-- From Strahan to Arthurs Lake

On Monday March 29 after having published my website in Strahan I headed on my road towards Queenstown in the rain. A rapid trip in the city to take some pictures then I drove up to the Lake Burbury to bivouac. The week was dedicated to a trip of the mountain lakes with, if weather and temperature allow it, some walks around. A booklet of Visitor Centre give 60 Great Short Walks in the Tasmania.

On Tuesday March 30, my destination was the Lake St Clear where I had decided to remain two days. On the way I made three stops for short walks suggested and indicated by panels in edge of road.
Initially Nelson Falls after a walk in the rainforest on a wooden boardwalk a deafening noise brutally seizes me in an environment of subtle fragrances released by the vegetation.

Then it was the climb of Donaghys Hill to have an bird's eye view on the mountains cut by the Franklin River.

The last was the crossing of Franklin River by a suspension bridge.
Finally in the early afternoon I arrived at Lake St Clear at 752 meters high given by GPS to bivouac during two days with the hope to make the day after a long walk without rain.

The last day of March was announced sunny, the lake was covered with a morning fog which was dissipated around 11 a.m. At once I took my trekking sticks and I left on rocky tracks from glacial origin to visit two lakes, the Lake Shadow then the Lake Forgotten. I progressed in undergrowth of eucalypti which gave a sweet smell the atmosphere, I breathed with full lungs this tonic odour carried by the purest air in the world brought by winds coming from the Antarctic. The Lake St Clair is at 737m high and the two other lakes are at 954m high, data of Rangers. The trip is 19km long, I walked it in five hours pauses included. Fauna was not very visible during the  day and autumnal flora quasi absent. I went back happy but harassed from this beautiful sporting day in the dramatic landscape of the Lake St Clair NP listed in the World Heritage.

On this 1st April, I left to go to Gordon but I stopped to have lunch at the edge of Meadowbank Lake where I decided to remain for the night. I undertook do-it-yourself on my truck, the left footboard that I use makes noise while driving. I tried to remove it, to follow.

On this Good Friday I visited the Lake Pedder after a morning on a sinuous road culminating at 671m high. The lake Pedder and the lake Gordon constitute the largest freshwater storage in Australia located in the Southwest NP. I bivouacked at the edge of the lake with a cloudy sky and a temperature of 20°C, the day.

The next day by driving  down from the Lake Pedder I stopped at the Mt Field NP where I had lunch. In the early afternoon I walked the track of the water falls of approximately 7 km long at an average altitude of 150m, it twisted in undergrowth of a rainforest at the foot of gigantic eucalypti. It was Russell Falls, Horseshoe Falls and in apotheosis Lady Baron Falls, see on front cover or in Gallery-3.

The track was decorated with didactic panels of which one quoting a writing by Bruni D'Entrecasteaux, French explorer.

In this Easter Sunday I headed towards the Highland lakes. On the move I visited Bothwell, historical town of the 1800's concealing old buildings such this Post office in 1891 as well as worship buildings.

I had lunch behind one of them vis-à-vis the cemetery, peaceful vicinity of quiet people.

I stopped at the edge of Arthurs Lake, 964 m high GPS, at the Cowpaddock Bay campground, circulate it has there nothing to see.

"Que la montagne est belle. Comment peut on s’imaginer… "(Jean Ferrat † mars 2010)

Previous page

Next page