Bushwalk Australia

Just been chatting to another LWC member by landline and he was talking to someone who went in to the Labyrinth last weekend to photograph fagus and it was finished there. It was good at Cradle last weekend with little green left and brown leaves just starting to show, but will be on the way out when I head up Hownslow Heath on Friday with the LWC trip. Will report back after the trip. Here is a photo I took Anzac Day last year near Twisted Lakes.

Fagus Times.
There are all sorts of "Best Times" for the Fagus - one favourite is Easter - but of course Easter varies so much.
Fagus is on show from Mid April until Mid May.
Tradionally Anzac day - being roughly in the middle of those dates is the pilgrimage date for many of Tasmanian Bushwalkers.
The fact that it is often a public holiday helps as well.
I am surprised that the person "tas-man" was talking to says that the Fagus at the Labyrinth is finished - I actually doubt that, but anything is possible.
I was at Crater Lake / Cradle Mt yesterday - Tuesday 22nd and an image is attachached.
A good portion has turned but there is probably 20&% yet to start as there are a number of larger bushes still green. Plus there
are not a lot of dropped leaves yet

It was very good on Tyndall Range

Photo below taken on 24 April 2008

Had a good trip to Cradle Valley today and did the circuit around Hownslow Heath. Weather was overcast with the occasional shaft of sunlight and light showers later in the day, and wind with low cloud on top. The fagus was about 2/3 turned but varied according to is location and wind exposure. Had turned the most and started dropping on top, but in Weindorfers Forrest there was still a good mix of green and yellow. Not a lot of the rich red that I have seen in the past, just in patches. Should be good for another week if anyone has the time to check it out. A few photos - wasn't sure if these should go in the Gallery with a link here - but here they are.

What a pity the weather has been so miserable!

tas-man wrote:Just been chatting to another LWC member by landline and he was talking to someone who went in to the Labyrinth last weekend to photograph fagus and it was finished there.

I was up in the Labyrinth last week - and there was plenty of fagus - with a good range of colours. We camped at Lake Elysia on Tuesday and Wednesday nights (so was there - April 22 to 24). On the way up we met some other walkers coming down - and one said that the fagus was almost finished ("pretty brown now") - but we doubted that - we had been on the Traveller Range earlier that day - and over there the fagus had been fantastic. It was likewise excellent for the Labyrinth and the rest of the Du Canes.

Dave Noble

Fagus is looking good up at Tarn Shelf (Mt Field National Park) as of ANZAC Day (25th April).
There is also some good patches a little lower down at Lake Fenton (which is where Parks tends to direct the tourist flock to see the ubiquitous Tangle Foot), although I think this is turning a bit slower than that up at Tarn Shelf (perhaps due to the elevation?)

I posted a few pics as part of my trip report HERE

Well, it's very late in the season, but I spend a couple of nights at Lake Meston (16th to 18th of May), and there were still a few Gunnii bushes with leaves. Although they were few in number, the colour was exceptionally bright in the dull overcast conditions. There was also a nice carpet of leaves under the bushes, and on the beaches.

Carpet of Leaves Beneath the Bushes:



Occasional Yellow Bushes Amongst the Leafless Bushes, and Leaves Washed Up On the Beach:

Gday all, I went for a walk up to Mt. Field East on friday and came back via Lake Fenton, the fagus around Lake Fenton was either mostly past the best stage or hasn't even turned yet.

Michael.

We went to Cradle Mountain on the 11th of may and there was still plenty of Fagus which was green and also changing colour. This shot was taken near lake Lilla.

It seemed like an early Fagus season this year. We did our Fagus trips in the week before Anzac Day.
Our luck was in with the weather in the early part of the week. Lake Oenone was fantastic - very worth the long day on Olympus.


The Labyrinth was great and it was good to see Jim England up there yet again.


There was lots of colour around Cradle on Anzac Day.

Just joined the forum, so I thought I would add a few pictures of the fagus as it was mid April at Cradle mountain.
The area behind Hanson's Peak was also very good with delightful lakes - but the track is harder than going over the top of the peak.

Further to my earlier post for the Tyndalls here is a link to some photos

Sorry about error in link - now corrected

My first experience of Fagus in autumn. Shots taken early May - Tarn Shelf at Mt Field NP and around Cradle Mountain.

From several spots along Tarn Shelf:






Cradle Mountain - From the saddle near Hansons Peak:

Well done John. I was trying hard to find time for the tarn shelf this year. Now I am definitely going next year.

Cheers,
WT.

I had the privilege of walking by Lake Ball in mid April and noted the colours were just turning. Wonderful.

Robbo.

walkinTas wrote:Well done John. I was trying hard to find time for the tarn shelf this year. Now I am definitely going next year.

Thanks WT. I'm guessing mid-late April is likely best, but probably varies year to year. You might even need to go twice to be sure . While already past its peak, we were lucky that there were still some good pockets left.