BASTION CASCADES - HIDDEN FALLS

[GerryDuke]

We headed off to Bastion Cascades yesterday with our guide Viv Blazely eagerly anticipating the discovery of the rest of the Bastion Cascades! Viv is one of the local 'owners' of the tracks for the Great Western Tiers who keep the tracks cleared for us. Viv is 77 years young and was a champion bike rider during the 1950's. Wiskeylover provided the 4WD drive from Delorane which enabed us to get to the start of the track. Saved about 30 minutes walk and Viv's and my legs a little more for not having to park in the quarry car park. There were only 2 very short boggy sections which would not have been suitable for a 2WD. This may not be the case if were not for all the recent rain and snow!

We reached the T junction of the track after a surprising 50 minutes. The sign an the start of the track suggests 4 hours return. The bottom of the main cascade is only 15 or 20 minutes to the left. A right turn takes you to a gap in the escarpment and then doubles back left to the top of the main cascade. From here the walk was off track across the stream and off to the left and up and up!

HIDDEN FALLS

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It was hard to believe these falls were only 15 minutes further on!

HUNTSMAN LAKE, QUAMBY BLUFF

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More to come,

Gerry

[GerryDuke]

Next stop was to the top of the falls and lunch where we were treated to the view towards Quamby Bluff above. Another 10 or 15 minutes.

Another 10 or 15 minutes further on we encountered two features known as Honeycomb Rock and Hidden Cave. They are adjacent to each other.


Viv advised that the locals called the rock Hidden Cave. Having seen nearby 'little brother' Stone Hut one could call this one Stone Apartment with 3 levels and ceiling high bay 'windows'.

HIDDEN CAVE (THE APPARTMENT)

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Unusual erosion in a rock just outside the appartment.

HONEYCOMBE ROCK AT HIDDEN CAVE

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(MORE TO COME)

[GerryDuke]

From the cave we then descended back down to the Bastion Cascade proper. Pretty much straight back down over a ladder like spot to negotiate the rock face. We were treated along the way to this very beautiful cascade. The cascade is in fact visible from Bastion Cascade and only a 5 or 10 minute scramble from the Cascade.

BASTION CASCADE #3

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Beautiful grotto.

Next the short scramble down the Bastion Cascade.

BASTION CASCADE

One more to come.

[GerryDuke]

I thought I would head up and negotiate the logs in front of Bastion Cascade above. I put my head up between the logs to be presented with this view to the right.

BASTION CASCADE #2

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My favourite!

We left Bastion Cascade at 2PM and arrived back at the car park at 3PM. We started the walk at 9.30AM

A great walk.

Gerry

[eggs]

Lovely photos Gerry

thanks for sharing

[flyfisher]

Beautiful Gerry, thanks for that. I've been to the Bastion Cascades and to stone hut but there are obviously many more treasures up that way.

Flyfisher

[cixelsyd]

Awesome photos! I am originally from a North American city and have only recently discovered Tasmania. I am continuously amazed at the beauty of Tassie. Looks like it was a great trip.

[Tassie Tigger]

Went to Bastion and Hidden Falls today, what an amazing walk!! We had a tour guide who knew the way well, for most of it anyway . There are plenty of mindblowing features on the way with the Hidden Falls being the absolute highlight. What a great place to go have lunch!

[Son of a Beach]

Sounds like a great trip, and beautiful pictures too. Thanks for the information about this little-known version of the walk.

[roseart]

I tagged along with Tassie Tigger plus a number of others yesterday.
This is one the must amazing places I have ever ventured into.
Our guide was an 80 year old youngster and without his knowledge we would never have discovered the Hidden Falls/ Vanishing Falls as well the Hidden caves and series of other water falls.
The beauty of the place need to be seen to be believed

[stepbystep]

Great report Gerry, love the caves and the 5th pic!!!

[GerryDuke]

Thanks SBS and others for your kind comments. I always wondered where that cascade was in pic 5.

Gerry

[sirius Tas]

Have walked most of the Meander Reserve but never been to these spectacular spots. It's amazing what can be just around the next corner or just a bit further up the creek...so to speak. Great photos Gerry.
These falls are definitely on my immediate to-do list....so many thanks for sharing this with us all.
I reckon this Reserve is one of the most spectacular of any in Tassie...an amazing place with so much to see.

[sirius Tas]

At this point in time, due to recent floods I understand that access has been cut at the Mother Cummings Rivulet which is just prior to the spur road access.

[forthferalz]

Any update on the state of the access? also other tracks in the area
http://www.touringtasmania.info/westmoreland_falls.htm

[Crum]

The bridges over both Mother Cummings Rivulet and the Meander River are still non existant so you would need to park at either end of the road and walk in after doing a bit of rock hopping. I'm also interested to know about Westmorland Falls as I'm keen on going for a stroll up there with the camera

[GerryDuke]

The link above on my site for Westmoreland Falls still applies Crum. The track which followed the stream is not there anymore. It is slow going rock and tree trunk hopping up the new creek!

Gerry

[forthferalz]

So would parks being always undermanned and cash strapped be able to fix any of these? The bridge at Tayatea wasn't done on schedule - still out too? Also it would be great if one of you put this walk into our much neglected wiki and could you guess overall walk time now for small slower person? Thx.

[Nic Haygarth]

Made my first trip to Bastion Cascades in about 25 years on Saturday. Fording Smoko Creek where the Meander Falls Road is out was OK and the walk up to the old car park at the quarry on Quarry Road only adds about 20 minutes each way to the trip. Saw my first tiger snake of the season. Saw some nice fungi too but failed to get a decent photo due to inability with macro lens. The cascades were fabulous. Bastion Creek is a smaller stream than Mother Cummings Rivulet or Smoko Creek but very similar in its cascades, chutes and falls. I didn't get to all of the cascades but will save them for another day. I just did a day trip, but returned to Smoko Creek next day to check out how high it was after rain. Too high for me to consider safe to cross, given more rain was coming during the afternoon, so I went in to Chasm Falls Instead. Mother Cummings Rivulet was much easier to ford. One photo of Bastion Cascades attached from Saturday.

[GerryDuke]

Such a beautiful area Nic. Interesting that John Cannon in his column in Saturday's Mercury devoted his article to the lack of replacement of the washed way bridges as discussed above.

[Nic Haygarth]

Yes, Gerry, I didn't see John's column but I imagine it will be an issue state wide in the future. I am trying to see all I can in forestry reserves while I can still get in there. The Meander Forestry Reserve is far too good to lose access to.

[nobes]

Hi All,

I walked the stone hut / bastion cascades circuit on Saturday. What a beautiful area. The rocks up there are massive.
The cascades were teaming down and there was a lovely flat bit of ground on the other side of the creek to cook up some late lunch.
I'd love to go back with a guide if anyone is thinking of going there this winter that knows their way around. Didn't find hidden falls this time but not disappointed either way.