We headed towards the Tarkine Wilderness today exploring half of the roads and going down the others tomorrow on our way to Arthur River. Starting with Kannunah Bridge, brochure said 'lovely spot for a picnic and to view the rapids and reflections of Arthur River'. Well the dank shelter shed on the road prior to crossing over a bridge was probably once, well maybe not a lovely spot all we saw from there was bush. Walked down and stood on bridge to view the river. Next spot said breathtaking view over the river, easy 10 minute walk, more like 2 minute and was a good view but hard to photograph. Onto Julius River...'enchanting rainforest river where there is an easy 30 minute walk. Hah they fibbed - rough, uneven, tree roots, logs to get over, and slippery steps from years of mulch that at the best was not a step but a ramp. Not a happy camper at this stage, pretty yes, massive tree ferns, leatherwood trees, blossoms of leatherwood flowers floating on the breeze etc but my knee gave out and at that point I do not believe any 'easy' walk signs again.
Interest was stirred with ...'one of the finest examples of flooded sinkholes in Australia' at our next stop Lake Chisholm. Another hairy walk by me but fascinating body of water and the reasons why it was formed. Dempster Plains Lookout over the button grass plains was good as only 14 months ago devasted by fire but regenerating beautifully. Fire stick farming it is called after the aboriginal method of fireing the grasses to get the animals out and then again when the grasses reshot the animals again (those not hunted the first time) where caught so the natives of the land had a constant source of food. Another spot to stop was Rapid River and then onto Sinkhole which surprise surprise was a sinkhole, quite beautiful in the afternoon sunlight. One of the things we noticed today was the sponginess of the earth in these forest, we could bounce at least 3 inches on the peat/mulch/tree fern mass and it did make walking a bit more difficult. The height of the trees magnificent and the tree ferns - I know Jacqueline yours are big too but these are good ones in a forest.
Our last stop for the arvo was the best - Trowutta Arch. We arrived and there were workpeople constructing the foot path into the forest a lovely even one, love those ones, but it did descend into the usual Tasmanian forest 75% in as they are still working on it - told us to return in a month it should be finished. Brochure described 'an extraordinary and rare geographical feature'...not quite sure what apart from sinkholes, dry ones this time and a huge rock arch and spectacular bush surrounds but no signage as to why it was so rare.
A really great day, cept for knee, and we saw and conquered and I now know DON'T BELIEVE THE SIGNS or the husband. But off to do it all again tomorrow...yee hah. One of the walks is to follow an old packhouse track thru stunning cool temperate rainforest - moderate 3 hr walk....not for this little black duck. Anyway the day will bring anything it can, I just know I will sleep well tonight. xxxx
By the way we may be out of range for next two days so no panicking to our safety unless I push him off a cliff. xx