Mt Roland from O'Neill's Road

[Son of a Beach]

Can anyone tell me how long it takes to get up Mt Roland on the O'Neill's road route? I usually take the King Road route and haven't been up from O'Neill's Road since I was 10 or 11 years old. But it looks a lot easier than the King Road route which matches my vague sixth grade camp memory. It looks a bit longer though. Can anyone tell me how long?

I'm thinking of taking the kids up there over the Christmas break.

[Beeper]

The O'Neills Road route is closed. The preferred access is now from Gowrie Park on a very good track (road), which joins onto the old track just past the creek, this way takes perhaps 3 hours to get to the summit.

[corvus]

G'day soab,
Oneills is the only track you could consider for you and the Children as the other "the face track" I would not do now even it paid to
No Idea on times though however all up hill and may tax the Bubs and there is the possibility of no water up there which was a surprise to us last time.

[corvus]

The O'Neills Road route is closed. The preferred access is now from Gowrie Park on a very good track (road), which joins onto the old track just past the creek, this way takes perhaps 3 hours to get to the summit.

Beeper ,
Please explain.

c

[corvus]

Mount Roland Conservation Area & Regional Reserve

Mount Roland stands at 1233 metres above sea level and provides a stunning backdrop to the Kentish Municipality. 7600 hectares surrounding the range has been designated as the Mt Roland Regional Reserve in December 2000. The walk takes in the plains and plateau leading to the summit of the peak. There are two tracks to the summit.

The first track starts from Claude Road Village on Kings Road. This track is not recommended as it is potentially dangerous, steep and awkward. Walking time takes from three to five hours return.

The second walking track starts at Gowrie Park Village on O'Neill's Road. Walking time takes from four to six hours return. This is the best track to walk to the summit as it is maintained through the forest and has a moderate incline. From Gowrie Park Village, travel towards Sheffield. Make a right turn into O'Neill's Road and drive for approximately one kilometre to the carpark. The walk has a moderate incline and follows a jeep track for a few kilometres. You will pass a couple of waterfalls and creeks. Then you will come to a log bridge that crosses O'Neill's Creek. The trail becomes a narrow track and starts to steepen. The track continues for a further thirty minutes in order to reach the saddle at 900 elevation. Reggie Falls can be seen from this point. A left turn is then necessary to reach the summit of Mt Roland. The track rises gently across the plateau and the summit is approximately an hour away. The trig point at the top of the summit provides spectacular 360 degree views to Bass Strait, Cradle Mountain and Barn Bluff.

[Son of a Beach]

hhmmm... sounds like that's out of the question then.

a 5 hour day walk would be about 10-15 hours for my little kids, so that's waaaaaay to much. The steeper face track from Kings Road is a realy nice track, I reckon (last did it on my honeymoon), but it's just a bit too steep, for the littl'uns, and probably still too long, anyhow.

The O'Neills Road route is closed. The preferred access is now from Gowrie Park on a very good track (road), which joins onto the old track just past the creek, this way takes perhaps 3 hours to get to the summit.

O'Neill's Road does start in Gowrie Park, doesn't it? Between Weindorfers (hydro village) and the old rodeo ground & picnic area. I guess you mean it now starts in the hydro village somewhere? Does it then Join onto O'Neill's Road anyhow? The track appears to start at the end of O'Neill's Road.

In any case, this is the track I meant, but thanks for letting me know that the start point may not be quite where it once was. The last time I did it, we definitely started walking from the hydro village at Gowrie Park (about 30 years ago - grade 6 camp), but can't remember if we walked along O'Neill's Road on that occasion or not - we certainly did walk along a gravel road for quite some distance.

PS. Google Map's image of the area...

Screen shot 2010-12-13 at 9.04.30 AM.png (778.35 KiB) Viewed 11266 times

PPS. TheLIST map with 25k imagery and my added note on where I think I started the track 30 year ago, after walking along O'Neill's Road for about 2 km from the old hydro village.

[taswegian]

Have you thought of just Vandyke?
I have always thought Vandyke was rather a special bit of the country and has some interesting things to do and see and enough fun for little feet to go awanadering.
Its a steep bit up from the saddle of Claude/ Vandyke but the rest is not bad. Not sure of state of track though as I haven't been that way for about 3 years.
Triple peak runners may have a comment but they probably were going too fast to see much?
It was still recovering from the big fire a while back but imagine its far different now.

The 'new' (current) track starts off O'neils road much lower down, still on Crown Land.
It was signposted and quite obvious from O'Neils Road

Here's another screen shot

[Son of a Beach]

Thanks for the info and advice - particularly on the shorter option. We'll be car camping near there with the kids in a few weeks time, so a good VERY SHORT day walk for the kids (they're only 2 & 4 years old) would be good. They've done some decent walks before, but all quite short.

By the look of that map, Fossey Mountains may be even more suitable (ie, shorter). But they may all end up being too long still.

I reckon I'll end up doing a short walk on my own.

[Son of a Beach]

I should try to get actually realistig... I guess some of these will be more suitable for the kids: http://www.sheffieldtasmania.com.au/natureWalks.html

They're just a bit further from where we'll be camping.

[Nuts]

Wow, rattling the memory cage! I forgot about that track that leaves from the village, we worked to clear some of that one, seem to remember a good track, easy enough? Is that now the 'preferred' route (in red)? I guess the traditional route where crossing the paddocks may have been closed? All a bit confusing, there appears another even shorter route to Fossey Mountains still further west in the village?

[johnw]

Nik I think you're wise to consider some shorter walks. We had two young nephews stay the weekend recently (aged 3 and 4 +). We took them for a day out in the city and just that was enough to completely wear them out. I couldn't imagine kids around that age tackling Mt Roland, even though it's a relatively easy walk for most of us (adults). From that link Alum Cliffs and Devils Gullet are fairly kid-friendly from memory. Possibly Dove Lake circuit if they haven't already done it, or the little circuit around Waldheim - might be too short? Some options there I guess even though most are not as close as you'd like.

[taswegian]

I didn't realise they were quite that young. Nice to see you don't let age put these things off.

I wouldn't discount a walk along that back track up Roland for the first km or so. Just start and see how you go. Its quite gentle for some time.
There's button grass and then forest and its a nice walk in decent weather.
I was a bit put off when I first walked that track. I thought it was a logging road as it appeared to be marked off in coups (signposted as such).
It is used as a firebreak from my understanding.
There are some beautiful trees and flowing creeks.

Just watch the kids if they toddle about - jackjumpers, stinging nettle and depends on how hot - those slithery things.
But also echidnas.

We have The Badgers (Kimberleys Lookout) north of Sheffield. Again steepish and need to be prepared to hoist them on board but a very nice view.
Do you have a child backpack carrier for them (2 yo) to sit in while you do the walking?

[Son of a Beach]

Yes, we have a carrier for the 2yo, so she won't have to walk the entire distance of whatever we do. We have got her to do a 3 hour walk once, where we only carried her for a bout 15 minutes out of the 3 hours (but it would have been only a 1 hour walk for adults).

The 4yo has walked all the way to the Cradle Mtn scout hut no problems (about 45 min for adults, and about 2 or so hours for her, when she was 3).

But yes, I really do think Mt Roland is still somewhat out of her league, but thought I'd get details since we'll be camping near there anyhow. I'll likely do something easier, or perhaps just wander part way up the Roland track, which would avoid having to drive anywhere.

[sainterone]

Try the link below for further info
I remember doing this walk a few years ago - I think it was included in the 50 great walks guide at the time.
There was a brochure at the start of the walk which nominated a time for the walk - we noted that it was in our expected time frame (I'm thinking 3 - 4 hours) and thought that (usually) trip times are conservative.
After doing battle with a million march flies we got to the top plateau but found the track markings more difficult to follow as we walked further west.
At one point we thought we had missed the turnoff and thought we might have to walk on to Olivers Road or somewhere before we could walk down again.

The track down was quite hard on my knees and we very pleased to get back to the carpark - I'm thinking that we took the 6 or 7 hours that is mentioned in the link below.
Would not recommend this walk for little kids (unless you carried them up and down) - the top is flattish. Views are excellent, but I remember hazy (from a bushfire) the day we were there.

http://www.summitpost.org/mt-roland/196766

[tastrekker]

G'day SoaB,

Are you away camping yet? Just noticed this discussion and thought I'd mention we did Roland with our 11 and 5 year old sons on a very wet and windy day in November. You can read a little bit and see a few pics here http://bbpac17.blogspot.com/2010/11/mt-roland.html and read a bit more and see some more pics here http://tastrekker.blogspot.com/2010/11/mt-roland.html

The front track is the most direct route. As for being dangerous, it is on a par with Marions Lookout and Hansons Peak yet we don't see Parks insisting everyone climbs to the Plateau via the Horse Track to avoid bit of a scramble! The Roland face track is far easier than the Cradle summit in terms of boulder hopping, etc. My main objection to the 'back track' is length. It turns a 7km round trip with an 800m climb into a much longer and more time consuming 16km round trip with a 900m climb!!! Added to this is the fact that 8km of the back track round trip is on a road. This is because the 4km section of new 'track' from Gowrie Park to the O'Neills Creek bridge was cut by bulldozer and gravelled to the point where it would be almost two-wheel-drive-able for its entire length if it was open (albeit single lane). While this style of track makes for easy walking, it is not the same experience as a single file walking track.

I'm involved in organising a camp for teenage boys in January. I will be sending 2 groups to Mt Roland. The back track is likely to take too long to comfortably fit between breakfast and dinner. I therefore plan to get the best of both worlds by walking them up the front and down the back like we did. The scrub along the top on the 'front track' will be a bit scratchy but hopefully it will be dry and therefore not as annoying as when we did it with pouring rain and howling wind.

[Mt Roland Tas]

Hello

In the next few months I will be developing a website for Mt Roland. I will be looking for info on the tracks, interesting stories and amazing photos to publish. Should you wish to contribute to the website please email me at: mtrolandtas(at)gmail.com. Thanks

[Son of a Beach]

TT,

I really like the front face to Roland, and am not sure why people recommend against it.

On this occasion, however, we didn't end up doing any bushwalkimg at all (unless you count the nature trail from the O'Neill's Creek picnic ground where we camped - which does join up with the back route to Roland).

Wow, it was very cold camping for this time of year. I hear they had snow on Roland while we were camped underneath it prepared for Summer weather.

Nevermimd. There ended up being a local woodchopping competition there on our last day, and the kids loved watching that.