• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

JadeCraven.Org

My Nature Blog

  • About
  • Trip Reports
  • Life List

Tasmania

Visiting Waterworks Reserve Near Hobart

April 10, 2017 by Jade Craven Leave a Comment

It was our final day in Tasmania. I’d promised Seth that we would go for a wander at Waterworks Reserve to look for mammals. It had been an exhausting mini break. I’d had two migraines out of four days and had spent a massive day exploring the area around Eaglehawk neck on the Tasman Peninsula.

This culminated in Seth and I arriving at the reserve 2 hours before dusk, without a map or much idea of how to get around. Suffice to say, I quickly got us lost.

IMG_8316

Dad had typed in the name of the reserve on the GPS, so we were dropped off at the closest car park. I’m now thinking that this wasn’t the main one as there were no signs or information anywhere. I knew it went in a rough loop so turned right at the nearest fire trail.

Quickly, we saw the magnificent view of the reservoir in between the trees. I knew from online and the book that the walk went around the water areas so assumed we were on the right path.

Ha!

IMG_8334

At first the walk was nice. Wide paths and beautiful views from below.

IMG_8340

I knew we had made a mistake when we got to the really steep bit, pictured below. There were 2-3 sections like this, really close together. The path was borderline there, there were trees fallen over it and one wrong move could have led to a busted ankle. It was proper bush bashing, not the piddly walks I’ve done in the past.

Surprisingly, I held up okay. I struggled with breathing at multiple points (probably because I rushed the uphill bits to get away from them.) My legs ached. I didn’t get physically sick otherwise, like I normally have over the past couple of years. šŸ˜€ This is awesome. It means I can start doing proper hiking again!

IMG_8362

We had done a couple of steep up and down sections when I realized that there had been no signage. This wouldn’t have been part of the official walk and we could have ended up anywhere… in an area I’ve never visited before! I called mum to say we may be slightly later then planned and started retracing our steps.

IMG_8364

The sun was starting to set, which led to some beautiful views of Mount Wellington. Alas, we didn’t have much luck seeing any mammals.

IMG_8374

At one junction, I opted for the walk downhill thinking that it was our return path. Seth pointed out that we hadn’t seen the pipeline before and had to retrace our steps – again! – which meant more uphill walking.

IMG_8375

IMG_8377

I could see Mount Wellington in the distance, which made my heart ache. I could easily live in Tasmania. I’m so keen to explore the bush here. While we were walking, my parents drove to the top of the summit.

IMG_8378

Despite getting lost and being rushed, it was a great little walk. I’m keen to return here and do it properly, as well as walking the Pipeline Track to Fern Tree. We didn’t have much luck with the mammals, although we think we saw a pademelon on the drive to Fern Tree Tavern for dinner. (Note: They have the best garlic loaf. That one meal was a trip highlight.)

Wildlife

I hadn’t had much luck finding the endemic birds on the trip. Seth had picked up some of the easier lifers, such as the green rosella and Tasmanian Native Hen. We’d explored a couple of bush environments with the intention of tracking down some birds but I kept on dipping. Frankly, it was because I was trying to cram so much into 4 days and couldn’t give a region the attention it deserved.

I chanced upon this yellow throated honeyeater. The photos are mediocre but it was revitalizing to see a bird I wouldn’t normally see.

IMG_8325

IMG_8327

We had decent luck with invertebrates. We also found a couple of skinks in one area but didn’t have the time to look properly. It would have been awesome to have properly looked for skinks in warmer weather, though I’d assume snakes would LOVE the reserve.

IMG_8371

IMG_8366

This millipede has been narrowed down to theĀ Amastigogonus genus. According to Bowerbird, “this is either Amastigogonus hardyi (last collected at Ridgeway in 1948) or A. verreauxii (first collected in that area by visiting French botanist Jules Verreaux ca 1843).”

It always gets me excited knowing that something Sethy may have found (that kid spotsĀ everything!) may contribute to science šŸ™‚ The Bowerbird expert (Bob Mesibov) also said:

“When you disturb or upset millipedes in this group, they secrete an acrid-smelling, yellow chemical from pores along the sides. The chemical is a mix of benzoquinones and will stain your skin, the stain turning from yellow to purple over about half an hour. This staining is harmless but a bit alarming the first time. The chemicals are meant to be a defense against predators.”

Can’t wait to tell Seth that. Although it does mean we should probably do more research before picking up millipedes. Further research shows that Bob wrote a book about Tasmanian centipedes in 1986.

IMG_8341

We didn’t have any luck seeing mammals but tried to keep an eye out of any sign of animal life. We did see these scratches that went up the tree, almost as tell as Seth. (1.2m). I made the assumption that they were pademelon but could be anything.

Plants

There was interesting plant life on this track. About 1/4 in I stopped photographing anything too close to the ground as I was struggling to breath. Here are the ones that have caught my attention, although I don’t know where to begin with the process of identification.

IMG_8342

IMG_8346

IMG_8336

IMG_8317

Filed Under: Tasmania

Exploring Huon Valley with Experience Tasmania

July 21, 2012 by Jade Craven Leave a Comment

I really enjoyed this tour. It involved going deep in the Huon Valley with Experience Tasmania. I quickly fell in love with the Huon Valley but felt that this tour was a bit overwhelming. I’d recommend driving and spending more time in the region, if possible. [Read more…] about Exploring Huon Valley with Experience Tasmania

Filed Under: Tasmania

Fungi at The Tahune Airwalk

July 1, 2012 by Jade Craven Leave a Comment

One of the highlights of our trip was the fungi. I have an obsession with Fungi. I used to find awesome ones in the bush near ballarat. It has been over five years since I saw decent species there.

These pics were taken at the Tahune Airwalk, in Tasmania. I would walk slowly and would look carefully at the trees that had fallen over.

I would love to explore some of the other areas of Tasmania that are likely to have fungi. It“s so fascinating and I couldn“t get over all the different types.

DSC_0302

DSC_0176

DSC_0191

DSC_0273

DSC_0272

DSC_0277

DSC_0317

DSC_0355

DSC_0278

DSC_0294

DSC_0295

DSC_0298

DSC_0309

Filed Under: Tasmania

Port Arthur Mega Tour: Adventure Island Tours

June 29, 2012 by Jade Craven Leave a Comment

This tour, with Adventure Island Tours, was definitely the highlight of our trip. We packed so much of Tasmanian history into the one day. It was a big day that left us exhausted but itĀ“s something that we are still raving about. [Read more…] about Port Arthur Mega Tour: Adventure Island Tours

Filed Under: Tasmania

Mt Wellington Tour

June 29, 2012 by Jade Craven Leave a Comment

We chose to do this tour on the final day so we (moreso, I) could cram more into this trip. It was meant to be part relaxing, part tourism, but I felt like we hadn“t done enough travelling.

We could see the mountain towering over us from wherever we were in Hobart. A number of friends had recommended going up to the summit, so we decided that this would be our final adventure. This tour allowed us to say a final goodbye to the city and still have enough time to get ready for our flight that after noon.

1DSC_0417

Mt Wellington

Our holiday was during the last week of June. This meant that it was snowing fairly regularly at the summit. We were unable to go the whole way up as the road was closed, which was disappointing. Still, we were able to play with some fresh snow.

The photo above was from about half way up. We got some really nice views over Hobart, although it would have been nicer to get some from the summit.

I“m from Geelong. We don“t get snow here. The only snow I“ve seen is on a daytrip to Mt Buller in year 8. Back then, the snow had been walked on so much that it was just went and barely worth seeing. I“ve always wanted to see freshly fallen snow.

I“d love to do some of the walking tracks in that weather. I got some really nice photos of the snow on plants. It would have been nice to get away from the main tourist area.

!DSC_0504

We took the opportunity to have a mini snowfight and experiment with photography. The above photo is one of my favourites.

There was also a nice man who offered to get a photo of us together. That was lovely as most of the photos are actually from Glenn (my partner) experimenting with my camera. Except at the airwalk, where I got distracted by fungi.
1DSC_0496

The Cascades

!DSC_0584
We were only able to visit here for about 10 minutes, which was a shame. I would have loved to explore it properly. The bus driver was very explicit about “driving off without us if we were late.“ I sent my boyfriend up ahead to get photos and hung back so I could keep an eye on the bus driver. I was also exhausted and trying to avoid any more hills.

The building was beautiful and I would have liked to have gone inside. Still, I“m grateful that we went. I know what to do next trip!

The Female Factory

!DSC_0708
The Female Factory highlights one of the things I love about Tasmania. They treasure their past and go to great lengths to preserve it, even when there isn“t much to see. The factor here had a wall surrounding it and a small building with a gift shop and presentation area. It was incredibly basic but you felt like you were part of something bigger.

It“s not much to look at but I thought it was well worth visiting. It is one of the stops on the Red Decker bus in Hobart. In the future, I would use that to visit the factory and the brewery. I“d also take a shuttle to the top of Mount Wellington.

Overall

It was a pleasant trip and a good way to cram a lot into a short period of time. I“d only recommend it for time poor people though, as I felt like I missed out on a lot.

Filed Under: Tasmania

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Maits Rest In Black And White: January 2021
  • Fungi At Maits Rest: January 2021
  • Sea Life In Apollo Bay Harbour
  • Galls At The Property: November 1
  • Stopping At Aire River

Categories

  • Apollo Bay
  • Barwon River, Geelong
  • Bellarine Peninsula
  • Big Things
  • Brisbane Ranges
  • Chiltern
  • Eastern Beach
  • Geelong And Surrounds
  • Gold Coast
  • Goldfields
  • Great Ocean Road
  • Melbourne
  • My Backyard
  • Other
  • Otways
  • Port Phillip Bay
  • Shipwreck Coast
  • Surf Coast
  • Tasmania
  • The Property
  • Toolangi
  • Uncategorized
  • West Melbourne

Copyright © 2021 Ā· Parallax Pro on Genesis Framework Ā· WordPress Ā· Log in