Choose a diary entry31/03/2004 - Retrenched! 02/04/2004 - Farewell Lunch 03/04/2004 - Preparation 1 04/04/2004 - Preparation 2 05/04/2004 - Packing 06/04/2004 - Sydney to Hobart to Mt. Field NP 07/04/2004 - Tarn Shelf, then into the Southwest 08/04/2004 - Western Arthurs Hike - Day 1 - Up Alpha Moraine 09/04/2004 - Western Arthurs Hike - Day 2 - Lake Cygnus 10/04/2004 - Western Arthurs Hike - Day 3 - Lake Oberon & Square Lake 11/04/2004 - Western Arthurs Hike - Day 4 - Lake Oberon to Lake Cygnus 12/04/2004 - Western Arthurs Hike - Day 5 - Lake Cygnus to Junction Creek 13/04/2004 - Western Arthurs Hike - Day 6 - out to Mt Field NP 14/04/2004 - Back to Hobart for resupply and on to Southport 15/04/2004 - Southport, Hastings springs, Cockle Creek 16/04/2004 - South Coast Track - Day 1 - Cockle Creek to South Cape Rivulet 17/04/2004 - South Coast Track - Day 2 - South Cape Rivulet 18/04/2004 - South Coast Track - Day 3 - back to Cockle Creek, then Hobart 19/04/2004 - Hobart to Lake St. Clair 20/04/2004 - Frenchmans Cap Hike - Day 1 - to Vera Hut 21/04/2004 - Frenchmans Cap Hike - Day 2 - Tahune Hut and the Summit 22/04/2004 - Frenchmans Cap Hike - Day 3 - Tahune Hut to Vera Hut 23/04/2004 - Frenchmans Cap Hike - Day 4 - out to Derwent Bridge 24/04/2004 - Derwent Bridge / Lake St. Clair to Hobart 25/04/2004 - R&R in Hobart 26/04/2004 - Hobart, buying a new Camera 27/04/2004 - Hobart to Port Arthur 28/04/2004 - Port Arthur Historic site, then to Fortescue Bay 29/04/2004 - Tasman Trail Hike - Fortescue Bay to Eaglehawk Neck 30/04/2004 - Eaglehawk Neck to Hobart, Targa 01/05/2004 - Hobart R&R, Salamanca Markets 02/05/2004 - Tiger Trails Tarkine Hike - Day 1 - to Wombat Flat 03/05/2004 - Tiger Trails Tarkine Hike - Day 2 - to Mt. Ramsay 04/05/2004 - Tiger Trails Tarkine Hike - Day 3 - Mt. Ramsay to Huskisson River 05/05/2004 - Tiger Trails Tarkine Hike - Day 4 - Camped at Huskisson River 06/05/2004 - Tiger Trails Tarkine Hike - Day 5 - Across the Huskisson 07/05/2004 - Tiger Trails Tarkine Hike - Day 6 - Out, then to Strahan 08/05/2004 - R&R in Strahan 09/05/2004 - Dissapointing Gordon River Cruise 10/05/2004 - Strahan, R&R, Preparation for Overland Track 11/05/2004 - Strahan to Lake St. Clair 12/05/2004 - Overland Track - Day 1 - Lake St. Clair to Pine Valley Hut 13/05/2004 - Overland Track - Day 2 - the Labyrinth and Acropolis 14/05/2004 - Overland Track - Day 3 - Pine Valley Hut to Kia-Ora Hut 15/05/2004 - Overland Track - Day 4 - Kia-Ora Hut to Mt. Ossa to Pelion Hut 16/05/2004 - Overland Track - Day 5 - Pelion Hut to Windermere Hut 17/05/2004 - Overland Track - Day 6 - Windamere Hut to Cradle Mountain Village 18/05/2004 - Sick!, Cradle Mountain to Launceston 19/05/2004 - Recovery 1 20/05/2004 - Recovery 2 - Doctor, and Cataract Gorge 21/05/2004 - Recovery 3 22/05/2004 - Recovery 4 23/05/2004 - Recovery 5 24/05/2004 - Launceston to Bicheno 25/05/2004 - Freycinet Hike - Day 1 - the Hazards to Cooks Beach 26/05/2004 - Freycinet Hike - Day 2 - back to Bicheno 27/05/2004 - Exploring Bicheno 28/05/2004 - Bicheno to Launceston 29/05/2004 - Exploring Further in Launcestion 30/05/2004 - Cataract Gorge 2 31/05/2004 - Launceston to Liffey Falls to Deloraine 01/06/2004 - Trowunna, Devils Gullet, Walls of Jerusalem National Park 02/06/2004 - Walls of Jerusalem Hike - Day 1 03/06/2004 - Walls of Jerusalem - Day 2 - Out, then to Hobart 04/06/2004 - Mt. Field NP, Styx Valley & on to Triabunna 05/06/2004 - Maria Island - Day 1 06/06/2004 - Maria Island - Day 2 07/06/2004 - R&R in Launceston 08/06/2004 - Flying Back Home

Tasmania Diary

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Friday, June 04, 2004

Mt. Field NP, Styx Valley & on to Triabunna

Hobart
This morning, I wanted to do a little shopping. I went down to Salamanca, and bought some Peter Dombrovski posters at the Wilderness Society shop, then got by photos burned to CD at a cyber-cafe. The cyber-cafe took a bit longer than I'd intended, as they had some trouble burning the CD.

I then drove to Mount Field National Park, where I'd started my trip, as I wanted to check out a few of the short walks. When I arrived, I walked out to Russell Falls. The track goes through lush rainforest, beside the creek. The water in the creek was very high and swift. I got to the falls in a few minutes, and they were incredibly powerful, the roar was loud, and spray was being blown out across the viewing platform, and well past it, making photography very difficult.
I then climbed up a steep but short track to the top of the falls, and a little further on to Horseshoe falls (they are horseshoe shaped). They were also quite pretty, but not as high as Russell Falls.

I decided to walk through the giant trees walk to Lady Barron Falls. It was an interesting walk - there were many enormous eucalypts - some around 80m high. I was feeling a little pressed for time, as I wanted to go to the Styx valley as well, and it was around 3:00. Lady Barron Falls was nice, but not as impressive as Russell or Horseshoe Falls. I returned to the car on the loop track, and set off for the Styx Valley.


The Styx Valley is an environmentally contensious area, as it has old growth rainforest, and is currently being clearfell logged to make woodchips. I wantedt to see it firsthand to get see what it was all about. The road into the valley is a gravel logging road, is very potholed, and takes about 3/4 of an hour each way. I arrived right on sunset, which gave some good views from highpoints coming in, but meant that in the actual rainforest, it was very dark.
There is a boardwalk in a very small reserve, set up by the forestry commission, which goes to the one of the tallest trees discovered so far in tasmania - 87m tall and 4.7m wide. A few hundred metres from this reserve, Greenpeace has set up a camp, in a area designated to be logged, which I visited. The area is indistinguishable from the reserve, as it also has giant trees and lush rainforest, however on the other side of the road is a demonstration of what it will be like - an area of clearfelled and burned forest - a truly depressing sight.
I didn't get to spend long at the Styx valley, as the light was fading fast, but it was enough. I drove carefully back to the main road, and then back to Hamilton, where I had a quick dinner. I was wanting to visit Maria Island over the next few days, and so after ringing a hostel in Triabunna (Near Maria Island), set off. It took a good couple of hours to reach Triabunna, and I was quite tired when I did.
The bed at the YHA there was very saggy but I hardly noticed, as I fell asleep fast.

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