Mount Field National Park and surrounds

We left Bothwell at 8:45 this morning, Thursday, 6th March, and headed for Mount Field National Park. We were unaware that it was a long weekend in Tasmania, so when we arrived just before 10 a.m., all the powered sites were already taken. Fortunately, we arrived early enough to secure the last unpowered site, which provided enough sunlight among the trees for our solar panels.

At the visitor center, we asked for information about the Three Falls Walk, which features Russell Falls:

Horseshoe Falls: 

Lady Barron Falls:

And the Tall Trees Walk. The trail includes 440 steps, and some steeper sections do not have steps. In total, we covered a distance of 7.2 kilometers in two hours and thirty minutes.

After stopping to photograph Russell and Horseshoe Falls, we walked through the tall trees, many of which were over seventy meters tall.

We considered towing the van to camp at Ted's Beach by the shore of Lake Pedder, but ultimately decided against it due to the long weekend crowd. Instead, we chose to drive there with just the Chevy to explore the area, and we are so glad we did. The drive was lovely, and the scenery was spectacular. However, the journey could have been quite challenging, mainly because of the road conditions. The road was narrow in places, and oncoming traffic often strayed over the center line.

This artwork, 'Bitumen Bones,' responds to South West Tasmania's beautiful but often harsh environment.

The Teds Beach camping area offers a view of the lake; however, it is pretty tiny and sloping, and the location was already busy when we arrived.

 

We then proceeded to Strathgordon to inquire about lunchtime options at the Pedder Wilderness Lodge before continuing our journey to Gordon Dam. The weather was beautiful, with just a slight breeze blowing.

 

At Strathgordon, we saw a display of Huon Pine salvaged in 1975 before the dam was filled. These trees can live for over three thousand years, and this particular tree is approximately two thousand two hundred years old. The CSIRO has dated it by examining the growth rings, which reveal dates over time.

I have enlarged two sections to make the dates easier to identify. Unfortunately, some lowlifes have removed the plaque marking the birth of Jesus Christ. In the second photo, the last plaque, which is difficult to read, references this tree that was felled in 1975.

Unfortunately, I have an irrational fear of some heights, and although I wanted to climb down to the dam wall, it would never happen, so I settled for taking photos from above. Ros went down several flights of stairs but not to the bottom.

Afterward, we drove back to the Pedder Wilderness Lodge for lunch, where we enjoyed brisket burgers, sweet potato fries, and beer while overlooking Lake Pedder.

Over two thousand people lived in this area during the dam and power station construction, which included all the necessary facilities to sustain a small town. Today, it serves as accommodation for crews who maintain the power station and is available for visitors.

 

On our third day at Mount Field National Park, we decided to take a break and relax. We have been fortunate with the weather; the past three days have featured perfect conditions and beautiful blue skies. We drove eight kilometers to Westerway, where we visited a strawberry and raspberry farm. We purchased raspberry and blackberry jam there and enjoyed some delicious raspberry ice cream before returning to the van. The punnet of strawberries we bought was the best we have ever tasted.
 
We sat outside, savoring a beer before lunch, and then spent a very quiet afternoon.

 

We inquired with the caretaker about driving to Lake Dobson, and she informed us that our vehicle would likely face challenges on the narrow track, especially with oncoming traffic. Additionally, Ros is currently experiencing severe back pain, which is another reason to avoid making the trip..