Platform Peak 2018

Today we're walking to Platform Peak, one of our favourite walks. The weather is cool when we arrive, 5C according to the car.

I've dug my gloves out and stuck them in my pocket, but decide not to put them on. In the end, I didn't need them.

Almost ready

Starting the initial long climb up to the start

The first long view

The road is wet with several springs running over it, but not too bad.
We seem to make good time to the turn left on to the Platform Peak track.

Someone has installed signs for the Peak and Mt. Dromedary tracks and new ribbons on much of the walk.

We take Morning Tea at our usual spot. The weather is perfect, blue sky and sunshine.

Morning Tea

While the others are having a drink, I have a look around the area. Logging took place up here in the past and there are many overgrown logging roads and tracks in the area.

I discover this little bloke in the remains of one such track.

Almost a Christmas tree...

...with home grown ornaments

Another, a couple of steps away adds a bit of colour

Break finished, we head off along the track.

The track

The low angle of the winter sun makes photos difficult

The track soon becomes more overgrown, but not difficult to follow.

It's not long before we break out onto a larger vehicle track, turning left towards the start of our uphill climb to reach the peak.

In fact it's sooner then I expect that Wayne finds the start of the uphill section.

Going up

This section of track takes us up through the bush to a saddle, then a fairly level section to another climb up to a rock shelf. Along the way we have some views in the opposite direction from the peak.

We stop at the first rock platform for a look around.

We have an easy walk now, following stone cairns which lead to a short climb down to another track.

We make our way down here

At the bottom is a stony track winding around the bush to another lookout and the last climb up to Platform Peak.

The track...

...another view

We soon reach the base of our destination and make our way up. The weather is still perfect and we settle down for lunch around the large stone cairn at the top.

There were many of these survey cairns constructed for mapping Tasmania. James Sprent who arrived here in 1830 and rose to be Surveyor General in 1857 was one of two main people that constructed the majority of the cairns. The other was Wentworth Hardy who arrived in 1884 from South Australia.

The Platform Peak cairn was probably constructed by Sprent and rebuilt by Hardy.

For a very interesting article about the earlier surveyors written by John VanderNiet, CLICK HERE

Below are views taken from the top.

If you look closely at the distant mountains...

...you can see they're snow capped

Towards Mt. Dromedary

The farming landscape below appears idyllic. Probably looks a little different in the height of summer.

Lunch with a view...

...and a cairn

 After a spell, I start everyone back as the little road to the cars is just about a vehicle width, and I don't want us to have to deal with the end of the school day traffic.

Making our way down

Looking back

Down from the first rock platform

Back through the open bush

On the way up, I had noticed several ant mounds that had fungi growing on them. I thought I'd leave photographing any until our way back. Somehow, I missed all the mounds I earlier passed and just by luck found this example at the last minute.

We start back down the wet road, and I was struck by how green this section was.

We had 11 walkers and covered 11.52km in 4:59hrs. Bob had been due to lead this walk but was unfortunately indisposed. I had memories of past walks to the Peak and my 'Electric Bob' or GPS around my neck if needed.

Click here to download GPX file