Walls trip.. help with route planning.

[Xastorm]

Suggestions/common sense advice welcome.. I have a habit of planning big and ending up very tired
Hiking solo so no chance of a car shuffle. No off-track navigation.

Day 1; drive Devonport- Carpark, hike Mersey Forest Rd to Lake Myrtle track, to camp at Lake Meston.
Day 2; Meston - Lake Ball via Adelaide
Day 3; Lake Ball - Dixons, explore the Walls (may need 2 days to do this justice?)
Day 4; hike out (hoping to get to Maria Island for a night before the ferry home..)
Would love to climb Mt Ragoona but suspect the timeframe is a bit tight? Could look to swing the extra night if recommended and rebook the ferry..

Alternatively, do the more common; 1) car park - Dixons, 2) day hikes around the Walls, 3) Lake Adelaide, 4) out via Junction Track.

Hit me with your best recommendations

[johnw]

We took about 8 days to do what you are planning to do in 4 - in the reverse direction, and with a drop off and pick up either end.
And we didn't climb Rogoona. Well we half climbed it, accidentally - a long story.
With the wisdom of hindsight I would have preferred longer for that trip. What you propose is doable but would be rushed IMHO.
Your plan b looks better if you only have 4 days. There is a bit to see around the walls.
There is no complete off track as such, but from Dixons to Lake Ball is just a route (it's not far).

[north-north-west]

That first day . . . not that the second is much better, but . . .
It's doable. Bit rushed but doable. Depends how fit and fast you are, and whether you're used to Tasmanian roads and tracks.

Personally, I'd drive to the Myrtle carpark and do the road walk on the return. You can stash your pack either at the main carpark or in the forest/scrub beside the road junction then pick it up on the drive out. Makes it a little easier.

[Xastorm]

I have rescheduled my departure date which gives me another night's grace, and I can extend the Walls trip instead of going to Maria Island if it seems too rushed.. will play it by ear until closer to the date as the weather forecast will influence my decision also.

Re the first day, can definitely drop my pack off at the start of the Lake Myrtle track and then drive the car back to the main carpark. I'm taking a bike over also, so if I rode that back to the Myrtle track start, would there be somewhere I could safely hide it chained up or is that tempting theft? That would knock 7-8km hiking off the first day. Will give Ragoona a miss if I go this route.

Re the second day (Meston-Ball), I've mapped it at <12km and <300VMA. I'm fit but not experienced with Tassie hiking. I know from reading reports that there's a fair bit of lakeside rock scrambling, but is this really that hard of a route?

I guess I'm wondering whether the Lake Bill - Lake Adelaide section justifies the extra distance? Such a hard question to answer, as I realise everyone's preferences and experiences are different, but I'm really keen to avoid busy tracks and campsites. Bit of a lone wolf hiker

[devoswitch]

The walking on the sides of the lake in the walls area is generally pretty slow. It’s very rooty, it’s not that bad but just takes some time, especially when tired.

[bogholesbuckethats]

My partner and I walked from Dixons Kingdom to Lake Meston via Lake Ball in around 4.5 hours with a number of stops for photos, snacks and lunch. I don't think you'll have much trouble.

[Walk_fat boy_walk]

Yeh meston to ball in a day is a doddle. Slowest part is along the shores of Lake Adelaide, but overall it is only a half day walk

Sent from my F8131 using Tapatalk

[Nuts]

Personally i'd stick to the last option. Lot's to explore around the walls area and some great circuits at the Rogoona end, perhaps another time even. Relatively lame walking along the lakes and road.

[Xastorm]

Lame or tame? We don't have these beautiful highland lakes in Victoria so I'm not sure taking the time to enjoy them is lame!


Anyway, very much appreciate the suggestions and confirmation of times/difficulty walking that section. Have decided I'll hike in the usual direction and decide once I get to Lake Ball whether to base there for the extra nights or do the circuit route back via Lake Myrtle.

Cheers!

[Nuts]

Well, chuckle, it's a nice road walk, compared to some. And they are nice lakes, but true, you don't have 'these' ones. I meant exactly what I wrote. Drill into a map and there's lot's to see in shorter circuits over the same time-frame at either end without needing to join them on these (primarily) fisherman's tracks, with their more closed in views (same goes for the slog down the Mersey river but the prospoect of a 'thru' walk catches the imagination I guess) I've walked once in either direction along the lakes but not without diversions and not along the road, so limited experience/ recollection of times

It's all 'beautiful'. Best of luck.

[north-north-west]

Well, chuckle, it's a nice road walk, compared to some.

If you're into fungus it can be marvellous. Lots of birdlife, some very pretty creeks and a small waterfall, and the scent of the forest. I've done it end to end once and bits three or four times and it's always good.
As for the lakes, Adelaide is lovely although I prefer the southern end to the northern . . . although there is that little pine grove up north and the pools above the lake and the skeleton of that big old cider gum . . . meh, it's all good.
There is a bit of rockhopping between Ball and Adelaide where the route can get a bit vague, but keep a careful eye out for cairns and wear on the rocks from previous travellers and you'll be fine.

[Nuts]

I stand corrected, should have said 'would be a nice road to walk'.

Just an opinion, and thinking of nice bits east and west, to explore/of which I don't care to detail.
All good, no wrongs. Take a fishing rod?

[Xastorm]

Am taking it all on board, as I genuinely appreciate you guys taking the time to offer your opinions. Nixed the idea of the Lake Myrtle track and will base a few nights at Dixon and a few nights at another location yet to be determined and do day walks. So looking forward to it, thanks again

[Xastorm]

Well the hike was absolutely spectacular

Day 1: Walk to the Walls, Mt Jerusalem
Day 2: Dixon's - Lake Myrtle
Day 3: Back to Lake Adelaide via Mt Ragoona
Day 4: Out from Adelaide

Photo spam; https://www.flickr.com/photos/77837409@ ... 6922234675

I ended up doing a bit of a silly route due to a couple of reasons.. Dixon Kingdom was very busy (at least 15-20 tents at a rough guess, and I could very clearly hear the conversation from the tent that set up near mine!). This, and that the weather on day 2 was abysmal (visibility up Solomon's Throne at sunrise was 50m tops) meant the idea of hanging around a second day wasn't appealing.

But I definitely admit the sections along Lake Adelaide, Lake Meston and the Lake Myrtle track were fairly dull slogs and doing them twice wasn't ideal! However the sections between Lake Ball - Adelaide and Adelaide - Meston were sensational. And I had both Lake Myrtle and Adelaide camps to myself, so it was wonderful to have a peaceful and solo few days.

Mount Ragoona was interesting.. rain, blowing a gale, poor visibility (I aborted true summit goals, so I guess I made it up Mount Little Ragoona ) and then followed different cairns back which led me down the steep and rocky second track I have read about. After some rock scrambling/sliding, I lost the track, and ended up doing a bush-bash through the tea trees to get back to the Lake Myrtle Track. Not my finest moment but I was over it by that stage and wanted out

Snake count 6, including one that wasn't put off enough by my presence, slid about 3m along the track and then promptly curled up again to go back to sleep...

I was also surprised by the lack of button grasses and pandani, I saw less than 3 of each.

Hindsite being what it is, I wish I had stayed longer. I had 2 nights on Maria and it just didn't hold a candle to the Walls. I'll be back.

Thank you again for the advice and suggestions.. very helpful for my planning.

[Xastorm]

And some photos of Maria.. lovely but beaches aren't my thing

https://www.flickr.com/photos/77837409@ ... 8920458998

[Xastorm]

Oh and last comment.. I saw 3 helicopters flying over the Walls Friday morning (or the same one 3x?). Would that have been the rescue copter?

[devoswitch]

I’m glad you enjoyed the walls, it’s a very special place indeed!
I’m unsure how you say there was a lack of buttongrass? Did you walk from Dixon’s down to lake Ball? There’s a fair bit down through there and also as you arrive at the lake there’s a big field of it.
I reckon the helicopters would have been coming back from a day of firefighting but that’s only assumption.

[Xastorm]

Through Jaffa Vale is buttongrass? Goodness me, I know it was foggy but I didn’t realise
I think I was expecting taller.. these are the ones I recognised. Are they even buttongrass or something different?

That makes sense re the possibility of multiple helicopters overhead.

[Rexyviney36]

We fished Little Pine and Augusta on Saturday, and Great Lake on Sunday and there were helicopters going constantly. We even saw one (or several) fill up the hanging buckets from Little Pine River not too far from the main lagoon.

[benoloughlin]

Through Jaffa Vale is buttongrass? Goodness me, I know it was foggy but I didn’t realise
I think I was expecting taller.. these are the ones I recognised. Are they even buttongrass or something different?

E2FD0408-58AB-4DE8-8512-2760337BC8C7.jpeg

That makes sense re the possibility of multiple helicopters overhead.

Yes, they are buttongrass.