Lake Rhona: Some Reflective Writing

[whynotwalk]

Morning all - I'm recently back from Lake Rhona and have written the first of a series of blog posts looking at walking, history and other aspects of this beautiful but fragile place. http://auntyscuttle.blogspot.com/2011/03/returning-to-rhona-1.html

cheers

Peter

Lake Rhona from the Denison Range

[JamesMc]

Perhaps we Bushwalk Tasmania needs a separate section for Lake Rhona, like the one for Overland Track!

JamesMc

[proskub]

At the risk of sounding horribly under prepared, how the hell do we get there? Every book I read has a different route to drive there.
To salve your conscience, I'll be fine once I get ON the track, just getting to it down all those forestry roads...

[proskub]

Awesome article by the way, I love knowing more about where I walk. We (bushwalkers) are only a very tiny part of the history of an area

[vagrom]

Lakes with white quartz beaches in Tasmania. The most famous is still Pedder; now only in photos, one day it may rise again. Some say drain it but the greater consensus would probably disagree. The view from MT Anne walk is one of the country's finest still.
Are these quartz beaches truly miriad? One's I know of are Rhona, Curley, Petrarch and possibly St.Clair. If it's a white beach, it must be quartz?

[Son of a Beach]

Lakes with white quartz beaches in Tasmania. The most famous is still Pedder; now only in photos, one day it may rise again. Some say drain it but the greater consensus would probably disagree. The view from MT Anne walk is one of the country's finest still.
Are these quartz beaches truly miriad? One's I know of are Rhona, Curley, Petrarch and possibly St.Clair. If it's a white beach, it must be quartz?

Cygnus has a very nice beach too.

[stepbystep]

At the risk of sounding horribly under prepared, how the hell do we get there? Every book I read has a different route to drive there.
To salve your conscience, I'll be fine once I get ON the track, just getting to it down all those forestry roads...

Directions are in this thread viewtopic.php?f=9&t=5320&p=64037&hilit=Rhona#p64037 about 3/4 of the way down - if you are taking a uni group in I hope you intend on giving them full instruction on the low impact principles, particularly the toilet issue at Rhona???

[whynotwalk]

Hi proskub - thanks for the feedback on my Rhona writing. There's more to come

The Richea Creek route is accessed from the Florentine Road, turning right not far past Maydena. It's a main forestry road, though not well sign-posted. The turn-off leads to both the Styx Valley and the Florentine Valley (though you double back under the main road for the Styx. Don't go that way!) Follow the Florentine Rd slightly west of north for a long way. Eventually the road becomes Tiger Rd, then veers around to the south-west before going over the Florentine River on a small bridge. After another km or so turn left into Range Rd, then wind around until it becomes Terry Walch Rd and then Mother-in-Law Rd. The road gets narrower and I think at some stage it is marked G03. By then it is obvious that the main traffic has been small vehicles as opposed to big log trucks. You'll find the small carpark at the end of G03. (Take the Gordonvale 1:25 000 map. On it look for a westerly spur nearest to Richea Ck.)

The map on the following site is helpful, if neither comprehensive nor to scale. http://www.touringtasmania.info/images/2007_MARCH/LAKE-RHONA-TRACK-01-A4.jpg You'll know you're at the right place when you see a small wooden "Track" sign. And about 50m into the walk there's a log book in metal box. We took about 45 mins to reach the Gordon River, which can be crossed on a fallen tree. There are pink and yellow tapes marking both the track and the crossing access. After another 15 mins or so you hit the Rasselas Track.

Happy walking (as far as it's possible along the boggy track). And do your best to leave no trace, esp. when it comes to toileting at the lake - ie "Do #2s outside the lake's catchment"

cheers

Peter

[proskub]

At the risk of sounding horribly under prepared, how the hell do we get there? Every book I read has a different route to drive there.
To salve your conscience, I'll be fine once I get ON the track, just getting to it down all those forestry roads...

Directions are in this thread viewtopic.php?f=9&t=5320&p=64037&hilit=Rhona#p64037 about 3/4 of the way down - if you are taking a uni group in I hope you intend on giving them full instruction on the low impact principles, particularly the toilet issue at Rhona???

Definitely. I insisted on a strict limit of 5 including myself, and nearly all of them are experienced anyway. It sickens me the lack or respect that some leaders have for the bush.

[proskub]

Cheers Peter. Rest assured the only changes we'll make are carrying out any rubbish left by other groups.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Cheers Peter. Rest assured the only changes we'll make are carrying out any rubbish left by other groups.

I'd pack an extra bag then, there's usually a bit hidden in the bushes.

[stepbystep]

Definitely. I insisted on a strict limit of 5 including myself, and nearly all of them are experienced anyway. It sickens me the lack or respect that some leaders have for the bush.

Great stuff, at least you'll have a few to share the load. I carried 3 sections of 3 different walking poles, a water bottle and some other random rubbish through the Arthurs recently.
I understand how someone can accidently drop something, but when a walking pole snaps you know it - the handle section was thrown to the side of the track and the other metal pole sections just left on the track - one was even stabbed into the mud, some people......

BTW - Peter, it's a nice piece, having been to Rhona twice last year I can relate and look forward to the next one.

[Lagaro]

Lakes with white quartz beaches in Tasmania. The most famous is still Pedder; now only in photos, one day it may rise again. Some say drain it but the greater consensus would probably disagree. The view from MT Anne walk is one of the country's finest still.
Are these quartz beaches truly miriad? One's I know of are Rhona, Curley, Petrarch and possibly St.Clair. If it's a white beach, it must be quartz?

Someone on this forum would know for sure, but I was told that Pedder had a slight pink tinge to the sands which was not only beautiful but also unique. I remember discussion amongst my parents when I was younger as to wether or not the beaches would be covered in mud and silt if the lake was drained.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Hey Lagaroo, long time no see on the forum!!
I believe they have had divers down to the lake (Pedder) and it has shown to be in remarkable condition. Rhona has a similar pink hue in the sand due to the quartz.

[Son of a Beach]

I'm led to believe that the "pedder pennies" were unique (so my geology teacher told me). Yep, confirmed on this page.

My geology teacher showed us a few that he'd collected (as a founding member of the "Lake Pedder Action Committee", which I think later became the Wilderness Society). They are small, flat, round, pebbles of a particular kind that are found nowhere else, apparently.

[tas-man]

Lakes with white quartz beaches in Tasmania. The most famous is still Pedder; now only in photos, one day it may rise again. Some say drain it but the greater consensus would probably disagree. The view from MT Anne walk is one of the country's finest still.
Are these quartz beaches truly miriad? One's I know of are Rhona, Curley, Petrarch and possibly St.Clair. If it's a white beach, it must be quartz?

Someone on this forum would know for sure, but I was told that Pedder had a slight pink tinge to the sands which was not only beautiful but also unique. I remember discussion amongst my parents when I was younger as to wether or not the beaches would be covered in mud and silt if the lake was drained.

This is the last photo I took as I left Lake Pedder in December 1971, and the overcast conditions seemed to bring out the pink in the beach.

The pink quartzite beach in my final view of Lake Pedder as I departed in mid December 1971.

[vagrom]

It's the current concern for the growing traffic heading towards Rhona that made me wonder what Pedder would look like today. What sort of developments would've occurred in order to cope with the human factor. So, in a sense, it's drowning saved it. That's for the true romantics. (Is there any thought that it's loss ensured the saving of the Franklin?)
That last photo made me think straight away "Yes! Yes!", to the proposal. 15 metres of water now protect it from....us? [History book of the future: "The HEC was responsible for saving Lake Pedder..."].
Let's face it, a couple of school groups from now and Rhona will be showing it. Poo tubes won't stop that. But Frenchmans has born up remarkably well, probably because it and Mt Anne are just considered too dangerous. Platforms wouldn't be bad for when all that run-off floods behind the dunes. The inevitable litter and let's hope not another fire. Nothing will make Curly and the Spires any easier to get to.

[ILUVSWTAS]

It's the current concern for the growing traffic heading towards Rhona that made me wonder what Pedder would look like today. What sort of developments would've occurred in order to cope with the human factor. So, in a sense, it's drowning saved it. That's for the true romantics. (Is there any thought that it's loss ensured the saving of the Franklin?)
That last photo made me think straight away "Yes! Yes!", to the proposal. 15 metres of water now protect it from....us? [History book of the future: "The HEC was responsible for saving Lake Pedder..."].
Let's face it, a couple of school groups from now and Rhona will be showing it. Poo tubes won't stop that. But Frenchmans has born up remarkably well, probably because it and Mt Anne are just considered too dangerous. Platforms wouldn't be bad for when all that run-off floods behind the dunes. The inevitable litter and let's hope not another fire. Nothing will make Curly and the Spires any easier to get to.

Beautifully said. I THINK I agree with most of that...

ahh Curly, I WILL get there one day.

[vagrom]

I didn't want to use the word "elitism" because it sounds a bit ...elitist . When some of the kids get up top and look across Badger Flat and think, "I'm coming back", then of course, it's all worth it; the poop, the flies, the sweat and the "what the hell am I doing here ?", of one's first steps into "the great outdoors".

And further to "Getting there": Parks at Mt Field have in the past, given out a page with detailed directions and would be well consulted for current circumstances. And Chapman's South West Tasmania (2008) describes the route on page 195.