Ain't No Mountain High Enough (Stanley to Corinna, Tasmania)

The alarm vibrated quietly on my wrist at 5:45am dear reader. Sunrise was to be viewed from the top of the Nut, dear reader, the volcanic plug that Stanley is built around. Breakfast was to follow at one of the other cottages which meant we needed to pack before we left for the morning climb. Surprisingly we both felt ok after yesterday’s 9km loop walk to the beach.

Look closely, you can see the path on the right side of the Nut.

Although we were only a 10 minute walk from the other cottages Nick offered to pick us up and who are we to refuse hospitality? By 6:30, seven of us and Hayden, the other guide, were walking up the road toward the Nut. There is a chair lift to the top which, sadly, was not in operation. Pademelons bounded in all directions as we walked toward the path and I heard one lonely Tasmanian Devil growling in the bush. 

Clouds on the horizon.

The concrete path to the top was steep. So steep. It would not meet disability guidelines. By the time we had reached the first cut-back of the path we had started to remove clothes to avoid overheating. Did I mention the path was steep? The benefit of such a path was that we soon made the top. Provided you slowed the pace and did not pause. At the summit I was definitely sure that Jimmy Barnes was wrong when he sang, Ain't No Mountain High Enough in 1992. The Nut was plenty high enough, 143m in fact.

There was a 500m walk to the lookout point. Either side of the path was thickly grassed and home to shearwater nests. Ankle breaking country should you disobey the the warnings and stray from the right path. Hmmm, almost a religious experience.

Stanley was still sleeping.

We arrived before the sun had crested the horizon but after the colours had seeped into the sky. It was a great view back over Stanley and up and down the coast, but as a sunrise walk it was average. I doubt anything will ever top the Mt Sonder walk from the Larapinta. The walk down was significantly easier; however, the steep gradient required some concentration as one misstep could result in a quick trip to the car park. And then a further trip to the hospital... wherever that might be.

Dave and I detoured en route to breakfast and re-visited the penguin walk. There was not a penguin in sight, they had all gone fishing. There were, however,  a few pademelons wandering around the area. Back at the cottage, Nick had breakfast prepared. Post breakfast, we walked back to our cottage and repacked before we returned to the road. It was going to be a transit day and there was much distance to cover before we reached our final destination, Corinna.

Hanging out in the penguin zone.

Our first stop was on the road to Highfields House to get a better view of the Nut. It certainly provided the best vantage point for a photo opportunity. Then we walked the short distance to the grand old house itself, past the remnant barracks where the convicts who built said house were locked up at night. An 1836 colonial construction by the original Van Diemen’s Land Company. After being captured by a Ranger, we were embarrassed into paying for entry and were then obliged to wander through the house. As a tourist attraction, it is in dire need of some love and desperate for some inspiration. It does, however, have an excellent view of the Nut and lords itself over the Stanley township. The colonists knew how to intimidate their own as well as the indigenous inhabitants. 

The remnant of the convict quarters.

Highfields House.

Today’s schedule had been altered due to the recent bushfires that have devastated various parts of the north-west. Most were started by dry lightning strikes and spread easily due to the extremely dry summer. Climate change is real, I'm looking at you, Tony Abbott. As a result of the devastation some areas are closed to visitors and the visit to Mt Donaldson and Montezuma Falls has been canned.

Trowutta Arch and sinkhole.

Our next stop was Trowutta Arch. The arch is actually the entrance to a sinkhole where the limestone has eroded and the subsequent deep hole has filled with water. While not a spectacular sight, the walk through the rainforest is peaceful and soul restoring. The sinkhole is about a 10 minute stroll on a well-defined path through a forest of tree ferns, some reaching over 3m in height, with the upper canopy of the forest being beech myrtle, sassafras and leatherwood. Away from the rainforest the eucalypts dominated the scrub and we could hear black cockatoos and spotted a couple of green rosellas as we walked back to the bus.

The pathway to the Arch.

Our lunch spot was Chisholm Lake, another sinkhole. It was another stroll, around 2km return on a well-defined, leafy path. The only difficulty was the numerous roots criss-crossing the track. They provided little grip and boots slipped too readily on them. As it was Sunday, there were a few people about and a couple of impatient Queenslanders who pushed passed our group. I’m not sure what they gained by doing that - the vista was still beautifully intact when we arrived. Maybe they intended to use the two minutes they saved doing something else; like annoying other people on another trail.

A reflective moment (see what I did there?)

Lunch magically appeared from Hayden’s pack and we enjoyed our wraps by the serene waters of the lake. Only a mother grebe and her chicks broke the surface of the water.

A blurry Grebe, I think.

After lunch and the amble back to the bus, our transit day continued as we entered deeper into the Tarkine. Nick had broken up the trip as much as possible but we still had a lot distance to cover. As I discovered years ago, it takes longer to get anywhere in Tassie and that is driving a regular sedan. A mini-bus pulling a trailer full of gear takes even longer.

After a brief stop at Wynyard for supplies, no trains here, we were strapped in for the 2 hour drive to Corinna. The first section wound up and down and alongside mountains. It was corkscrew country. When the road flattened out, the tar was replaced by white quartzite. The Quartz Highway looked prettier than a corrugated gravel road but the effect was the same, particularly sitting in the back of the bus. Think trampoline; although not as bad as the Gibb River Road.

We rolled into Corrina and the Tarkine Hotel just after 7pm. Slightly late for dinner. The bonus was dinner was at the pub, so we were able to imbibe while enjoying our meal. Our accommodation for the next three nights was in cabins. They are rustically photogenic with a delightful verandah from which to survey the world below. Once again we have all the mod cons, gas fire, comfortable bed, hot water, shower and space to sit and relax. Sadly, there is no campfire option.

Home sweet home.

Prior to retiring for the evening, the clouds disappeared and presented us with a crystal clear view of the night sky. It was the perfect time to use my new tripod and test out my knowledge of night photography. Dave set up behind our cabin and experimented with different settings. I think we did well, but you can be the judge. The difference in the photos is the ISO setting.

Until tomorrow.