|
A unique and isolated valley of
outstanding natural features.
In the Du Cane Range west of Lake
St. Clair, set amongst the highlands
of Tasmania is a valley of unique
beauty. Within this valley is an
area known as The Labyrinth, it is
an area of numerous lakes and tarns
and a garden of alpine flora. Here
is a panorama of an isolated nature
where extended plains give way to
pristine rainforest. Towering above
are the craggy peaks of The
Acropolis. It is a short walk into
the valley after crossing Lake St.
Clair by ferry. We carry only light
weight packs and set up a base camp
from which we explore the area over
the next 5 days.
Day 1:
Launceston to
Pine
Valley
Our trip commences from Mountain
Designs, 120 Charles Street,
Launceston, at 8.30am. Our guides
will conduct a gear check and brief
you on what to expect over the next
few days. After this we transfer to
Lake St. Clair where we take an
early afternoon ferry across Lake
St. Clair. It is an easy 4 hour walk
to Pine Valley where we set up a
comfortable camp – our home for the
next 4 nights.
Days 2-4:
Day Walks in Pine Valley
We explore the Labyrinth, an
elevated landform with lakes and
tarns, groves of native pine, snow
gum, the deciduous beech and a
wealth of alpine flowers.
Mount Acropolis dominates the
northern aspect of the valley. It is
a moderate climb to the top but has
some of the finest views of any peak
across the Cradle Mountain – Lake
St. Clair National Park.
Another walking option is to follow
the valley through some of the
finest temperate rainforest in the
state. Streams and waterfalls,
luxurious mosses and lichens,
numerous varieties of ferns are all
in abundance beneath the canopy of
trees.
Day 5: Pine
Valley to Launceston
On our final day, we have a
leisurely start packing up our
campsite. We return following the
same route we came in on. We return
back to Cynthia Bay crossing Lake
St. Clair by ferry. Our bus will
then transport us back to Launceston
arriving in the late afternoon.
|
