tasmania - Natureloverswalks

February 20, 2020

Bear Falls Feb 2020

The descent to, and then climb back out from, Bear Falls is exceptionally steep. The first 700 ms are flat, on a fire trail (Mt Wellington), after which you dive head first down a landslide (which I presume is the shocking 1872 “Glenorchy landslide”). In this plummet, you drop 440 ms in about a kilometre. That is whopping!!! Not only is it steep, but also, much of it is of dubious stability, that being the nature of a landslide. I personally treat landslide rocks with a great deal of respect. Sometimes the whole land can feel like it’s running away from you.

As a result, I took far longer to descend (1 hr 38 mins) than I took to come back up again (1 hr 20 mins). I love climbing, and if you stumble going up, you don’t do nearly as much damage, so I feel free to exercise less care. On the way down, I tested every single rock before committing to it, and had three points of contact the whole way. Coming back up, I climbed like a bear on all fours, as required by the slope, and had fun and went as fast as I wished, which was actually pretty fast, as I was under time pressure: I wanted to get changed and have lunch before picking Abby up from Kindy. Relaxing before the onslaught of an exhausted four-year-old just released from the rigours of newly-imposed educational demands was also appealing. A tantrum is far more demanding than a steep slope.
Bear Falls are not marked on the map, let alone named. The tributary they are on is also not named – or not up that high, before it has amassed all its tributaries to become a rivulet. There are two mapped, and many unmapped tributaries. As most people don’t like ascending at the rate I do, I would allow far more time for this excursion, should you attempt it, than I did. I was squeezing it in between other demands on my life.

February 13, 2020March 13, 2020

Guildford Falls 2020

These mossy falls are beautiful because no one knows where they are. Alas, long may it remain so, for publicity seems to lead all too quickly to destruction, in a one to one correlation. Keep Tassie Wild; keep Tassie beautiful. This post is for those who are inspired by how beautiful nature can be.

February 3, 2020

Upper Marriotts Falls Jan 2020

Today seemed like a pretty good day to visit Upper Marriotts Falls, which, like mama bear’s soup or chair was neither too big an undertaking, nor too small. It was a middle-sized adventure, which suited my time constraints. The drive from Launceston is not formidable, and the walking time commitment was a lot less than anticipated.
(For the walking route to the lower falls, named Marriotts Falls, see my blog http://www.natureloverswalks.com/marriotts-falls/).
I was expecting these falls to be very easy, as the WoT site mentioned tapes, so didn’t bother telling anyone what I was doing. Hm. However, AFTER I left Marriotts Falls proper, I had been in the forest for thirty minutes before I ever saw a tape. This did not hassle me in the slightest, as I know what I’m doing in the forest; however, if you want a taped route or a pad, please stay away from these falls, as they are not fully taped, and kindly do not tape them.

Tyenna R, which is followed for the first part of this walk, before it is departed to begin climbing up the tributary that contains the falls.

Can those of us who like to have the fun of finding our own way please be allowed one or two waterfalls left over? There are many of us who like to combine beauty with that special sublime sense that we are in a very remote place.
Tourist paths 1 m wide, viewing platforms, fake-material bridges and the like remove all sense of enjoyment for some of us who want our nature wild. Wilderness is by definition no longer wilderness when you build paths, bridges, platforms and other infrastructure to remove its wildness: when you dumb it down and defang it of its very nature. Our government departments seem hell-bent on de-wilding every square metre of our formerly beautiful bushland and forest.

Those of us who like hiking away from the ubiquitous tourists are being shoved further and further from our homes, like the bears and wolves of Canada. Tourists now have enough places that have been destroyed on their behalf. Please leave this and other still-wild falls as you find them.
We have to earn the right to visit some places. I would possibly like to see the view from Mt Everest. I do not demand of the Nepalese government that they build me a tourist way to get there. If I want that view, then I must earn it by increasing my climbing and general alpine skills. Otherwise, I do not have the right to demand that view. Why does our government think that every living human has the right to see what is otherwise to be earned? – that people should be helicoptered or cable carried in to places that they lack the skill or knowledge to otherwise reach? If you gain the skills to reach such places, you will, at the same time, learn respect for them and become aware of the need to preserve them in their original, untouched state.

February 1, 2020March 13, 2020

Platypus Falls 2020

Yet another secret treasure for those who want to explore deep dark unmapped and / or offtrack places on Mt Wellington.

January 31, 2020

Kiernans Falls Jan 2020

My trip to Kiernans Falls was such a happy day. It was still school holidays, but Abby was in childcare, and Kirsten had the day off work, which meant that Gussy, Kirsten and I could have our first ever adventure à trois. I chose Kiernans Falls, even though the WoT website (quite rightly) made it sound quite difficult. Eight-year-old Gussy is agile and nimble, as well as very fit, and with his mum and me to guide him, I didn’t think he would have any problems. Kirsten is pretty faultless in the bush. I did warn them that I reckoned we would all get wet feet; just don’t bother about keeping the tootsies dry.

As it was, alas, our feet stayed very dry, as the creek bed up which we climbed was pretty devoid of water. This did not detract in the slightest from our enjoyment of this area. The moss was still lovely and green, and the climbing both in and out of the creek was fun, and appreciated by all. We climbed to the top of the falls, as I thought Caedence’s report had two tiers. Indeed it did, but the lower tier was actually below the big falls, not above. That didn’t matter; it was such a fun climb, and prolonged the pleasure. We have all vowed to return when there is more water. (Note, there is no path. Do not attempt unless you are very familiar with finding your own way in the bush. Don’t be fooled by the capable Gussy).