Meander Falls Sat. 23rd June 2018
Meander Falls at this time of year can be
spectacular because of winter rains, or a frozen wonder, as they were
when Boots N' All went there 2 years ago. Either way, they are well
worth a visit. From the car
park (altitude 600m), the track, following the course of the Meander
River, heads south for 1.5 km before continuing west for a further 3 km.
During this time, the track climbs steeply for much of the distance,
reaching 1100 metres altitude by the time the base of the falls is
reached. Some further clambering to the middle of the falls might be
possible. Return will be by the same route for the first 2.5 km, with a
detour to a slightly higher track that goes past the base of Dixon's
Track and a memorial to two bushwalkers who died in the area some years
ago, finishing on an old logging road back to the car park.
The walk is rated medium due to the steep and at times rough nature of
the track, and the possibility of cold and wet conditions. It should be
suitable for energetic, resilient and experienced older
children, but please consult with walk
leader.
Meeting Times and Places:
If you are interested in going on this walk, please phone Phil
Dawson on 0417 527 511 or email pidasms@gmail.com to book in by Thurs. evening. The departure time is
8:00 am from Door of Hope car park. Alternative meeting
place: Deloraine 8:30 am. Check with leader for meeting spot. If you wish to meet
with the group at any other place,
please arrange with the leader. Please be at any meeting place 5 minutes
ahead of departure time. However, you still need to contact the walk
leader, if intending to walk. The leader should be notified of any other
people you intend to bring along. Please be at any meeting place 5
minutes ahead of departure time.
To access this area from northern Tasmania: From Launceston, head towards
Deloraine on the Bass Highway (50 km) and take the first (eastern) turn
from the highway into Deloraine. Continue into the town and turn left
immediately before the bridge (meeting place - see above).
From Deloraine, head south along the "Lake Highway" - now Highland Lakes
Rd. (but the first bit may be called Meander Rd!). Make sure you stay on
Meander Rd and go straight ahead (DON'T turn left) at 7 km from
Deloraine, where there is a signposted junction for Highland Lakes Rd.
Continue a further 9 km to Meander and continue through the town. After
about 6 km, the road swings right. About 2.5 km further, the road turns
south and crosses the first of the new bridges (Smoko Creek), followed
shortly by the 2nd bridge which takes you across the Meander R. Less
than 3 km further, you will reach the Meander Falls car park and the
beginning of the walking track.
Warnings:
The following codes [from our 2018
walks calendar] apply:
S Steep incline for at least part of the
way
M Marshy or muddy sections be prepared to
walk with wet feet.
E Exposed alpine conditions ; can be
dangerous in poor weather if not adequately equipped.
Walkers are advised to wear strong shoes or boots. You should always carry wet
weather gear as well as warm clothing including gloves and beanies in
case of sudden weather changes. The destination of this walk is above
1000 metres altitude, and can be very exposed if the weather turns bad. Be prepared!
Winter bushwalking can be dangerous in poor weather if not adequately equipped; see
http://bootsnall.sutas.org.au/Pages/Equipment_Safety.htm for some guidelines.
Map details for Meander Falls area:
1:100000 map is Meander (Tasmap 8214)
and 1:25000 map is Pillans (Tasmap 4437)
Map references:
Short ref. n/a
Meander Falls:
Zone Easting
Northing
55G 4 59 098 53 79 784
No peakbagger points will be visited on this walk. For listing of peakbagger points, see the Hobart Walking Club
Peakbagger's Guide (2000 revision) which can be downloaded (Excel) from
http://tastracks.webs.com/peakbaggers.htm The same web page
contains several other listings of Tasmanian peaks.
GPX version of the track:
Click here
to download. Google Earth version of the track:
Click here
to download.
Right-click on the file and save target as to a location of your choice.
(Suggest you click the Last modified at top to sort by date to get the
most recent at top to find the file for the next walk).