Camping

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Western Arthurs Day 4 : Lake Oberon – High Moor

Western Arthur Range Index

Lake Oberon

We left the Lake Oberon campsite at 09:00 the next morning, still completely oblivious to the hidden beauty that surrounded us. We made our way back up the junction towards the base of Mt. Orion (elevation : 1151m), but took the path on the right that snaked up and around the lake instead. The path continued along the ridge, then dropped down once again past a smaller tarn on the upper tier and to the flat saddle between Mt. Orion and Mt. Pegasus. Read more

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Western Arthurs Day 3 : Lake Cygnus - Lake Oberon

Western Arthur Range Index

White Out!

The original plan had us pushing past Lake Cygnus and on to Lake Oberon on the same day but the inclement weather that had suddenly rolled in had forced us to stop at the Lake Cygnus campsite instead. We ended up taking our sweet time getting ready that morning, knowing that we only had about half a day of hiking ahead of us, and set off around 10:00, unperturbed despite the weather still remaining gloomy and the rain intermittent. We made the steep climb North-West back up to the junction and turned right to follow the main track as it continued East along the crest of the range. Read more

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Western Arthurs Day 2 : Junction Creek - Lake Cygnus

Western Arthur Range Index

Across the Buttongrass Plains

We left Junction Creek at 09:00 the next morning and turned right along the Port Davey track at the junction that lay just to the South of the camp. The soft and diffused sunlight that morning was very pleasant, but the trail still remained very muddy. It lead to another river crossing approximately 1 kilometre in, before leading to elevated wooden platforms that lined the track as it crossed the muddy, flat buttongrass plains heading West.

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Western Arthurs Day 1 : Scott's Peak Dam - Junction Creek

Western Arthur Range Index

Forest Groves

Damon and I parked the car at the carpark next to Huon Camp, and registered our names at the sign-in booth after disconnecting the car battery. I couldn't wait to get moving as the foreboding profile of the glaciated quartzite ridge of the Western Arthur's, that we had passed as we drove towards Scotts Peak Dam, had left me filled with a great deal of excitement and anticipation. Read more

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Western Arthur Range

Difficulty Rating : 5.6 / 10.0 (Class 8 - Very Challenging)

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The Western Arthur Range

The Western Arthur Range lies in Southwest National park, in Southwest Tasmania, and is one of the most dramatic mountain ridges in the whole of Australia. This World Heritage Area is known for its glaciated landscapes, jagged quartzite crags, spectacular lakes (approximately 30 of them, and along with the peaks and ridges, were named after celestial objects), unpredictable and violent weather, and of course the magnificent views!

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Murchison River Gorge - Day 6

Murchison River Gorge Index

Trapped Bird

The group set off at 08:30 the next morning, heading Northwards and crossing the river back and forth by hopping across rock fields. Read more

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Murchison River Gorge - Day 5

Murchison River Gorge Index

The Group Splits

The group had decided to split into two groups of two to tackle this particular section of the gorge - one group was to continue along the Z-Bend section of the gorge with floatpacks (as there was no way to continue walking along the ledges along this section), whereas the other group was to walk to the next food drop and rejoin the other two at 4-Ways. I decided to take the 'dry route' and head inland predominantly because of all the sensitive electronic equipment that I was carrying with me.

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Murchison River Gorge - Day 4

Murchison River Gorge Index

A New Day Dawns

It was a beautiful morning when we broke camp, with clear skies, and an absolutely still, mirror-like river. It felt a little chilly at first since the river still lay deep in the gorge's shadow, but I didn't really notice it too much with the delightful twittering and the chirping of the birds that surrounded me. The Sun left the gorge basking in its warm radiance as it rose higher in the sky, dispelling any chills that still remained. This soft, almost lateral sunlight helped to accentuate the shapes of the rocks and boulders, with their long shadows, the light reflecting off the pools of water, causing the algae in the water to seem to almost glow with a green sheen and bringing out a little shimmer in the sandstone.

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Murchison River Gorge - Day 3

Murchison River Gorge Index

River Crossings

We set off at 09:10 that morning and quickly found that we were forced to backtrack a little in order to cross the river, as the riverbank up ahead proved to be impassable. The backtrack was just a short walk along the sandy bank, and with a little rock hopping, we safely found ourselves on the other side.

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Murchison River Gorge - Day 2

Murchison River Gorge Index

The Gorge

It must have rained throughout the night as the air felt moisture-laden as we packed up camp that morning. After a while, the sun peaked out from the clouds and the warm rays seemed to sweep away any residue of the lingering morning dew that was left. It didn't take long for the remaining clouds to dissipate, leaving a clear azure sky in their wake, perfectly reflected in the mirror-like water of the still river.

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