Kermandie Falls

[Chrisbulldog]

Visited these falls with a group recently. There are 2 options to tackle this one ,but we took the tougher one.
The track starts about 5ks in on the interestingly names Oigles Road which is a gravel road leading off Kermandie
River road ..about 10ks out of Geeveston. Note this is NOT the Arve Road.
About 4 ks in length basically following the Kermandie River , at times right beside it , but later on high above
it , so there is a bit of flat and some climbing , with a few boggy sections on some ridges.
The main feature besides the falls i thought was a healthy stand of swamp gums about halfway along, all
with 'live' crowns on the top. The falls themselves are moderately high and had a good flow in them.
Another attraction in the area ..if you are lucky ..is a population of lyre birds. On a trip a few weeks before this , some members of the group said they watched one for a good 30 minutes , alas we didn't have such luck.
So , for anyone planning trips to this area , this is a worthwhile trip to add to the list.
The start of the track is not signposted .looks like its been smashed , but the start is right beside where the
Kermandie River goes across Oigles Road ,on the upper side.
According to a map I have , this was part of the original track to Hartz Mountains before you could drive to it.

Attachments

Kermandie Falls

P1010429.JPG (174.55 KiB) Viewed 12667 times

[TheOmen]

A quick update regarding the Kermandie Falls for those that may be thinking about it heading that way.

I decided to go for a wander (11 August 2019) as no doubt the rain would ensure that this was flowing. I’d never been to this this neck of the woods and it sounded like a challenge and a grand way to get into the bush.
Regarding access, I would attest to Chrisbulldog entry point being the Oigles Road, I took Kermandie River Road hoping that would take me there and this was clearly not the best option. The Kermandie River Road bordered on 4wd and before ending at a substantial river crossing prior adding an additional river crossing and short distance to get to Oigles Road and begin the proper walk.

Kermandie Falls Track starting point

I’ve previously read that the track is for the experienced and I would second that and even go so far to say it isn’t for the faint hearted. This area of bush has sustained substantial fire damage from what I assume were the fires earlier this year.

Bushfire damage to track signs

Track tags, one of the easier sections to establish where to go next

This translated to a track which at times is indistinguishable from general scrub and burnt debris. A keen eye is needed at many a time to establish where the next marker is and more often than not they were indistinguishable/lost. A keen sense of direction thus is needed and an eye for where the track could/would have gone is essential. I often found myself crawling underneath fall tress and shrub for several metres only to find the trail tag buried amongst the tunnel of fallen debris. This is not the track to take your wilderness shy partner for a Sunday outing.

Kermandie Falls - in full force - 12 August 2019

All in all a wonderful bushwalk but not one for the faint hearted or inexperienced.

[TasTygerGrl]

Thank you for checking it out. I walked there this time last year using oigles Rd. Some areas were a bit slippery, with one major land slip area, so hate to think how many more land slips will occur without the healthy trees and undergrowth to stabilise it. Was wondering how it fared. Burnt all the way or pockets of green still? The trail was bordered by a thin forest shoulder at the first section, amongst logging coupes so I figured it would be gone. I wonder how Reuben falls fared?

[vultures]

My husband and I attempted this walk two days ago (27 October 19) with our two young kids. We walk with them often but this track was in a much poorer state than we were expecting. Got in via Kermandie River Rd which was pretty rough. Not much space to park although there wasn't anybody else there. There is a slippery creek crossing almost right away. Lots of fallen branches which we did our best to clear as we went (for the kids sake) - you're welcome Hard to tell which way to go at times, the pink ribbons were very helpful but often times tied to subsequently damaged vegetation so can be hard to find. We made it pretty close to the falls but decided to turn back as the damage to the vegetation got heavier and became too much to negotiate with kids. We'd have kept going if we were alone. There are pockets of green, it's not all burnt to the ground, just many fallen and charred trees.
Will have to try this one again without the kids, although they did enjoy all the log hopping and dodging - apparently it wasn't as 'boring' as all the other walks...

[TheOmen]

Burnt all the way or pockets of green still? The trail was bordered by a thin forest shoulder at the first section, amongst logging coupes so I figured it would be gone.

Hi TasTygerGrl, I'd say that it was relatively burnt throughout. At the start, there were pockets of green as you waded through the small creeks.

Most sections, however, were burnt with some sign of life coming back.

There is a slippery creek crossing almost right away.

Vultures, you are correct at the start of the track you quickly are faced with a creek crossing. I managed to use some fallen logs as a makeshift bridge and slid across.