Rhona

Tasmania specific bushwalking discussion.
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Tasmania specific bushwalking discussion. Please avoid publishing details of access to sensitive areas with no tracks.

Rhona

Postby Marky » Tue 04 Nov, 2008 6:56 am

So finally made it up there. Got hit by a fairly strong snowstorm. Had a group of 15 wakling in the day I was walking out. School kids. Now im not sure but it seemed to me that Rhona is a rather small/sensitive area for such a large group....
Anyway it snowed and rained heavily for days after I got back so I hope they made it out ok!

Pics attached for those who have never been there to ask themselves why??
Beuatiful Rhona.JPG
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Re: Rhona

Postby ollster » Tue 04 Nov, 2008 8:06 am

Beautiful place, nice pics!

I agree that the area is pretty sensitive. Considering it's seeming to gain popularity, probably now that more people are aware of the shorter route in, I would hope that Parks will perhaps consider putting in a toilet. When we were there last Feb there were "poo holes" very near to, and evern IN the campsite. Not very happy about that, as I managed to pitch my tent right beside one (it was old, but still).
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Re: Rhona

Postby Marky » Tue 04 Nov, 2008 8:10 am

Wow, Yeh thats a bit more than just a worry....
Actually I did think this is a place I dont think i'd visit late summer. Was lovely to be there in some snow anyway! It's just such a small "camp" area I'd imagine the stench could become quite unbearable.
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Re: Rhona

Postby Robbo » Tue 04 Nov, 2008 8:30 am

Marky wrote:Had a group of 15 walking in the day I was walking out. School kids. Now i'm not sure but it seemed to me that Rhona is a rather small/sensitive area for such a large group....


As someone who is currently involved with large school numbers doing the expedition thing - group size max of 12, but taking back to 10 in 09, and splitting for the day's walk - it is sooo important to encourage - read enforce - minimal impact. Kids will be kids but will respond when they know and understand the problems their lack of care will do to the environment.

The real dilemma we face is the positive effects on the kids as opposed to the negative impact they make while in the bush. We are of the opinion that the pluses outweigh the minuses - although not all agree...

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Re: Rhona

Postby Marky » Tue 04 Nov, 2008 8:39 am

Totally agree Tony! Being taken out there as a young man definately influenced my current lifestyle.
I did expeditions/advanced ex. for 3 years in college (Geoff Batton) and he would make a point of not only taking classes to places that arent overly sensitive but he would usually rope in a couple of ex students to help out. Then we would split the class into 2 or 3 smaller groups 5-10ppl and take different routes and meet up at the end of the day. I felt this was a very good way to introduce minimal impact walking to teenagers.
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Re: Rhona

Postby stu » Tue 04 Nov, 2008 8:49 am

I was at Rhona the same long weekend as Ollster & totally agree - everyone seems to crap just near the lake edge; with rain run-off from the basin walls alot of this would flush into the lake - not nice to swim in on a summers day, brown mullets should be left for the Ganges. At least a steel shovel (there was one at Gordonvale which would be more useful at Rhona) supplied by Parks would enable deeper holes to be dug in the rooty terrain. A pod like the ones on the Arthurs would be an obvious solution - I guess that would require maintaining, & since it is not on the overland track they are probably not interested.

As a side note on parks maintenance - when we did the Western Arthurs last November we were the first party at High Moor for some months. The last party through had stupidly left the lid off the toilet pod there & it was overflowing with clear water - ie. all the waste had been flushed out of it to run down to the flats of High Moor. Anyone who has been there knows the only water source at this camp is a trickle near the platforms which is run-off from up the hill. Thankfully none of us got gastro from this; really poor maintenance from Parks tho, even tho it was off-season you'd think they'd do more regular checks. I contatcted Parks on this matter on my return and they really didn't care, a pretty piss-poor attitude from the body who is supposed to care for & maintain our beautiful wilderness areas! Sorry to get off subject a little, but these less trodden (ie. less trodden than the revenue-raising overland track) areas really need to be maintained a little better, if not more so because of their more fragile environments.

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Re: Rhona

Postby walkinTas » Tue 04 Nov, 2008 4:06 pm

ollster wrote:Beautiful place, nice pics!

...When we were there last Feb there were "poo holes" very near to, and even IN the campsite. Not very happy about that, as I managed to pitch my tent right beside one (it was old, but still).


I am so getting sick of people who take their toilet break on or near tracks and by the edge of lakes and streams. Sadly there are still people on these forum who believe that carrying a trowel is a luxury not a necessity. It does not matter whether you want to urinate or defecate, please walk 100 metres away from the track and away from any stream (or lake), dig an eight inch deep whole and cover it when finished. Don't urinate on plants, for many plants this will kill them (especially true in alpine areas).

Next time you go to the toilet in the bush, just imagine 20 or even 50 other people doing the same thing in the same spot. Then imagine sleeping there.
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Re: Rhona

Postby Taurë-rana » Wed 05 Nov, 2008 8:26 pm

I was there 20 odd years ago and would love to go back, but I am being majorly put off! We travelled around Oz for a couple of years in a 4WD and found this so often, as well as garbage just dumped at campsites, and still do. So many people don't care where they take a dump, they're not going back there. I don't understand the mentality of people who go out into the bush, then trash it.
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Re: Rhona

Postby Whos_asking99 » Sun 09 Nov, 2008 7:09 am

Marky wrote:Had a group of 15 wakling in the day I was walking out. School kids.


Awesome pictures Marky, didnt make it that far when the school group I was with of around 15 kids walked that track, strangely enough around the same time as you it seems....
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