Tues, 31st Mar, 2015 Malcolm & Kerry’s farm, Westbury to Lilydale Falls Reserve via Ben Lomond National Park

Clear sky and cold morning 8.5 degrees at 8am. Malcolm was up early and it was only 4 degrees!! Life of a farmer!!

Beautiful day and no wind so just need t-shirt and jumper. Packed up then had a cuppa with everyone before we headed off. Will call back in on our way back towards the boat.

Headed back to Launceston and turned off to St Leonards then through more farming area of White Hills, a big winery here too. Old building in the front looks like it was about to fall down.

Followed the North Esk River for a while.  Part of the Ben Lomond National Park mountains. Can’t see any snow today though the ice signs have been put up.

Mount Barrow and its towers that we saw through the clouds when we were up there.

Turned off the bitumen road to head up to the top of Ben Lomond NP. We are at 380m elevation now.

Into second gear and climbed continually to 760m through stringy bark forest – oops should have left the van at the bottom or back in Launceston!!! The little radiator is doing well as the air is still quite cool. Flattened out for a bit then in thru the National Park entrance (880m). One kilometre on we stopped at the entrance to the picnic/camp area (1000m). I walked in the narrow road to check out if there was enough room to turn around. All good so we went in and parked. There was even a nice flushing toilet. It was a good spot so thought it deserved a photo of our van even though we weren’t staying the night.

Climbed up the rise beside the camp to look down on the van then across to the valley below of Upper Blessington.

Info board about the forest and the village below us. It is a lovely day that we only have a t-shirt and jumper on, which is amazing since we are climbing in altitude.

Heading up the road – great view of the dolerite cliffs.

Turned off to head up Jacob’s Ladder to the Alpine Village on the plateau. You can just make out the road zig sagging its way up the rocky face.

There is a lookout at the top.

Great views as we climb up. Each corner has a name, Strickland then Black, Hanging, Waterfall, Watchtower then finally Gateway.

Finally at the top with the snow markers. Parked and walked out onto the Watchtower Lookout (1400m).

An info board.

The mountains in front of us – what a magnificent view.

Looking over Jacob’s Ladder – wasn’t as bad as the road up to Mt Barrow though!!

Then looking out front to Bass Strait (can’t see if because of the low cloud on horizon).

Around to the right.

Then behind us where a stream of water is flowing down the middle to become the North Esk River.

With a view like that it makes you so glad to be alive.

Back in the car and we head around the bend to look up the plateau (the river flowing down on the left side) with the village in the distant on the right.

Ben Lomond National Park’s highest point, the summit of Legges Tor (1572m) is the second highest peak in Tasmania. There is a walk up to it so we will do that after we check out the village.

Looking back down the valley to where we were just parked.

At 1450m we reach the village. Quite a lot of buildings and a lot of ski lifts too.

There are poles showing the direction of the Cross Country Ski Circuit, one via Surprise Valley 2.2km and the other via Little Hell 5km – the second one doesn’t sound too inviting. So hard to imagine it all covered in snow.

Checked out the info board showing all the lifts and accommodation huts.

This one looks nice.

Others look plain and weathered.

Some of the chairlifts.

Went into the Ben Lomond Alpine Hotel. The lady said they had snow last week – what a shame we missed it.

A couple of photos by the door show this area under snow. Taken from above the hotel (our car is parked where the sign is).

Looks so different now with the alpine shrubs making it hard to walk through.

The front part of the building is the National Parks shelter hut. It has a creek going under it.

Loved the Ford.

Headed back to do the walk to the summit. There are lodges up there too but no roads to them!! The track was rocks which a stream was running down too.

We just kept following the poles.

The water was so clear.

Our truck is looking very small.

Looking down the valley again.

Still climbing.

 Lots of pools from the snow last week.

At last we find some huts.

And a wallaby.

Up above the other mountains now (1550m).

The Summit Lodge doesn’t look very inviting. Lots of rubbish everywhere but I suppose they have to carry everything in as there is no road.

A memorial cairn outside for the President of the Alpine Club, founded in 1930.

Lots of bunk beds though.

Following the poles further up – the huts disappear.

Zoomed in on Mt Barrow – that’s the tower we saw when the clouds lifted when we were up there.

On the other side from the huts is a basin with the Western Tiers in the distance.

Now for the climb over the big rocks. A wallaby was leading the way.

Found the top of one chairlift.

The rockpile on the summit.

Complete with balancing rock.

Survey marker so we have the correct spot as there are no signs.

Steve adds another rock to the pile.

Our selfie.

There are two fires burning now making the horizon hazy – the National Parks do their burn offs this time of the year. It is lovely temperature up here – not cold at all. Zoomed in on the mountains etc.

I took a video turning around on the spot, then took photos of the view.

Steve went to the edge for a look back down to our truck. That’s the other hut we could see from the road.

Found another hut nestled into the rocks.

Checked out the chairlift – lots of cables laying on the ground – not looking too healthy either.

Looking back over the Village. I don’t think I could ski on it now I know what is underneath. There would have to be a deep covering of snow!!

Then around to the right over the chairlifts. We could make out the rest of the Cross Country circuit too.

Back over the village I zoomed in on the water that forms the source of the North Esk River.

Back down again.

Back in the truck and heading down Jacob’s Ladder. The fires burning in the distance.

So glad we had a clear morning. Can’t get enough of these views even with the smoky haze.

Back to the van for a cuppa. It is 22 degrees in the van. Chatted with a guy whose son is kayaking across from Melbourne. They had some rough weather!! And were delayed by had made it to Flinders Island. He was meeting them at Little Musselroe Bay on Thursday and wanted advice on some campsites.

Back on the flat again – looking back to the massif of Ben Lomond.

We had to go back to Launceston, through town again (but we know a shortcut now instead of having to go around the Mall) and then up along the Tamar River and turn off towards Lilydale.

It was nearly 5pm so we pulled off to the side to see if there was enough room for us as it is a carpark arrangement. I waited in the truck – the Alpacas were used to cars.

Some had been shorn. Poor things will be cold for winter!!

One whiz bang was turned sidewards so was taking up all the area we shared last time with another car. Found space on the other side and backed in. I went over the picnic hut to chat with a couple from Qld. I thought were from the bus – but they were in the whiz bang, lucky I didn’t comment on their parking!! Next to us was another whiz bang with a young Irish couple having a drink. We joined them – Tracy & Andy from Dublin but they are now living in Melbourne. They are doing Hollybank tomorrow at 10am. I will try in the morning to see if I can get a booking.

Lovely evening.