Start the New Year with a mystery tour to "The Valley"

More information will be provided to attendees however the exact location will not be disclosed and all attendees must be discreet about posting photos and track notes as this is a well kept local secret and we want to keep it this way.

You must be able to travel to Mole Creek on Friday 2nd January for an early departure on Saturday 3rd.

We will hike to "The Valley" and set up camp, returning the same way on Sunday and heading back to Hobart.

The walk in is medium grade, so please only register if you have previously participated in a recent overnight hike. Sections of the walk are off track and you must be comfortable with this.

Please come prepared for a remote one night camp in a special place.

We will meet at Sandfly hall and organise cars. Expect any sort of weather as the walk is exposed in parts, so be prepared for all seasons. This walk offers breathtaking views over South Cape Bay and the Southern Ocean, with the option to walk down to the beach where you can see Lion Rock. There are some short steep hill sections, rough surface as well as duck boarding. 

Yet another attempt on the Eastern Arthurs, with the lesser peaks the main objective - East Portal and the Needles particularly.  It has been a very long time since I walked this part of the Arthurs, and I would love to do it again.  Whether I will climb Federation itself is not at all clear to me; but I would like to get out to Geeves Bluff.  

So, this is NOT a walk with sumitting Federation as the main objective; at best it is a remote possibility.  Registration for a party of six is in place.

Still, walking the ridge and across the moors is a wonderful experience in good weather - though that cannot be guaranteed either.

If you are interested in coming please get in touch.  You will need to be relatively experienced, and capable of undertaking a 7 day walk. 

We'll car pool from Sorell & drive to the start of the walk at Orford (approx 55kms, 45 minutes). 

The first part of the walk is on part of the Convict Road. It's easy & fairly level. On arrival at the Paradise Gorge Probation Station Ruins, we'll do some exploring & look at the obvious ruins & try to locate & identify less obvious ones. Morning tea here. 

Tracks from here on are of variable difficulty, with one uphill section off track. There will be a few challenges. Some this is on Tasmanian Land Conservancy property (with access permission granted). Expect a river crossing. Hopefully, we can use the stepping stones & not get wet feet! Our destination & lunch spot is Burnt Bridge Gully. 

Then, retracing our steps, we go back up the Messenger Track, head down the hill to the Probation Station & back along the Convict road to the cars. Optional coffee stop in Orford.  

I have had to make a change to this intended walk.  We will now meet at the lower springs car park and car pool up to The Chalet where we will walk along the Organ Pipes Track.  We will decide on the day if we just go to the start of the Zig Zag track or continue along to the Springs.  When back to the cars we will head to the Fern Tree Tavern for lunch.

We will walk along Seven Mile Beach to the start of the coastal walk, follow that along as far as Roches Beach, having morning tea somewhere on the way. Depending on the day etc we might walk past the Yacht Club and having lunch somewhere!

After lunch we will retrace our steps back to our cars.

Once finished we can have a refreshing swim as it’s going to be quite warm.

Meet at the summit carpark nearest the start of the South Wellington track.

This is really a Sunday morning ramble to enjoy the scenery & views.

We will walk along the track for 1.6km before heading off track towards a rocky outcrop & Hutchinsons Fireplace (also known as Camp Rock) for a leisurely morning tea. Great views. 
We rejoin the S Wellington track & can walk a bit further towards the turnoff to Smiths monument & beyond.
We then retrace our steps & head to Rocking Stone to enjoy the views there.
Depending on the time we could have an early lunch & then meander back to the cars or have lunch closer to Wellington summit.

There is a bit of scrambling around Hutchinsons Fireplace & the terrain is off track in that area, but the rest of the walk is pretty straightforward.

This walk is in the South-West, about half an hour past Maydena. Total of an 80 km drive from Granton. We will go up the steep & often muddy & slippery track to the saddle where we’ll have morning tea. Optional climb to the summit after that. Then, we head east along the ridgeline. How far along depends on the group. At our last attempt, we had to turn back because of the rain, wind & sleet! The ridgeline “track” is undulating, rocky & becomes less distinct the further you go. The end point will be our lunch spot. Next, we retrace our steps & go back to the cars. Ascent is approximately 400m. On the way home, we can have coffee or an icecream at Westerway (optional). 

We will follow tracks in and near the reserve that include some gentle up and down hill walking. We probably won't go right to the summit of Knocklofty and we'll avoid steeper slopes apart from downhill at the top of Mount Stuart Road if we choose to go that way. If it is hot, we'll modify the route accordingly. 

For those interested we can adjourn afterwards for lunch at Smolt Kitchen in West Hobart. 

We’ll car pool from Cambridge Park to the start of the walk at Orford  (about a 45 minute drive & 55 kms). The first part is on part of the Convict Road of the walk is easy & fairly level. Upon arrival at the ruins of Paradise Gorge Probation Station, we’ll do some exploring & look at obvious ruins & try to identify less obvious ones. Morning tea here. Next we enter Tasmanian Land Conservacy property (with permission) & head uphill on an unnamed & sometimes rocky track.When we reach the top of the hill, we’ll continue a short way until we reach the Messenger Track. Then we’ll return to the hilltop & have lunch. Then it’s back to the cars. Optional coffee at Orford. 

Based on the success of previous paddle to The Iron Pot I'm putting activity back on the program. Because this area is very exposed to wind, swell and waves my preference will go to seakayaks 4.8-5.3m in length because they handle rougher conditions better. If the forecast conditions are calm I may accept estuary kayaks of 4.3-4.8m. 

Launch from South Arm Beach, adjacent to the boat ramp. Paddle south along the coast, to turn around the seaward side of The Iron Pot returning to the small beach below Cape Direction - getting out for a snack and stretch the legs. Return along the coast to South Arm Beach. Depending on the group and the conditions we may continue further north before returning to South Arm Beach. We may also take the opportunity to do some deep water self rescue and assisted rescue.

I have paddled around The Iron Pot a few times now. This activity is wind, swell and wave dependent. And if the conditions are right, and the mix of experience within the group suitable, this activity will suit novice paddles. Some prior experience in paddling an estuary or seakayak is a prerequisite.

A great practice paddle for members participating on the Gordon River/Macquarie Harbour trip.

Meet at Lauderdale Yacht Club (note: this is at Roches Beach, not Lauderdale Beach) & walk to May's Beach via Lauderdale. . Return via various roads & tracks. The walk itself should be no more than 5 hrs and will be mostly flat with a couple of climbs in the vicinity of May's Beach. Cafe may be taken either at the 3/4 mark or after returning to cars, as preferred.

We will start from the north end of Lake St Clair, which means either taking the boat, or kayaking up the lake.  I am inclined to the latter, though conditions have to be suitable.  If suitably experienced you may wish to join me, or organise to take the ferry.  

We will walk in to Pine Valley and up to the Labyrinth.  From there we head north to the end of the DuCane Range, climbing several of the peaks on the way.  Then down Big Gun Pass and up to Mt Massif, which has a delightful bowl in the summit plateau, ideal for camping in good weather.  From there we will make our way to Falling Mtn, and then down to Kia Ora.  With luck - an awful lot of luck - we might find my hat from the late 1990s!     Then it is back to Narcissus and either the ferry or a kayak down the lake.

Clear Hill provides extensive views of the Southwest after a relatively short walk (only about 2.5 km each way) but a 550 m climb and a rather long drive to get to the start.  It's surrounded on three sides by Lake Gordon and allegedly also provides views of the upper Gordon gorge.

We have not done this walk before.  However it seems to be moderately popular and the information here is from online sources and "The Abels" book.  The first section of the track appears to be very steep and it should be assumed that the track as a whole is fairly rough.  That plus the 500 m climb is the reason for the Med-Hard grade although the pace will be relaxed.

Join us for a sightseeing walk through a fascinating area of our city.

We’ll meet at the Cornelian Bay car park near the Cornelian Bay playground (off Gas Rd) . When we head off, we will pass by the historical boathouses on the foreshore at Cornelian Bay and then continue on to pass by the Tasman Bridge.

We will have morning tea while sitting among the beautiful flowers of the University Rose Garden and then continue

on to The Soldiers Walk , to walk up to The Queen’s Domain, with lunch at the summit.

 In the afternoon we’ll descend on a track via Grassland Gully, pass through the Botanical Gardens, and return to Cornelian Bay.

I have allowed a bit of extra time for this event as there are a lot of "points of interest" we may pause to look at, as we go. If we finish earlier than anticipated, we could have a coffee at the Abundance food van in the Botanical Gardens.

The walk will be on formed gravel paths, some footpaths and bushland tracks.

We will car share from the meeting place to the start of the walk at the end of Milford Road, Kaoota, bipassing the community hall, there is limited parking so we need to 'bunch up'.  It is a nice wide reasonably flat track, usually quite muddy.  There are signs advising the history of the tramway constructed in 1906, a 20km long two-foot gauge tramway was used to transport coal from the mines at Kaoota to the wharf at Margate.  We will walk to the end of the track where there are views down over Margate and the Channel, having morning tea on the way and lunch at the end.  We return the same way.

The route starts with a gradual climb along a fire trail before heading uphill towards King William 1. There will be some rocky terrain and off track walking with low scrub. Approximate 562m elevation gain. 
I plan to visit Mulligans Peak, Mount Pitt, and Mount Harold as we explore the plateau. We will camp at one of the tarns with stunning views of Frenchman’s Cap as well as other peaks. 

As we will be camping at altitude and on an exposed plateau, participants should contact me for experience level and gear check prior to start of walk. 

This is an evolving plan and will continue to evolve with input from participants. The rough concept is to drive to Scotts Peak Dam (Lake Pedder), paddle to somewhere near Crumbledown Island, climb ~500m to Citadel Shelf and set up our 'base camp'. For the next three days do daywalks along the ridge, northwest to Coronation Peak, southwest to Remote Peak and southeast to Franklin Peak, climbing as many of the Peaks on offer as we can. On the final day, drop off the ridge back to the kayaks, paddle to the car(s) and return home. Anticipate that the dates may change prior to the Registration opening date. Note: I haven't walked on the Franklin Range before, other than daywalks on either end, I have paddled on Lake Pedder multiple times. Preference will be given to Club Members, who have paddled with me before and walked (day or overnight) in an Alpine environment.

I will be doing a recce of this walk in January & update the description if necessary.

Please note, there is a river crossing, the track is quite rocky in parts, particularly towards Lake Fenton, and there are plenty of ups & downs, but nothing very steep. A good medium walk.

Meet at Granton to car pool & head up to Lake Dobson. We will leave a car at Lake Fenton & car shuffle drivers to pick up cars at the end of the walk.

We’ll walk from Lake Dobson through the Pandani grove along the Lake Webster track. Views of the Rodways & other peaks.  We might detour to Platypus Tarn along the way, and then to Lake Seal for morning tea. 

On to Lake Webster, where we cross the Broad River. I’m hoping that it won’t be too ‘broad’, but we will almost certainly get wet feet.

We then start the return walk along the Lake Fenton track, crossing Kangaroo Moor where we should see plenty of flowers in bloom. We pass close to Lake Fenton before arriving at the car park.
Walkers will stay here whilst drivers pick up cars from Lake Dobson.

This is a short (3½⁺ hours) but reasonably strenuous return walk.  We will start from Cartwright Reserve in Sandy Bay and make the steady, 350m ascent, to Truganini Lookout.  The track follows Cartwright Creek, initially rising gently through wet sclerophyll forest, then turns away from the creek and continues more steeply uphill, through dry sclerophyll forest.  After a brief stop at the lookout, we will make our way past the Mount Nelson Signal Station into Bicentennial Park.  To begin with, this section of the walk descends gently through open forest, but it becomes steeper as the track drops towards Churchill Avenue.  At our farthest point, we will take a short loop, which eventually re-joins the Signal Station Tack.  We will return from the Signal Station via the Troglodyte Track, Dorneys Drop and Porter Hill.  If you are not a lover of steps, rocks, roots or steepish sections this is probably not the walk for you!  Elevenses could be taken at the Signal Station as we return, with the option to take your own or buy something from the cafe.  Alternatively, there is usually a pop up van in Cartwright Reserve.

A second attempt to climb Mt Tramontane - a hard to reach peak in the Eldon Range.  If time and conditions permit we will also climb Rocky Hill and Camp Hill, two other Abels on this route.

Crossing the Collingwood River - which must be done in both directions - depends upon suitable conditions.  A heavy fall of rain or snow can quickly make a crossing unsafe, in which case there is no alternative but to wait for the river level to drop.  So a cache of food stashed on the way in is a sensible precaution.  The actual departure day may change depending on weather conditions; that will move the planned return date too.  If you cannot afford to wait if the river level is up when we try to exit, this is not the walk for you.  

This is a hard walk.  Expect long days, lots of scrub and quite possibly mud, with a rocky ridge to finish.  

If you have not walked with Wayne or I before please make contact before registering for this walk.  We need to know that everyone coming has the capacity to complete this walk in there allotted time.

This will be a mentored walk for Wayne. 

This is a leisurely day to an awe- inspiring place. The Grove of Giants was recently saved from logging and showcases the very best of Tasmania's tall trees. We start the day in Huonville where we will partake of our morning tea beside the river next to the toilet block. After carpooling into 4 wheel drive vehicles we head for around an hour on the road towards Lake Skinner before which we turn down a road for approximately 4 km to a car park.

We then do a 5 km circuit taking in some forest giants including the tallest blue gum in the world! Lunch will be at its base.

We will meet at the Black Buffalo Hotel from 10.30, where Michael will give us an understanding of the role of chemical and illicit drugs in forensic science.  The talk will start at 11.00 so meet around 10.30.  Tea, coffee and biscuits will be available.  Should you wish, lunch can be had at the hotel after the talk, but I would like to know numbers beforehand. 

We will meet at the Neika Car Park from where we will gently stroll the pipeline track, which, after a couple of hundred metres of gentle uphill, is mostly level and shady with some lovely eucalypts, tree ferns and small creeks. We will make the short diversion up to Silver Falls.

We will then proceed to Ferntree where we will have lunch in the park.

There is an option of coffee or a cold drink from the Ferntree Tavern.

We will then walk back to Neika.

Anyone wishing to join the group for the one-way walk (Neika to Ferntree) may be accommodated providing your organise your own car pooling and let me know in advance.

At the conclusion of the walk there is an option of visiting the Tavern for coffee or a cold drink.

Our last paddle on Norfolk Bay was stunning and we started from the boat ramp near Taranna. This time I'd like to start from either the Premaydena Point (Historic Site) or Saltwater River boat ramp. No real plans for this one other than having a great day and covering as much coastline as we can between Whitehouse Point and Premaydena Point. We should be in the lee of the winds from the SW, W and NW so fingers crossed. And the wind direction on the day may dictate our start point. Though road access to Premaydena Point may also impact on that decision. 

Because of the travel distance, I will be encouraging car pooling where possible, though understand this can be challenging.

An ideal training paddle for those members going on the Gordon River/Macquarie Harbour trip.

I haven’t done this walk before but will have done a recce before we had off.  It should be a pleasant walk from the end of the White Beach settlement around the coast to Tumbledown Point where we should have a view of Salters Point and towards Cape Raoul.  We will return by a 4WD track which will take us inland and back to White Beach.  It may be hot on the day so bring plenty of water. Frozen water in a drink bottle is always a good plan to have as a cold drink at lunch.  It is a long track, mostly flat, with some boulder type rock walking along some of the beaches. Poles should assist with this aspect of the walk. 

The Clark Cliff circuit provides a varied sample of the Tasman Peninsula’s wet forest and panoramic views (weather permitting.  A circuit of about 3 - 4 hours of walking, scrambling and climbing, plus the drive there and back. Anticipate some mud, old trails and some fire trail.

We will start the day at the visitor centre , where they have maps and information on the area 

we will wander Alexander street looking at historical buildings to the park for Mornington , then we will walk up mt Adelaide for the views .

we’ll continue down and wander around the streets of Bothwell checking out the history 

lunch will be at Sealys cafe 

After meeting at Station St Sorell we will carpool to start of walk, probably re-grouping at Orford. (unless road from Copping is much improved- shorter distance but sometimes road is quite pot-holed and corrugated) Route from Sorell via Copping is 40km.Via Orford 69km. Both routes have about 15km of gravel)

We will walk from the remnants of the old timber town, Weilangta ("Weilangta ="tall trees") where there is the grave of a small child killed in an explosion. The timber mill operated from 1911 to 1924 with cut  trees carted on trams to the coast at Rheban.

The walk passes through some beautiful rainforest and ferns and climbs to more open forest near the Sandspit Reserve Picnic Area (toilets!) where we will have morning tea (or lunch) depending on the time.There will be an easy creek crossing. We will return to cars by the same route. There is an optional short walk through a delightful fern forest near the picninc area.

As it is quite a short walk there may be time to drive to Earlham( on the way back to Orford) for short beach and lagoon walk where we may see pelicans, swans, dotterel, oyster catchers, gulls-but probably not the rare visiting King Penguin

Coffee at Earlham. Or Orford. Or Sorell.

All organisers are invited to come together for a couple of hours and meet with the committee and other organisers, to discuss our program.  What have been the highlights of the past year, what new walks or activities have been successful and discuss possible plans for 2026.  It is a chance for the committee to say thank you, on behalf of all our members, to our organisers for all that they do in putting events on the calendar from which we all benefit. Sausages, hamburgers, vegetarian burgers and refreshments provided. 

A chat with another Club Member encouraged me to re-invent a successful activity from a few years ago, so I'm proposing a three day activity walking the Bay of Fires coastline. Starting from Stumpys Bay, day one is about 12km to camp at Deep Creek. Then day two is about 17km to camp at Policemans Point. While day three is about 16km to The Gardens. Participants will walk with a daypack, while their duffle bag and eski will travel by car. Bay of Fires involves predominantly beach walking, with the occasional rocky headland to negotiate. 

There are two groups required to make this activity possible, 'walkers' and 'drivers'. For every three walkers we need one driver (and car). So you can register as either a 'walker' or as a 'driver'. Participants will be responsible for their own camping and cooking. 'Drivers' will shuffle cars and gear forward each day, plus do some walking. If the tides are in our favour, I'd like to include crossing the Ansons Bay outlet, a 100-150m swim, but if this doesn't prove possible we will use the cars to ferry participants around Ansons Bay.

A total climb of around 400 metres to the summit of Hartz Peak. Hopefully we will have clear weather to enjoy the great views of the South West Ranges including Federation Peak. Varied track conditions including a short steep scramble on rock scree requiring the use of hands to reach the rocky summit where we will have lunch if the conditions are good. Note what to bring shown above as the weather can change quickly 

Social Evening, we've run these in the past, in different formats, with differing degrees of success. The Committee have agreed to have another go at having a regular monthly Social Evening. 

6:00-7:00 socialise, eat a meal or snack, arrive at a time that suits you.

7:00-8:00 guest speaker, video, training, 'slide' show. We may not be able to give too much prior notice as to what's happening during this hour, but it will be relevant, pertinent, entertaining and worthwhile. 

8:00-9:00 socialise, network, debrief the previous hour, leave when you're ready to leave.

We've booked the Caroline Room at the Black Buffalo Hotel. Meals or snacks can be ordered and eaten in the Dinning Room or in the Caroline Room. Drinks can be purchased throughout the night. Seating, heating, air-conditioning and overhead projector are all available. Ample parking in the Hotel carpark or surrounding streets. 

We've booked three evenings, and if the support is there we'll book extra evening in 2026.

The plan is for a through trip from Jackson Creek at the northern end of Lake Rowallen, via Lakes Myrtle, Meston, Junction, Payanna; and then either north to the Gatepost and down the Overland track to Cynthia bay, or (a bit more adventurous) or south via Travellers Rest Lake and Lake Ina to the Lyell Highway.

This aims to be a fairly enjoyable trip, with time for swimming and exploring, as well as climbing a few peaks on the way: Mt Spurling and Mt Ida, and perhaps a few other highpoints depending on our final route.

You will need to be reasonably fit, and able to manage five days walking of around 7-8 hours a day.  There may be some patches of scrub, and some route finding, but it will not be a slog.  The Central Plateau in summer is a delightful place to be, and water is always to hand, either to quench one's thirst or for a swim.

There will be a need to arrange a drop off at our start point, and a pickup at Cynthia Bay, but with a bit of co-ordination that should be doable.

Please contact me if you are interested, but have not walked with me before. 

We will car share from the meeting place to the Pinnacle and take the South Wellington track across the southern plateau with a short side track to the Rocking Stone for morning tea.  The track can be rocky so suitable boots, gaiters and walking pole an advantage.  On a clear day there are beautiful views including the majestic splendour of the dolomite rocks of the Gulch and surrounding area.  We return the same way.

An 8 to 9 day seakayaking trip on the iconic Gordon River and Macquarie Harbour.

Day 1: drive to Strahan and embark on the yacht StormBreaker across Macquarie Harbour and up the stunning Gordon River to Sir John Falls. Disembark our seakayaks and gear and set up camp.

Day 2: a daytrip upstream to the confluence of the Franklin and Gordon Rivers. Continuing upstream on both Rivers as far as possible, before returning to our camp at Sir John Falls.

Day 3: paddle down stream to Eagle Creek, checking out any points of interest along the way.

Day 4: paddle down stream to Pine Landing, checking out any points of interest along the way.

Day 5: paddle down stream into Macquarie Harbour, and follow the coast north to the old town of Pillinger, checking out any points of interest along the way.

Day 6: continue paddling north, following the coast to Braddon River, checking out any points of interest along the way.

Day 7: continue paddling north, following the coast to Pine Cove, checking out any points of interest along the way.

Day 8: continue paddling north, following the coast to Strahan.

Day 9: an extra day, just in case.

The distances to be paddled each day aren't excessive, allowing time to have lazy starts, early finishes, time to explore, and the opportunity to make changes to the itinerary. I have packrafted the Lower Franklin River into the Gordon River and up the King River, but haven't paddled the lower Gordon River or Macquarie Harbour. Strong winds on Macquarie Harbour will present a challenge, and may necessitate staying put for a period of time and maybe combining two days paddling into one. I would anticipate that the rough outline above might be changed by the participants as plans are discussed prior to the activity, plus during the activity. The focus each day will be on the journey and not on the destination.

SouthWest Expeditions have quoted $300 per person to transport us, with our seakayaks and gear from Strahan to Sir John Falls. Payment of this will be required to confirm your registration for this activity. Preference will be given to Club Members who have previously paddled with me on a Club Activity. Note: the Club has a seakayaking activity roughly every four weeks. I also have two 5.2m rota-moulded seakayaks available if a member would like to attend but doesn't have a suitable seakayak.

Full details of accommodation is still in discussion with NTAC, however we will be staying in a couple of Fred Smithies cabins. Each one can easily accommodate 4. I’m not sure of the room/bed configuration yet.
Cost is $100 pp for the two nights. More details to follow.

Meet at Northern Tasmanian Alpine Club on the evening of the 16th for drinks & chat about the walks. Legges Tor summit is 1575m high-the second highest in Tasmania & is also an Abel!!

Tuesday morning we drive down to Carr Villa, to the start of the walk. (It’s possible to walk from the Alpine village to Legges Tor, but that makes it a very short walk).

Initially a steady, steep climb along a well marked path on to the plateau where the views are excellent. Plenty of mountain flora, rocks and lots of water (both on the ground & from the sky when I did the walk in December ‘23.) 
The track is well marked with ski trail markers. We walk past the Summit Hut, built in 1937, and on to the summit which is about 500m further up, rewarded with great views & another bagged Abel. Return the same way.

Day 2 will be a varied walk across boggy terrain, boulder hopping and anything else in between. Primarily a cross country ski route from the village following a circuit of 4.5km, but could take up to 3 hrs due to the mixed landscape. I haven’t done this walk, however reviews state that it can present a few challenges with boulders and a lot of water on the ground.
Poles, gaiters & boots will be needed and we will have morning tea on track, return to the huts for lunch & then home.

The walk starts on a fire trail on the left side of the parking area, we then through the forest. After approximately 700m turn right and follow a taped pad with some fallen trees that takes you to the coast.

Follow the coast eastwards (left) to Stinking Bay beach which is flat and suitable for morning tea. Views to Port Arthur, Arthur’s Peak and Mount Brown. Explore lagoon and beach. Walk along the sandy beach and then go up where the beach ends to follow a well-defined track. Cross Simmonds Creek where there is a rope to help with negotiating rounded boulders.  Continue to Denmans Cove and explore start of the Three Capes Walk and entry sculpture.  Sheltered sandy beach suitable for lunch. Return same way.

If we are back in time, coffee at the Lavender Farm.

We will meet at the Black Buffalo Hotel from 10.30, where Callan Birkmann-Little will talk to us about forensic anthropology. The talk will start at 11.00 and tea, coffee and biscuits will be available from 10.30.  There will be a $10.00 charge for the room hire fee and tea and coffee, this could change depending on the number of people.

We will start in Peter Murrel reserve and do a circuit in this reserve, with a stop for morning tea. From there we cross over road into Stinkpot Bay area and walk to the river for our lunch . We return to main road and then back to our cars. More information once I have done the recce.

A full description will be given after completion of the recces. Currently envisaged, meet at Goringes Beach carpark & walk the Dirty Bridge Tangara trail to Delphins Drive. Return mostly via various roads & tracks and the same track as we came in on. If the recces show the walk is too long, it may be shortened at its beginning. I hope to keep the time inc stops to no more than 5 hrs. It is anticipated at this stage that the Tangara tracks used will be in good condition.The walk back may include part of the South Arm Highway.

We meet at near the entrance to Tolosa Park at 9:30, there is plenty of parking outside the park.

We head  up the Mountain Bike track and onto the Beginner’s loop then continue onto the Merton Track. Then we head onto the Native Cherry Track and take a slight detour into a pretty bush area , then onto to a lovely small rivulet that runs into the dam. Lunch is at Merton Ruins with plenty of time to wander through the ruins. Unfortunately not much has been recorded about this area, but I do have some information on its history. We head back to Tolosa Park via  several tracks and view the new alterations to the park. Walk distance approx 9 kms, height gain 300 meters, walk time 4 hours. Time for coffee afterwards.

We start at Kenmore Road, Glenora, and walk with permission on private farmland to the north. After an easy hill, farm tracks provide spectacular hilltop views of surrounding crop and grazing land, hopfields, nearby villages and the hills and mountains beyond. We will circle along the hilltop and descend to follow the picturesque Derwent river bank, deciding our direction depending on the weather and on-farm activity  The hope is to organise an afternoon tea stop in New Norfolk on the way back.  

Gingerbread Hut is located near the summit of Mt Rufus in the Cradle Mt-Lake St. Clair National Park.  It was built by members of the Mount Rufus Ski Club who were mainly employees of the Hydro Electric Commission based at Bronte Park and Tarraleah.  It was constructed with the intention of using it as a ski tow hut, however the tow was never built.

We will be accessing this track via the Rufus Canal. The track is usually very muddy in parts across the button grass so if you normally use hiking poles, please bring them for extra stability.

There is a reasonably long drive (5 hours return) so be prepared for a long day out with plenty of food and water for the trip. Do not book if you need to be back in Hobart for any dinner plans as we may be later than the 7pm expected return time due to conditions on the track.

TBA

We will meet at the Fern Tree Tavern, there is a carpark behind the tavern just down Summerleas Road.  From there we will walk down the Pipeline track to Halls Saddle where we will cross the road and head up to Bracken Lane having morning tea on the way.  Heading across the road we will then head back to FernTree for lunch.  This is a little longer than some of the Wednesday walk, but still easy and we will be taking it at a leisurely pace. 

After meeting at the Springs car park , we’ll walk along the North South Track towards Junction Cabin. We’ll spend some time here enjoying an early dinner before walking back along the Lenah Valley Track towards Sphinx Rock.  We’ll have time  to sit and enjoy the sun set and enjoy the lights turning on over Hobart. The walk back is special as it should be dark so ensure that you have a light and walking poles for safety. 

We will meet at Sandfly hall to car pool and drive down almost to Cockle Creek.  We will drive along a rough old forestry road to the carpark at the start of the walk.  This is a mainly flat walk but it is quite long and there will be some rock hopping for about 300-400 metres at the end of the beach near the mouth of the lagoon, good balance will be required.  We will walk out to the beach across the plains on an old 4WD track which is becoming overgrown in places.   When we get to the beach the circuit route, we take, will depend on the tide as to whether we walk along the lagoon side first towards the mouth of Southport Lagoon and back around the rocks and home via the ocean side or vice versa.  Lunch will hopefully be at the lagoon mouth.  With a bit of luck there will be lots of bird life to see and maybe a seal or 2!

I've been mildly obsessed with Deep Glen Bay after listening to an interview with the sole remaining survivor of the Blythe Star shipwreck.  This bay is where they came ashore after many days drifting but still had to find their way out to civilisation.  For bushwalkers the route is a lovely but long, steep and rough gully.  For the exhausted crew it must have been one hell after another.

We will approach by traversing MacGregor Peak first.  That involves some additional climbing but offers a lovely extended cloud forest.  Then back onto a vehicle track before the descent down the gully.  Once we've climbed back out of the gully the return route is entirely on vehicle track.

There is about 800 m total ascent.  Walking conditions vary from vehicle track (about half the total distance) to a reasonably well-worn route to a more-or-less trackless gully including boulders and fallen trees..  You should be comfortable with very uneven terrain.

There is an option for people who want a slightly easier alternative to walk via the vehicle track both ways, lead by Robyn, with both groups converging where the MacGregor Peak track descends to the road.

We will meet at the War Memorial Park at 10.30 to carpool to Tasmanian Botanics where we will be taken on a tour of the medicinal cannabis facility.  This is a 1 1/2 hour tour with no options for sitting along the way so you will need to be prepared.

There is a maximum participant number of 15, and no charge for the tour.

If people wish lunch can be booked at the Pontville Pub but I would need numbers in advance.

We will car pool from Tynwald Park at New Norfolk (with a travel time of approx 1 hour to the track start at Lake Fenton along the Lake Dobson road). A steady uphill climb from Lake Fenton takes us through light forest to Windy Moor (which is now board walked).  A rocky scree slope needs to be climbed to reach the summit of Mt Field East at 1274 metres above sea level (this is steep in some sections). We will have lunch on the top to take in the views and then return to the cars via the same route.  I have allowed 6 hours to complete the walk so can go at a leisurely pace but I anticipate closer to 5 - 5.30 hours return. The elevation gain over the walk is approx 260 metres.  

-Please note:

 - this is a longer and harder walk then the Lake Nicholls walk which is on the program for 26 March  

 - walkers will need a good level of fitness, be sure footed with good balance as the track is uneven, maybe muddy and a couple of scree slopes need to be negotiated (both up and down)

 - Windy Moor and Mt Field East are very exposed so ensure you have appropriate gear (could be warm, could be cold) 

 - please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions

This little expedition is planned entirely around me wanting to be on Mt Rugby, Saturday 21st March, but also a long desire to walk the Southwest  Cape circuit and the availability of flights to/from Melaleuca. The final details will be thrashed out by the participants, as is appropriate for this type of expedition. But in broad brush strokes - Friday fly to Melaleuca, Saturday to Thursday walk the Southwest Cape circuit, Friday to Sunday climb Mt Rugby, back at Melaleuca Sunday night, Monday fly out of Melaleuca 10:00 Monday morning.

Because seats on the plane are already limited, I've pre-booked and paid for 6 seats, $707 return each, so hopefully 5 other people will want to join me.

This walk will take us along well-made tracks as we ascend Knocklofty and take the recently-built Knocsofty track to the west. Then we'll follow tracks between Knocklofty and the McRobie's Gully tip, and back to the Car Park. Gradients are easy to moderate. 

Drive to Lufra Hotel at Eaglehawk Neck to start the walk. Quick car shuffle of one car to Pettmans Rd, the end of the walk.

We walk across the tessellated pavements, & take a left turn up the side of the beach looking down to Clyde’s Island. Some very steep ups & downs to a lovely beach for morning tea before tackling the ascent to Macgregor Peak.

The track is very steep in parts & requires some rock scrambling, but we are walking through lovely forest whilst doing so.

Lunch on the peak with a spectacular view of Pirates Bay and beyond.

We then descend towards the fire tower through the forest, lots of cutting grass and views north. Instead of heading down to Macgregor Road, we take an alternative route to the car at Pettmans Rd, through dry forest & past a hollow tree, once thought to be of historical significance.

Car shuffle back to Lufra Hotel.

Meet at the lower Springs car park at 9am and after a car shuffle we will begin the walk from there at 9:30am.  The plan is to take the North South track to Junction Cabin for Morning Tea.  Then the Hunter's track then the old Hobartian track to the New Town Rivulet, where we will have a good rest and lunch before the steep boulder scramble up to the Lost World.  We will emerge at the Big Bend where we left 2 vehicles to transport us back to the other cars at the Lower Springs Car park.  Approx 7k 5 hrs 670 M, we would grade the walk at a medium plus.  

After a short drive from our meeting point we will commence our walk of around 5km which will be for a couple of kilometres along Seven Mile Beach in an Easterly direction before taking an inland loop back to the start. (or vice versa).  We will be walking close to the end of the Hobart Airport runway so good for plane spotters. More details will be provided once a recce has been done. Optional coffee stop afterwards at Tidal Coffee near the corner of Surf Road and Grueber Ave Seven Mile Beach.   

This is a repeat walk that I led in November 2023. takura limuna (Sheoak Walk) is accessed via the Shag Bay Track, the 700m track sits along the Bedlam Walls and has five interpretive panels, a viewing platform, and a central firepit for cultural use by the Tasmanian Aboriginal Community. The interpretive panels are embedded with QR codes that allow participants to listen in Tasmanian Aboriginal Language. The Mumirimina people's culture, stories & history is honored by this trail.

Shag Bay has a more recent Colonial History with farming, a Bone Mill and the wreck of the Nelson.

This will be a leisurely day exploring the area and learning about its cultural significance to the Tasmanian Aboriginal Community.

To fill the day we will continue on the Shag Bay Heritage Trail and complete a loop walk in the East Risdon State Reserve. The track is dry however does have some tree roots and rocks in places, expect some undulation with the track taking us up and down. Walking poles will be useful and we will walk at a slow and steady pace as needed.

Our starting point is at Geilston Bay Recreation Area accessed from De Bomford Lane of the East Derwent Highway. There is parking at the playground/toilets, additional parking can be found near the Community Centre/Tennis Club and on the foreshore. Please note that parking at the Geilston Bay Boat Clubis their members only.

This will be an in and out trip. It is a fantastic way to experience the easier part of the Western Arthur Range and enjoy the magic of camping on top of one of one of the best ranges we have to offer. 

Day one will be driving to Scott’s Peak, then walking to Junction Creek for first night camp. This part can be very muddy if there has been rain. 
Day two will be Junction Creek to Lake Cygnus. This will involve a substantial climb of approx 800 metres, on a good track to the top of Moraine A. From here we will follow a well defined, sometimes rocky track and probably take a short detour to climb Mount Hesperus, before descending into Lake Cygnus, setting up tents on tent platforms. 
Day three we will day walk and explore. I aim to climb up from Lake Cygnus with day packs and possibly climb Mount Hayes and maybe even continue on till Square Lake. 
Day four will be determined by general consensus. We will either walk back to Junction Creek for the night, or we may decide to walk  to the car park from Lake Cygnus. 

This will be a very leisurely stroll along the almost flat Lenah Valley Track to Sphinx Rock where we will stop and admire the view. We'll then go down the Lower Sawmill Track for about 500 metres until we reach the North/South Track. Some people may find walking poles helpful on this fairly steep downhill section. Then back to the The Springs via the North/South Track. People wanting to avoid the steep downhill Lower Sawmill Track can instead return to The Springs by retracing their steps (with a leader appointed) and be first in line for a coffee at Lost Freight. After our coffee break we'll take the short flat return walk to a lookout point behind the lower carpark for another view to admire.  

This walk starts approximately 9.5km up Lake Dobson Road (Park Pass necessary). it is a short walk about 4.5k with an initial steepish climb. There is a side track to Beaties Tarn followered by a walk on a glacial moraine ridge to Lake Nicholls.

Time permitting we may follow later with a walk to Russell Falls and beyond.

Will have to think about vehicles for the Lake Dobson Road.

Parking is limited at the start of the track.

Our last stay in Derby was so enjoyable we've decided to do it again - but at the end of summer.  So I have booked the Mine Manager's House again.  The BBQ and outside fire pit may well get a work out.  Rough cost for two nights in very comfortable accommodation is $200 per person.  Cost will come down if we have a full house - which will mean sharing some bedrooms.

For those who can, a walk on Friday up Mt Stronach, or perhaps Mt StJohn, and maybe even adding in a canter up Mt Horror and a visit to the Mt Paris dam.  On the Saturday the aim is to walk to the smaller peaks on the eastern edge of the Ben Lomond massif - Whymper, Hamilton's Throne and Ossians Crag - plus Legges Tor, of course.  On Sunday I'd like to investigate the tunnel at Derby, before heading to the delightful Mt Scott and then heading home.  There are other possibilities too - if you have something you would like to do in the north-east, let me know.   

Some scrub and boulders, particularly on Ben Lomond, but overall nothing too difficult or arduous.  A slackers weekend, really.

A full description will be given after completion of the recces. Currently envisaged, meet at Seven Mile Beach & walk via waterside trail to Lauderdale Yacht Club. Return via various Tangara tracks. We shall go over Single Hill but from the "easy" side i.e. we shall walk down the steep side. If the recces show the walk is too long, it will be shortened. I hope to keep the time inc stops to no more than 5 hrs. Most of the tracks should not present any walking problems.

This is a pleasant walk, mainly on an old mining trail, through superb rain forest and button grass plains to a landmark which flanks the Saw Back Range. From Granton we travel for 1.5 hours to just past Frodsham's Pass and park beside the road. We start along the old road to Adamsfield which ambles along flatly for around 3 km before going uphill through beautiful myrtle forest.

The track emerges into more open countryside a short distance to the west of Ibsens Peak. The track crosses a saddle and climbs gently to Welcome Rock. This conglomerate outcrop is 25 m off the track and can be climbed for views of the Southwest. We have lunch here and return the same way.

This is intended to be a Work While You Walk activity on the Cuvier Valley Track, based at Lake Petrarch.  We will be liaising with Parks and other Clubs to see if there can be additional support so that a serious track maintenance effort can be conducted.

This is an historic track through a beautiful valley to a wonderful campsite among ancient Pencil Pines at Lake Petrarch.  It needs substantial work to be restored to its former usability.

More to follow. 

TBA

The 2026 Bushwalking Tasmania Weekend, co-hosted by Northwest Walking Club (NWWC) and Circular Head Walking Club (CHWC).  Based at the Crayfish Creek Caravan Park https://crayfishcreekecoaccommodation.com.au/ with walks (already) planned in Rocky Cape National Park on Saturday and a walk to Detention Peak on Sunday. With a communal BBQ on the Saturday evening. 

This weekend will be a little more complicated than our normal weekend trip in that Pandani participants will need to Register on the Pandani Website,  book their own accommodation (phone Carolyn at Crayfish Creek Caravan Park, 0419302354 or (03)64434228 to arrange a 10% BWT discount), and (possibly) arrange their own transport.

Joe & Simon will liaise with BWT (NWWC & CHWC) re total Pandani participation and may be able to assist with limited coordination of PBC transport. We will also ask PBC participants to indicate what walk(s) they would like to join as we get closer to the date.

This will be an ideal opportunity to meet members of Tasmania's other Walking Clubs (Bushwalking Tasmania represents eleven (11) Walking Clubs) and to participate on walks in the Northeast of Tasmania - where Pandani have the least experience. Note: other walks may be added to the weekend's program

Maybe have a chat while on your next Club walk, arrange a carload, then Register and book your accommodation. 

Our first walk, after organising a car pool, will be to Handsome Caves. We drive through Magra, park at the bottom of Handsome Caves Rd and walk up it til we reach private property. Fortunately we can traverse this property on a right of way, remembering that it is very important to be respectful of this privilege.  We then follow a somewhat overgrown track through the bush until we reach the caves themselves, with their spectacular sandstone rock formations and colours. We'll have morning tea here, taking in the beauty of the area and then retrace our steps. We'll return to Tynwald and have lunch down at the River. After lunch, we'll follow a track along the  river foreshore and eventually make our way up into town to the Central Square. Coffee somewhere round here. We'll complete a small circuit and return to our cars. The autumn colours on the banks of the Derwent should be at their best. Both walks take approx 2.15 hours. The number limit on this walk is dictated by the limited number of car parks at the start of the Handsome Caves walk. 

A three day trip, based on our successful trip to Mt Olympus in 2025, with the focus of this trip being on photography. There may be an opportunity to climb Olympus North 1472m and Olympus South 1447m, plus I'm curious to see the feature 'Seven Apostles', 1435m, but the focus all day Saturday and Sunday morning will be photography. Some night walking and rock scrambling by head torch maybe required, as dictated by the photography. The seeds for this trip were sowed while Sohee and I chatted and climbed Mt Mueller in December.

The broad plan will be to catch the midday ferry from Cynthia Bay to Echo Point on Friday, then climb 450m, sometimes steeply up a poorly defined pad to Lake Oenone. This is not a straight forward climb, with some gymnastics required, and team-work with pack passing.....important to have everything inside the rucksack or securely attached to prevent loss. Saturday will be dictated by group discussion and could involve any of, but not limited too, getting up pre-dawn, a daywalk, moving camp or leaving camp at Lake Oenone, climbing to 1472m, 1447m or 1435m, scoping out suitable places for photography and coming back later when the light is right, still walking after sunset. After the opportunity to take more photographs Sunday morning, maybe pre-dawn, we will break camp and make our way down to the Overland Track, repeating the gymnastics to descend. Walking north along the Overland Track we will make our way to Narcissus and catch the afternoon ferry back to Cynthia Bay. 

The focus will be on photography, not Peak Bagging, with a preference to Club Members who have supported the Club Photography Competition and publish photographs on the Club's Facebook Page. Using a PooTube, WAG Bag or similar will be required to preserve this delicate environment. I will pre-book passage on the ferry and reimbursing me for the cost of the ferry will be required to finally confirm your place on the special trip.

Starting from the Mornington Bike Park we join a short but reasonably steep track to the ridge top.

We then take a track which detours around the clifftops overlooking the highway, and can take in the views during a rest break here. Next there is a multiuser track heading north which continues on up to the top of Flagstaff Hill, our lunch spot with great views of the Derwent and surrounding area.

The track then winds its way back down to the ridge top, where we take a circuit route back to the cars.