I've been doing a lot of bushwalking in Tassie - Mt Wellington & the Tasman Peninsula - over the past 5 weeks. It's been fantastic, however I'm beginning to feel that I need to feel & see a bit more sunshine. I've never walked in Queensland, but imagine it's a good time of year to walk there, with less humidity, etc. I've probably been a bit spoilt just recently, being based in Hobart or Port Arthur, & having access to many brilliant day walks less than half an hour's drive away. I need to stick to day walks as I have dodgy knees (one in particular) & cannot carry the weight of an overnight pack (though they are getting much better with all the walking, & I hope to be able to go overnight one day).
I prefer walks of 3-5 hours duration: any shorter & the blood barely gets going; I prefer not too much longer as I prefer not to drive at twilight (in order to not hit animals) & wish to leave time for contingencies, etc. A bit shorter or longer is fine. I can do most walks graded as medium in Tyrone Thomas's books, but not all. I can do short scrambles but not long ones or very steep ones (left knee does not bend fully). I prefer wildnerness tracks, with a minimum of fire trails. I don't mind the need for a bit of track clearing as I walk, or if the track peters out & it's necessary to use a compass/topographical map (this definately adds to the fun). But I cannot do off-track due to my knee.
Is there a good town to base myself in? I'd love to stay for one or two weeks, walking five or six days out of seven. What's the leech/ticks sitch? I have experience with leeches but not ticks. Thanks in advance.
