Split Rock and Shower Cave Falls Sat. 24th August 2019
Here's an opportunity for a short but steep walk in the Meander area to some very pretty
falls high above the Meander River valley.
From the Meander Falls car park (altitude 600m), the track crosses the
river by a suspension bridge, and then climbs steadily westwards up what
is known as the Cleft Rock track, often referred to as Split Rock. After
about 1 km of steady climbing, a diversion to the left follows the
course of the creek on which both falls are found. Shower Cave Falls
(alt. 830m) can be found about 200m on from the diversion, and Split
Rock Falls (alt. 900m) less than 200m further on. Depending on time and
the energy of the party, further exploration of the area is possible.
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 and resilient
children, but please consult with walk
leader.
Meeting Times and Places:
If you are interested in going on this walk, please phone Ben
Lundie on 0409 996 951. The departure time is
7:45 am from Door of Hope car park. Alternative meeting
place: Deloraine 8:15 am. Check with leader for meeting spot. If you
wish to meet with the group at any other place, please arrange with the
leader. 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 2019
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. Gaiters give
extra protection in the expected conditions. You should always carry wet
weather gear as well as warm clothing in case of sudden weather changes,
especially in winter. Click this link for a more detailed discussion of
Preparation, Food and Safety guidelines for Boots N' All walks, and
especially preparation for exposed alpine conditions.
Map details:
Split Rock Falls area: 1:100000 map is Meander (Tasmap 8214)
and 1:25000 map is Quamby Bluff (Tasmap 4638)
Map references:
Short ref. n/a
Split Rock Falls:
Zone Easting
Northing
55G 4 61 073 53 80 546
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).