WOJ alternatives for multi-day & overnight hiking

[joyburton]

I'll be in Tas next week for 1 week with a small hire car, my main aim to go hiking around the alpine/western areas. I was planning to go to Walls of Jerusalem and spend a few days around that area, and then head somewhere else for a day or two. But I just found out the roads are closed, so need an alternative plan! I'm fit, experienced and adventurous, have all the gear but will be on my own and without a GPS so would rather not go off-track too much.

I might even take on Frenchman's Cap if the weather isn't too bad.

Open to suggestions! Too late notice to order maps so the trails would have to be marked with cairns at least.

[Nuts]

Frenchmans Cap, Pine Valley for that matter. Some huts on both if the weather takes up a few days.
You can purchase maps at the Lake St Clair visitor centre (a good idea).

[joyburton]

Thanks Nuts. Pine Valley is on the Overland Track, so that would mean you have to make a booking?

[Nuts]

No, the sections of track south of / to Pine Valley and it's surrounds are exempt from the OT booking.

[alanoutgear]

A couple of years ago we did the WoJ and walked in from the SE and didn't see another person till we got to the Walls. This would avoid you going near the closed roads and heaps of day walkers. We drove to Liaweenee, then out past the old Antarctic Training Base near Lake Augusta to Ada Lagoon where the road ends. When we were there the road was eminently 2WD-able, and there we quite a few trout fishers at Ada Lagoon.

From there we headed west-ish then south-ish along a pad to Lake Antimony, then up the Pine Creek Valley, via Silver Lake and Lake Sonja to Lake Ball and the WoJ area. You come into the Walls at Dixon's Kingdom which I my opinion is the best place to base yourself for a few days. From there you could return down the Powena Creek Valley via Lake Fanny and back to Ada Lagoon.

From there you could head south to Bronte Park, turn right (west) and head to Derwent Bridge for some time at St Clair. Would take you just over an hour on mostly sealed roads.