Ha Ha, good luck batman, looks can be VERY deceiving.
You might find the following old tramp article enlightening:
Another trip report by Bill Bewsher (of Bewsher Saddle fame) described the scrub along that ridge as "the thickest I have experienced in Tasmania" - an opinion I can only agree with whole heartedly.
Admittedly we were carrying full packs on our trip, but it took almost 10 hours of hell to cover the 1.5km from Victoria Cross to Bewsher Saddle. Without a pack, it would be a lot quicker, but I can still guarantee loads of fun and enjoyment. Getting off the back of VC is entertaining as it degrades to a rocky gendarmed ridge with a bit of scrabmling involved to get down to the scrub which is where the fun really starts. The only break from the scrub is a small clearing on Bewsher Saddle. From here it's still fairly scrubby to Bisdee, but no where near as bad as what you've just gone through. The best part is, then you have to do it all again to get back.