Bushwalk Australia

I am planning a multiday walk into the Walls in February 2016. What sort of vehicle is required to get to the carpark? I need to hire a vehicle but have been told by some people that the road is only good to Lake Rowallan & I would have to walk the rest of the way. To get further 4WD is required but is that high clearance/low range or would an SUV be OK with AWD? Hope someone can help me as I can't find out much about access.

Except in winter the WOJ car park is 2WD, with a reasonable clearance. Just take care, drive at a safe speed and keep the headlights on while moving. In the car that is. As far as I'm aware PWS does not require walkers to carry and use headlights. I've always backed into the parking slot. The first water is usually a creek abut half way to the hut.

In all likelihood, you'll be perfectly fine. You won't need a 4WD in Feb. It's pretty much your usual (slightly bumpy) gravel road.

Parks say: Bushwalkers must walk up into the park from the carpark located off the gravel Mersey Forest Road near Lake Rowallan. The carpark is reached by following the Mersey Forest Road to Lake Rowallan, and then taking the gravel road on the left just after the Fish River.

Just make sure you park in a position where you can't be parked in if the carpark fills up while you're away walking.

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Technically speaking your biggest issue from an insurance / liability point of view might be whether or not your allowed to take your hire car on the gravel road.

The road is generally pretty good apart from the fact it could do with a good grading.
Seems to have lots of chunky stones that really give your tyres and suspension a good punishing.

Azza wrote:Technically speaking your biggest issue from an insurance / liability point of view might be whether or not your allowed to take your hire car on the gravel road.

Most of the hire car firms will only permit you to take your car on a "made road", but that is not a problem here.
Some may not permit you to take them anywhere but a "sealed road", which will prevent you getting there.
Most will have a higher excess if anything goes wrong while not on a sealed road and they may not permit you to pay extra insurance to reduce that excess. For some the excess is quite low ($500), but for others it is absurdly high ($10,000).
Apart from that many will not cover any events causing the vehicle to be struck by objects on the underside of the car. So be very careful driving over any rocks.

Check the fine print on your hire car policy before signing up, noting that you cannot possibly go anywhere interesting in Tasmania without driving on unsealed roads.

It would be prudent to take a lot of pictures of the car so that any alleged damage can be proven to be so, or not. There's cases where vehicle rental firms have claimed damage to be paid by the person renting the vehicle, and it's been found that the damage existed at the start of the hire.

Hi,
We parked our hire car in the WOJ carpark for a week over Christmas with no problems. I was a bit apprehensive as it's a bit of a risk but we took out domestic travel insurance rather than paying extra through the car rental company. I don't think the road would be a problem in February,there's a few potholes so just go slowly once you're on the unsealed bit. We hired an AWD and that was fine.

Whilst it is OK for a 2wd with care it has always puzzled me that given the popularity of the WOJ National Park the road access is so poor. Surely it wouldn't be too much to ask to upgrade this road.

Grindelwalddave wrote:Whilst it is OK for a 2wd with care it has always puzzled me that given the popularity of the WOJ National Park the road access is so poor. Surely it wouldn't be too much to ask to upgrade this road.

But just imagine the kind of people that would overrun the area if access was made easier. Leave the road as it is IMO.

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''

bottom line


the road is a disgrace

it is all pudding stone, no gravel.

id suggest a rock crusher boys...


get those subarus in an out intact.

Edited quote from above post.

I don't mind people. But this is a very sensitive area.

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Strider wrote:I don't mind people. But this is a very sensitive area.

That's the key. If it's too easy or too well promoted then all and sundry will go, thus destroying the very qualities that make it appealing. I've never found the road to be an issue, even in winter. Further, an unsealed road makes people drive slower, which is good for minimising vehicular collisions and preserving wildlife. Whilst there may be some parts of the unsealed road that need attention, in general it's fine.

This is not elitism, just a simple fact that those of lesser ability, fitness, stamina and experience must go to more modest places. Then, after a few years of walking - preferably with a club or experienced friends - the individual will have enough capacity to go to places like the WOJ safely, and most probably enjoy it more than if this sort of area was tackled earlier.

The words of Joni Mitchell come to mind:
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot.
With a pink hotel, a boutique
And a swinging hot spot.
Don't it always seem to go,
That you don't know what you've got
'Till it's gone.
They paved paradise,
And put up a parking lot.

Grindelwalddave wrote:Whilst it is OK for a 2wd with care it has always puzzled me that given the popularity of the WOJ National Park the road access is so poor. Surely it wouldn't be too much to ask to upgrade this road.

Perhaps this will answer your query ?
http://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/365 ... air/?cs=87