Bushwalk Australia

From the Parks website, in case anybody is planning to visit Mt Sorell (I assume), Darwin or South Darwin this summer:

"To facilitate exploration activities and ensure public safety, the Darwin Plateau Track (used to access the Darwin Plateau and Mt Darwin) will have restricted access.

Works are expected to continue over the summer period and an update will be provided upon completion and subsequent reopening.

Please note this closure does not affect the Bird River Track, Kelly Basin Walk or the permit only Mount McCall Track."

Does just that mean no vehicles, or no access during weekdays, or what?

Excellent questions. I read it as no go at all, but that might not be the case. I'll follow that up. Darwin & South Darwin may be back on the list of possibilities this summer after all.

Restricted access usually means limitations but not completely closed.
Still thinking about a revisit from Farm Cove, however. Be fun paddling around Macquarie Harbour during the summer heat.

I heard back from Parks:

"Vehicle access is restricted to workers and PWS in the event of an emergency e.g., fire, for the duration of the exploration activity. You may however still undertake ...walks, by parking near the gate shortly after turning off Kelly Basin Road and walking to the plateau. Two conditions of entry are that any exploration equipment is not to be approached or interfered with and any directions provided by workers present must be followed."

On behalf of everyone else, thank you.

I walked up when I did Sorell/Darwin etc anyway. It's not far and a good little workout to start the day.

While we had a 4wd on the Sorell trip, I'd planned to walk up this time. It was getting fairly seriously in need of a real 4wd before, but they may have worked on the road if they're spending the summer doing 'exploration'. That might mean easier access next summer - or maybe more restrictions / exclusions if they find what they're after.

Oops

I'd like to know exactly what this "exploration" is in search of.

Anything of value.

As technology improves they can "scan" an area for valuable minerals in ways that searches wider and deeper than before. That way they know if it's cost productive to get back in there.

Letstryagain wrote:Anything of value.

As technology improves they can "scan" an area for valuable minerals in ways that searches wider and deeper than before. That way they know if it's cost productive to get back in there.

That is not something that TasPAWS should be involved in.

I think the same could be said for many of TAS paws endeavours these days sadly.
I suspect it is venture or one of the Chinese mining companies doing the exploration. PWS would just be assisting on traffic control.

Maybe they're constructing more bike riding trails

We went up the Mt Darwin Plateau track at the start of December to climb Mt Sorell. Serious 4WD country - not AWD in my view. There was/is some drilling going on further north just off the road near the top of the pass by Mt Jukes, but the road to the Darwin plateau is 'open' - and the gate was not shut. The company conducting the exploration is Coppercorp, which is Canadian, though who owns and controls it is a separate question - and I don't have any information on that. They do however have exploration leases covering an area from south of Mt Darwin all the way up to Mt Murchison. They were originally looking for copper/gold, and are now flagging discovery of rare earths. Whether there is substance to any of their claims I cannot judge. But they don't have a lot of money left in the till, so will need to raise more capital to keep going.