Mount Maurice

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

Mount Maurice

Postby tastrekker » Thu 15 Jan, 2009 10:54 pm

I strongly recommend a trip up this diminutive peak in Tassie's north east. It is a rounded knob perhaps 500 metres in diameter and rising a mere 100 metres above the surrounding Maurice High Plains making it virtually impossible to see from any of the valleys below. Despite this, it commands spectacular views to the surrounding area.

On my first trip a few years ago, I climbed via Knights Road from the Diddleum Plains (south west) side of the peak as described in "The Abels." To my surprise, when I reached the summit, there were star picket track markers heading away in the opposite direction. When I checked the map later, it shows a track climbing from Maurice Road to the south east.

On 3rd January this year, I tackled Maurice Road from Ringarooma to find it was just 4-wheel-drivable for the 7km section where it climbs a ridge from Trenah. It is still possible to follow the overgrown walking track but I would not recommend it to anyone who is not experienced in off track walking.

My 3yo son was my only company for this trip and I convinced him to join me (on my back) by talking about the moon rocks on the summit. As an avid Lunar Jim fan, he was quite impressed with the cratered granite dykes which scatter a section of the summit. The mountain was ablaze with scoparia on top which we thought looked like an enormous giant's garden. The waratah on the lower slopes were also very impressive.
User avatar
tastrekker
Athrotaxis cupressoides
Athrotaxis cupressoides
 
Posts: 498
Joined: Thu 20 Sep, 2007 9:04 pm
Location: Lenah Valley
Region: Tasmania
Gender: Male

Re: Mount Maurice

Postby PeterJ » Mon 09 Feb, 2009 4:48 pm

A friend also recommended the mountain a few years ago, so I will have to go there when i am up north with a spare day or two. I presume you would suggest going by the Knights Road way.
User avatar
PeterJ
Athrotaxis cupressoides
Athrotaxis cupressoides
 
Posts: 449
Joined: Mon 24 Sep, 2007 5:06 pm
Location: Lenah Valley
Region: Tasmania
Gender: Male

Re: Mount Maurice

Postby ozzie041974 » Thu 26 Apr, 2012 12:28 am

I thought I would give a little update to this post as have just been up Mt Maurice with a friend and his 7 year old son. He had tried to find the start of the track a few years ago with no success and had not been back. If you follow the information in the Abels book it is a little out of date.
We came in from the A3 and turned onto the Camden Hill Rd C405 followed this for just over 7km and turned left onto Diddleum Rd, we followed for another 10km. Here you will find the turn off that I think tastrekker is referring to as Knights Rd. It is not signposted and I can find no mention of this name on any maps I have. The Abels describes the same to here. After turning off we came down to a bridge made from logs but with a lovely gravel road going right across not a dilapidated version. It turns out that the old logging track is no longer there but a freshly constructed one has taken it's place. I guess this follows fairly closely the old one with signs of logging everywhere. Just after the bridge is a turn to the right but we kept straight on following the road for approx 5kms or thereabouts. As the road turns to a more Northerly direction it goes up a small hill and off to the right across a culvert is signs of an old track at right angles to the road which must have been the original. This is it at position 46322646 on the Forrester Topo Sheet No:8415. At any rate the road ends a couple of hundred metres further on. At the moment anyway. It is also marked with orange tape at the moment. Time to walk.
Follow the old logging trail for couple of hundred of meters where off to the right is obvious signs of recent logging with a new track heading back off to the right. Ignore this and just a little further on you will come to the Mt Maurice Reserve sign hidden in the scrub. Past this another couple of hundred meters or so you will come to another sign marking the walking trail heading off to the bush on the right. Position 46994632.
From here the trail is fairly obvious and is marked with treated poles with little arrows. As you get further up to the other side of the very beautiful Myrtle forest the bush thickens up again and the markers become harder to find but at this time someone had marked the way with the same orange tape that was at the start.
That's it really. I can't say much about the views because quite frankly it was a shocking day with rain and wind visibility down to 100m at times. It was quite surreal in the rainforest though with the cloud misting through. There was however other unwelcome visitors. Leeches, and not just a few. We encountered more than I have ever seen before. The way up was bad but by the way back they were all waiting for us. We Literally had 30-50 or more climbing all over us at any one time much to my mates son's horror especially when the blood starting running down his face !. They were falling off bushes onto our faces and coats and if you stopped and looked at your feet there was heaps of the little buggers starting on the journey for blood. At one stage I looked at my mate and he had about a dozen dancing on top of his rain hood. Needless to say by the time we got back to the car and started stripping off in the pouring rain they were everywhere and we were well covered.
All the gear still had leeches on and in it when we threw it in the back of the cruiser. Just couldn't get all the little buggers off. Even the next day I had leeches attaching themselves to me in my car while sitting in town. I can only assume that after a nice warm April and now some decent steady rain this has brought them out in such numbers.
I hope we haven't turned my mates son off hiking for life ! Happy Hiking
ozzie041974
Nothofagus cunninghamii
Nothofagus cunninghamii
 
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed 23 Mar, 2011 8:48 pm
Region: Tasmania
Gender: Male

Re: Mount Maurice

Postby ozzie041974 » Fri 27 Apr, 2012 5:28 pm

I'm going to eat my own words here and now :roll: . I just came back from looking at a "current" Forester topo map and the road is called Knights Road as tastrekker said. Even the track is marked on the current Forester map. That will teach me for using out of date maps. Mine is dated 1979. I wonder if the leeches are marked on the current one too ! :lol:
ozzie041974
Nothofagus cunninghamii
Nothofagus cunninghamii
 
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed 23 Mar, 2011 8:48 pm
Region: Tasmania
Gender: Male

Re: Mount Maurice

Postby Vee » Sun 09 Dec, 2012 9:01 am

Hello
If anyone is planning to climb Mt Maurice via Knights Rd; there is a "new" locked forestry gate part way along Knights Rd. I would estimate approx 3 to 4 km from track start. Looks as if it has just been put in this week.
Cheers V
Vee
Nothofagus gunnii
Nothofagus gunnii
 
Posts: 43
Joined: Mon 09 Feb, 2009 6:37 pm
Region: Tasmania

Re: Mount Maurice

Postby mjdalessa » Sun 09 Dec, 2012 1:04 pm

Are you able to get a key for it?
Recent Peaks: Snowy South, Ben Nevis, Victoria, Blackboy, Bastion
mjdalessa
Phyllocladus aspleniifolius
Phyllocladus aspleniifolius
 
Posts: 590
Joined: Fri 06 Feb, 2009 10:28 am
Region: Tasmania

Re: Mount Maurice

Postby Luke » Mon 24 Dec, 2012 11:02 am

More of Tassie's forests "locked up"...
Luke O'Brien Photography
46 Melville St Hobart
http://www.lukeobrien.com.au
User avatar
Luke
Nothofagus cunninghamii
Nothofagus cunninghamii
 
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue 16 Feb, 2010 4:09 pm
Location: Hobart, TAS
Region: Tasmania
Gender: Male

Re: Mount Maurice

Postby north-north-west » Wed 09 Jan, 2013 6:48 pm

That's interesting.

I went looking for this thing yesterday morning, hoping to knock it off with something else before getting on the ferry. But I couldn't find any trace of the access. Now I know why.

Had to go and do Victoria and Arthur instead.
"Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens."
User avatar
north-north-west
Lagarostrobos franklinii
Lagarostrobos franklinii
 
Posts: 15058
Joined: Thu 14 May, 2009 7:36 pm
Location: The Asylum
ASSOCIATED ORGANISATIONS: Social Misfits Anonymous
Region: Tasmania

Re: Mount Maurice

Postby ollster » Wed 09 Jan, 2013 10:29 pm

north-north-west wrote:That's interesting.


NNW - the correct track start is in that set of GPX files I gave you access to a while back. :D
"I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member."
User avatar
ollster
Lagarostrobos franklinii
Lagarostrobos franklinii
 
Posts: 3983
Joined: Tue 02 Sep, 2008 4:14 pm
ASSOCIATED ORGANISATIONS: LoveMyGoat.com
Region: Australia

Re: Mount Maurice

Postby north-north-west » Thu 10 Jan, 2013 5:46 pm

Errrr, are you sure? I thought that stuff was all down south. Maybe I should look at them a bit closer . . .

Ta
"Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens."
User avatar
north-north-west
Lagarostrobos franklinii
Lagarostrobos franklinii
 
Posts: 15058
Joined: Thu 14 May, 2009 7:36 pm
Location: The Asylum
ASSOCIATED ORGANISATIONS: Social Misfits Anonymous
Region: Tasmania

Re: Mount Maurice

Postby ollster » Thu 10 Jan, 2013 7:58 pm

north-north-west wrote:Errrr, are you sure? I thought that stuff was all down south. Maybe I should look at them a bit closer . . .

Ta


Oh, now I think about it I didn't actually link you to my entire folder of tracks did I? Ah well, if you want the Maurice track let me know.
"I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member."
User avatar
ollster
Lagarostrobos franklinii
Lagarostrobos franklinii
 
Posts: 3983
Joined: Tue 02 Sep, 2008 4:14 pm
ASSOCIATED ORGANISATIONS: LoveMyGoat.com
Region: Australia

Re: Mount Maurice

Postby north-north-west » Thu 10 Jan, 2013 8:12 pm

Linking to an entire folder of tracks sounds pretty cool, now you mention it. I'd reciprocate if there was anything on mine you hadn't already done . . .
"Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens."
User avatar
north-north-west
Lagarostrobos franklinii
Lagarostrobos franklinii
 
Posts: 15058
Joined: Thu 14 May, 2009 7:36 pm
Location: The Asylum
ASSOCIATED ORGANISATIONS: Social Misfits Anonymous
Region: Tasmania

Re: Mount Maurice

Postby ollster » Thu 10 Jan, 2013 9:35 pm

north-north-west wrote:Linking to an entire folder of tracks sounds pretty cool, now you mention it. I'd reciprocate if there was anything on mine you hadn't already done . . .


Done.
"I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member."
User avatar
ollster
Lagarostrobos franklinii
Lagarostrobos franklinii
 
Posts: 3983
Joined: Tue 02 Sep, 2008 4:14 pm
ASSOCIATED ORGANISATIONS: LoveMyGoat.com
Region: Australia

Re: Mount Maurice

Postby north-north-west » Fri 11 Jan, 2013 6:21 pm

XXXXXXXXX
"Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens."
User avatar
north-north-west
Lagarostrobos franklinii
Lagarostrobos franklinii
 
Posts: 15058
Joined: Thu 14 May, 2009 7:36 pm
Location: The Asylum
ASSOCIATED ORGANISATIONS: Social Misfits Anonymous
Region: Tasmania

Re: Mount Maurice

Postby bronwynjo » Mon 11 Nov, 2013 11:21 am

A group of us went for the walk up Mount Maurice via which was really overgrown but beautiful. :D We obtained a key for the gate, got in okay, but on our return we found we had been locked in! Some logging contractors had brought in machinery (on a Sunday) and a second lock was added to the gate. We waited almost three hours for someone from forestry to come in and free us! Apparently they had given us the key to a simple chain lock, but the real heavy duty lock is used normally and the contractors didn't realise we were in there. :( I was told that the gate will be opened in the future when logging is finished. Very sad really.
bronwynjo
Nothofagus cunninghamii
Nothofagus cunninghamii
 
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon 11 Nov, 2013 11:11 am
ASSOCIATED ORGANISATIONS: 1955
Region: Tasmania
Gender: Female

Re: Mount Maurice

Postby agistachys » Wed 13 Nov, 2013 1:06 pm

Very sad to hear that Mt Maurice is getting locked up. Walked to summit up by the track on west side & it passed through some exquisite NE rainforest. There is also a track from the Ringarooma side. I wasn't sure which of them was locked? Mt Maurice is one of the bigger Forest Reserves in Tas as distinct from forestry areas and it really should be kept accessible.
agistachys
Nothofagus gunnii
Nothofagus gunnii
 
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri 15 Oct, 2010 11:11 am
Region: Tasmania
Gender: Male

Re: Mount Maurice

Postby Peak Bagpiper » Mon 04 Jan, 2016 10:24 am

Went up to Mt Maurice yesterday in the hope that on the third attempt, I could stand on the summit with clear skies. Denied again! I've been up twice via the western side and once via the eastern side. For mine, the western side is the better walk.

The track can be challenging to get to but with the help of the Abels book and some notes I found in this thread, got there ok. I thought I'd stick some photos and instructions up here to encourage others to get there. It's not at all an epic climb, but the stuff along the way is pretty unique and well-worth a look.
Attachments
tech note 1.JPG
Tech note 2.JPG
Tech note 3.JPG
Tech note 4.JPG
The mountains are calling and I must pipe.
User avatar
Peak Bagpiper
Nothofagus gunnii
Nothofagus gunnii
 
Posts: 30
Joined: Sun 13 Jan, 2013 5:02 pm
Region: Tasmania

Re: Mount Maurice

Postby north-north-west » Mon 04 Jan, 2016 11:31 am

Peak Bagpiper wrote:Went up to Mt Maurice yesterday in the hope that on the third attempt, I could stand on the summit with clear skies.

So it's not just me.
"Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens."
User avatar
north-north-west
Lagarostrobos franklinii
Lagarostrobos franklinii
 
Posts: 15058
Joined: Thu 14 May, 2009 7:36 pm
Location: The Asylum
ASSOCIATED ORGANISATIONS: Social Misfits Anonymous
Region: Tasmania

Re: Mount Maurice

Postby Peak Bagpiper » Mon 04 Jan, 2016 12:07 pm

Apparently not, NNW! :)

I guess the other part of the problem is that when the cloudless days come by, I'm thinking more Barn Bluff than Mt Maurice. :lol:
The mountains are calling and I must pipe.
User avatar
Peak Bagpiper
Nothofagus gunnii
Nothofagus gunnii
 
Posts: 30
Joined: Sun 13 Jan, 2013 5:02 pm
Region: Tasmania

Re: Mount Maurice

Postby Chris » Mon 18 Jan, 2016 5:01 pm

Planning to go there this week after a failed attempt thanks to Forestry operations.
Thought i should check first whether 4WD is necessary.
User avatar
Chris
Athrotaxis cupressoides
Athrotaxis cupressoides
 
Posts: 422
Joined: Sat 08 Mar, 2008 1:14 pm
Region: Tasmania
Gender: Female

Re: Mount Maurice

Postby north-north-west » Mon 18 Jan, 2016 6:58 pm

Not unless they've deliberately mined the road.
"Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens."
User avatar
north-north-west
Lagarostrobos franklinii
Lagarostrobos franklinii
 
Posts: 15058
Joined: Thu 14 May, 2009 7:36 pm
Location: The Asylum
ASSOCIATED ORGANISATIONS: Social Misfits Anonymous
Region: Tasmania

Re: Mount Maurice

Postby Chris » Mon 18 Jan, 2016 11:01 pm

north-north-west wrote:Not unless they've deliberately mined the road.

Will report if thats's the case, provided we survive of course :lol:
User avatar
Chris
Athrotaxis cupressoides
Athrotaxis cupressoides
 
Posts: 422
Joined: Sat 08 Mar, 2008 1:14 pm
Region: Tasmania
Gender: Female

Re: Mount Maurice

Postby Russ17 » Sat 06 Feb, 2016 10:32 am

Hi Chris how did you go with your walk up Mt Maurice last month? was the track ok and easy enough to find/ follow? did you see any snakes about?

i was thinking of heading up there with a 2yo on my back and 5yo walking - do you think the track is in ok condition for this?

cheers

Russ
Russ17
Nothofagus gunnii
Nothofagus gunnii
 
Posts: 24
Joined: Mon 15 Jun, 2015 1:05 pm
Region: Tasmania
Gender: Male

Re: Mount Maurice

Postby Chris » Sat 06 Feb, 2016 5:11 pm

Russ17 wrote:Hi Chris how did you go with your walk up Mt Maurice last month? was the track ok and easy enough to find/ follow? did you see any snakes about?
i was thinking of heading up there with a 2yo on my back and 5yo walking - do you think the track is in ok condition for this?
cheer Russ

Thanks for prompting me Russ. I've been meaning to report since returning from a thoroughly enjoyable trip 2 weeks ago.
It was a bit harder to find than I expected, as I was trying to reconcile Peak Bagpiper's recent instructions and Chapman's Abels Vol One. Eventually I realised that they were taking different tracks :oops:
We never did manage to spot Simons Rd, but Knights Rd appeared on cue 10 Km along Diddleum Rd. It seems to have been signposted but the sign has been damaged:
Mt Maurice approach.jpg
Mt Maurice approach.jpg (401.44 KiB) Viewed 53990 times

From this point it's only 5-600 m to the bridge, near where Chapman's approach leaves.
Driving a further 5.8 Km (it seemed much further :) ) took us to the end of the road, near where the track we were aiming for departs.

We didn't see any snakes, but they may well have been hidden.
P1200358 Mt Maurice Email.jpg
P1200358 Mt Maurice Email.jpg (341.85 KiB) Viewed 53990 times

I took this photo (located a few minutes after the start of the track) initially because it indicated its age, referring to Forestry Commission rather than FT, but it also illustrates the height of much of the vegetation.
It does get higher than that though, and a 5 year old could be submerged :D - not necessarily a reason to not to do it, just worth being aware.

The route is generally very well marked, but does not seem to be used enough to leave a clear track. Not a difficult walk, but thoroughly enjoyable with the wide range of vegetation and interesting rocks. I definitely want to do it again. Should be great in December when the waratah will be in flower.
Of course I also want to see the magnificent views from the top. Our visit was during the peak of the smoke haze - knew we would miss out on the distant views of course, but it was at least somewhere to go for a walk away from active fires.
P1200367 Mt Maurice.jpg
P1200367 Mt Maurice.jpg (192.15 KiB) Viewed 53990 times
User avatar
Chris
Athrotaxis cupressoides
Athrotaxis cupressoides
 
Posts: 422
Joined: Sat 08 Mar, 2008 1:14 pm
Region: Tasmania
Gender: Female

Re: Mount Maurice

Postby Russ17 » Wed 22 Jun, 2016 2:18 pm

On the 12th June I headed out to hike up Mt Maurice. The initial plan was to go in from the western side but Knights Rd was danger taped off at the turn off from Diddleum Rd, possibly due to the recent heavy rains.

As a result I opted for the eastern access, continuing on Diddleum rd for a few hundred metres before branching onto Russells Rd then onto Maurice Rd to arrive at the eastern trailhead. Russells Rd was in ok condition, the secondary growth was encroaching in parts but just meant pulling the mirrors in. Maurice Rd was typically in ok condition until the ascent down to the Ringarooma River bridge. Here the road has some pretty deep washouts all the way down but is navigatable if you get out and choose your lines before heading down. A 4wd would be best in case you slip into a washout but no guarantee you would get out without help and undamaged. From the Ringarooma River bridge to the trailhead the road was fine but rough

The Mt Maurice east track was showing some storm damage in the initial parts with some debris over the track. It was quite wet in places but not bad to follow until a Mt Maurice sign is reached after a couple of kilometres. From here up to the plateau and trig the track is there but not always obvious as there are other animals pads crisscrossing around. There are intermittent tapes and track markers to assist here

It was freezing cold on the plateau with the wind chill, the ground was frozen underfoot and the tarns had a skin of ice on them. The views were nice

There was a visitors logbook container near the trig but this had been smashed. Beneath it is a wooden cross - does anyone know what this is?

All up it was close to 10kms and a 4hr, relatively easy to navigate, and not too strenuous walk.

I drove back out the way I came in with no dramas heading up the washouts by following my incoming tracks. No idea of the condition of the road between the trailhead and Trenah

Cheers
Russ17
Nothofagus gunnii
Nothofagus gunnii
 
Posts: 24
Joined: Mon 15 Jun, 2015 1:05 pm
Region: Tasmania
Gender: Male

Re: Mount Maurice

Postby Crawfinator » Sun 28 Aug, 2016 7:38 pm

Just climbed this today.

Ran it as a circuit with a mate, started from knights/diddleum intersection. The bridge is out at the start of Knights Rd but passable on foot. Had a GPS route to follow and think we probably took an old entry to the trail, ran straight past it, almost impossible to see, possibly a better entry further up knight?

Trail was stunning, Bush changed numerous times and was a great trail through the Forrest.

Bit of Bush bashing just before summit, but all of a sudden you are at the top.

Ran over the eastern side, and whilst this trail was a lot more overgrown, had some stunning sections and well worth the trip, ran off track a few times as a number of trees had blocked the path or it was a bit overgrown.

Eventually came out on Maurice Rd and ran back. Maurice Rd entry to trail is passable (maybe get a few scratches) with a 4wd.

23km circuit all up! The walk is thoroughly recommended!
Crawfinator
Nothofagus gunnii
Nothofagus gunnii
 
Posts: 26
Joined: Wed 24 Aug, 2016 9:22 pm
Region: Tasmania
Gender: Male

Re: Mount Maurice

Postby Chris » Wed 11 Jan, 2017 11:55 pm

Probably a silly question but if anyone has been there more recently was there any sign of the bridge being repaired?
User avatar
Chris
Athrotaxis cupressoides
Athrotaxis cupressoides
 
Posts: 422
Joined: Sat 08 Mar, 2008 1:14 pm
Region: Tasmania
Gender: Female

Re: Mount Maurice

Postby Crawfinator » Fri 13 Jan, 2017 8:29 am

Have a friend that walked up around 20th December - Started at the bridge as it is still out. 17.6km return from the bridge, much shorter if you go from the eastern track which is well worth it.

Fairly young forest around the base of the mountain, so couldn't see it as being a repair priority unfortunately!
Crawfinator
Nothofagus gunnii
Nothofagus gunnii
 
Posts: 26
Joined: Wed 24 Aug, 2016 9:22 pm
Region: Tasmania
Gender: Male

Re: Mount Maurice

Postby Chris » Fri 13 Jan, 2017 6:35 pm

Crawfinator wrote:Have a friend that walked up around 20th December - Started at the bridge as it is still out. 17.6km return from the bridge, much shorter if you go from the eastern track which is well worth it.
Fairly young forest around the base of the mountain, so couldn't see it as being a repair priority unfortunately!

Thanks Crawfinator. At least it's still accessible with a bit of extra walking - another surprisingly neglected walk with lots of interest.
User avatar
Chris
Athrotaxis cupressoides
Athrotaxis cupressoides
 
Posts: 422
Joined: Sat 08 Mar, 2008 1:14 pm
Region: Tasmania
Gender: Female

Re: Mount Maurice

Postby MrWalker » Wed 29 Mar, 2017 4:40 pm

The bridge near the start of Knights Rd is blocked by a big pile of rocks. I don't known whether the rocks are to repair the bridge, which has had most of the surface washed away, or they will be just left there as a permanent roadblock. :roll:
MrWalker
Phyllocladus aspleniifolius
Phyllocladus aspleniifolius
 
Posts: 505
Joined: Fri 25 Nov, 2011 11:14 am
Region: Tasmania
Gender: Male

Next

Return to Tasmania

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google Adsense [Bot], Google Feedfetcher and 21 guests