and part of this is the cleaning of the interior of Tahune hut.

There are also plans to repaint the interior of the hut, however it is necessary to wait until usage quietens before this can happen.

If you would like to discuss further please do not hesitate to ring me on 0407 318 007.

Thankyou

Sandra Beams
Ranger In Charge
Queenstown

[Kelly Jones]

Let's see what happens to the hut after February.

Regarding capacity of Lake Vera vs. Lake Tahune huts, both have four separate sleeping platforms, but Vera's platforms are supposed to take up to 20, while Tahune's 16. But there's a lot more room in the Vera hut for storing your gear, drying clothes, cooking/eating space, and just moving around.

But I passed a couple on the way to Lake Tahune, who said the group of six walkers (I think N.W.W.C. heading to Clytemnestra) already ahead of them, said that they'd not all fit. The NWWC group seemed to think that there wouldn't be room for eight people in Tahune. I wonder if anyone from that group is on the forum, and can explain why they said that (if they did).


Kelly

[Liamy77]

lets hope they don't just paint over it.... they'll be repainting it untill it rots away..

[Overlandman]

See there is an add for a tender in today's paper for the replacement of the hut and toilet with work to be completed by February 2018.

Hope dazintas has his plans drawn up for the replacement hut.

Regards OLM

[tasadam]

Off topic a bit but while we are discussing this hut, I recall visiting Tahune Hut a long time ago, I think it was my second trip there so early 1990's.
There was a really cool sketch on the wall in there, quite large (more than a metre square from memory).
Does anyone have a photo of it?

[Overlandman]

Just reading one of my aviation forums.
Dick and Pip Smith sold their Cessna Citation Jet prior to Christmas and have donated the whole proceeds to charity.
$4,170,412 is an impressive amount.
One donation was Wildcare Tasmania $100,000 - continue funding for 2017 - replacement of Lake Tahune Hut
Thank you Dick and Pip.

http://www.pprune.org/pacific-general-a ... arity.html

Regards OLM

[Nuts]

Better set up a restrictive permit system, justified to fund the shortfall (and protect the proposed commercial investment)?
Great idea, a new hut, but bleach and vinegar cost far less.

[north-north-west]

Just reading one of my aviation forums.
Dick and Pip Smith sold their Cessna Citation Jet prior to Christmas and have donated the whole proceeds to charity.
$4,170,412 is an impressive amount.
One donation was Wildcare Tasmania $100,000 - continue funding for 2017 - replacement of Lake Tahune Hut
Thank you Dick and Pip.

http://www.pprune.org/pacific-general-a ... arity.html

Regards OLM

Pity they can't fund improvement to the track into Junction Creek.