The last time we attempted the Lake Rhona track, the log bridge, as described in all the blogs, was 2 feet under a raging torrent. After seriously considering jumping in upstream and swimming like hell, commonsense prevailed and we retreated back to the car. This year we obsessed over rainfall gauges, Tasmanian Hydro water flows and the BOM river level readings before heading out to try again. We took the Gittus Road detour to avoid Tiger Road, assuming the bridge was still down. However we need not have done this as we checked it out on the way home and they've installed a brand spanking new one. The trail head was rammed with cars and we counted 21 hikers would be sharing Lake Rhona with us on Saturday night. So much for seclusion.
The first 20 minutes of the walk is through pleasant forest before reaching the Gordon River. With the river at ankle deep upstream the large tree bridge was quite easy and dry. It would take a biblical rainfall to go under that weekend so my fears of being stuck on the other side were eased. Hiking on the Rasselas track isn't one of the most scenic of walks in Tasmania. The bush fires ripped through in 2019 leaving little cover, lots of button grass and plenty of mud underfoot. The Denison Range provides a nice handle to trek along with the destination hidden behind the foothills. My brand new Salmon S-Labs were well and truly christened with no option but the trek through mid-calf deep mud at times. I wonder how many extra miles we do trying to avoid water puddles, vainly attempting to keep dry feet. I'd be interested in some proper water-proof hiking boots to try a more direct route. Although I'd say waders wouldn't be out of place on some of our adventures.
Finally reaching some interesting track we started the 400m climb to the lake. It's not particularly technical although the mud keeps things exciting. Signs urge walkers to stay on the track to prevent erosion. But it's difficult when the track has become a narrow crevasse in the ground, littered with rocks and the soft grass right BESIDE the track is so inviting. It must be a monumental effort to keep tracks maintained in this harsh landscape. Parks seem to be overwhelmed with the job so there's a lot of potential for private contractors so fill this void. Even the boot-wash was out of detergent which isn't great for the spread of pests like phytophthora.
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| Old Farm equipment at Gordonvale where Ernie Bond lived for 17 years |
I was a little disappointed up to this point. The route was ho-hum, the weather gloomy and at just over 3 hours it wasn't 'extreme' enough to be considered a challenge. But as we walked into the amphitheatre which surrounded the lake it all became clear. This was definitely a 'destination' hike. A pristine beach in the mountains surrounded by typical Tasmanian folded mountains, including two Abels, over 1200 metres high. Despite the crowd there was still plenty of room and privacy. The great thing about the remoteness, is that the people who make the effort to trek in have a true appreciation for their surroundings, and for other like-minded people. We thought about climbing up on the ridge and doing the traverse on the mountains above the lake. But the weather was supposed to be better on Sunday so we opted to 'chill'. Which was odd because we're normally setting up our tent in the dark, while exhausted after trekking for most of the day.
We struck up a conversation with three lads in tents next to us. Two had finished year 12 last year and all were completing apprenticeships or TAFE. They had done this hike several times and it's become a bit of a tradition with them. It was so heartening to see young people enjoying the wilderness and having fun with challenges. They told us about the Anaspides - mountain shrimp - we'd seen in the lake. They remarked how small our packs were and how we must be able to move quite fast. We were amazed they managed to cart a Big W Hinterland double air mattress up to lake Rhona! And while we were talking they pulled out zucchinis, mushrooms and capsicums to chop up for a gourmet dinner. Not the lightest of 'camping food' but it looked, and smelled really good! We spent 5 minutes preparing our couscous and beef jerky. I don't think we'll get any nutrient deficiencies from one night off the vegetables.
With nothing to do I had a nap at 7.30. Woke up for a bit and then went to sleep at 9. I guess this is what my body clock is really like without screens to distract it. Sleeping at 900 metres was still quite cold, even in summer and a wind kicked up over night. By morning it was perfectly still though. Sticking our heads out of the tent before dawn we waited for sunrise. Unfortunately for those trying to capture the mountains, the fog rolled in shortly before. It was eerie and beautiful though and cleared enough to capture the first rays of sunlight on the surrounding peaks. Sunrise at Lake Rhona is something everyone should do once. It is absolutely magical.
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| Eerily beautiful as the fog rolls into the lake |
After breakfast we headed up for the traverse. The fog was still thick and we were in a white-out at the top. Navigation was tricky at one point but the track was reasonably clear after that. We didn't get a real view of the lake below until the final stretch before descending back to the beach. It took about 2 hours and was fairly easy walking after the initial hike up. Those who had started packing as we headed up were just leaving as we got back to camp. One advantage of traveling light is there is less 'stuff' to pack up. I did envy the small luxuries of the ones with oversized packs though. Apres hike footwear and warmer clothes would be worth the weight sacrifice. After taking our muddy shoes off and getting into clean socks for sleeping we were restricted to our tent unless we were willing to go barefoot on the cold pointy sand. I find some people's choice of 'essential equipment' puzzling though. You're hiking into a remote wilderness for one night and you absolutely have to have dry shampoo spray and a hair brush? Really? I don't even shower for 3 days so my hair is the least of my worries.
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| Two knobs |
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| Very lucky to get this shot. The lake from the surround mountains |
We got a lot of questions about how much our packs weigh (we don't know, but we'll weigh them next time) and what gear we were using. We've saved a bit by spending money on good quality, light-weight tents, sleeping quilts and mats. But mostly we just figure out what we can live without and are prepared to be a bit more uncomfortable than most people. The reward is being able to squeeze a 3 to 4 day hike into a weekend, so we can have a lot more adventures over the year.
The sun was shining over Lake Rhona as we left but the surrounds were shrouded in grey. It was very tempting to stay another night but it was work for both of us on Monday. The couple who'd had a swim the day before were at it again. I assumed they were Swedes or Russians who were into that sort of thing. The lake was freezing and this girl was in a bikini. Not just a quick in and out either. Loitering in the water. It just wasn't right. But three hours later, at the Gordon River crossing, the sun was out and we went for a dip to wash some of the camping smell off. John managed to pick up a couple of leeches which were very well fed by the time we drove home. Ah, the great outdoors.
