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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Monday, May 31, 2004

Launceston to Liffey Falls to Deloraine

Over the last couple of days, I'd tried contactin Zinta to organise the Walls of Jerusalem with her, without success. I decided to just go ahead and hire a car, and prepare for the trip. I rang a couple of car hire places, and settled on one near the hostel for $30 per day for an older blue laser. (Interestingly, it looked just like Gaye's car)

I decided to go out to Liffey and check out the falls, which would already be going against the insurance conditions, as it says not to go on unsealed roads, but thats pretty hard in tassie. The drive to Liffey was through farming pastures and was pretty, as far as rural areas go.
As I neared Liffey, which is not really a town, just a locality, I could see the bluffs of the Great Western Tiers rising up above the farmland. Soon, Dry's Bluff was visible, it's top wreathed in cloud, and below it, Bob Brown's house standing out on the hillside. The road turned to gravel, and I drove slowly and very carefully as I didn't want to have an accident where insurance would be void. The road plunged into eucalypt forest, and then, after a while, rainforest, and the World Heritage area.

After getting to the falls carpark, I set off down the hill to the falls. Travelling through lush cool rainforest with lots of treeferns, I soon came to the first cascade, which was very pretty. I almost lost the car key as it slipped out of my pocket I'd forgotten to zip. The second cascade consisted of a chute through which the water was being funnelled before shooting out over the falls. After another short distance, I came the third set of falls which are the ones called Liffey Falls. They are very beautiful and are in a beautiful and tranquil rainforest setting.

I decided to follow the track to the lower carpark, and found that it is also quite beautiful. It follows the Liffey river through rainforest, then bushland, with occasional views of the rocky bluffs of the Tiers. I returned the way I'd come, back to Liffey falls, then back to the car. There is a big eucalypt near the carpark, but at 50m, it is not as big as the ones I saw in the Tarkine.

Leaving the Falls, I drove out to the A5 highway, and followed it to Deloraine, driving past Quamby Bluff - a big, impressive rocky mountain which was once part of the Tiers. At Deloraine, I went to the supermarket to buy some food for the hike, and for meals till then, and checked into the YHA hostel. It has good views of the Great Western Tiers, and Quamby Bluff. I was the only one there, and apparently was the first person for a few days. I had dinner (burritos), and sat in front of the fireplace, leafing through the collection of national geographic magazines, most of which were interesting because they were quite old. (several were older than me)

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