The Lea (and Mt. Nelson) 2014

In this episode we have an encounter with authority (well, a Taswater ute), unadvertised climbs, beautiful weather and another slithery encounter which causes me to adopt a new walk rating.

 

New rating. A snake for each walk sighting.

As stated above the weather today was absolutely perfect - warm without being too hot. Bob was our leader for the day.

After parking off Proctors Rd. we crossed under the Southern Outlet and started the walk at the gate on the right.

The starting gate

The camera had difficulty in dealing with today's bright sun.

The track was an old, rough firetrail that led gently up hill until we came to the first advertised descent. This was steep and took us down to the bottom of a valley and a dried up creek. The worrying thing was the unadvertised equally steep climb on the other side.

And down we go

Julie's being very careful.

Notice the slight uphill grade on the other side.

Bob waiting while we cross the first dry creek.

Valve in the top of the small dam over the creek.

The creek had a small dam over it with this old valve set into it. Walking up hill from here we met the Taswater Ute coming down with a couple of fellows in it. They agreed to pick me up on their way back up. However, I don't think they made it as the trail we walked down was too overgrown and rough even for a 4wd, and there was no where we could see that they could turn a vehicle. They may still be there!

Meeting with authority (they didn't stop)

Looking back

Oh look. We're going down again.

And over another creek

At the top of the climb, we started down into another valley and found another dry creek with exactly the same setup of valve and dam.

Up and down before turning off onto another track to find a place for Morning Tea. This was under an unexpected radio antenna array in the bottom of the valley. On the map this is marked as a Commonwealth of Australia Ionosphere research station. Who knew? I certainly didn't know it was here.

After going up again we got our bearings...

... and started down.

I wanted to give an idea of the angle of slope, but this doesn't do it justice.

Morning Tea. Sorry about the over exposure on the left, at least Sally's alright.

Ionosphere research antenna.

And the associated station.

After refreshment, we returned along our track and crossed over the original route from the second creek and continued along beside the creek bed on a small, overgrown trail. I believe this was where the snake was encountered by the front runners in our group. It was long gone by the time the backmarkers caught up.

Passing under a large fallen top of a gum tree, we continued over and under various obstacles before crossing over the creek and going - you guessed it - up hill!

The new track after tea.

Top of gum tree over the track. You don't have to salute it, Peter.

Overcoming all obstacles we ...

... continue on before ...

... crossing the creek and starting up hill.

A slight diversion here, unlike last week this bush didn't have the profusion of flowers and I saw no orchids. That doesn't mean there weren't any blooms and below are a couple.

Continuing up hill in a zig zag fashion, we came to another gate that required crossing to another track that led towards the top of Mt. Nelson.

Rocky outcrops. Someone thought it would make a good bushranger hideout.

Another gate

Getting near the top of the hill, we saw a fenced in area with an antenna tower and a couple of portable buildings beside it. One of our walkers - Lyn - was making a call at the time, and I heard her say something like "Look outside and you'll see some disreputable looking walkers". Turns out her husband, Brian, and a couple of others were working on site.

This site is used by Transend as a radio relay site, but they also had kindly offered room for another group and space on the tower for their antennas.

This group known as Tas Maritime Radio is an all volunteer organization providing safety communications for mariners around Tasmania. Transend have 4 antennas on their tower, Tas Maritime have 13!

Click here to visit their interesting website.

After getting the grand tour from Brian, we continued on our way.

Transend site with Tas Maritime Radio. This site connects the Maritime Radio with all the other sites in Tasmania.

Leaving after our very interesting guided tour.

More flowers

Sign? What sign? Anyway, it was on the wrong side for us to see.

We came to a gravel road and followed it until it turned paved and led to Nelson Rd. Walking down, we passed what used to be Mt. Nelson Tavern, but is now a construction site for luxury flats, before turning off at the recreation ground for lunch.

Lunch

Lunch finished, we continued on down the road until turning off into the bush again. On a rough, washed out track we headed down until we rejoined our original track in, following this back to the cars.

We had (I think. I forgot to count) 12 walkers and covered 10.45km in 4:27hrs.
Everyone enjoyed this walk and found it very interesting.

Next week, we are going to see some of the old hut locations on Mt. Wellington. While doing some research, I came upon this website, which is a quality one about Tasmania. They did an article about the huts which is in the link below.

The Tasmanian Geographic site is one worth subscribing to. It's free, and they will notify you when there is a new online edition out.

For the hut article:

Click here.

There is also another website selling a book on the History of Mt. Wellington, and they have information on a number of huts online, just see the list below book description. There's also a Youtube movie about the huts you can watch. Unfortunately, the sound track has been removed.

Click here for that site.

Walking with the U3A hint no. 146...

...There's a finite number of times you can complain about Bobs choice of hills!

Click here to download GPX file

Coningham No. 1 2014

 In this chapter we'll hear about 'wee' hills, encounter venomous snakes and ants, find out how fast pensioners can move as a consequence of said encounters, and finally see how colourful the bush can be.

Today's walk was at Coningham Reserve south of Snug and Bob was our leader.

The weather wasn't supposed to be too great with a maximum of 13C., however it turned out to be largely a beautiful day. The sun was warm enough to encourage removal of outer garments.

The bush is about at its best at the moment as many of the flowering plants are showing, creating quite a spectacle as we walk.

I have a number of photos of orchids and by lunchtime people were calling me over to photo their personal discoveries.

The walk rambled around over old fire trails, fire breaks, small unmarked tracks and marked tracks. I'd been told when everyone arrived at the parking place, that we now had another category of hill added to Bob's definitions. Previously we had 'little' and 'small' (sounds like a double act) hills. Now, he's added 'wee'. The only 'wee' hill I know is the one you climb after a couple cups of tea, but perhaps that’s too much information!

Onto the firebreak

First orchid of the day

Large, angry dog ready to tear me to shreds...

...until I pointed out Bob at the front.

Wellington, now we have our bearings.

We wondered around heading towards the Coningham Clifftop track, which we followed for a while before turning uphill and eventually finding a place for Morning Tea.

Clifftop track

Educational signs

Around a fallen tree.

Where we are.

Morning Tea with Richard giving the photo that human touch.

Afterwards, we followed smaller tracks before we reached an open area that has been replanted and is looked after, partly, by a local primary school.

Replanted area

Good on them. No, we didn't water.

Hidden water tank & cans for passerby's use.

Finally we came to Bob's 'wee' hill. Actually, we've been up it before and you start out on a sandy vehicle track. That caused some difference in opinion as to the correct track to follow. Some followed Bob on the harder parallel track and others followed Peter's advice and zig zagged up on their own easier path.

Many clumps of these throughout the bush.

Closeup of flowers along reed like plant.

The flowers above form tiny clumps on the plant. Not easy to see here, and disregard the other flowers as they are another plant.

Off to find our wee hill.

Looking north towards Tinderbox.

Tinderbox

North towards Margate

On the climb up.

Wee hill track

Colourful bush.

Looking west

Brow of the hill

At the top of the first climb we turnoff and start up the final climb of the day, the rest is mainly downhill.

 While walking on this track we had a little adventure, or those of us at the rear did. I saw Tas jump ahead of me, saw a stick that he kicked up and told myself he had thought it was a snake. Getting ready to make a smart comment, I realized there WAS a Tiger Snake not a million miles from my foot and still moving. He was about a metre long, shiny black and though I don't like snakes very much, quite a handsome devil.

Having ignored me jumping out of his way (too bad the Olympic Committee wasn't there) he continued on his way into the bracken. Of course I was criticized for not taking a photo!

Just after the snake encounter. Amazingly, the photo appears to have been taken by a steady hand!

 

Another obstacle.

 

Not as colourful as the others.

 I quote from Wikipedia for people in other places.

The King Island and Tasmanian tiger snakes each have a blunt head distinct from a robust body. Younger snakes may be slimmer and similar to other tiger snakes, eventually growing up to 1.5 m in length. Dorsally, they may be jet black, jet black with lighter crossbands, grey with black flecks forming faint bands, or an unbanded grey or brown. The ventral surface is usually a lighter colour. Midbody scales are in 19, 17 or sometimes 15 rows, ventrals number 161 to 174, subcaudals 48 to 52 (single) and the anal scale is single. Tasmanian tiger snakes tend to be quiet snakes, probably due to the lower temperature ranges they inhabit.  

I see from a couple of articles the Tiger Snake is rated from 7 to 9 in the hit parade of venomous snakes. One article says it's found in various places including Australia AND Tasmania. Fancy that, both countries.

Continuing on with much watching of the ground, we travelled around the hills behind Lower Snug before finding an open, sunny place for lunch.

While everyone was getting settled, Bob and Tas were having a conversation which went on until Bob causally informed Tas he (Tas) was standing on a Jack Jumper's nest - second fast movement of the day.

Jack Jumpers are a large venomous ant native to Australia, but most numerous in Tassie. Aren't we lucky. I learned there have been 4 deaths in Tasmania between 1980 and 2000 due to anaphylactic shock, so they're not to be taken lightly.

I kept this in mind before I sat down, making sure there were no nests. While eating lunch I was leaning on my left hand when I felt a needle like sensation. Thinking I had put my hand on something sharp, I had a look and found 2 Jack Jumpers chewing merrily on my palm and fingers. Little buggers. I had almost no reaction, luckily.

Lunch

Another orchid about to bloom.

Different orchid, later blooming.

After lunch we made our way back to the cars. A good walk and the weather was very kind to us as on the way home the heavens opened for a short time while I was driving.

We had 11 walkers and covered 10.27km in 3:27 hours. Or thereabouts.


Click here to download GPX file