Western Creek Track and Whiteleys Hut.

[Speculator]

The missus was keen to go for a walk today. It doesn't normally happen, so I wasn't going to turn it down and picked a walk I haven't done that I thought would be suitable for her (ie. not too steep). We set out along the Western Creek track, just to see what's up that way and if it'd be a good alternative approach to get to nameless hut.

Before I start jabbering about the walk, there's a few pics here.

The track is pretty good, it's reasonably long but because it heads up through a gully in the tiers it's not very steep. It took us about 5hrs return to Whiteleys Hut, but it should be doable in less than that. The track passes a really nice waterfall, which I think needs a name. Then it heads up onto the plateau (although it doesn't look like it at times) and pops out at "Norm Whiteleys Shack", a rustic tin hut with views across to Mt. Ironstone (that trigpoint was calling me, but we just didn't have time dammit). We met some walkers near the hut who told me that Whiteleys hut was the best on the tiers in terms of shelter from nasty cold weather. I imagine that'd be true too, because it's not very big and the celing is low, so it's woodheater (and there's plent of wood available) would heat it really well. Incidentally, these guys had come up via Syds track, and told me that the track looked like it'd been cleared sometime recently (how much I don't know) and was the easiest way up onto that section of the tiers. Nice chaps too. Probably should've told them about the forums (left the address in the visitors book at the hut though).

All in all a worthwhile trip. One thing though. We nearly missed the river crossing where Western Creek track crosses the creek itself. If the track seems to have stopped and you've made it as far as an old fence (WT *$&#?) and a scree field you've gone too far, go back and cross the river, there's an orange marker on a tree on your side and the track continues at a cairn on the other side of the river.

L8r.

[tim]

Ah, so that's what that joint is called!

I was up on Ironstone weekend before last, and noticed what looked like a hut (not marked on the map) with a visible track heading down into the gully. I considered dropping down off Ironstone and scrub bashing my way down there as an alternate way home but the fading light was not on my side, so i played it safe and headed back to the car via Higgs Track.

Sounds like it could be the makings of a nice little circuit though; Higgs track - Mt Ironstone - Western Ck Track could be done in a reasonable day if you kept the pace up on the off-track sections. If, as you say, Western Ck track isn't too steep that'd be a bonus - Higgs Track isn't much fun on the way down. Chalk that on onto the to-do, maybe when a bit of the white stuff is around.

[prickle]

Hi

Nice read Speculator ... I have no idea of the area you are talking about Any chance of a google plot

Stuart

[Speculator]

Hi

Nice read Speculator ... I have no idea of the area you are talking about Any chance of a google plot

Stuart

Handy that I had the GPS turned on for the walk eh? Here's a kml file:

whiteleyshut.kml

(2.91 KiB) Downloaded 512 times

of the last trackpoint on our walk, which is where we turned around at Whiteleys Hut (or Norm Whiteleys Shack). Google Earth shows the Western Creek Track leading up to it.

L8r.

[prickle]

Handy that I had the GPS turned on for the walk eh?
L8r.

Thanks for that Speculator

Stuart

[Speculator]

Here's a screenshot from Google Earth:



You can see thate gully you walk through quite clearly when you drive past the tiers.

[Pompom]

Hi Speculator, Good info can you tell me how to open the KML file in Google Earth please? Just glancing at your Earth map suggests to me that you went up on the original track, that is following the wooden sign along a pretty level track for a fair way before it turns up the gully. There is a shorter[better?] way behind the car park. This is dry all the way up.
Cheers
pompom

[prickle]

Hi Pompom

If you click on the Google link it should download to your computer ... then click on the file and it should launch Google earth and the file will load ... Well that's what I did

Stuart

[Pompom]

Hi Stuart, I clicked on the little green KTM file link and got a lot of code with no xtion to Earth.
Can anybody help?

[Speculator]

Hi Speculator, Good info can you tell me how to open the KML file in Google Earth please? Just glancing at your Earth map suggests to me that you went up on the original track, that is following the wooden sign along a pretty level track for a fair way before it turns up the gully. There is a shorter[better?] way behind the car park. This is dry all the way up.
Cheers
pompom

You may need to right-click the link and select Save Target As or Save link As. It'll then download a file to your computer, if you find that file and open it, it should launch Google Earth.

L8r.

[Pompom]

Hi, No go. I've tried everything that you suggest, plus I sent it to desktop and tried dragging it into Earth, rClick and open with, changed that to Earth,nogo. Still just get code?????

[prickle]

Hmm you are right Pompom

To get it to workclick on the link in Speculators post ... you will get a page of code in your browser
Go to "Save As" it should come up as Whiteleys Hut ... if it add ".kml" and then save to your desktop ... it "should" look like a Google earth KML file Then double click on it and Bob will be your uncle (and your name as well I believe)

Stuart

Otherwise send me an email scthorn@gmail.com and I'll send it as an attachment PS the file will only locate Whiteleys Hut it does include the track

[BarryJ]

It worked for me, Bob. How current is your version of Google Earth (click on Help & Check for Updates Online)?

[Pompom]

supposed to be the latest Barry, I'll check the suggestion above before contemplating suicide.

[Pompom]

Got it just as Prickle said ,his blood's worth bottling. The file went to the desk top as did t'other but with a different icon,it then opened beautifully.
Funny I knew the hut as Lees Hut, is the log book still there with all Pennies adventures? if the weather was crook you could always fill in an hour or two reading her entries.
Speculator must have legs like tree trunks because I'm damned if I find the climb easy. Kerry How told me of how he suffered carrying the stove up there years ago.
I once had grandiose ideas of starting the walk at the Syd's Track start then contouring across the tiers to meet up with the upper part of the Westerns[Westons] Track just beneath the rock face.

[kanangra]

I can't find Whiteleys Hut marked on either Lake Mackenzie 1:25,000 or Mersey 1:100,000?

Could someone give me the co-ordinates please.

[flyfisher]

For co-ordinates go back to Speculator's post showing google earth and find them on the bottom left
FF

[Speculator]

I can't find Whiteleys Hut marked on either Lake Mackenzie 1:25,000 or Mersey 1:100,000?

Could someone give me the co-ordinates please.

Yeah, it's like it doesn't exist. Here's the coords:

S41 42.1250 E146 27.8747

L8r.

[kanangra]

Any chance of map co-ords rather than lat and long?

[tastrax]

Grab the spreadsheet from here - very useful for conversions

http://www.ga.gov.au/geodesy/datums/calcs.jsp#coords

[walkinTas]

Any chance of map co-ords rather than lat and long?

If you are entering it into Goolge Earth, just cut and paste Speculators co-ords as written onto the "Fly to" search and press enter.

[tastrax]

Here they are in GDA94

455451.3 E
5383161.8 S

[kanangra]

Thank you. That's what I needeed the low tech solution.

[Pompom]

Here they are in GDA94

455451.3 E
5383161.8 S

Hi Tastrax quoted the above however I believe that GDA94 is only relevant if the mapis printed to that datum. Most of the maps in present use have a datum of GDA66. The relevant datum is found on all Tasmaps in the legend at the foot of the map. I understand that the GDA94 datum is used on the latest map print and these are fairly rare[I think}. I'm not sure how much the difference would translate onto the map but I'm pretty sure that accuracy would suffer. I am open to correction because I have only owned a GPS for a few months and my studies of them is somewhat limited.Maybe a more GPS literate forumite would like to jump in.
I've just had a squizz at the coordinates on the map and it looks to be about 11/2 K's out on accuracy.

[Hingrock]

I've just had a squizz at the coordinates on the map and it looks to be about 11/2 K's out on accuracy.

Not quite correct. A point in GDA94 is approx. 214m NNE of the same point in AGD66.

You may also be able to easily convert GDA co-ordinates into AGD co-ords using your GPS.

Here are the co-ords in AGD66 converted from tastrax's GDA co-ords
455339 E
5382980 S

Hingrock

[walkinTas]

If you don't have a GPS and want a quick conversion, try this tool - Convert Coordinates.

[mag3000]

I've just had a squizz at the coordinates on the map and it looks to be about 11/2 K's out on accuracy.

Not quite correct. A point in GDA94 is approx. 214m NNE of the same point in AGD66.

You may also be able to easily convert GDA co-ordinates into AGD co-ords using your GPS.

Here are the co-ords in AGD66 converted from tastrax's GDA co-ords
455339 E
5382980 S

Hingrock

I believe it is the other way around when talking about GDA 94 and AGD 66.

A point in AGD 66 is 214M NNE of a point in GDA 94.

That is why you add to GDA 94 when making the conversion.

Incidentally, adding 1to the Easting and 2 to the Northing on a 6 figure reference is pretty accurate.

Hope this helps.

[Hingrock]

I've just had a squizz at the coordinates on the map and it looks to be about 11/2 K's out on accuracy.

Not quite correct. A point in GDA94 is approx. 214m NNE of the same point in AGD66.

You may also be able to easily convert GDA co-ordinates into AGD co-ords using your GPS.

Here are the co-ords in AGD66 converted from tastrax's GDA co-ords
455339 E
5382980 S

Hingrock

I believe it is the other way around when talking about GDA 94 and AGD 66.

A point in AGD 66 is 214M NNE of a point in GDA 94.

That is why you add to GDA 94 when making the conversion.

Incidentally, adding 1to the Easting and 2 to the Northing on a 6 figure reference is pretty accurate.

Hope this helps.

Not quite correct.

Here is the GDA grid (red) overlayed over the AGD grid (black)

[tasadam]

Thank you. That's what I needeed the low tech solution.

I thought the low tech solution was to follow the piece of string...

[mag3000]

I just had a look at both my grid layers and mine are shown as the opposite to yours.


The green is GDA 94 and the black is AGD66 in my image