Fire and Ice

Hartz Mountain National Park was first proclaimed a scenic reserve in 1939 but has changed considerably with parts of the area revoked and converted to State forest reducing the overall area to just over 6400 hectares.

I suspect that whilst locals and people who enjoy remote walking use and love the park it does not attract many visitors. However it is very different and weather conditions are definitely temperamental. Here glaciers and later snow, ice wind and fire have shaped what is pretty unforgiving landscape. It is true alpine country!

Today it is cold - take your breath away cold - and I was glad of my gortex jacket and fleece. Light rain occasionally but mostly mountain mist laid a grey curtain over everything.

I walked to Lake Osborne from the large visitor shelter. The well formed track climbs gently through relict rain forest and relict woodland until emerging onto wind swept moorland traversed by boardwalk.

Plants are slow and low growers here, compressed by the wind. Drifting mist obscures the hill tops and the wind threatens to push you off the board walk.

Signage here describes the mist as the ghost of the glaciers which rather than moving, settled in the valley and compressed the land. Water settling in the valley now turns to ice and splits the rocks continuing the process. Fire has also played its part.

Leaving the boardwalk the track descends to Lake Osborne - one of several glacial lakes remaining after the last ice age which was a mere 18,000 years ago. The bush and heath press close to the water, no beach here. It's deep and cold.

The glaciers in Tasmania were starved of ice, melting in the warming of climate change. Debris carried by the glaciers formed a wall or moraine damming the run off from the mountains and forming Lake Osborne.

Hartz Mountain has seen tragedy too. In 1897 a party of experienced local explorers and bushmen encountered a severe storm near the mountain. Despite the best efforts of the party Arthur Greeves and his cousin Sydney perished from hypothermia, Arthur in his father's arms saying "Father don't leave me!" A memorial sign reminds everyone of the challenge and uncertainty of the bush.

The Geeves family were instrumental in cutting tracks in the bush attracting early bush walkers to Hartz Mountain and the town of Geeveston.

Footwear cleaning stations are evident on most tracks in the Tasmanian World Wilderness Areas.

For a moment the mist lifted and I could see the mountains beyond.

Then it rolled in again bringing the rain!

I have checked into my hotel down on Constitution Dock for 2 nights. Getting  through the Hobart late afternoon traffic wasn't terrifying but I plan to leave the car in the hotel park and walk and take ferries. Seafood on the dock tonight, markets and Mona tomorrow.