Starting at Rocky Cape carpark we will take the Sisters Hills Traverse inland following a counter- clockwise loop. Climbing Tinkers Lookout along the way. Lunch will be at Anniversary Bay. And then we will go back along the beach to Cathedral Rocks and up the Blandfordia Circuit Track to the carpark. Should be a walk of around 6 hours. It will all be along either track or beach.

Note: Date changed from 27th July. As winter is with us the working bees will more than likely be closer to the coast, especially with shorter daylight hours. Come join us for an outing, with some gentle exercise along the way.

Counter Meal at Furners Hotel. Please register by 12 noon on the Monday of the event.

More than 30 million Vietnamese can't be wrong – handle-bar height gives you the best view of a vibrant Vietnam. The cycling trip took Craig through unique country landscapes, rice paddies, small villages, bustling cities and beside seas dotted with islands.

This is always a good winter walk. It provides a lovely, sheltered walk through the forest following the creek up to the plateau. If it is fine we have the option of climbing Adams Peak.

This is a club training day for new members, 'prospectives', regardless of their level of experience. It will be focussed at improving members' bushwalking skills and knowledge about the club. The day will cover a range of topics indoors in the morning followed in the afternoon by series of training exercises outdoors. Feel free to bring along any questions about bushwalking or the club. Robin has about 2,000 days experience on one-day and extended trips in the outdoors, many in a leadership role.

Attending a training day is part of the requirements to become a senior member of the club. Participants should have joined the club before they attend. Register via the members' trip registration page on the club website. The day will start at 9:15 am at Apex House, Ulverstone and finish at the Dial Range, near Penguin, about 5 pm.

Participants will be expected to have read the Guide to Bushwalking for Prospective members. This document includes information about the club as well as bushwalking more generally. More information will be sent to people after they have registered.

Join me in beautiful Port Sorell for one or all days. I plan to pack my kayak, my bike and my walking boots or maybe just my thongs! The weather will determine what we do each day... but if it's good for kayaking and kayaking is not your thing you could go for a walk or ride that day or just relax and read a book. 

tba

After a coffee at the shop we'll head to the Guide Dam. We will then drive the short distance turning down Eighteen Mile road at Hampshire to the carpark at the Guide Dam. Inland Fisheries Service have put an approximately 3km return track through the lovely myrtle forest overlooking the dam. A couple of steep pinches over tiny creeks with well benched steps to help. Come and join me for this adventure followed by a look at a couple of waterfalls in the area. The falls are all close to the road but quite spectacular. Last year we headed to Guide Falls under cover for lunch to dodge the showers and we could probably do the same this year too. If the weather is fine we might visit the Guide Dam last and have our lunch there.

From the meeting point we will make our way along Dial Road to a small parking area near Keddies Creek. It is pleasant walk mostly following the old logging tramway which is part of our Penguin Cradle Trail. Please ensure you have some lunch, water, rain jacket and sun protection with you. Good walking boots/shoes will also be necessary as there is a creek crossing and a possibility of muddy sections along the way. The Tramway is part of Tasmanian logging/mining history, and some artefacts can be seen. Please note that it is be a return trip.

There are three un-named lakes between Higgs Track and Whiteleys Hut which I have enjoyed visiting. After Lady Lake Hut we will continue to walk towards Lake Nameless, turning off to walk off-track at the high point. The walk off-track is mostly low alpine scrub but I can't guarantee the occasional encounter with a scoparia bush. 

As winter is with us the working bees will more than likely be closer to the coast, especially with shorter daylight hours. Come join us for an outing, with some gentle exercise along the way.

A bike ride from Railton up to Sheffield and return. Suitable for MTB or gravel bikes. Being a rail trail it's not a demanding ride as far as bike rides go. Railton is at about 60m ASL whilst Sheffield is at 280m, so that's about 200m ascent over 13km or so. The return from Sheffield is mostly downhill - gotta like that!  The whole trip is in the order of 4 hours so not a long one. The plan will be to ride up to Sheffield, have morning tea/brunch there and cruise back down to Railton. Anyone who wishes can ride "Badgers Run" on the way back. This is a beginner-graded little section of the Wild Mersey MTB Trail network. We did this the last time and it's quite straightforward and fun. Totally optional though. 

A day walk into the Leven Canyon from the southern end of Gunns Plains.

Counter Meal at Furners Hotel. Please register by 12 noon on the Monday of the event.

Reviews and Members extended or favourite trip images. 

I have long considered Mt Pillinger to be the best vista reward for effort of any day walk in Tasmania, certainly in the north of the State. There may be others, but I haven’t found them yet. The track winds through a variety of vegetation, ranging from myrtle forest to eucalypt with bauera undergrowth, open marsh and alpine bushes. Underfoot is everything from mud to some small boulder fields. The walk is about 12 km return with a gradual ascent of just under 400 m. If the weather is kind, the views are exceptional in every direction and the changing terrain and vegetation make it an interesting walk regardless.

Meet Ottos Grotto Ulverstone at 9.30am. A good leg stretch for a couple of hours before settling into the River Arms Hotel for lunch at 12.30pm!

This walk is one of my favourite circuits in the Meander Forest Reserve. It is a delightful walk that has the lot: beautiful rainforest, creeks, waterfalls, spectacular sandstone formations, scree and a river. There is a fairly large scree field which takes about 50 minutes to cross so potential walkers must be comfortable on this sort of terrain. 

From the meeting pointwe walk up the road to the Mt Duncan sign. We ascend Mt Duncan and, on our return, instead of retracing our steps exactly, we will take the Tall Trees track back to our cars. You can expect ups and downs on this trip so wear good walking boots. Also bring rain gear, water and food as we will be walking for 3ish hours (depending on the fitness level of the group).

While Mount Rogoona is easily done as a two-day walk, I would like to make it a relaxed trip with plenty of time to explore the expansive and interesting top of Rogoona. I plan to head up the Jacksons Creek track and camp at Lake Myrtle. Once we have set up camp on the first day, if people are interested we could walk over to Lake Poa. 

Following the success of the first Navigation Skills Day, here’s another one…

If you regularly venture out into the bush, particularly off-track, you should know how to navigate using a map and compass. In this skills development day we’ll concentrate on acquiring and developing navigation knowledge and skills.

The key areas to be addressed are:

• Reading a map (contours, grid lines, grid references, map scale and other features).
• The differences between True North, Grid North and Magnetic North.
• Taking a bearing from a map (grid bearing) and avoiding the various “traps”.
• Converting a grid bearing to a magnetic bearing.
• Estimating distance to an objective.
• Estimating movement time in open and dense country.
• Moving on a bearing to a selected objective, using the principle of "aiming off".

We’ll cover the basic theory in one of the BBQ shelters near the Visitor Centre in Narawntapu National Park. We’ll then spend time moving on compass bearings from point to point, reading the ground and estimating distance and time.

I’ve set a limit of 6 other participants (with a waiting list of 2) so that everyone will get plenty of practice in navigating for and leading the group – repetition is king when it comes to embedding and making navigation skills automatic. I’ve also chosen Narawntapu because it’s relatively quick and easy to get to (especially for me), has excellent facilities and offers a mix of open, forested, flat and hilly country – perfect for what we want to do.

Equipment: Bring a daypack, notebook, pen/pencil, chair and a baseplate compass. If you don’t have your own compass see if you can arrange to borrow one from another club member. If you want to buy one I’d recommend one of the basic Silva or Suunto compasses such as the Silva Field MS or Suunto A-10 SH – these sell for about $40-$50. I’ll provide paper maps of the local area for use during our activities.

Transport: We’ll organise carpooling when we know who is coming.

Well I decided to try again putting this walk on as it had to be cancelled due to the Deer Cull program. The plan is to walk into Lake Fergus and set up camp, then head off with day packs to the hill known as Great Pine Tier South. After climbing this we will return to camp and enjoy the evening near the lake. Anyone who wants to go fishing instead of walking are most welcome. Freshly caught fish sounds good to me. Next day we will walk out and drive the short distance towards Smiths Top. Here is a short walk to the top over rough country. Please feel free to contact me about the walk. The terrain will be half on-track and half off-track, rough walking.

The club no longer has a place to store our library book collection so these will be auctioned. We will have a bush walking gear auction as well. Details in the Walker.

With spring vegetation growth starting to bloom there will be some pruning required and the odd tree to remove too I suspect. Come along for a day out and help keep the Club’s track open for the summer season.

Pindars Pk in reasonable weather. Plan to camp at Ooze Lake on the second night. If weather is less than reasonable, the walk will be rescheduled.
Expect long days at a measured pace. Text me if you are interested. The walk is also on the HWC program.

Mt Moriah is in the Walls of Jerusalem and is overlooking Lake Ball. The plan is to walk into the Walls and set up camp, before heading off to the top of Mt Moriah. There is a bit of scrambling and scrub to gain the top, but only for a short distance. I have not climbed this hill since my first ever walk with the club as one of my qualifying walks at the age of 17. So it is about time I returned. Please contact me if you are interested in this walk.

I normally do this walk differently, it is usually up to Mt Duncan summit first, however, it is good to change things up. We will meet at the Mt Gnomon carpark at 12 noon and walk the road to the first Mt Duncan sign then we veer off the Mt Duncan track at the 2^nd sign. This walk is up and down so good walking boots are essential.  If you have walking poles, it would be wise to bring them along. Please remember to bring rain jacket, water, food, and sunscreen. Long pants or shorts with gaiters is advised as I expect that the track will be overgrown in some sections. 

As part of our annual dinner in Queenstown I'm organising a tour of the Lake Margaret Power Station and the Paragon Theater with Roam Wild Tours. Because of the size of their buses we are limited to 24. (They are putting on an extra bus to help accommodate us.) They are reducing the price of the tour for us also as we are a big group. Prices and departure times will be added when numbers are known and booking is confirmed.  

Because of the popularity of the tour there is a chance of a 3rd bus… so register anyway on the waiting list and we will see what we can organise.

Mt Darwin has spectacular views of the Western mountains in fine weather. I have climbed it many times and am keen for another visit. It is a long drive from the Northwest but only a short drive if staying in Queenstown. Text me if you are interested.

More info to follow.

Leven River via Keddies Creek and return

We will meet and commence this walk at the Montgomery Carpark at 12 noon and walk the PCT (Penguin Cradle Trial) to the Leven River or thereabouts.  Depending on the group and available time, we may continue our walk along the old tramway track which follows the Leven River.  Please, note it is a return trip. Remember to bring rain gear, water and food with you.

I tried this walk last year, but the weather stopped us from proceeding. The plan is to walk into the Lake McRae area and spend a few nights exploring the Hydro hut, the old Commonwealth Creek mines, the Razorback Falls and a few other bits of history in the area. We will follow the Overland Track, then head east just past the Lake Will turnoff. From this point it is all off -rack and we may encounter scrub and rough country. We will camp near the Hydro hut and do a day walk the next day exploring those interesting features. The third day we will walk out. If you would like to come on this adventure please contact me. 

Ten days to cover 230 kilometres and 6,500 m vertical. In April this year, Robin joined a Norwegian group of expert skiers crossing mountain ranges on cross-country skis in southern Norway. He will give an illustrated account of the highlights of the experience.

I’m planning a series of walks in the Arthur River area, mainly along the coast. One day may involve a walk that is rarely done. All walks will be relatively easy, some rock hopping and some not actually on a track however I’m grading this as a “3” as my best judgement.

Car camping will be involved with facilities nearby. This will be leaving the Ulverstone area on a Friday, taking in a walk or two on the way to Arthur River, and if time a short walk that afternoon before making camp. Saturday will involve a major walk with a car shuttle, possibly a counter meal at Marrawah and Sunday a series of sequential shorter walks depending on the group and time required to drive back to the NW coast.

As far as I can ascertain it has been many moons since this one has been on the program. We’ll access this hill from the Lake Mackenzie road. This walk will be all off track. However, given the popularity of Abel bagging we may stumble on a pad……….or not. No guarantees. There may be a bit of tape here and there; I seem to recall some the last time I went this way. At any rate it’s about a 15km round trip and I expect to take about 7 hours give or take.  

With spring vegetation growth starting to bloom there will be some pruning required and the odd tree to remove too I suspect. Come along for a day out and help keep the Club’s track open for the summer season.

tba

A booking has been made for the Paton Park Scout Camp just out of Ulverstone. This will be a fun training weekend (more details in the Walker) with a combined social event Saturday evening. Experienced coordinators, perspective members and all in between are invited to attend and participate in the sharing of bush walking knowledge. Coordinators, please leave this weekend free of walks.

MT LORYMER CIRCUIT

Mt Lorymer is the most southerly mountain in the Dial Range, and I haven’t lead a walk to this part of the Dial before so it's time.

Mt Lorymer’s summit is interesting in so much as I don’t really know where it is.  It isn’t like Mt Duncan or the others with a distinct summit, but it is still a worthy mountain and not to be taken lightly.

The plan is to drive to Faber’s Road Riana. There is a parking area of sorts which will allow for a few cars so it might be a good idea to carpool. 

We basically follow the fire trail up then take a side fire trail to access the PCT around Adit Creek.  From here we enjoy a climb through quite a lovely rain forest.  We eventually end back on the original fire trail just further along.   We then follow this fire trail back to the cars.

Please call me if you aren’t certain about attending this walk – there is a reasonable amount of up followed by the corresponding down, which may not be what you are looking for.

Plan is to head in on the Arm River Track. Past New Pelion hut for a bit then hang a left and head up to the saddle below Paddys Nut where we'll camp for a couple of nights. Day walk then up to Paddy's Nut and Thetis. Back out on the 3rd day. The walks in and out (Day 1 & 3) will be in the order of 20km give or take. We won’t be ginning around much on those days.

tba

Rural Rides has become an annual event, this being the fifth consecutive year I’ve run the trip and hopefully it will be as successful as the others. Some of the highlights are -- three rides on quiet sealed back roads through our spectacular rural countryside (52km, 75km & 45km), lunch at the Raspberry Farm, two relaxing nights at Quamby Corner, one evening meal at a pub and a guaranteed fun time. Accommodation options range from tenting to cabin hire and if you intend going you need to book your own. You are welcome to join us for any combination of days that suits you. Just about any bike will do; touring bike, road bike, mountain bike, ebike or gravel bike.

Meet at the main carpark just as you go over the Bridge in Fernglade Road Burnie.  It was the first walk I led for the Club 20 years ago on 3/12/05.  My walk was supposed to be St Valentines Peak but weather was not kind so we did this one instead.  A lovely easy start along the Emu River to the old Pumping Station before climbing up and going through the gate near top carpark.  From there we get great views down on the river with a few steep pinches up and down to the Lookout.  We will have morning tea here before continuing to the Stowport paddocks sign and the turn around point.  From here we retrace to the Emu River's edge for a well earned lunch.  A dip is also possible here for the brave.  Come and join me for another memorable occasion and we will find a nice coffee shop in Wivenhoe when we finish.

Mt Pearse ( attempt two ) is situated just south of Waratah, a few km off the highway when travelling south.

It’s a few years since I have climbed it but it should be a fairly straight forward walk via the northern ridge. Expect scrub and some inclement weather at this time of the year.

Mt Montgomery – Mt Dial return

Mt Montgomery is the most northerly mountain in the Dial Range.  We will walk the PCT along Myrtle Creek then ascend to the summit of Mt Montgomery via the usual track.  We will descend Mt Montgomery along the fire trail to link up with the PCT.  At the Keddies Creek sign, we leave the PCT and follow the track to Mt Dial.  We return the same way off Mt Dial to join up with the PCT track which we follow back to the cars.  It is a delightful walk, through varying landscape and well worth the effort, well that is what I think.  I do love the Mighty Dial.  The usual applies – rain jacket, sturdy footwear, water, lunch and snacks.

Day walk Mt Anne circuit. Mt Anne summit will not be climbed. Plan to camp near track start the night before & start walking at dawn. Could be a long day… bring a good torch. The walk is also on the HWC program.