Choose a diary entry31/03/2004 - Retrenched! 02/04/2004 - Farewell Lunch 03/04/2004 - Preparation 1 04/04/2004 - Preparation 2 05/04/2004 - Packing 06/04/2004 - Sydney to Hobart to Mt. Field NP 07/04/2004 - Tarn Shelf, then into the Southwest 08/04/2004 - Western Arthurs Hike - Day 1 - Up Alpha Moraine 09/04/2004 - Western Arthurs Hike - Day 2 - Lake Cygnus 10/04/2004 - Western Arthurs Hike - Day 3 - Lake Oberon & Square Lake 11/04/2004 - Western Arthurs Hike - Day 4 - Lake Oberon to Lake Cygnus 12/04/2004 - Western Arthurs Hike - Day 5 - Lake Cygnus to Junction Creek 13/04/2004 - Western Arthurs Hike - Day 6 - out to Mt Field NP 14/04/2004 - Back to Hobart for resupply and on to Southport 15/04/2004 - Southport, Hastings springs, Cockle Creek 16/04/2004 - South Coast Track - Day 1 - Cockle Creek to South Cape Rivulet 17/04/2004 - South Coast Track - Day 2 - South Cape Rivulet 18/04/2004 - South Coast Track - Day 3 - back to Cockle Creek, then Hobart 19/04/2004 - Hobart to Lake St. Clair 20/04/2004 - Frenchmans Cap Hike - Day 1 - to Vera Hut 21/04/2004 - Frenchmans Cap Hike - Day 2 - Tahune Hut and the Summit 22/04/2004 - Frenchmans Cap Hike - Day 3 - Tahune Hut to Vera Hut 23/04/2004 - Frenchmans Cap Hike - Day 4 - out to Derwent Bridge 24/04/2004 - Derwent Bridge / Lake St. Clair to Hobart 25/04/2004 - R&R in Hobart 26/04/2004 - Hobart, buying a new Camera 27/04/2004 - Hobart to Port Arthur 28/04/2004 - Port Arthur Historic site, then to Fortescue Bay 29/04/2004 - Tasman Trail Hike - Fortescue Bay to Eaglehawk Neck 30/04/2004 - Eaglehawk Neck to Hobart, Targa 01/05/2004 - Hobart R&R, Salamanca Markets 02/05/2004 - Tiger Trails Tarkine Hike - Day 1 - to Wombat Flat 03/05/2004 - Tiger Trails Tarkine Hike - Day 2 - to Mt. Ramsay 04/05/2004 - Tiger Trails Tarkine Hike - Day 3 - Mt. Ramsay to Huskisson River 05/05/2004 - Tiger Trails Tarkine Hike - Day 4 - Camped at Huskisson River 06/05/2004 - Tiger Trails Tarkine Hike - Day 5 - Across the Huskisson 07/05/2004 - Tiger Trails Tarkine Hike - Day 6 - Out, then to Strahan 08/05/2004 - R&R in Strahan 09/05/2004 - Dissapointing Gordon River Cruise 10/05/2004 - Strahan, R&R, Preparation for Overland Track 11/05/2004 - Strahan to Lake St. Clair 12/05/2004 - Overland Track - Day 1 - Lake St. Clair to Pine Valley Hut 13/05/2004 - Overland Track - Day 2 - the Labyrinth and Acropolis 14/05/2004 - Overland Track - Day 3 - Pine Valley Hut to Kia-Ora Hut 15/05/2004 - Overland Track - Day 4 - Kia-Ora Hut to Mt. Ossa to Pelion Hut 16/05/2004 - Overland Track - Day 5 - Pelion Hut to Windermere Hut 17/05/2004 - Overland Track - Day 6 - Windamere Hut to Cradle Mountain Village 18/05/2004 - Sick!, Cradle Mountain to Launceston 19/05/2004 - Recovery 1 20/05/2004 - Recovery 2 - Doctor, and Cataract Gorge 21/05/2004 - Recovery 3 22/05/2004 - Recovery 4 23/05/2004 - Recovery 5 24/05/2004 - Launceston to Bicheno 25/05/2004 - Freycinet Hike - Day 1 - the Hazards to Cooks Beach 26/05/2004 - Freycinet Hike - Day 2 - back to Bicheno 27/05/2004 - Exploring Bicheno 28/05/2004 - Bicheno to Launceston 29/05/2004 - Exploring Further in Launcestion 30/05/2004 - Cataract Gorge 2 31/05/2004 - Launceston to Liffey Falls to Deloraine 01/06/2004 - Trowunna, Devils Gullet, Walls of Jerusalem National Park 02/06/2004 - Walls of Jerusalem Hike - Day 1 03/06/2004 - Walls of Jerusalem - Day 2 - Out, then to Hobart 04/06/2004 - Mt. Field NP, Styx Valley & on to Triabunna 05/06/2004 - Maria Island - Day 1 06/06/2004 - Maria Island - Day 2 07/06/2004 - R&R in Launceston 08/06/2004 - Flying Back Home

Tasmania Diary

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Thursday, April 08, 2004

Western Arthurs Hike - Day 1 - Up Alpha Moraine

After packing everything for the hike, we drove down to the start of the track, only a few hundred metres from the campsite. We took a couple of group photos, signed the walkers register, then started the walk.
We were planning to hike as far into the Western Arthurs as we could and to make it a loop if possible.

For the first hour, the track was good, going first through forest, then out onto button grass plains. We saw a wallaby very close to the start. After this good section, came two hours of slogging through thick mud which sometimes came above my knees.
I didn't bother trying to go around it, I just waded through, as it doesn’t damage the vegetation, and is faster anyway. It is quite slippery however, meaning that practically every step results in nearly falling in some sections.



After the 2 hours, we came to Junction creek where walkers are required to scrub their boots to prevent spreading Phytophthora (A root rot disease). This seemed pretty pointless, since the mud started again straight away.
After another hour and a half, with great views of the mountains, we came to the base of Alpha Moraine, having traversed much more mud and button grass. (Alpha Moraine, also known as Moraine A is just a spur coming off the end of the Western Arthurs mountain range)
We thought the mud would end as we ascended the moraine –

It didn’t.

Somehow the water stayed on the steep side of the mountain, and turned the track to mud. It was extremely slippery, and we were continually having our feet slip down and out from under us.
I was about three quarters of the way up, and feeling pretty tired due to lack of fitness when both my feet slipped out from under me on a slippery muddy rock, and I came crashing down onto my hands, however as I came down, my left eye caught a bush. I immediately thought I'd lose sight in my eye, as it was very painful, but on opening it, I could still see properly, and found that much of the pain was from several cuts around my eye, but also from a stinging of the eye itself.
After a few minutes, I felt I could go on, or at least made myself go on, as we were running out of daylight, and needed to find the campsite.

At the top of the climb, the weather closed in, with a freezing wind and enveloping cloud. I was extremely tired, and having trouble making my legs work properly. Walking along the alpine ridge, Jennifer was getting ahead a bit, we stopped and discussed finding a camp before Lake Cygnus, where we intended to go. Jennifer wanted to go on, as did I, but the light was fading fast. Sook after, Jennifer got out of sight in front of Gaye and myself, and we stopped, and decided we really had to make camp as we couldn’t see the path properly, and were liable to get lost. We yelled to Jennifer, but to no avail.

We made camp on some rocky ground in an exposed saddle, hoping Jennifer was OK, but at the same time cursing that she had gone ahead and split us up.
There was no water on the saddle, so I gave Gaye the little I had, and cooked my ready to eat soup, which required no water.
Even on the alpine tops of the mountains, the mud continued unabated, only the plants in it changed.

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