Southern Ranges & PB from Lune River to Cockle Creek
Posted: Sun 12 Mar, 2017 1:05 pm
Anyone thinking of doing Southern Ranges and PB, I hope you may find some useful information here.
Five of us flew in to Hobart from Adelaide on 21st Feb 2017. Dennis from Huonville / Geeveston Taxis (0427971015) picked us up from the airport right on time. He had previously stopped at Anaconda to get some gas for us as we arrived too late. He took us to the Huonville Grand Hotel where we stayed that night after grabbing last minute supplies at Woolworths (Huonville). Accom is about $35 ea per night. Twin rooms. Good meals and friendly staff. Dennis picked us up the next morning about 7-30 and took us to the Old Quarry Road, start of the Southern Ranges Track. Total taxi fare was $340.
Day 1. We were hoping to make it to Pigsty Ponds but one of the guys in the group didn't fill up with water at the first creek (5 mins in). It was a warmish day and by the time we made it to next decent water supply (Bullfrog Tarns) the damage was done. He started falling further behind and we pulled stumps at Hill 1/2 Saddle. Good water supply. Beautiful night but wind picked up about midnight.
Day 2. Up early and on the track before 8am. Short day to Pigsty Ponds. Weather was ordinary. Light rain, windy and cloudy. Mt LaPerouse was hidden.Good water supply.
Day 3. Early start again. Weather still ordinary but we were now behind schedule. We wanted to make it to Leaning Tea Tree. By the time we made it to Ooze Lake, it was very cold, windy and still raining. We pushed on past Pindars Peak. (Gale force winds, horizontal hail) On through the scrub to Smiths Saddle. Track was well marked even with limited visibility (50m)
Stopped at a disappointing Smiths Saddle campsite. Squeezed 3 tents in with mine pitched on sodden ground. Limited water along the way. Fill up at Ooze Lake.
Day 4. Up early again and on our way before 8. More scrub! Still cold and windy but with the occasional sunshine breaking through. Stopped for lunch just before Mt Whylly. Sun started poking through a bit harder. Pushed on through light scrub after sidling Mt Whylly and made it to Whylly Plateau by early afternoon. Nice wide open area with plenty of good tent sites and wonderful views although I wouldn't want to have been here on a windy night! Wind had dropped off completely, sun came out and we decided to stay the night here. Dried out all our gear and had relaxing afternoon. Reasonable water supply but probably not good after a dry spell. Fill up along the way at any opportunity.
Day 5. We needed to make up a bit of time today so we pushed through to the top of PB. Lots of scrub! Karemucha Moraine has plenty of boulders to scramble over. Had lunch at Low Camp. Took the wrong track to PB and wasted about 1/2 an hour before getting back on track. Limited water from Whylly Plateau. Topped up at the waterfall as you begin the steeper ascent up PB.
Reasonably straight forward climb up PB. A little bit of scrambling but nothing too scary. Poor tent sites at Plateau Camp. Plenty of space but rocky, tree roots, and sloping. Weather was sensational, not a breath of wind all night. Great views 360 degrees. Average water from a soak on the track to PB summit about 50 metres south of campsite.
Day 6. Down the other side. Reasonably straight forward. I was a little worried about dropping over the edge but it is deceivingly less steep than the ascent. A couple of nice little spots to stop as you make your way along the base of the cliffs. Fill up with water at the waterfall as there is no water until you reach the creek at the bottom. Long hard haul down to Cavern Camp. Be careful as you reach the limestone rock toward the base. Even solid looking ground can be a hole full of leaves and mulch. One of our group was very lucky not to break a leg when his foot disappeared into a hole. We did plan to make it to Prion but we'd had enough. Caven Camp is nice except for mozzies, good flat tent sites. Cooked dinner on the banks of the Lagoon with a light breeze keeping the Mozzies away.
Day 7.Waded down a low level Lagoon in the morning. Really pleasant in nice weather with low water level. Rocks eventually give way to a nice flat bottom. Spend as much time on the shore as possible. Cutting corners does not work. Managed to cross the main creek by wading out a bit further. Just on testicle depth! Two of our party went inland to cross the log but this took them about half an hour longer! Took about 2 hours to reach the boat crossing.
After crossing Milford Creek, the South Coast track has been rerouted through Melaleuca Scrub. They have done a very poor job! Really hard slog pushing through. We saw a large group head past the boat crossing to the end of the sandbar where they waded across the river at about chest deep. If the weather is nice (as it was) this is a far better option! Made it to Surprise Bay that night.
Day 8 & 9. Spent the last 2 days heading out on South Coast Track.
Rang Dennis when we came into phone range near Cockle Creek (Telstra only) He picked us up and took us back to Huonville Grand hotel and the on to Hobart the next day. Again it was about $340 for 5 of us.
In retrospect. I have done the SC Track, Western Arthurs, A few trips around The Walls, Mersey Valley, Never Never and Overland Track. (If you want to know anything about that area, I should be able to answer most questions.) The Southern Ranges was by far the most demanding walk I have been on, but probably the most rewarding. Keep your pack light!
Five of us flew in to Hobart from Adelaide on 21st Feb 2017. Dennis from Huonville / Geeveston Taxis (0427971015) picked us up from the airport right on time. He had previously stopped at Anaconda to get some gas for us as we arrived too late. He took us to the Huonville Grand Hotel where we stayed that night after grabbing last minute supplies at Woolworths (Huonville). Accom is about $35 ea per night. Twin rooms. Good meals and friendly staff. Dennis picked us up the next morning about 7-30 and took us to the Old Quarry Road, start of the Southern Ranges Track. Total taxi fare was $340.
Day 1. We were hoping to make it to Pigsty Ponds but one of the guys in the group didn't fill up with water at the first creek (5 mins in). It was a warmish day and by the time we made it to next decent water supply (Bullfrog Tarns) the damage was done. He started falling further behind and we pulled stumps at Hill 1/2 Saddle. Good water supply. Beautiful night but wind picked up about midnight.
Day 2. Up early and on the track before 8am. Short day to Pigsty Ponds. Weather was ordinary. Light rain, windy and cloudy. Mt LaPerouse was hidden.Good water supply.
Day 3. Early start again. Weather still ordinary but we were now behind schedule. We wanted to make it to Leaning Tea Tree. By the time we made it to Ooze Lake, it was very cold, windy and still raining. We pushed on past Pindars Peak. (Gale force winds, horizontal hail) On through the scrub to Smiths Saddle. Track was well marked even with limited visibility (50m)
Stopped at a disappointing Smiths Saddle campsite. Squeezed 3 tents in with mine pitched on sodden ground. Limited water along the way. Fill up at Ooze Lake.
Day 4. Up early again and on our way before 8. More scrub! Still cold and windy but with the occasional sunshine breaking through. Stopped for lunch just before Mt Whylly. Sun started poking through a bit harder. Pushed on through light scrub after sidling Mt Whylly and made it to Whylly Plateau by early afternoon. Nice wide open area with plenty of good tent sites and wonderful views although I wouldn't want to have been here on a windy night! Wind had dropped off completely, sun came out and we decided to stay the night here. Dried out all our gear and had relaxing afternoon. Reasonable water supply but probably not good after a dry spell. Fill up along the way at any opportunity.
Day 5. We needed to make up a bit of time today so we pushed through to the top of PB. Lots of scrub! Karemucha Moraine has plenty of boulders to scramble over. Had lunch at Low Camp. Took the wrong track to PB and wasted about 1/2 an hour before getting back on track. Limited water from Whylly Plateau. Topped up at the waterfall as you begin the steeper ascent up PB.
Reasonably straight forward climb up PB. A little bit of scrambling but nothing too scary. Poor tent sites at Plateau Camp. Plenty of space but rocky, tree roots, and sloping. Weather was sensational, not a breath of wind all night. Great views 360 degrees. Average water from a soak on the track to PB summit about 50 metres south of campsite.
Day 6. Down the other side. Reasonably straight forward. I was a little worried about dropping over the edge but it is deceivingly less steep than the ascent. A couple of nice little spots to stop as you make your way along the base of the cliffs. Fill up with water at the waterfall as there is no water until you reach the creek at the bottom. Long hard haul down to Cavern Camp. Be careful as you reach the limestone rock toward the base. Even solid looking ground can be a hole full of leaves and mulch. One of our group was very lucky not to break a leg when his foot disappeared into a hole. We did plan to make it to Prion but we'd had enough. Caven Camp is nice except for mozzies, good flat tent sites. Cooked dinner on the banks of the Lagoon with a light breeze keeping the Mozzies away.
Day 7.Waded down a low level Lagoon in the morning. Really pleasant in nice weather with low water level. Rocks eventually give way to a nice flat bottom. Spend as much time on the shore as possible. Cutting corners does not work. Managed to cross the main creek by wading out a bit further. Just on testicle depth! Two of our party went inland to cross the log but this took them about half an hour longer! Took about 2 hours to reach the boat crossing.
After crossing Milford Creek, the South Coast track has been rerouted through Melaleuca Scrub. They have done a very poor job! Really hard slog pushing through. We saw a large group head past the boat crossing to the end of the sandbar where they waded across the river at about chest deep. If the weather is nice (as it was) this is a far better option! Made it to Surprise Bay that night.
Day 8 & 9. Spent the last 2 days heading out on South Coast Track.
Rang Dennis when we came into phone range near Cockle Creek (Telstra only) He picked us up and took us back to Huonville Grand hotel and the on to Hobart the next day. Again it was about $340 for 5 of us.
In retrospect. I have done the SC Track, Western Arthurs, A few trips around The Walls, Mersey Valley, Never Never and Overland Track. (If you want to know anything about that area, I should be able to answer most questions.) The Southern Ranges was by far the most demanding walk I have been on, but probably the most rewarding. Keep your pack light!