Lake Newdegate hut

[stu]

A mate of mine is hoping to take 2 of his kids into Lake Newdegate (Mt Field) for their first overnight walk (which was also mine when I was about 7).

I haven't been there specifically for eons so couldn't be much help; does anyone know if the hut is still there & 'liveable'?
I think his intention is to hut camp rather than tent.

Thanks in advance.
Stu.

[Funky_Bunch]

stu, im heading up there this long weekend. ill have a look for you as i go past!

[stepbystep]

Slept there last summer and saw it from on Rodway this summer, so yes and yes - prefer my tent now though

[abowen]

The hut at Twilight is another option. It has recently been fixed up a bit to stabilise some old framework. I haven't seen the Newdegate Hut for a couple of years but believe that it is still there. I don't know what conditon it is in though.
Cheers
Andrew

[eggs]

Digging around the net, the Friends of Mt Field note in Dec 2009 that a couple of windows were broken letting weather in.

No further notices to indicate whether it has now been fixed.
http://fieldfriends.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2009-01-01T00%3A00%3A00%2B11%3A00&updated-max=2010-01-01T00%3A00%3A00%2B11%3A00&max-results=8
http://sites.google.com/site/friendsofmtfield/home-1/tarnshelfmap

[stepbystep]

Digging around the net, the Friends of Mt Field note in Dec 2009 that a couple of windows were broken letting weather in.

No further notices to indicate whether it has now been fixed.
http://fieldfriends.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2009-01-01T00%3A00%3A00%2B11%3A00&updated-max=2010-01-01T00%3A00%3A00%2B11%3A00&max-results=8
http://sites.google.com/site/friendsofmtfield/home-1/tarnshelfmap

Further to this Stu a PM to PeterJ will be helpful, he's on top of all things Mt Fieldy.

[stu]

I'll pass on the info.
Thanks heaps as always guys, much obliged.

[PeterJ]

The window at Newdegate Hut still has a pane missing so will let in every bit of cold wind and the odd spots of rain. The far better option is use the Twilight Tarn Hut which has a toilet. Although people do stay overnight at Newdegate it is certainly not encouraged by Parks and one reason is the lack of toilet and the consequent mess some people leave behind. This causes a risk to the drinking water.

Thanks for the publicity for the Friends of Mt Field eggs.

[daznkez]

Hey there
Newdagate is rough but liveable, though as noted, using the local bush as a toilet is like taking a dump in a Japanese zen garden. The camping is quite limited unless you head off down the twilight tarn hut track. Twilight tarn hut is a much better option, although if they weren't your friends you might suggest KCol hut!

[north-north-west]

OI! What's wrong with Peterson's?
I love that little hut. It might get a wee bit chilly at times, but it's beautiful.

[Mafeking09]

Hi guys, is twilight hut open for use by general public? I was there years ago and thought it as locked? I'm looking for an overnighter option for young walkers!

[stepbystep]

Hi guys, is twilight hut open for use by general public? I was there years ago and thought it as locked? I'm looking for an overnighter option for young walkers!

From what I know it is fully accessible to everyone. I was in Peterson today, it has a new roof and the heater has been removed, brrrrrrrr

[Taurë-rana]

So you survived your walk then sbs, didn't slip on the icy rocks and break an ankle? It wasn't exactly warm up there today!

[stepbystep]

So you survived your walk then sbs, didn't slip on the icy rocks and break an ankle? It wasn't exactly warm up there today!

Icy indeed, especially on Mawson - have some great pics! Got to Lake Belton, Tyenna and Florentine but came back via Rodway Range to take in Tarn Shelf. An epic day!
Did you get to Mt Field today?

[Taurë-rana]

Yes, posted in the fagus thread. How was the fagus on Tarn Shelf? I thought I could see yellow slopes over there.

[GerryDuke]

Big day SBS. Plenty of ice about!!

Gerry

[jonholmes]

stubowling,

Camped (tent) at Lake Newdegate prior to Easter - and did lake Webster/Twightilght Tarn/Tarn shelf circuit over Easter.

I would not recommend Lake Newdegate hut unless an emergency - quite small and very uninviting.

Twighlight Tarn on the other hand has been repaired quite well recently and plenty of space inside - it was open for using - and has an amount of memorabilia that will keep (some) interested for a while. Plus there is a good toilet, and a quite elusive platypus or two (did not see any sign this trip at midday, but years ago near dusk one was out and about).

My suggestion a trip along Tarn Shelf is worth the extra distance to Twilight to overnight, but it is a fair distance for young first timers.

Jon

[PeterJ]

...From what I know it is fully accessible to everyone. I was in Peterson today, it has a new roof and the heater has been removed, brrrrrrrr

There wasn't any suitable fuel for the heater anyway and the plan is to install one that can be run on metho (i think it was metho that PWS mentioned as the fuel me - user supplies their own). The old roof had partly blown off and was temporarily repaired, but new timber and roof were installed at Easter.

[north-north-west]

What about the watertank? The old one was decidedly yukky last time I was there.

[PeterJ]

What about the watertank? The old one was decidedly yukky last time I was there.

Sure was a rust bucket and wasn't capable of holding any water either. I understand the tank has either been or will be replaced. I wasn't there so am not fully aware of all the details. It was hoped that a plastic tank could be used, but heritage considerations may require one more in keeping with the vintage of the building.
There are few photos of the work on the web

[Mafeking09]

Good discussion comrades. Looks like Twilight Tarn it is. Funny growing up on the nW Coast I always gravitate back there and have done hardly any walking at Mt Field. Cheers everyone.

[bluewombat]

Icy indeed, especially on Mawson - have some great pics! Got to Lake Belton, Tyenna and Florentine but came back via Rodway Range to take in Tarn Shelf. An epic day!
Did you get to Mt Field today

Sounds like a big day SBS. Do you recall how long it took you from the road to the top of Tyenna. Did you head straight up from the end of the Lake Belton track.
cheers
bw

[stepbystep]

Icy indeed, especially on Mawson - have some great pics! Got to Lake Belton, Tyenna and Florentine but came back via Rodway Range to take in Tarn Shelf. An epic day!
Did you get to Mt Field today

Sounds like a big day SBS. Do you recall how long it took you from the road to the top of Tyenna. Did you head straight up from the end of the Lake Belton track.
cheers
bw

Hi bw, a very nice day it was.
It took 4hrs 20mins from the road to summit of Tyenna, but that was with a side trip up an icy Mt Mawson, which took a little over an hour - spent quite a bit of time around the tarns near Belton as it was just magic.
The route to the top of Tyenna is off track so I shouldn't really say, but yeah pretty much, no cairns, but the odd bit of tape, no indication of route down near the lake though - scrub was waist high at it's worst, pretty open woodland.
PM if you want more details
Cheers, sbs

[Funky_Bunch]

Just a quick note for anyone looking for info, both newdigate and twilight have signs now designating them for day use or emergency shelters. No fuel stoves, candles or naked flame the sign also reads.

Sorry for digging up an old post just thought it was relevant for people looking for info.

[Buddy]

Gotta love our Parks fees being used in such a constructive manner. Seems the more we give the less we get !!??

[Binder]

G'day all

I can shed a bit of light on the signs....

Parks hat on.

In a nut shell. Under recent fire/building code legislation, any building that has any recognised sleeping accommodation ie motels, the Government Huts at Mt Field, motels etc must comply with all fire/building codes. Fair enough. When the inspectors were going through Mt Field, the issue of the remote huts came up. The Building Code inspectors have ruled that due to the fact that we (parks) were allowing and in some cases encouraging sleeping in the remote huts, that they must then comply ie. smoke detectors, lit exit signs, fire extinguishers and emergency exit maps etc. Obviously not practical. This is currently being fought so hopefully common sense might win.

In the meantime, the only way the huts could remain open was to install the signs. Not something I wanted to spend money on, but legally no other option apart from close the huts.

PS You may notice that on the signs there is no mention of what constitutes an emergency...
One log book mentions running out of Tim Tams constituted and emergency.

Cheers

[Ent]

Hi Binder

Half of me is glad that you experience the same hogwash that the business world experience and the other half is sad that even basic commonsense can not be applied. The classic stupidity was in the USA when their equivalent to you had to build toilets with wheel chair access. Fair enough ordinarily but on day five of a ten day trek across rough country?

My personal experience is we had to build a ramp to comply with standards as we had put in steps to avoid erosion but now needed to meet disability requirements. The ramp ended into soft sand and rocks. It was easier and cheaper to do this than argue with the powers to be.

Cheers

[Binder]

Know what you mean Ent. Had to do the same in QLD. The new (ish) toilet at the Eliza Hut on the Mt Anne track, just snuck under the roof area that needed formal building approval. Another 2 m of roof would have meant full building approval including wheelchair access.

[north-north-west]

One log book mentions running out of Tim Tams constituted an emergency.

Insufficient chocolate is a good excuse for anything up to and including homicidal mania.

[Buddy]

G'day all

I can shed a bit of light on the signs....

Parks hat on.

In a nut shell. Under recent fire/building code legislation, any building that has any recognised sleeping accommodation ie motels, the Government Huts at Mt Field, motels etc must comply with all fire/building codes. Fair enough. When the inspectors were going through Mt Field, the issue of the remote huts came up. The Building Code inspectors have ruled that due to the fact that we (parks) were allowing and in some cases encouraging sleeping in the remote huts, that they must then comply ie. smoke detectors, lit exit signs, fire extinguishers and emergency exit maps etc. Obviously not practical. This is currently being fought so hopefully common sense might win.

In the meantime, the only way the huts could remain open was to install the signs. Not something I wanted to spend money on, but legally no other option apart from close the huts.

PS You may notice that on the signs there is no mention of what constitutes an emergency...
One log book mentions running out of Tim Tams constituted and emergency.

Cheers

Newdegate Hut has been in very sad shape for many years. Far longer than any recent changes to fire/building codes.