Lower Mountain Tracks from Fern Tree No. 2 2016

Today we're traveling some lower tracks on Mt. Wellington from Fern Tree and Ron is our leader.

After the weather we had the night before, I was surprised that it wasn't too bad this morning. Cold, but clear.

We set off to Fern Tree and parked at the old quarry where a number of council workers were clearing rubbish from the drains.

We can still access the steps

Up the steps and left to pass behind Fern Tree and onto the Pipeline Track.

Looking over the old church

There's some colour in the gardens

There's the sound of water in among the ferns

We walk the track until we come to a turnoff onto a route I've not been on before. This will lead us to an old fire trail which I will find out is called Grays Fire Trail. Now, having looked this up on the web, I'll leave out any directions, if you're interested, download the track and work it out for yourself. No responsibility taken.

Crossing Clegg Road

Still on the Pipeline Track

I'm pretty sure these are fake

We've turned off the Pipeline Track now

We're on Grays Fire Trail now

It's a steady climb along this neglected trail. There are a few obstacles along the way, but it's quite pretty. 

We find snow patches as we get higher

We come to a boulder field that allows us to have Morning Tea with both seating and a view.

South Arm and beyond

Break finished, we resume climbing. The edges of the trail are overgrown with native shrubs and, as they are in flower, it resembles a planted border.

Looking back

Natures border

Looking down

  We keep climbing steadily until we reach the junction with Milles Track. There is a marker there, blank from the side we're approaching but marked on the other side.
 

Oh

Moving on, we reach where we now turn downhill towards the Springs. There are a number of tourists walking around the upper car park, and we pass more climbing up.

What the tourists are looking for

Steps up to the old hotel site

We reach Pinnacle Road and find the Springs crowded with cars and people, the Caravan there selling hot drinks is making a killing. As you can see, the road up is closed due to snow and ice further up.

 
We're not going that way, instead we take the Lenah Valley track, meeting tourist families along the way.

Still no rain, but cold

Mt. Wellington with a dusting of snow

We reach the turnoff to Sphinx Rock and, as a couple haven't see it before, turn off. We have a look, returning to continue on the track.

I'm not sure of the height of Sphinx Rock, but it's a very steep slope below

Looking towards Sandy Bay

We take the turnoff for the Shoobridge Track and continue down.

Yet another boulder field to cross

We come to the little diversion around the Octopus Tree. I haven't been around it for a number of years and others are seeing it for the first time.

The Octopus Tree is a very large Eucalyptus delicatensis growing on top of a 2 metre rock.

Large roots growing down the side of the rock

Too tall to fit in

Ron ignoring large tree on rock and admiring small ferns

A nice garden on the shady side of the rock

Suitably impressed, we move on, still heading down.

The track becomes muddier as we descend

There's a lot of wind damaged trees, this one was an old giant

I told them to smile

We stop about here for lunch. There is quite a bit of work to do in the gully to clear up all the downed trees. Looks like a start has been made.

Renata goes out on a limb to check the damage and work in progress

We don our wet weather gear as it begins to drizzle. As it turned out, we needn't have bothered. It didn't really rain until we returned to Kingston.

We're beginning to get the sound of running water near by, although it doesn't sound like it's any great flow.

However the noise increases and we cross a decent flow as we head towards O'Gradys Falls.

Just a small flow here....

...becomes larger quite quickly...

...and forms O'Gradys Falls

On we go until we come to a junction, here Ron gave us a surprise by turning up Woods Track, a fairly steep climb.

I've been up this track before, today was just a bad day for me to do it again.

Never mind, we all, including me, made it. We crossed over Pinnacle Road, taking the Fern Glade Track past the entrance to Rocky Whelans cave.

Easy walking now

It certainly lives up to the name

Shallow pool among the ferns

 We had 8 walkers and covered 10.52km in 4:16hrs. The Report slide tells the story. I did enjoy the old Grays Fire Trail, it was a good walk overall.

Click here to download GPX file