Bushwalk Australia

Hi Everybody,
This is my first post on here so please be gentle with me. I'm coming out to Tassie in December, 3rd visit, and this time my partner, who lives in Tas and I want to do some short walks so that I can do some photographs of waterfalls etc, Montezuma, Nelson and Russell falls are definitely ones I want to do.
I have been trying to figure out exactly what gear we need for this. I have spent a lot of time reading all your posts trying to find the answers to the following questions:
What type of clothing should we wear? Are long trousers best?
Should we wear gaiters?
Can we buy decent maps of the areas?

We both have good boots and packs and will be carrying wet weather clothing etc.
Secondly, I want to walk to the top of Mount Roland and reading the posts on here it seems a reasonable walk, but I have been told that you need to be superfit to do it, is this correct? and would it be safe to do it on my own? I'm 62 and only reasonably fit!

I'm sorry if this appears a bit vague but any advice is welcome. Hopefully I'll be moving out to Tassie in 2012 and be able to undertake more ambitious walks.
Thanks for all your help. Geoff

I'll start close to home.
A few weeks back I was up Mt Roland with a group of people who the eldest was 75. The walk (assuming you do the back track) is just a long steady climb.
The front track is steep as in STEEP. If your knees are dicky then don't go back down that way.
So no - you don't need to be superfit to do that one.

Clothing - it can be cold in December, known to have frosts low down and snow on highlands. Bring something to keep warm, this is Tasmania.
Long trousers - depends on sunburn and also if your skin is sensitive to abrasive scrub. Probably a good idea.
Gaiters - I've never worn them and am unlikely to, but that's a preference thing for me.
Obvious thing many worry about are snakes and leeches. Long trousers will obviously help.

Maps - there are good maps but on lousy paper and not cheap.
Depends on what purpose you want them for. Visitor information centres can be useful for maps and brochures of some areas and maybe freebies, but TasMap make better ones despite the paper.
Maybe your partner could visit Service Tasmania centres and see what is on offer. Not all areas are covered by each centre and may need to be ordered in.

Come and enjoy.

Well Nelson and Russell falls are like 5 minutes from the car park so no issues whatever you plan on wearing.
'super fit' is definitely not a requirement for Mt Roland, its a well marked and straight forward track whichever way you go.
People say the front is steep - well thats personal opinion - I didn't think so compared to other tracks in Tasmania.

Haven't been to Montezuma falls but the track notes online say 3hrs return.
From what you've said - wet weather gear and warm clothes should be enough.
Gaiters will be useful if venturing into anywhere in the South West or round the Overland.
But if your only walking a few hours, a little bit of mud isn't going to hurt too much.

I did montezuma last week in the rain, the track is wide and clearly marked the whole way. It has gentle inclines and about a 10 kms retrace walk. Even with the rain and some small mud puddles it was a very easy walk. It was whilst standing near the falls that we got the wettest from the spray off the falls, so you may need to bear that in mind with you camera.

We had our rain gear and gaiters on this walk as my husband and I prefer to wear gaiters on most of your walks.

THIS might be useful to you


ADDED LATER:
or better yet (i meant this link originally in fact) THIS
Liam

Even on shorter walks I think it's wise to take warm and waterproof clothing, particularly in winter, and in highland regions at anytime.
The 60 great short walks booklet has suggested gear lists for each walk: http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/?base=1315

Short easy walks to waterfalls? Tassie has quite a lot of those. Some I've done that that haven't been mentioned yet:
- Lobster Falls near Mole Creek
- Liffey Falls from the top car park.
- Hogarth Falls in Strahan (saw a platypus swimming below them just after sunset)
- Arve Falls at Hartz Mtns
- Snug Falls south of Hobart
- Halls Falls and St Columba Falls, both near Pyengana in the Blue Tier region
- Oxley Falls (off Lees Paddocks track)
- Dip Falls in Wynyard/Stanley region
- Detention Falls (same region, although I think the track may have since been closed)
- Waratah Falls (don't even need to walk to that one, it's in the middle of town)

For a slightly longer walk I agree with comments about Montezuma Falls. It's easy, mostly level (follows a disused mining tramway alignment).

Didn't you go to Lewis - the track is a bit harder to find than the one to Oxley.

Detention falls viewing platform was closed some time back.

you can add
Pelverata falls and slippery falls to that list (other side of hills west of snug falls) - 3 hr return really well marked track and good car access to trackhead.
Also Wellington falls off the pipeline track behind Mt Wellington
Billy Brown Falls (judbury) slippery in spots but easy ( my 3 and 6yo both did it last week)

for short walks i usually take a light waterproof outer layer (jacket that covers down past my butt) dont usually bother with overpants on short trips, i wear shorts n gaiters rather than long pants (only cool for the first 20 mins walking- the gradient will warm ya up!) WARM jumper/for under jacket when stopping to faff around with the camera, lunch etc. worth spraying your gaiters inside with Bushmans deet for leeches too...
If you go on longer walks you can leave your travel plans at the cop-shop aswell as a reliable relative too.... no one plans to mess up but better safe n all that- but shouldn't be needed for these shorter walks i guess.

you can get wind and wet = hypothermia, so if you have a wind & waterproof layer plus a warm dry change in your car you'll be OK on half day walks IMHO

Liamy77 wrote:you can add
Pelverata falls and slippery falls to that list (other side of hills west of snug falls) - 3 hr return really well marked track and good car access to trackhead.

Is there a track to Slippery Falls? Pelverata is less than an hour return.

Marriots Falls is a cracker of a short walk too.

you can see them both well from the same track. Slippery falls has a good view about 150m before the viewing platform for Pelverata Falls...Not as close up as pelverata but still 2 waterfalls for the walk of one eh! And yeah 1 hour is more accurate, but the sign says 3 hr return- so i was playin safe

Ah gotchya, I tried getting to Slippery Falls once but Pelverata Creek was flooded and dangerous to cross, was interested if there was a track from the other side of the valley or something.
Pelverata is best visited after a period of rain as the catchment is small, it is however a very impressive waterfall.

there is a "locally known" track up around the top of pelverata falls Left hand side up rock scree and ridge, but it has claimed a life before (slipped n fell- gravity can be a HARSH mistress!) so be careful.... i have done it about 14 years ago and went cross country, saw Nichols falls and cataract falls then out at snug falls .... it is off track but not in a "sensitive area".... much easier to drive around to snug really!

walkinTas wrote:Didn't you go to Lewis - the track is a bit harder to find than the one to Oxley.

Detention falls viewing platform was closed some time back.

No haven't been to Lewis wT although I do know of it. Just Oxley which we did on the way back from Lees Hut. It rained most of the trip, the track was awash in places and the falls were fairly roaring. The track was still open to Detention Falls when we went there. In hindsight I remember some orange tape lying on the ground near the viewing platform, but it appeared to be open and intact, and other walkers were there. Possibly shouldn't have been accessible at the time?

It is very easy to walk past the Lewis side track if you don't know what to look for.

walkinTas wrote:It is very easy to walk past the Lewis side track if you don't know what to look for.

Usually depends on if anyone has knocked off or replaced the little stones on the log.

stepbystep wrote: Is there a track to Slippery Falls? Pelverata is less than an hour return.

Just leave the track and go up the scree, a tad before reaching the creek coming over Pelverata Falls. There are usually a few cairns but not needed really. Once into the bush it is a short jaunt to the top of Pelverata Falls after crossing the creek and walking up to a disturbed area (from old vehicle access) you will see a pad going all the way round the escarpment to Silver Falls. A nice addition to the walk. You will find it quite straightforward Dan.