lake malbena 5 day walk

[tigercat]

Any suggestions for places to walk on a 3 day loop from and back to lake Malbena? Maybe taking in the WOJ?

[Son of a Beach]

It's a bit rough getting up onto Chinamans Plains from there, but once you've climbed the steep scrubby slopes up onto the plains, it's mostly quite easy walking - flatish and mostly open country. Just pick a lake or tarn on the map, and wander over there. There are so many options on Chinamans Plains.

Eg, Triangle, Toorah and Penah lakes would make nice circuit. Add in Three Arm Lake and Lake Norman if you want to go further afield.

Do you have a pack raft? Because if you do, it gets even more interesting up there.

[north-north-west]

I went from Oana to Ingrid via Malbena, then Layatinnah and north over Doughboys to Mikany and on through Chinamans to pick up the track roughly 1km NE of Meston. Mostly easy walking. Only awkward bits beyond Malbena were a band of big scrubby boulders going up Layatinnah and the descent to the flats around that small triangular lake near the track.
If you're going in via Johnsons from trawtha makuminya, that route would be a good way to get into the Walls. I went down to Junction and up the Mountains of Jupiter, but you have a host of options once you hit the track. On the other hand, if you're going in from the Walls, it's a long three days to make a return trip, although you could go more directly betwen Malbena and Mikany.
Northern side of Malbena is scrubby, so you want to avoid that. It's not exactly open between Oana and the SE corner of Malbena, either.

[tigercat]

Thanks Son of a Beach and north-north-west
Tigercat

[johnrs]

In the same area folks, on a week long walk
To access the lakes just north of Malbena, thats Mikany and Kita and nearby for some flyfishing.
I am wondering what the easiest approach would be.
If coming from the east, thats the Pine Valley and Lake Silver
is the neck on Lake Rotuli easily waded in late summer?
Or should I just come up south through the station tracks on private property then across from Johnsons lagoon?
Thanks
John

[north-north-west]

If you go through trawtha makuminya from the Gowan Brae Rd, you need to get permission from the Aboriginal Land Council, even for pedestrian traffic. Via Skullbone Plains, you need to get permission from TLC.
Malbena or Mikany via Olive Lagoon (this is the trawtha makuminya route) is a fairly easy day, with plenty of places to camp along the way if you need. There's a pad that leaves from the top (north) of Olive Lagoon. Patchy in places, but a competent Tassie walker shouldn't have any trouble. Best option would be to follow that to the saddle between Layatinna and Doughboy, then north over Doughboy and on to Mikany (which is lovely). Plenty of leads and pads through the vegetation. I found it very easy walking for the most part. Then from the northern side of Mikany, work your way SW to Kita, sticking to the higher, more open ground.
Or take a packraft and paddle Malbena....

You'd need a key to get through the gate, and a 4WD to survive the drive beyond it. Or walk all the way; it's not that far.

[johnrs]

Thanks for your detailed advice NNW
Have you crossed from the Pine Valley?
Looks to be easy going but it would be nice to be able to walk accross the neck of Lake Rotuli?
The trip from Ada, Pine Valley, Malbena then out via Olive would be grand but as a mainlander the logistics are difficult.
I had vaguely heard that folks at the Hungry Wombat cafe near Derwent Bridge might be able to provide some transport for a fee?
Thanks for your advice
John

[north-north-west]

Pine Valley? Do you mean Bernes? Antimony to Silver to lakes like Nearana, Galaxias, Rotuli, Ah Chees is easy enough, and it's lovely country. What I've done on the sides of Rotuli wasn't, so much. Lot of fallen trees tangled in patches of thick scrub. Limited open leads. Couldn't say about depth of the neck on Rotuli, but it doesn't look like something with a flat bottom. Others may know it better; I've only had one visit.
Crossing north of it over to Three Arm and down to Mikany would work better, I think. And again, there's a lot of open ground north west of Mikany that's lovely country and easy walking.
Depending on timing I might volunteer to get you to Ada, or from Gowan Brae. Regardless of the direction of your walk, You still need permission from the Land Council to cross trawtha makuminya.