Julian & Ali Travels


Vale of Belvoir and Cradle Mountain		March 1 - 3

		Wound licking is a serious business, which involves looking more closely at our immediate surroundings, being incapable of walking more than a couple of km. The Vale of Belvoir is fascinating from a few perspectives. We have many discussions about the difference between padmelons and wallabies. They seem to have thicker fur here than at the coast. Yes, the weather is cooler. Answer in a self addressed email, or next to another pic near the end of this page!

		There's a variety of forest. We seem to be next to eucalypts. There are patches of temperate rain forest in the Vale. All the trees aren't eucalypts, just that they seem to dominate the top storey. Underneath a variety. The edge is quite dense, but gaps where the wallabies (they are Bennets Wallabies, red necked) jump in and out. Inside quite spacious. Today seems to be taken up with forests. We hope to see both trees and forests!

		A brisk cooling breeze. Enough to create waves on Lake Lea. Looking north, the lake exits through the River Lea, which enters Lake Gairdner about 15km north east, where there is another campsite. Then the Wilmot River, which flows into the Forth River, through Forth to the sea.

		Under the ground is sandstones, covered by limestone, in part covered by volcanic basalt, which is further covered by glacial moraine. A larger sinkhole than I've previously observed - I walked past this twice before realising what it is.

		Looking south, the beginning of the River Lea, flowing towards us. The basalt and moraine form a watershed. Water beyond our line of sight flows southwards. The Vale River, which flows into Mackintosh Creek, and thus into Lake Mackintosh, which we looked down on from Mt Farrell. 30km to our south west.

		There are a few solitary bushes.

		Fire happens in Tasmania, despite normally lower temperatures. The trees less capable of recovery.

		The glacier from Cradle Mountain carried dolerite rocks, depositing them as erratics on top of the basalt.

		How I learned of the geology. From a sign about 150m from the campsite towards the lake. There is a similar, but far more complex, map of vegetation at the lake. The landscape more of a patchwork quilt than most.

		The more we look the more we see the depressions that are sink holes. And the relatively large number of erratics. We suspect some of the erratics moved to form a boundary to the campsite.

		Generally misty in the mornings. And some overnight rain to freshen the trees. Interesting watching the wallabies and padmelons appear, and disappear. A pattern dependent on rain, mist and sunshine.

		Mid morning, when the radar says the rain is almost passed, we drive the 10km to Cradle Mountain Visitors Centre. Since we realised we would have seen King Billy Pines at Winterbrook, our first real walk, we've had our minds set on the King Billy Walk at Cradle Mountain. I think one set of Pencil Pine Falls, from the road bridge at the park entry. Near the Ranger Station.

		After a bit of misdirection, or lack of direction, we find the King Billy Track behind Cradle Mountain Lodge. Turn left past reception and follow the signs ... we knew that! A very damp looking forest, though dry for us despite the rain. The track is boardwalk all the way, about 40 minutes.

		Some big trees.

		And little trees. With lots of lichen. The boat shed on Dove Lake was built with shingles cut from King Billy Pines. As was the first lodge at Cradle Mountain in early 1900's. Light and durable wood.

		Some fallen.

		Some standing. Hundreds of years old. Now we know what King Billy Pines look like.

		Eerie.

		The loop takes us back to the lodge. Across an open area.

		Interesting looking, alpine coral fern. Present in Tassie and New Zealand.

		Very fractal looking.

		A last glimpse of big trees, we think the one in the foreground is King Billy.

		And an idea of the size. We walk back to the Ranger Station humming Joni Mitchell's paved paradise song - we can't remember the words, just the sentiment.

		The Ranger Station Interpretive Centre had a 3D model of Cradle Mountain. We've been kicking ourselves (metaphorically) for a couple of days that we didn't walk a few hundred meters along the Lake Rodway Track before climbing up to the Face Track. We may have caught a glimpse of the back of the mountain. This happens to us lots, we are used to it. We can't be all knowing and all seeing. Resarch seems to be an iterative process which includes seeing what is really there. Getting it right first time simply chance.

		The real Pencil Pine Falls, an easy track from the Interpretive Centre. We learn of Pencil Pines that don't recover from fire.

		The Visitors Centre car park half full. Lots of motorhomes, mostly hire. In contrast to a couple of days ago, when the weather was fine, and the car park near full. I can imagine it on a cloudless sunny day ... I believe Tasmania has such days.

		Back at "The Vale". Misty again. Solar has generally been sufficient to replenish what we use. We are becoming used to "slow solar" in Tasmania, as different to "fast solar" that we have from clear blue desert skies with higher sun angles on the mainland. Above the mist is high cloud.

		Success at last. An expedition, at least 100m, into the eucalypt forest near the camp. A grey fantail. There were several, that really didn't want to be pictured. Also wrens. Slowly associating birds with vegetation and forest type.

		Coral, or reindeer lichen. Despite there being no reindeer in Tasmania. Not even at Christmas!

		Definitely misty. And those mobile erratics.

		All fluffed up against the lower temperatures. Is it a wallaby or a padmelon - we think a red-necked (Bennet's) wallaby. We'll have a rest day. And a possible walk to the top of the moraine.

		Rest day involves a walk across the heath to the high point of the watershed. But first more fantail watching. A very vague pic of what may have been a green rosella. The sound parrot like!

		We very rapidly realise the heath is an interesting place. Almost every step (well perhaps 10m) the vegetation changing. Populated with flowers previously hidden from us.

		More sink holes than previously realised.

		A few with water.

		We reach the high point. Is this an erratic, or a limestone outcrop?

		We suspect limestone. Unlikely a bunch of erratics.

		To our west a small creek with a beginning in a sink hole which flows south. The beginning of Vale River.

		We thought of this as a periscope flower. Tracing flower stems to their source really didn't reveal much for us. We simply don't know enough.

		A sign in the middle of the heath, an old 4wd track, not used for a very long time. First glance it said "Private Land". The fine print said "Welcome".

		Lots of these flowers. Not dense. At least ones and twos over large area. When we looked closely, the red dots look like spiders. Certainly insects.

		Off the top, this creek flows to the lake. We cross it and head to the truck, to our left. The road we drove in on follows the edge of the trees. About 2.5km walked. Just enough for a rest day. Long have we tried to slow down our travels. It seems Tasmania is providing something that helps. The Vale continually changing. As interesting as the waves of Trial Harbour.

Gateway

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