Mersey Forest Road - Alternate Access

[Nuts]

There are also some off-shoots from that marked FT track (on the map/route supplied by FT) that, while maybe not showing so, will take you out to other areas that they probably don't want accessed yet.

Even among local bushwalkers, who we'd generally expect to be capable at driving such roads, there will be many less competent/experienced or equipped.

[taswanderer37]

Taswanderer37, I use Forestry roads to access occasional work sites so get keys in gated areas.
Yes the cost may seem exorbitant, but there might be other gates in area with same key and if someone loses a key (perhaps more importantly fails to return it) I imagine they have to decide whether to change the locks and resupply those that have access.
Wood theft is a real issue and a "mislaid" key, not returned would make easy picking for the unscrupulous.

There's more to access, than mere ability to drive from A to B.

Unfortunately we live in a very disciplined world when it comes to such things these days.

Thanks taswegian, my real issue here is that it would seem the key is not actually available, ( just going off the info on this forum) While i think quoted price is ridiculous,
I will pay it if thats whats required. I have done this a few times for other places in the state and it works just fine. At the end of the day its only a deposit. For me its more the whole principal of not letting anyone at all in, when Mersey forest road reopens and presumably Bare Hill road is unlocked it will all be open slather again for the wood hookers, car park theives, lost tourists and hopeless drivers, so in effect much worse than making a key available to those who go to the trouble of asking right now.
Nothing wrong with a disciplined world, but the restrictions are getting tighter and tighter every time, and really only because its the easy way out for the people making the rules.

[Paul]

As there is currently active logging on Borradaile, either stop ALL traffic, or none at all. As it is now, with only certain people ( land owners and tour operators ) allowed access to the key, it is DISCRIMINATION.

At other times before the Mersey Forest Rroad was washed out, when active logging was taking place on Borradaile, was any traffic stopped on Borradaile ? I have my doubts.

Paul.

[Krunel]

Was at woj earlier this week, in via Ada, met a couple of parkies and a tour group (both groups had keys to bare hill). I'm glad they have access. Still, it is disappointing about no access to ordinary citizens. One of the parks chaps mentioned security of machinery. Still, it's a missed opportunity to foster good will. I also asked about arm river they were suggesting the road is ok to the bridge that went out a few years back (but not access from maggs), that was good to hear.

[greyim]

Works proceding
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8jwnqn-gJU

[Davo1]

It was a sad enough day the when the gates were locked....
To see that tour groups have FT's blessing to enter is just rubbing salt into the wound.
If it's good enough for tours then it should be good enough for the likes of my wife, myself and others.
This business of one rule for one and one rule for another really does stink...and it hurts!

[Nuts]

Here's a newer one greyim: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2XsZOwn8ys
Not long now

At least WoJ isn't locked down with a permit system or private exclusion zones Davo...

[Davo1]

At least WoJ isn't locked down with a permit system or private exclusion zones Davo...

True Nuts but it's not even WOJ I want access to...

[DrAJR]

Any updates as to when MFR will be open to the general public? I'm involved in a trip to the Walls in a few weeks and will head in from Lake MacKenzie if the road is not open.

Thanks for any information

Tony

[tastrekker]

The expected completion date on the Flood Recovery web page was recently updated from March 2017 to April 2017.

[greyim]

Hmm, maybe not sell the Hydro; then this gate might be closed too

[Nuts]

Wandered along to check out the progress on (the authorised) public access, hearing the gravel sections are fixed, guess it's now down to this big hole nth of Parangana?:

[devoswitch]

Just wondering how this is coming along?

[north-north-west]

From the Tas Transport - Roadworks page:

Mersey Forest Road, owned by Forestry Tasmania, provides access for visitors to the Walls of Jerusalem walking track and was badly damaged by several major landslips with sections of the road and culverts washed away in the June floods. Repairs to Mersey Forest Road are being managed by the Department of State Growth on behalf of Forestry Tasmania.

Shaw Contracting (Aust) Pty Ltd has been appointed to complete these repairs. Works commenced in November 2016 and are expected to be completed by mid-May 2017.

Road might be open in a week or two if we're lucky.

You can keep up to date at http://www.transport.tas.gov.au/road/projects/flood_recovery_works

[devoswitch]

Thanks for that. I've never been into the area and I'm pretty pumped to check it out.

[grant evans]

Fish river bridge is going to be closed for repairs from mid May, for around six weeks.

[Tortoise]

Fish river bridge is going to be closed for repairs from mid May, for around six weeks.

Thanks a lot for that extra info too, Grant.

So if my brain is working, once the main roadworks are finished:

- we'll be able to access the Arm River Track as normal
- we may be able to access the WOJ if we can park before the bridge and walk the extra 1.5km ish to the car park (might need to bypass the bridgeworks I suspect)
- we won't be able to access Lees Paddocks, Lake Bill track etc until the end of June-ish.

Is that it?

[grant evans]

That's right. The bridge frame is steel with a timber deck. The frame has to be taken it Launceston to sandblast the lead paint off and be repainted. Couldn't be done until the road reopened.

[tastrekker]

Parks website is saying "Mid-June" for completing Fish River bridge repairs: Parks and Wildlife Service -
Track, Campsite and Reserve Closures and Re-openings

As for Arm River Track, before the floods, "normal" access was via Maggs Mountain. However, as far as I know, Maggs Road has not been fully cleared yet. Commercial walk operators have been picking their guests up from Arm Road where the bridge was removed about 1km north of the Arm River Track car park access road. It will be interesting to see what Parks say when they announce Mersey Forest Road is back.

[grant evans]

The bridge is going to take six weeks, they haven't started yet

[Nuts]

so much for FT adequately informing stakeholders. I do hope you needed to ask, Grant.

[GTL]

Typical BWA attitudes. Never *&%$#! happy. Why don't you head down there and fix it yourselves?

[Nuts]

Troll

[Paul]

Hello GTL - how many issues do you go and fix in your area ?

Paul

[grant evans]

I've got no issue with it, it's been on the p&w website since the 17 th April, they rang me about it a couple of weeks ago, if the Bridge needs fixing or isn't safe then it has to be done, I'm just simply give people the heads up on it. Certainly not into forestry bashing, if it weren't for them and the hydro we'd all be walking a *&%$#! lot further to get to places.

[north-north-west]

... we won't be able to access Lees Paddocks, Lake Bill track etc until the end of June-ish.

Just have to walk along the road to the trackhead, assuming we can get over the river.
Frustrating. Lees Paddocks and a return to the Cathedral Plateau are near the top of my 'To Do' list.

[Nuts]

Thanks for the heads -up Grant

[SergeantMcFly]

Mersey Forest Road is back open to public use per Forestry Tasmania's Facebook page. Here's the text:

"Mersey Forest Road providing access to the Walls of Jerusalem National Park will reopen soon
We are pleased to announce that the repair of Mersey Forest Road will be completed and will reopen for public access on
13 May 2017.
Please note that the Fish River Bridge, some 1.4 kilometres short of the Walls of Jerusalem National Park parking area, is closed for a necessary refurbishment, and access via Mersey Forest Road beyond this bridge will be limited until the works are completed at the end of June 2017.
A temporary parking area will be made available before the bridge with appropriate signage and a temporary ford will be available for walkers to cross the Fish River and access the national park.
Access to the upper reaches of Mersey Forest Road known as the Lee’s Paddock area, commonly used by walkers accessing the Cradle Mountain – Lake St Clair National Park from the east, will remain closed to vehicles until the Fish River Bridge refurbishment is completed."

[north-north-west]

*does Snoopy dance*

[onward]

Photos NNW or it didn't happen