Into Lake Meston via Lake Bill or Myrtle

[philm]

We just completed a trip into WoJ and at Lake Meston we met some people who had just walked in from the forest road via the Lake Bill track.

Can anyone provide me with details of the track in and directions from the forest road - I think it is further south from the WoJ car Park?

Is the track easy to follow?
Happy for people to post here or PM me.

[pazzar]

There are two tracks down towards the end of Mersey Forest Rd. Jackson Creek track starts right at the end, and Lake Bill/Myrtle Track is about 1-2km before the end. Both tracks are very good and easy to follow.

[Nuts]

Yes, pretty easy to follow, pull off the road around 6ks sth of the Walls t/o. The carpark is obvious. Steady uphill on a good track through open forest. The track through the buttongrass on blizzard plains is a bit braided but there are a few markers here and there. Can be a bit wet in places, the creek crossings can be fun after heavy rain but otherwise an easy walk in (after the usual heart starting climb).

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[philm]

Great thanks for the advice - seems fairly straight forward. Really enjoyed the recent trip and hoping to get back there with my daughter aged 16 years later this year.

[Son of a Beach]

There's one short section on the Lake Bill track that can get overgrown with ferns (during Spring, I think?) enough to make it hard to follow. But this is only for a short section, and shouldn't be enough for anyone to actually get lost.

[philm]

Given there are two tracks - Jackson Creek and Lake Bill track is there any suggestions as to which is preferred? Are they similar distance is there any advantages in taking one rather than the other?

[Son of a Beach]

Note that the Jackson Creek track is no longer an officially maintained track and the beginning of it has been deliberately obscured. It is still there, if you know where to look for its fork off from the Moses Creek track and easy to follow for most of its length. However, we found it impossible to follow for a substantial distance approaching Lake Myrtle. We had to navigate with map and compass for a bit there.

[John_Fox]

Jacksons Creek would be shorter (it took us 3:20 in and 2:00 out with not spectacularly fit 12 year old).
It's quite a pretty track - just (as mentioned above) take care through the small flat valley at the top - it's worth picking up the cairns at the end of it which get you onto the track around the shore of the lake.
There's a gpx on sharemyroutes.com which, while inaccurate in the sketchy section, will show you where the track starts (am I allowed to say any more here?).
Treat yourself and spend a night camping at Lake Myrtle - lovely spot under Mt Rogoona.

[Haydynb]

Hi Philm

Walked into lake Myrtle on Monday the 1st. Car park is just after a sharp right then left turn, which is just after the 4th bridge crossing from the dam face.

Track is reasonably easy to follow but some parts of the climbing section can be a little tricky and require a second to clarify the right way. We left the car park at 8am, had quite a few short "breath" breaks and 20 minutes stuffing around just before crossing Blizzard plain (some box head was on his phone!) And arrived at Myrtle around 11.15am. Crossing blizzard is a bit hit and miss re the track, but its easy to see the end point thus no issue.

Found the walk from Bill to Myrtle boring with an abundance of low cloud meaning not much scenery...

Took us about 2 hr's 30 to get back.walk was just under 12 klms' car park is at approx 590 mtrs above sea level and the climb tops out at around 1000 mtrs. Pretty easy after the first 45 minutes even if you are not fit (like me).

Planning to go back on a nice day, want to summit Ragoona...

[Son of a Beach]

Full details on finding and following the Jackson Creek track are in this post: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=158&p=844