July 2020
After our mini road trip the week before we were ready to go on a real adventure so we packed the car once more and set off for Strathgorden, the town at the end of the road. When we left we packed five days worth of food and enough water to last a week because we were heading for a town literally in the middle of nowhere. Strathgorden is 210km from Cygnet and the nearest road stop is 90km out of town which means once you arrive you have to be fully self sufficient with food, water and fuel. However living on Allagai for the last year meant that we were already well aqquainted with living off-grid so a week on our own didn’t faze us too much.
We left Cygnet about mid-morning with the aim to stop for the night in Styx Forest. While researching the area we had come across the small area of protected forest which had been the site of many protests over the years. The Styx Tall Trees Forest Reserve is the home to some of the largest trees in the southern hemisphere with some trees up to 90m tall and 20m round. When we arrived we were amazed by what we saw and stopped to enjoy the national parks designated short walk through the giant trees. However our research had uncovered that this wasn’t the only walk, according to a brochure by The Wilderness Society there were many walks throughout the forest you just had to now where to look. The walk we had decided on was called the Tolkien Track, although given that it was getting late in the afternoon by this point we decided to find a spot on the side of the road to pull off and set up camp for the night and complete the walk the next day.
The following morning we were up with the sunrise and ready to find the beginning of the Tolkien Track. With no data signal on our phones and only a sketchy download on google maps we had to try and use the mud map drawing depicted on the brochure to guide us to the trail. So we followed the basic directions in the brochure until we eventually stumbled upon a little wooden sign hidden away on the side of the road and nearly completely covered in undergrowth. After a little luck and some searching we had found the beginning of the Tolkien Track and were soon very glad to have found it. This track was completely different to the park dedicated track we’d walked yesterday. This track wove its way through about six giant trees some with history on the tree sit protests that had happened here in the early 2000’s. We spent about and hour wandering along the tracks that led to all the different giants, marvelling at the size of their trunks and awed by their ages as some would be well over 500yrs old. Following our slow amble through the trees we headed back to the car as we still had to drive about 80km to reach Strathgorden.
However as usual we once again got distracted on our way to Strathgorden. Before heading off on this road trip I had researched the area extensively because I knew that for the most part we would be out of phone range. Throughout my research I had come across many different walks and one in particular which was I was really keen to do was a track called The Needles. We actually kind of stumbled across this one by accident. We were not far from Strathgorden by this point when we had rounded a bend and this huge, breath taking mountain rose up in front of us. We were awed by the sight and wanting to know the name of the beautiful mountain I had brought up the map and quickly realised that this was in fact the range known as ‘The Needles’ and was one of the mountains we were looking at climbing.
The start of this track track was located opposite a huge sign which states you have reach the highest point on the road at 651m. So we parked the car in the pull off next to the sign and after a quick snack headed off for our impromptu walk. This was a truly spectacular walk but had been devastated by bush fires over a year ago and so much of the vegetation was gone. All that was left were the charred remains off trees and the occasional area of new growth. However we didn’t let this dampen our moods too much and continued on climbing, sticking to the track so we didn’t damage any newly growing plants. It wasn’t long into the walk that we started to get some spectacular views of the surrounding mountain ranges.
This was fast becoming my favourite short walk but as amazing as the views were it wasn’t all that easy. The first part of the track was fairly muddy and flat while the second part was a continuous uphill climb which for the last 100-200m was nearly vertical and brought you to the top of the peak at 980m. However our efforts were well rewarded. The view from the top was spectacular we could see the lakes surrounding Strathgorden in the distance, amazing views of the rest of the mountain range around us and could even see our little car sitting at the bottom of the walk and the road snaking away from it. For our first inland adventure of Tasmania we couldn’t have picked a better spot to visit and so spent some time at the top just marvelling at the view and at where we were. However eventually we had to start the climb down as we still had a little way to go that day and it was already approaching mid afternoon. The climb down was no less amazing or challenging and when we reached the bottom we headed straight for the car and enjoyed a late lunch before heading off.
On arriving in Strathgorden we quickly passed the town by, as other then a motel the town was empty, and headed straight out the road that led to the Gordon Dam. This road was actually just the continuation of the one which we’d been driving on for the last 100km. It was only about another 10km later that we arrived at the dam having passed Lake Pedder and Lake Gordon along the way. The dam was an amazing feat of man made engineering at 140m tall and 192m long it was quite an astounding thing to see. Although when we arrived it was getting fairly late in the day so after a quick look we decided to return in the morning so we could properly appreciate the area. So after our glimpse of the dam through the windscreen we turned around to find somewhere to camp for that night, which in the end was the car park of a boat ramp near the Serpentine Dam.
This was a lovely spot to spend the night. We were the only people it seemed for miles and were lucky enough to be right on the waters edge. When we woke the following morning it was to the quiet sounds of nature and a gentle fog rolling over the lake. However it was truly freezing, although given that we had decided to come to the rugged South West Tasmania in the middle of winter we hadn’t really expected anything less. So after packing the car and camping gear away we quickly took cover in the car with the heater pumping and headed off for another day of exploring.
The first thing we decided to do that morning was check out the nearby Serpentine Dam which although it wasn’t quite as spectacular as the Gordon Dam it was still an immense achievement in Engineering. This was only a fairly quick stop before we headed back to the Gordon Dam where we decided to complete the walk along the top of the wall.
When we arrived the fog was still thick on the nearby mountains but thankfully the wall was clear. Walking out along the wall was one of the eeriest things I have ever done. On one side of the wall was a lake filled nearly to the brim, while on the other side was the remnants of the Gordon River and a 140m shear drop. We were amazed by the work that had to gone into creating this wall and left the dam feeling a little awed by what man could achieve but also a little saddened by the landscape that was destroyed in its creation.
Following our visit to the Gordon Dam we decided to head back towards Strathgordon and drive out to the Scotts Peak Dam. To get to this dam we had to travel 40km out from Strathgordon, retracing our steps from the day before to a junction which led out the the Scotts Peak Dam. While on the way there we passed more stunning mountain ranges which were made all the more beautiful by the remaining fog from that morning. What made the fog truly spectacular though was the way that it was starting to burn off as the day was heating up and leaving trailing wisps behind along the mountain peaks and in the valley’s where the lakes were located. We could even see the towering peak of Mt Anne in the distance which was sparkling white as it was capped in a layer of snow. That morning we couldn’t have asked for better weather after the dreary start to the day and arrived at the dam a little after lunch.
Again we were astounded by the engineering which had gone into creating this dam and spent some time walking along its top. While down that way we also decided we might as well go to the very end on the road where there was meant to be a lookout point. Again the entire drive out to the lookout we were awed by the scenery passing out our windows, especially as the fog that was still hanging around was creating breath taking vistas. But eventually we arrived at the lookout, via a track which required a little more 4WD’ing then expected to see yet another stunning view.
The lookout was situated on a hill above Lake Pedder and had a 360 degree view of the surrounding mountain ranges. We were both blown away not expecting to see such a spectacular lookout in such an easy spot to access. With such an amazing view we decided to spend some time at the lookout and sat back with a cup of afternoon tea and enjoyed the peace. However days in a Tasmanian winter are short and it was approaching the late afternoon so following our little afternoon stop we jumped back into the car and headed off, in search of somewhere to set up camp for the night.
In the end we stayed at a national parks camp site called Edgar Campsite on the edge of Lake Pedder. This was another lovely spot to spend the night as our camp site was frequented by many little Pademelons foraging in the nearby bushes. Once again we had picked a camp site right on the edge of the lake meaning we were able to walk right to the waters edge to watch the sunset reflecting off the mountain range opposite.
The next day we decided it was time for one last walk before heading back to Cygnet and decided on the hike up Mt Wedge. To get to this walk we had to drive back to the junction from the previous day and then head about 13km along the road back towards Strathgorden. When we arrived we were the only car in the small car park but given the early hour we weren’t too surprised. The entire walk was uphill starting at about a 400m elevation and going up to 1147m and was therefore not a walk for the unfit. To start the walk we were in a dripping wet rainforest, there was so much moisture in the air and condensation in the trees above that it was like it was continuously raining. Every now and again we would get glimpses of the peak we were striving for but more often then not it was covered in a thick layer of fog that we spent the entire walk willing it to burn-off. Eventually the walking track led us out of the dense forest we had been walking through however our problem with the condensation only seemed to get worse. We were now walking through dense scrub on the side of the mountain which was still dripping wet from that mornings fog.
We had plenty of top layers on but as we pushed through the wet foliage our top jumpers and light hiking pants became soaked. Although we weren’t to be deterred as the peak was now in sight. Eventually the dense scrub let up and we arrived at the saddle and could see the the peak before us. However both of us were starting to feel the chill from our push through the wet leaves so we decided on a break. We had brought our hiking stove with and lunch and so we decided to stop and warm up with a cup of tea and some food. However while waiting the cloud cover at the saddle broke and we received our first breath taking views of our surrounds. We were in awe. We were essentially above the clouds and spent the entirety of our lunch break watching as clouds swirled below us and around the shorter peaks and distant valleys.
When we eventually finished our lunch and stopped marvelling we realised that in all the time we had been sitting still not once did the actually peak break out of its bank of clouds. So instead of climbing the last 50m to the top of the summit we decided to call it at the saddle. However we weren’t disappointed by our decision in the slightest and because of it spent a little more time enjoying the view before leaving. At this point we were also sitting at an elevation of about 1050m and it was freezing, the air temperature would have only been about four degrees but the wind chill on our wet clothes made it significantly colder. Although we hadn’t left unprepared as we were both rugged up in multiple layers and alpine puff jackets but our legs were feeling the cold from that mornings condensation. So although we spent about an hour at the saddle we really couldn’t afford to stay much longer as the risk of hypothermia was a very real possibility.
The walk back to the car was much easier then the way up because of course it was all downhill. But also the trees and other vegetation had dried out while we’d had our break on the saddle. This meant that we didn’t receive a second soaking and meant that by the time we’d arrived back at the car we’d stripped off to one jumper each and were feeling warm after our walk down. By the time we reached the car we’d been out for nearly five hours and had walked 6.5km. This was so far one of my favourite walks in Tasmania and had offered one of the most stunning, spectacular views to date. Although it was a very challenging walk and would not be a walk I’d recommend to anyone without a high level of fitness or the proper gear.
By the time we arrived back at the car it was approaching mid afternoon and we were feeling a little tired from our walk. So with all this and Tassies short days in mind we decided to head off in search for a camp site for the evening. In the end we found a small camp site not far from the Mt Wedge walking track along a little 4WD pull off track off the main road. At the end of this track we were greeted with an amazing view of yet another mountain range, The Sentinels. After our walk that day we couldn’t have found a better spot to camp, especially as we had just been admiring this range from the top of Mt Wedge.
The Sentinels was another mountain range that we wanted to climb but our research suggested that it may have been a little out of our skill range so it was put on the bucket list for a later date. This was set to be our last night on our road trip as the following day we’d decided that it was time to head back to Cygnet. However this was also forecast to be our coldest night of our trip and by camping under the mountain it was all the more cold. When we had gone to bed that night there had been several puddles of water in ditches around the camp site. However when we woke up the next morning it was a little like a winter wonder land. It hadn’t snowed but everything was frozen and frost had grown over all the stuff we’d left out the car and the over car itself. All the puddles from the night before had a layer of ice over the top, even our bucket of creek water for the dishes was frozen. We were completely amazed and were quickly realising what it meant to camp in the Tassie mountains in the middle of winter. Eventually the sheer amazement of that mornings find wore off and we had to spend the next hour knocking frost off of everything and attempting to dry all our gear so we could pack the car. But once the car was packed and with one last longing look at The Sentinel range we got in the car and headed home to Cygnet.