Walking round Lake St Clair

[hellsbellstaz]

Who walked out of the overland track around the lake on their last day??

[eggs]

We did in April 2008.
My wife insisted we hadn't done the overland track unless we had walked down the lake.
Had a terrific night and morning at Echo Point - so it was a shorter last day.

[Graham51]

I've walked up and down there plenty of times. If you have a spare half day it's usually a pleasant walk. I love walking in the rain forest. If you don't have the time I guess the boat is a good option but I don't agree with people who consider it boring. There are a lot of less interesting tracks people walk to access areas and they don't even question it.

[Nuts]

Then again there are some side trips off the main track that could take up that time.. the $40 may be well spent?

[Overlandman]

Remember if you catch the ferry from Narcissus hut, you havnt walked the whole track

[norts]

9 OLT trips
5 walks around the lake
3 over Byron Gap and down the Cuvier( this is my prefered way to finish the OLT)
1 boat ride

Had numerous other walks around the lake, up the cuvier and boat rides.
Roger

[Nuts]

Lol, neither if you start at Ronny Ck!!

[corvus]

We have only ever used the Ferry Once on the numerous trips on the OT ,we enjoy the wander round the Lake especially overnight at Echo Point , the Rainforest is also nice , some muddy parts on the track but this also adds a bit of interest
corvus

[vagrom]

There were times when the boat operators were so loved and admired that the opportunity to deny them one's custom by walking down the lake, was positively relished.
17 kms; 5 hrs, one of Australia's prettiest walks.

[Nuts]

Pine Valley, Cathedral Falls, lots of pretty rainforest

[Mark F]

We walked out to Cynthia Bay on 17 January and really enjoyed to walk - nice forest and views of Ida. We enjoyed it far more than Bert Nicholls to Narcissus. It is a pity that more don't try it.

[TimG1]

The walk around Lake St Clair was one of the highlights of our trip on the Overland in December 2011. After snow in Pine Valley we walked out in improving weather. My youngest son was unhappy to watch the ferry leave Narcissus as we lifted the packs for the last overnight stop at the delightful Echo Point Hut. We awoke on the final day to a stunning sunrise over a perfectly still Lake. A gentle three hour walk down the Lake had us at Cynthia Bay and a big feed at the Wombat Cafe was a great end to our walk.

Perfect morning view from Echo Point Hut

Echo Point Hut

[stepbystep]

If you are doing the OT go for it, it's really nice walking and some lovely forest. The trouble is for locals who have done it multiple times it just adds extra time we could spend elsewhere. The Southern Reserve has multiple 3-4 day walk options so to waste 4-5 hrs of 2 of those days walking the lake is not desirable.

[Son of a Beach]

If you are doing the OT go for it, it's really nice walking and some lovely forest. The trouble is for locals who have done it multiple times it just adds extra time we could spend elsewhere. The Southern Reserve has multiple 3-4 day walk options so to waste 4-5 hrs of 2 of those days walking the lake is not desirable.

I know what you mean, but it depends on why you're out there. If you're only purpose is to achieve some destination, then it may feel like a waste of time. But for me, being out there (including getting there) is why I'm there and I enjoy just being out there every time I walk around the lake and have never considered it a waste of time.

With the exception of the the last 30 minutes or so when it feels like you're walking on a highway. I could skip that bit.

[Nuts]

What did you want to know hellsbells? Obviously nice rainforest, don't see the lake very often, camping can get crowded around EPH.. Other than that its nice enough. Or have you already done this walk??

[Tortoise]

Can't remember if I've got the boat out or not! Ah, wait! I remember waiting on the jetty once, so I probably did.

On my first OLT trip, being a bit OCD, I wouldn't have felt like i'd completed the walk if I hadn't walked to the end.

I think getting the boat out another time gave us more time in Pine Valley. Otherwise i've gone with what the group wanted, which was to walk out.

Cost and unreliability of the boat have been significant factors for me on other OLT & Pine Valley trips. For the latter, i've got the boat in to not lose too much time, and walked out, knowing exactly where we stood. (Any semi-retired boat person want to provide a more reliable, competitive service??)

Another plus for me is staying at Echo Point. Admittedly, it's a long time since I've done that in 'peak' season, so 'lots of people' hasn't been an issue. But I've loved the easy walk and peacefulness that helps me savour those gorgeous mountains, lakes & forests, before i have to return to the world outside.

I reckon most people (certainly 15+ others that day) didn't bother to walk the few metres to the lake for the view back to the mountains, as in the second photo below. It was soooooo magnificent watching the storm clouds roll over the mountains we'd just been among. My only regret was that i hadn't told my friends i was stopping, and they would have worried if i hadn't turned up by nightfall. Won't make that mistake again! So my recommendation is to check out the little side tracks for the view. You never know quite what you'll get.

[doogs]

I walked it late one night alone which was surprisingly enjoyable, heightened senses etc. Cuvier valley is nice too but the track is hard to follow in places

[dplanet]

Took a boat trip in to catch up with the desirable weather conditions forecast for a multiple days walk and walked out with the last night camp at EPH.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Love the title of your pics DP

[hellsbellstaz]

I set out on my own to walk round the lake. i might add that i was surprised to find upon arriving at the vistor centre to find most of the people who went to catch the ferry still hadn't arrived..
For me there was no question of walking out or not, i felt that taking the ferry wasn't completing the track, to get really techincal the walk isn't from cradle mountain to lake st clair, but rather ronny creek to cynthia bay....
I was interested to hear from people that have completed the walk round the lake. I guess i can see where people may take the ferry (time, etc) but was really surprised about the amount of people that do take the ferry, and some it would seem simply because the ferry is there. Mind you i'm glad i walked out, climbing over all the logs on the track and hot day that is was!!

[Nuts]

So you had a good time?

Just to clear this up, the Overland Track is not technically from Ronny Creek to Cynthia Bay. The Overland Track as promoted by parks is 65klm's long, it therefore starts at Ronny Creek and ends at Narcissus with the lakeside walk mentioned as an extra. Neither is it the historical route, the track from Ronny Ck is a recent addition.

Personally I think it's great to spend the extra time, somantics aside why not start at the Cradle Park entrance..(i'd still skip the lakeside walk if I hadn't also done many of the side trips on the way). It was once easy to convince others that ten days is ideal!!

[Mark F]

I expect that historically the Overland Track ran from Waldheim Chalet to Cynthia Bay but that was in the days before boats on Lake St Clair and when Waldheim was the focal point of the Northern end of the park. I seem to remember that that was the situation in 1968/69 when I first walked the OT.

[Nuts]

Long before my time Mark, the track did just head (out the side door &) straight down the hill from the chalet. We start from Waldheim (RC needs a toilet & shelter), finish at Narcissus.

[Son of a Beach]

Waldheim was our start point the first time I did did the OT (1988, I think?).

[norts]

Definitely was the start in 1974 and was still the start in 1999.

Roger

[Nuts]

Oh yeah, i imagine the track down the hill was the original, the boardwalk up the valley went in around the time of the VC track and road upgrade (2002??).
1990 for me (it Was meant to be a 'one-off' ) (actually, re-routed on PF moor since then as well iirc) (there was still mud !!)

[norts]

never actually started the OLT from Ronny Creek, always started from Waldheim and now use the start up behind the huts.


Roger

[tibboh]

First did OLT in 95 and caught the ferry as had time constraints. Last week finished the track by walking around the lake and this was one of the most enjoyable parts of the week. It was blowing a gale with showers. We were protected from the wind and the rainforest canopy overhead was our umbrella. As the 1pm boat went past we felt sorry for them as it was crashing into the huge windswept swell. I felt seasick just watching them. There are plenty of spots to slip down to the shore....great views and a sense of achievement at walking all the way. With sidetrips walked over 100km.

[rimair]

I expect that historically the Overland Track ran from Waldheim Chalet to Cynthia Bay but that was in the days before boats on Lake St Clair and when Waldheim was the focal point of the Northern end of the park. I seem to remember that that was the situation in 1968/69 when I first walked the OT.

Not sure when the launch trip started on Lake St Clair but it was in operation in January 1951 when a group from Melbourne Bushwalkers went through. The then Ranger, Mr Lamont, had to row walkers out to his boat from the shallows. (See archive images: http://mbw.org.au/zenphoto/Archive/1950 ... ear%201951 )

[eggs]

Amazing photos in your link rimair.
It highlights something we were discussing on our last walk - how the track from Windy Ridge to Narcissus used to go over button grass plains and was actually part of the track which now goes to Gould Plateau.
And how the track to Pine Valley had an option up the river valley rather than in the forest.
When I went to Pine Valley this time I could not see Geryon from the helipad.
In fact it felt quite different to my first visit back in 1980 - when you could see the mountain covered in February snow towering above the forest.

But I was particularly struck with the photos of a direct track up Mt Gould from Pine Valley! When did that fall into disuse? It looks like it skirted the base of the cliffs of the Minotaur.

I have walked the shores of Lake St Clair once [very nice], but I have been on the boat probably 6 times.
On our honeymoon we payed for a quick up and back trip on a day with a strong north wind. It was quite an experience with the boat crashing through some big waves on the way up, and surfing them on the way back - I bit like tibboh mentions. He was not going out again that day for fear of damaging the boat.

But the boat gives another view of the area and our last boat trip for a walk into the labyrinth was a great contrast -

Very moody on the way in

Grandstand views on the way out.