WIL

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IN THIS ISSUE• Mountain

Orchestra

• TNPA — a newvoice

• New KarstCAResGroup

• Train the TrainerCourse

• AAT News

• Survey Cairns

• Warden welcomeswalkers

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Issue No 11 September 2001

Tasmanian Community Foundation —a way to support WILDCARE forever.

In the meantime, you can directdonations or bequests through theTasmanian Community Foundationto WILDCARE Inc. In fact we arelooking for someone to “start-up”the fund with a donation.

So, are you thinking of writing or re-writing your Will? Why not talk toyour solicitor about including abequest to the TasmanianCommunity Foundation directed toWILDCARE? Such a bequest willbenefit WILDCARE forever.

Or, are you looking for a productiveorganisation to make a donation tofor the protection of Tasmania’snatural and cultural heritage, andReserves? A donation to

WILDCARE through the TasmanianCommunity Foundation will provideWILDCARE Inc with a permanentfunding resource and assist us tocontinue to support voluntary workfor Tasmania’s natural and culturalenvironment into the future (and it’stax deductible).

Your donation will lastforever!If you would like more informationabout the Tasmanian CommunityFoundation contact TasmanianCommunity Foundation, TasmanianTrustees Ltd, PO Box 367, Hobart7001. Phone 6233 2859. Fax 62332896. Mobile 0417 335 972.

WILDCAREmembership

now due — Seerenewal formenclosed with

this issue.

WILDCARE’s Chairperson andVice Chairperson have haddiscussions with Scott Marshallfrom the Tasmanian CommunityFoundation about philanthropicassistance to WILDCARE.Community foundations are tax-exempt, private, philanthropicorganisations that raise andmanage a wide range ofpermanent endowment funds; inturn, these endowments generate astream of revenues to supportcharitable activities within thegeographic areas served by theFoundation.

Impressive aspects of the TasmanianCommunity Foundation are:• administrative fees payable to the

Foundation are just 2% of theincome generated by the funds,

• the fund is forever, in that the corefunds are never spent, only theincome generated by those funds,

• the Foundation is supported byTasmanian Trustees Ltd

The WILDCARE Board ofManagement is currently indiscussion with the TasmanianCommunity Foundation with a viewto establishing a named fund withinthe Tasmanian CommunityFoundation, meaning thatWILDCARE would be available andpromoted to donors and will-makersas a suitable organisation for targeteddonations and bequests.

Donations made to the WILDCAREFund through the Foundation wouldbe held in perpetuity, with theincome from the fund beingmanaged by WILDCARE Inc. Thisis a very strategic approach tocreating an on-going funding basefor WILDCARE.

New Projects FundedThe Board of Managementrecently approved three newprojects for WILDCARE funding.Keep your eyes open for call-upslater in the year…

The Mountain Orchestra The Mountain Orchestra/WILDCARE Performance Projectwill be run as a partnership betweenthe two organisations, withWILDCARE members being invitedto join, to not only rehearse andperform as part of the orchestra, butto design and build suitableinstruments for a performance at theMountain Festival in March 2002, asPart of the UN International Year ofthe Mountains. Members will workunder the guidance of professionalinstrument makers and musicconductors. (see article elsewhere).

WILDCARE Funding approved —$2000.

Foreshore Rehabilitation— Lake St ClairThis work will rehabilitate andprotect the foreshore of Lake StClair, targeting severely eroded areasat Cynthia Bay and FranklandBeaches. Work will include layingjute matting and tree slash, seedcollecting and seedling planting.

WILDCARE Funding approved —$2500.

KarstCARes CaveCleanup and Mapping This project involves route marking,cave mapping and cave cleanup atTailender Cave with work plannedfor other caves in the Mole Creekarea. Funds will be used for theprovision of suitable equipment forthe volunteers to carry out the work.Equipment will remain the propertyof WILDCARE, stored at MoleCreek PWS Field Centre.

WILDCARE Funding approved —$1989.

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WILDTIMESSeptember 2001

The Mountain Orchestra —WILDCARE Performance Project

Fringe Festival in February and March2001. We have an established ongoingpartnership with the Fern TreeCommunity Association. TheOrchestra has a professionalconductor, Jade Tinkler, and meetsregularly to develop and practiseoriginal musical pieces that celebratehow we feel about Mount Wellington.

The Mountain FestivalThe Mountain Festival is anarts/environment festival held inconjunction with the United NationsInternational Year of Mountains andwhich draws its inspiration fromMount Wellington. The Festival willtake place from 15th to 24th March2002. Festival events will includeperformance and visual arts events.All will focus on aspects of the historyor environment of Mount Wellingtonand the relationship of MountWellington to the surrounding urbancommunities. One of the core eventswill be a concert performed by theMountain Orchestra.

The Project• Instrument-making workshops

Mountain Orchestra is extending aspecial invitation to WILDCAREmembers to participate in a series ofinstrument-making workshops, whichwill be led and supervised byprofessional instrument-makers,Strato Anagnostis and Julian Bush.Come along and make an instrumentand then play it as part of Mountain

Orchestra! The exact dates and timesof the workshops have not yet beenfinalised (at the time of going topress), however it is likely they will beheld on 4 Saturdays (or possibly 8half-days) in November, Decemberand January at Ferntree and Strato’sworkshop at Bream Creek.Participation in the workshops will befree of charge.• Skill development workshops

Don’t worry if you’ve not had muchprevious musical experience. Afterwe’ve made the instruments there willbe 3 workshops to develop musicalskills. Musicians who are experiencedin teaching community groups willlead these workshops. The details ofthe workshops will be finalised inconjunction with the participants. Weanticipate they will be held at Ferntreefor up to half a day on 3 weekenddays.

Would you like to build a musicalinstrument, learn how to play it andthen perform with an orchestra atThe Mountain Festival? If so, thenwhy not join in the MountainOrchestra — WILDCAREPerformance Project?

The Mountain Orchestra andWILDCARE have formed apartnership to undertake aperformance project as part of theMountain Festival in late March 2002.Mountain Orchestra is seeking new

members to make some extrainstruments, and will be runninginstrument-making workshops in lateNovember 2001 and January 2002.When the instruments are made skilldevelopment workshops andrehearsals will culminate in aperformance concert at the MountainFestival in late March.

The Mountain OrchestraThe Mountain Orchestra is acommunity orchestra that wasestablished over the summer of1999/00, inspired by the idea of givingMount Wellington resonance throughmusic. The Orchestra built their owninstruments under the direction ofcomposer Raffaele Marcellino andinstrument-maker Strato Anagnostis.Many of these instruments are largeand sculptural with strong visualappeal. They are unique, original,bizarre and huge — and a great deal offun to play. The Orchestra performedat the Springs in April 2000 and at theWooden Boats Festival and Hobart

Finishing off a drum at the instrument-making workshop. Photo Chris Cooper.

The performance at The Springs Concert,April 2000. Photo Noelene Robinson.

Orchestra mentor – Greg Lewis –practices at the Fern Tree CommunityCentre. Photo Chris Cooper.

WILDTIMESSeptember 2001

3

• Developing the music andrehearsals

Leading up to the performance therewill be a series of rehearsals todevelop and practise the musicalpieces. These rehearsals will alsoallow us a chance to further developour musical skills. Tom O’Kelly,internationally renownedpercussionist and lecturer at theTasmanian Conservatorium, willdirect the musical development of theorchestra and oversee the integrationof the new instruments with theexisting orchestra instruments. TheOrchestra’s conductor, Jade Tinkler,will lead the rehearsals. Tom and Jadewill work with Orchestra members tocreate exciting new original musicalpieces. These rehearsals will be heldat Ferntree for up to 4 hours everyweekend for 8 weeks prior to theperformance.

The skill development workshops andthe subsequent rehearsals will be opento current Mountain Orchestra

members and to WILDCAREmembers who have made aninstrument and/or who are committedto participating in the performance inlate March 2002.

Mountain Orchestra is applying toArts Tasmania and the Hobart City

Council to fund the involvement of theprofessional musicians. TheWellington Park Management Trustand the Fern Tree CommunityAssociation are giving in-kindsupport. As a project partner,WILDCARE has agreed to provide$2000 to cover the materials for theinstrument making, to fund the skillsdevelopment workshops and tocontribute to some administrationexpenses.

How to participateAs project partners, MountainOrchestra is extending a specialinvitation to WILDCARE members tojoin in this project. It’ll be a heap offun, and is a creative way to promotethe history, beauty and environment ofMount Wellington.

For further information and to registerfor the workshops, please contactAngie McGowan.

Phone 6233 2424 (w); 6224 8082 (h);E mail: <angiemcgowan@primus.com.au>.

In his recent travels aroundParks & Wildlife Field Centers,Peter Williams, GeneralManager of the Parks andWildlife Service, hasencountered a number ofWILDCARE volunteer projectsthat have impressed him.

These have included the launch ofthe Adopt-a-Track Guidelines, the

Maatsuyker Island volunteerprogram, the Badger Head walkingtrack and others. Peter said, “Itseems that wherever I go Iencounter another example of anexcellent WILDCARE project.WILDCARE volunteers are to becongratulated on their commitmentand the strong partnerships theyhave built with [PWS] field staff”.

General Manager impressed withWILDCARE volunteers

Trying out the “bobble-donk” at the instrument-making workshop. Photo Chris Cooper.

Decorating the big log drum at theinstrument-making workshop. PhotoChris Cooper.

Ray Marcellino and Strato Anagnostis play the triplehorn at The Springs Concert inApril 2000. Photo Noelene Robinson.

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WILDTIMESSeptember 2001

Sponsorship working groupbegins working

Working group members are:• Richard Hammond• Alistair Scott• Jo Field• David Wools-Cobb• Bill Forsyth• Rodney Milner

The brief for the Working Group is:• Current funding guidelines —

assess suitability for grantingsponsorship

• What type of “non-projects” do wewant to sponsor?How do we determine suitability?What criteria should be used?

• From whom do we wish to acceptsponsorship?Are there industry groupings that

should be excluded? (e.g. tobacco)• What recognition levels are

appropriate for sponsors?Review these in light of the current“Invitation to Sponsors”

• What mechanisms do we use inrelation to in-kind sponsorship toWILDCARE projects?How are they valued andrecognised?

• What mechanisms arerequired/appropriate for acceptingdonations and bequests?What recognition should beprovided for donors/bequesters?What restrictions/exclusions fordonors/bequesters?Tax breaks?What mechanisms are there?

Once draft guidelines have beenproduced, members will be given anopportunity to comment before theBoard ratifies the results.

At the WILDCARE Conference itwas recommended by themembership that the Board ofManagement establish a sub-committee to develop guidelinesabout how we go about attractingsponsorship. This was extended bythe Board of Management toinclude guidelines about howWILDCARE might providesponsorship to events andorganisations other than throughthe current project fundingprogram.

Richard Hammond, Vice Chairperson,agreed to chair the group and its firstmeeting was held in August to confirmits operating brief and begin work onthe guidelines.

Tasmanian National ParksAssociation — a new voice for thecommunity

The Tasmanian National ParksAssociation (TNPA) is a non-profit,non-government organisationwhich gives parks users a voice onissues that affect National Parks.The Association provides a linkbetween the community and theNational Park policy makers, toidentify public concerns andcriticism — and to givecongratulations too.

Today…Tasmania has 18 national parks ofnatural and cultural importance for thestate, for Australia and the world.These areas represent a diverse rangeof environments, including some ofAustralia’s most rugged mountainscenery, enormous trees, wild rivers,delicate heath lands, pristinerainforests, breathtaking sand dunes,remote wilderness and fascinatinghuman heritage extending over 35,000

years. While providing a home forinnumerable flora and fauna species,national parks are also celebrated fortheir recreation values and quietescapes.

Why an association?The range of issues affecting NationalParks is vast, including conservationmanagement, track systems,interpretation, adequate staffing,walker safety, boundary management,and tourism activities. The future ofour parks is vulnerable toinappropriate development approvedwithout adequate consideration ofenvironmental consequences orcommunity values.

The aims of the TNPA are:• To increase community awareness

of the value and importance ofTasmania’s National Parks;

• To preserve the natural and culturalvalues of National Parks byencouraging conservation as aprimary role of the National Parksand Wildlife Service;

• To encourage communityinvolvement on decisions that affectNational Park management byfacilitating communications withthe State Government.

As a new community group we areyoung and small, but determined tomake efforts to maintain the values for

WILDTIMESSeptember 2001

5

which our wild and scenic NationalParks have been set aside. But weneed help.

As a special opening offer toWILDCARE members, the TNPAmembership is available to you forhalf price rates. Please fill in the formbelow and send it to the TasmanianNational Parks Association, GPO Box2188, Hobart 7001.

The TNPA would also like to extendan invitation to our official launch tobe held on Tuesday 25th September atCOW, Murray Street Hobart 7.00pm.The evening will consist of localphotographers giving us a sample oftheir slides from Tasmanian NationalParks, and a few words from specialguests (yet to be confirmed). Pleasephone us, and leave a message at0438 315 126, or e-mail us at <tnpa@hotmail.com> if you would like tojoin us.

providing a voice for the Parks, and wish them

good luck with their endeavors. Thank you

TNPA for your generous offer of a discounted

membership for WILDCARE members. It

effectively means that WILDCARErs can take

out membership of both WILDCARE and the

TNPA for the usual cost of TNPA membership!

Formation of the newKarstCARes Group

Tasmanian National Park AssociationMembership Form

Name: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Address: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .P/C: . . . . . . . . . . . .

Phone: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

E-mail: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Special dicounted membership to WILDCARE Members

. . . . . . . .$10 Unwaged . . . . . . . . .20 Waged . . . . . . . . .$30 Family

Additional Tax Deductable Donation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Editors Note: WILDCARE has beenestablished as a partner support organisationfor the Parks & Wildlife Service and ResourceManagement & Conservation Divisions, andtherefore does not act as a “lobby” group. Wewelcome the Tasmanian National ParksAssociation to the cause of improving themanagement of Tasmania’s National Parks by

Limestone caves are very specialand fragile places which people caneasily damage unless they practiceminimal impact caving techniques.Caving clubs in this State haveformal minimal impact guidelinesthat club members follow.Membership of the newly formedKarstCARe group is drawnprimarily from caving clubs. Theaims of the KarstCARe group is torestore caves that have beendamaged by inappropriate past use.

Earlier this year a meeting was calledfor WILDCARE members interestedin the Mole Creek area. The result wasthe formation of what is now knownas the KarstCARe (CommunityAction in Reserves) group, with DavidWools-Cobb taking on the position ofcoordinator.

The groups first project involvedTailender Cave. This cave is in StateForest, adjacent to the Mole CreekKarst National Park. It is located in acatchment subject to agreementbetween PWS and Forestry coveringmanagement of caves and karstvalues.

An initial trip in April this year wasundertaken to sort out just what waspossible to achieve in conjunctionwith DPIWE Karst Project Officer,Rolan Eberhard. Participants were

Rolan, ChrisWalsh, DamienBeety, SteveBlanden andDavid Wools-Cobb. Most of thecave was visited,with variouss e c t i o n sexamined, withregards to clean-ups, carrying out aline survey and what areas need to betrack marked and sectioned off.

The conclusion was that much of themud in the cave is natural and thatvery little could be achieved bycleaning, leaving only 2–3 sectionstargeted. The group did feel that muchcould be achieved preserving the caveenvironment by route/track markingand signage.

Group members were shocked at howmuch “muddying” has occurred in

recent years possibly caused by somecareless “tramping through”. Thegeneral consensus was that far morevisitors are accessing the far reachesof Tailender than previously thought.

The group’s second trip into Tailenderwas in July. The party consisted ofDavid Butler, Henry Shannon andDavid Wools-Cobb from the NorthernCaverneers; Steve Blanden and JillCameron from Savage River CavingClub. Karstcare is already bringingclubs together for a common good!

Three members completed the survey— being “line only” — showingmajor passages and caverns. Twoother members cleaned up an area ofspeleothems (i.e. stalactites,stalagmites) known as the “Shark’sTeeth” plus one other area. Thesesites came up reasonably well,however, orange clay seems to havepenetrated well into some micro-gores and some calcification had

David Butler cleaning down flowstone.Photo David Wools-Cobb.

Helictite in Tailender Cave.Photo David Wools-Cobb.

Tailender scene. Photo DavidWools-Cobb.

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WILDTIMESSeptember 2001

occurred over the top.

Three sections were marked off to“perhaps” limit how far a visitorpenetrates, whilst still giving a view ofthe areas to be protected. Twoadvisory signs were also placed —one on a lead [passage] that was adead-end but needs boots-off ifvisiting; and another towards the backof the main lead suggesting thatcontinued visitation was causingmassive erosion on the mud banks,with stringline “dissuasion”.

At this stage the project is virtuallycompleted, with only the map toproduce from the survey data.Possibly some sections of the cavewould benefit from further cleaning,

however, the feeling of the group wasthat the cave was certainly in bettercondition than previously, plus withother management systems installed,our efforts will hopefully pay off foryears to come. Many thanks to allthose who helped in what has turnedout to be a most successful project.

David Wools-CobbCoordinator

KarstCARe Group

For KarstCARes inquiries contactDavid Wools-Cobb — email<wools@southcom.com.au>.Notices advising the next KarstCARe projectwill go out through the WILDCARE officeshortly, to WILDCARE members who haveregistered Mole Creek Karst National Park astheir preferred Reserve. If members are unsure

whether their WILDCARE registration detailsincludes this Reserve please contact ourvolunteer memberships officer — Deb Ramm— on 03 6233 2852, Wednesdays between9:30am and 12:30pm or email <wildcare@dpiwe.tas.gov.au>. On the new membershipform you can also now register for Cavecare —meaning that you will be notified of cave workaround the State as it comes up.

Train the Trainer Course at Hollybank Forest ReserveA second Train the Trainer Coursewas held at the end of June at theHollybank Forest Reserve &Training Centre in the State’snorth.

Six participants — from Parks &Wildlife Service, Cultural Heritageand Community Partnerships staff aswell as a WILDCARE volunteer —attended the course.

One of the activities — directed athow well participants couldcommunicate and impart accurateinstructions to their colleague using a“blind fold” method (or moreaccurately a screen separating the twoparties!) — gave onlookers as well asthe Course Leader much amusement!

Another 3-day TRAIN THETRAINER COURSE is plannedfor the north of the State inOctober 2001. The coursedevelops the knowledge and skillsnecessary to carry out basic skillstraining. It enables participants toplan, prepare and implement basictraining in their workplacesituation. This is a certified course,so if you fulfil its requirements youwill receive an accreditedcertificate. If your job involvespresenting to people, then this is thecourse for you. For moreinformation, please contact theCommunity Partnerships Sectionon 6233 2867 or email<Chris.Leitch@ dpiwe.tas.gov.au>.

The “Sharks Teeth” – a major cleaningjob. Photo David Wools-Cobb.

PWS & RMC staff and WILDCARE volunteer at the Train the Trainer Course at Hollybank in the State’s north. Photos Jo Field.

To communicate or …

… not to communicate, effectively!

WILDTIMESSeptember 2001

7

Maria memories — restoringhouses on maria island:“preros”

hitch until we came to the wall of thekitchen and bathroom. There ourcarpenters had to use all their skills to

kitchen door…

Each one of these hardworkingweekends was sunny and happyexperiences for the group. After ashort interruption for some trackbuilding(!), we are hoping to give thelast wall and the front door their final

The sand dunes west of Darlingtonhave been hugging a small shack formany years. The first photographsof the structure date back to the1920’s. It was this building that theRanger pointed out as our nextproject!

If looked dilapidated — its weatherboards worn by the elements and time.Our task would be to remove the oldcladding and replace it with newboards that were already stacked inthe shed, waiting to be used.

That first weekend was frantic. Two ofthe walls needed to be stripped inorder to put in place the externaltimber corner. Luckily, there were nounpleasant surprises as the boardscame off the walls. Whilst the chapswere removing the boards the“chapesses” gave the new wood anundercoat, removed the discardedplanks and rusty nails. It was totallyamazing to watch the southern andwestern walls take on a newappearance. The first coat of paint wasslapped on before we called it a day. Ahappy but knackered crew cruisedhome that night!

“Preros” became our home away fromhome during the following 3 years.The restoration went on without a

prop up the internal frame, make andfit new windows and duck and divearound the [existing] plumbing. Thegirls kept up the painting and doingother odd jobs. Patching up the panelsenclosing the area between groundand floor-level gave a clear message tothe [resident] wombat that this was nota good spot for a hidey-hole. Betterluck to the blue tongue lizard,discovered entering a crack near the

coat of paint, and install the rainwatertank before this year is out.

Trauti Reynolds

Maria Island CARes MemberTrauti and other members of the Maria Island

CARes group will be in attendance at the

WILDCARE Maria Island weekend in October

(refer to an invitation to spend 2 days on Maria

Island article). Come along and meet these

members and have a look at the fantastic work

they have undertaken over the years.

Special event Special event Special event Special event

An invitation to spend 2 days on Maria Island

In the June 2001 issue ofWILDTIMES, an invitation wasextended to all WILDCAREmembers to spend some time onMaria Island, mix with fellowWILDCARErs, enjoy thehospitality of the Rangers,experience some live eveningmusical entertainment and put in afew hours of “work” on a variety ofprojects, to help the Rangers andmembers of the newly formedMaria Island CARes group.

The event will take place on theweekend of 13–14 October 2001 andwill include:• Saturday — Tours “behind the

scenes”, slide shows, etc. withRanger staff

• Evening BBQ Saturday night(compliments of CommunityPartnerships Section)

• Live band Saturday night (bringyour dancing shoes!)

• On Sunday — Volunteer workingbees involving revegetation,artifact conservation, weedremoval, etc.

• FREE accommodation in thePenitentiary “units” — this will beon a “first in” basis, and in thecampground

• Saturday afternoon — General

meeting — update on programsand projects.

NOTE — this is a whole weekendevent for WILDCARE members.Non-members will need to be bookedin with a member. Please take yourWILDCARE membership card andpresent it at the Commissariat Storeon arrival. Both members and non-members must participate in theworking bees on Sunday. This is ourway of paying for what will be agreat weekend.

RSVP Andrew Smith by 21September on 03 6233 2836 oremail <wildcare@dpiwe.tas.gov.au>.

“Preros” – Reconstruction destruction?

8

WILDTIMESSeptember 2001

ADOPT-A-TRACK NEWS — cleaning up as they walked along.

Peter Maddox and Kelli Chivers wereintroduced when we met them on thetrack. They were already at workextending the gravelling but as thegravel was very wet only about one thirdof a normal load on the power barrowwas possible on each trip back from thesupply at the workshop area. Some largemetal was used to fill the hollows andthen gravel over the top. About 20meters or so of the track was graveled.

The Falls Circuit walkers camethrough and most of us returned to thepark entrance for a BBQ. After lunchthe section of the track from thecampground to the first bridge overLady Barron Creek was given a goodclean up. We stopped work early in theafternoon and as we walked back youcould certainly see that the track hadbeen improved. In fact, our little

granddaughter asked us to we wipedour feet well, before we walked on thesection of the track that she had rakedclean!

There was no rubbish on the track tobe picked up but the 30 Great WalksSign at the start of the track had beenbroken off so it was returned to theoffice for safe keeping and repair.After returning all the tools and gear(and completing the paper work forJo! [Adopt-a-Track Facilitator]) Weheaded for home just as it started torain again. The day was capped off bya terrific afternoon tea at the home ofone of our members at New Norfolk.

Many thanks to all those who workedso well and helped to make the Adopt-a-Track Program so successful. Theonly thing we forgot to do was takesome photos — but we can say that wewere too busy anyway!

Bob & Phyl WyattTrack Caretakers

Lady BarronFalls TrackPhyllis & Bob Wyatt are the TrackCaretakers of a section of the LadyBarron Falls track in Mt FieldNational Park. Bob & Phyllis arealso members of the HobartWalking Club.

We have adopted the track from thecampground to Lady Barron Falls inthe Mt Field National Park, and asseveral of our friends in the HobartWalking Club had offered to help uswe thought we would program a Clubtrip to work on the track.

Park’s staff advised that furthergravelling of the track could be doneand there were always gutters to becleared ferns and overhead branchesto be cut back and other improvementsto be done.

The weather forecast was not good andit rained as we left our meeting place atGranton Reserve. We were verypleased that 21 adults and 5 childrenhad turned up to help us. By the timewe got to Mt Field the rain had passedand there was a bit of blue sky betweenthe clouds. We all gathered in front ofthe new visitor’s centre for a quickmorning tea and we were able to runthrough all the points in the inductionprogram regarding hazards on thetrack and workplace safety. Someoneasked how you became a member ofWILDCARE and Phyl was able toexplain what to do when renewingyour Annual Parks Pass!

In order to keep everyone occupied wearranged for 15 of the party to walk theFalls Circuit — Russell Falls,Horseshoe Falls and Lady Barron Falls,whilst the others walked from thecampground towards Lady Barron Falls

A Day in the Range: Track Work withthe North-west Walking ClubBackground Originally named the Dundas Rangeafter one of the first directors of theVDL Company, the name Dial Rangewas eventually used. Joseph Fosseysuggested it after the resemblance ofthe Gnomon as a Roman sundial.

There are six major peaks in the DialRange — Mt Montgomery is thenorthernmost and overlooks Penguinand Bass Strait. Ranging south theyare in order, Mt Dial, Gnomon, MtDuncan which is the highest. Slightlysouthwest is Mt Riana while MtLorymer lies to the southeast. Thereare tracks over all the Range, excepton Mt Riana. The Leven River flowsthrough the eastern foothills of thesepeaks. To the south lies Gunns Plains,famous for the caves and hops. East isfarmland of North Motton and west isthe district of Riana, also farmland.

The Dial Range began some 500million years ago with erodedPrecambrian basement rocks beingdeposited as gravel and silt in a deepocean trench, building layers ofsediment interspersed with lava fromundersea volcanoes. Furtherdeposition 400 million years ago witha subsequent mountain buildingepisode raised these beds into land.Intruding granite brought folding,

heating and crushing, melding thesediments into the rocks we see today.Superheated water infiltrating throughthe joints and fracture zones left smallmineral deposits. Faulting andsubsequent erosion began slowlyforming the Dial Range into its presentdistinctive outline. It was now part of amountain chain stretching into Victoriawith land to the east and south gentlysubsiding into swamps, shallow seasand lagoons from 280 million yearsago until the Cretaceous age, when thesupercontinent of Gondwana beganbreaking up. Tremendous forcesgripped Tasmania, tearing it fromAntarctica, intruding sills and dykes of

MANY THANKSMany thanks to WILDCAREmembers John & Yvonne Redmanof Launceston, who responded tothe request for help with thelabeling and mailing out of thequarterly newsletter Hands-On andWILDCARE event call-up notices.They have already been “on thejob” with a mail out of over 400flyers as well as folding over 500copies of the WILDCAREinformation pamphlet!

David Giles, WILDCARE member,answered the call up for theWILDCARE/NWWC working bee in theDial Range. Photo Jo Field.

WILDTIMESSeptember 2001

9

dolerite and isolating our endemicspecies. The previously shallow seaswere now uplifted and raised into themountains of our highlands. Volcanoeserupted, filling the river valleys withbasalt. This has weathered into the richfarmland of North Motton and Riana.Ice ages came and went, until tenthousand years ago at the end of thelast glaciating the sea level rose,isolating Tasmania and again returningthe ocean to the foot of the Dial Range.

Aboriginals no doubt used the area tohunt and mine ochre butdocumentation of this is hard to find.With the arrival of Europeans, theminerals attracted the attention ofminers but were not found ineconomic quantities. The exception isthe Tasmanian Iron mines, miningiron ore 5 km inland behind thepresent township of Penguin. Some20,000 tons of very pure ore wasexported from here.

Gold financed the 1880’s housingboom in Melbourne and settlersturned to harvesting the timber fromthe mountain slopes for export to thisburgeoning market. Timber has beenharvested since then right up to the1960’s. The Hobbs family operated asawmill on the banks of the Levenopposite the wharf. They started about1900 building a tramway runningbetween Taylors flats and Lobstercreek. A steam powered punt loadedlogs at Lobster Creek and carriedthem down the Leven to the sawmill.The vessel operated until 1948 when itfoundered near the rail bridge.

Walking Clubsand Track WorkThe scenic and recreational potentialof the Dial Range has been recognisedsince the Northwest Walking Club(NWWC) first visited the Dial Rangein 1960 on its inaugural walk. A trackwas cut to the top of Mt Duncan and in1972 the Federation of TasmanianBushwalking Clubs decided toconstruct a trans-Tasmania walkingtrack. The NWWC agreed to constructthe Northern section from Penguin toCradle Mountain, now called thePenguin Cradle Trail. In 1974 thePenguin Council used money from theR.E.D. scheme to construct walkingtracks in the Dial Range using out ofwork labourers. Club memberssurveyed tracks for the workers to cutand form. This included the nowovergrown tramway used by the

Hobbs operation while their punt wasin service.

The NWWC has maintained the tracksever since using club funds andvoluntary labour by club members.However, the disadvantage of this isthe NWWC haven’t the resources tobuild and maintain tracks to a touriststandard and work is often yearsoverdue. Vandalized signs are notreplaced quickly enough, if at all.Visitors unfamiliar with the area canlose their way. This is a pity, givingthe tourist infrastructure of the area abad reputation. A wonderful touristresource is going begging for properdevelopment. But enough polemic.

It is not without trepidation that theClub is trialing the PWS initiative ofAdopt-a-track. The hope is that greaterpublicity will bring wider communityawareness and involvement. Any helpthat the club receives with the project isgreatly appreciated.

Adopt-a-Trackand the NWWCOn May 26, 2001 the NWWCsuccessfully held a working bee underWILDCARE’s Adopt-a-TrackProgram. The weather was ideal forworking, fine but overcast with verylow cloud. It was comfortably mildand although rain threatened, it heldoff until later that night.

In attendance were Jo Field, Adopt-a-Track Facilitator; Eddie Firth, PWSRanger; two WILDCARE membersand seventeen club members —totalling 21 volunteers. Ages rangedfrom 30-odd to 78. The “youthy” oneswere a minority, most of us are able tolook back over more years than wecare to think about! There was moreenthusiasm than years though!

So many showed up that PWS hadinsufficient equipment to covereveryone. My trusty club membersbrought their own to make up theshortfall, however. Tools used rangedfrom secateurs through pruning shears,brushcutter and hedge clipper tochainsaws. The volunteers weredivided into five crews and assignedeach a short section of track to clear.They set to with a will and those crewsfinishing their allotted section movedto another until the entire job wascompleted. The last of the crewsstraggled out of the gathering gloomby 4:30pm. The completed part of thetrack needs some polish in some places

but is now easily navigated. Work donewas mainly clearing away the years ofvegetation that encroached over thetrack. Scrub had grown on the track forso long it consisted of long and thicklyinterwoven shrubs ranging in size rightup to small trees. There were a fewlogs over the track and these wereeasily moved. Eddie and Jo did somefine work re-benching a stretch oftrack across the flank of Mt. Dial. Onecrew cleared the top end of theFerndene track.

The attendance of two non-clubworkers is as much a testament to JoField’s efforts to run the working beeas a WILDCARE project, as to thequalities of the volunteers themselves.They worked well, doing a neat job onthe Gnomon summit track. Pleaseaccept my thanks, David and Horst, onbehalf of the Club. Your efforts weremost welcome!

So there it is, an eminently successfulworking bee with just a few warts. Notbad for a first try with WILDCAREand the Adopt-a-Track Program!

Mark AlexanderTrack Convenor for Dial Range

North-West Walking Club member

Eddystone PointLighthouse Cottages

Clean Up — 22–23September 2001

Parks & Wildlife staff at MtWilliam National Park areinterested in volunteers wishingto participate in a weekendworking bee to prepare theLighthouse cottages and groundsfor the WILDCARE VolunteerCaretakers Program.Meet at Eddystone PointLighthouse Cottages at 9:30 am.Works to be undertaken over theweekend include:• Weeding and ground maintenance• General building maintenance

including cleaning, preparing forpainting, fixing guttering

• Installation of water tank• Fixing fencesLimited accommodation availablein cottage, otherwise camping atDeep Creek. Volunteers will need tobring own camping equipment andfood. Rangers will be putting on aBBQ Saturday night for volunteers.For more information or to registeryour participation please contactDominique Couzens, SeniorRanger, PWS Bridport on 0427 560451 or email <Dominique.Couzens@dpiwe.tas.gov.au> by 19September 2001.

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WILDTIMESSeptember 2001

Adopt-A-Track Guidelines —Out now!

H o m e s t e a d ,waiting for us wasa sumptuousBBQ mealcooked by MikeCousins, PWSR a n g e rLiawenee FieldCentre. As wesettled downto enjoy ourmeal, theclouds closed in andrain started to fall, again! However,with the guests sitting inside theHomestead in front of a “roaring” fire,it didn’t really matter how much it wasraining — until we had to head home!

I would like to take this opportunity tothank (again!) the volunteers,

community groups and PWSstaff who participated in thedevelopment of theseGuidelines, and for attendingthe Launch!

Jo FieldAdopt-a-Track Facilitator

Note: If you would like to receive call-upnotices on future walking track workingbees, anywhere in the State, pleasecontact Deb Ramm (WILDCAREvolunteer for Members’ Record Entry) on6233 2852 (Wednesdays only between9:30am to 12:30pm) or the Adopt-a-TrackFacilitator on 6336 5454 (weekdays).Otherwise email your request to<adoptatrack@dpiwe.tas.gov.au> statingyour full name and address and if possible,your WILDCARE membership numbers.

After 12 months of internal andexternal consultations, presentationsto community members and groups,tireless energy from bothcommunity and WILDCAREvolunteers participating in trialwalking track working beesstatewide, as well as thecommitment by Parks & WildlifeService Field Centre staff aroundthe State, the Adopt-a-TrackProgram Guidelines were launchedat the end of June 2001 by the PWSGeneral Manager, Peter Williams.

Invitations to attend the Launch at theSteppes State Reserve in the CentralHighlands were forwarded toWILDCARE members who hadticked the Adopt-a-Track Program ontheir WILDCARE registration form.

On the day, with forecasted rain andgale winds, over 30 people attended(both WILDCARE members andPWS/CPS staff). When the time camefor Peter Williams to open theproceedings and officially launch theGuidelines, the “gods must have beenwatching” because the clouds partedand the sun shone through, longenough to hear Peter’s opening speechas well as a few words from one of the2 Track Caretakers for the Steppeswalking track. We then took a shortstroll along the 900m walking track tothe Steppes Sculptures, to view thework carried out by volunteers sinceSeptember last year.

Upon returning to the Steppes

Walking tracks availablefor adoption!The following walking tracks are available for “adoption” under the Adopt-a-Track Program*. If anyone is interested in one (or more) of the listedtracks please contact the Community Partnerships Facilitators to discusswhat level of involvement is required under the Program. If there is a tracknot listed which you may have an interest in, please give us a call.

PWS RESERVETrack Name

Ben Lomond NPBent BluffStorys Creek to Stacks Bluff

Central Plateau CA^Mother Cummings (Smoko Rdaccess)Mother Cummings (West ThorpeRd access)

Central Plateau CA (Western Tiers)HiggsParsonsSydsWestern BluffWestern Creek

Cradle Mountain-Lake St ClairNP^Rodway (Cradle Mountain)Watersmeet (Lake St Clair)

Devils Gullet SRDevils Gullet

Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers NP^FinchamKelly Basin Bird RiverMt MurchisonSW CA

Freycinet NPCooks Beach to HazardsHazards to car parkIsthmusMt AmosMt Graham to Cooks BeachWinglass Bay to Mt Graham

Junee Cave SR (Maydena)Junee Cave

Mt William NPVarious beach access tracks atDeep Creek + Eddystone Point

Rocky Cape NPPostmans

Right: Gathering for the feast at theAdopt-a-Track Guidelines Launch.Below: WILDCARE volunteers, PWS &CPS staff, along with their families,attended the Adopt-a-Track GuidelineLaunch at the Steppes SR at end-June.Photos Jo Field.

WILDTIMESSeptember 2001

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Mt Field NPLady Barron Falls fromCampgroundLake Fenton to WebsterMt Field EastTall Trees Circuit

Mt Roland“Valley Track”

Narawntapu NPBadger Head Coastal

Notley Gorge SRNotley Gorge

Penguin Cradle TrailSection between Taylors Flat &Mt Beecroft

Snowy Ranges^Woolies Tarn

Southwest NP^Needles Sentinal Range

Steppes SRSteppes Walk

* The Adopt-a-Track Program is avolunteer program that provides thecommunity with an opportunity tobecome actively involved inmaintaining walking tracks and other

activities associated with track use, onan on-going basis.

CA=Conservation Area (in the WHA)NP=National ParkNRA=Nature Recreation AreaPWS=Parks & Wildlife ServiceSR=State Reserve WHA=World Heritage Area

Contact details for CommunityPartnerships Section Facilitatorsinvolved with the Adopt-a-TrackProgram:

Jo FieldAdopt-a-Track Facilitator (Statewide)Phone: 03 6336 5454Email: <Jo.Field@dpiwe.tas.gov.au>

Chris LeitchWHA Community PartnershipsFacilitatorPhone: 03 6233 2867Email: <Chris.Leitch@dpiwe.tas.gov.au>Note: Chris Leitch facilitates all tracks adoptedwithin the World Heritage Area (WHA). TheReserves that fall under the WHA are markedwith ^.

Snug Tiers NRAPelverata Falls

South Bruny NPEast Cloudy Head

Tasman NPBivouac Bay to Fortescue BayCamp Falls to Bivouac BayCape HauyCape Pillar (bottom section)Devils Kitchen to Waterfall BayMt FortescueWaterfall Bay to Waterfall Bluff

Water Creek SR (Bruny Island)Mavista Falls

Walking tracks that have beenadopted by WILDCAREmembers todate are:PWS RESERVE

Track NameHartz Mountain NP^

Kermandie (old access track toHartz Mountains)

Holwell Gorge SRHolwell Gorge

Maria Island NPOast House Painted Cliffs Circuit

Survey cairns, James Sprent and thetrigonometrical survey of Tasmania1833–1855The following article on SurveyCairns was written by Fred Lakin,who is a retired engineer and wellknown in bushwalking circles inTasmania. He prepared this articlefor the Tasmanian Tramp and haskindly agreed to it being publishedin WILDTIMES. Fred is aWILDCARE member and recentlysigned on as Track Caretaker of theNeedles Track in the SouthwestNational Park — and at the age of79 is a testament to “age not being ahandicap for those of us with ayouthful outlook!” See you on thetrack Fred!

IntroductionBushwalkers in Tasmania havebecome accustomed to seeing avariety of survey markers includingstone cairns when arriving at thesummit of many of the major peaks oron conspicuously located hills.

Many attribute the building of thesestone cairns to James Sprent, but infact only relatively few of theseremaining cairns were built by Sprentduring his mammoth task of carryingout the Trigonometrical Survey of

Tasmania which commenced in theearly 1830’s.

James Meehan was the first Surveyorto arrive in the Colony, he arrived withLt. Bowen in 1803 and the MeehanRange, east of the Derwent, bears hisname. Other early surveyors includedBoyd, Darke, Dumaresq, Evans,Frankland, Hellyer, McPartland, Scott& Wedge, most of who haveprominent features named after them.In 1821, Thomas Scott produced anearly map of the Colony that showedthe coastal outline of the island andthe land grants but little else.

Need for an Accurate Mapof the ColonyDisputes between landownersincreased in the 1820’s largely due tothe absence of an accuratetrigonometrical survey of the wholeisland. Such a survey would enable alllocal surveys to be accurately locatedin respect to a statewide network ofreference points. This would eliminatethe overlapping of boundaries etcwhich can occur when surveys arebased on unrelated features.

Lt. Governor Arthur acceptedSurveyor-General George Frankland’srecommendation to carry out such asurvey of the whole of the island andin 1832 Surveyor Raphael Clint wasappointed to commence the task. Afteralmost a year spent in clearing andpreparing a base line at Muddy Plainsin the Sandford area, he wastransferred to the construction of theBridgewater Causeway.

Enter James SprentJames Sprent, a graduate of GlasgowUniversity, arrived in the Colony in1830 and set up a school for boys inHobart Town. In 1833 he wasappointed to carry out thetrigonometrical survey and by 1836 hereported on the selection of some 50carefully selected stations mostly inthe south and east of the State.

At each station Sprent set up a survey

Big White Hill. The largest of the Hardycairns. Photo Fred Lakin.

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WILDTIMESSeptember 2001

during which James Sprent, DeputySurveyor-General Cotton & JamesCalder were questioned at length,recommendations were made toundertake field checks, but apparentlythese were never carried out and theenquiry came to an indefinite end.

By 1858 the drawing of the map wascompleted by William Hogan, the foursets of printing plates, necessary formulti-colour printing, were preparedin Scotland and in 1859 the maps wereavailable for sale in Hobart, almosttwenty six years after thecommencement of the Survey.

The map was regarded as being thebest in the Colonies and a copy isavailable for viewing in the TasmanianSection of the State Library.

marker and cleared the site of anyobstructing trees etc. These markersconsisted of any one of three typesviz. stone cairns up to 10’ high, acentral pole supported by forked staypoles or lone trees stripped of all butone central stump. Some of the stonecairns built by Sprent were basicallysquare, the upper portion being abouthalf the base dimension. Usually thesestations could be up to 30 miles apart,but sometimes far more distant.

In 1837 work on the survey wassuspended possibly due to lack offunding, the need to carry out otherwork, or more likely due to theproblems arising from the discovery ofmany incorrect property boundaries.

Recommencement ofSurveyIn 1847 after a break of nearly 10years, the trigonometrical survey wasrecommenced, two base lines wereestablished, the southern one atMuddy Plains, now known asLauderdale, (some 3.8 miles in length)and the northern base at NorfolkPlains near Longford (some 4.9 milesin length).

By 1853 Sprent assisted by James

Calder, who later turned out to bemost critical of Sprent and theaccuracy of the survey, hadestablished 206 trigonometricalstations. Sprent had a gang of up to 11men including convicts, the problemsof access, maintenance of supplies andthe conditions of weather and terrain,particularly on the West and SouthWest Coast were unbelievablydifficult. His reports described theparty being wet through day after day,tents leaking like muslin and manydays passing without a single sightingbeing possible. On one occasion helost many of his clothes when a tentcaught fire.

The year 1853 was a particularly badyear for Sprent, not only did he haveto report his personal failure at beingunable to reach the summit ofFrenchman’s Cap, but two of his threesons aged 7 and 9 respectively, diedwith scarlet fever, tragically acommon event in the Colony at thattime. This left him with a wife, twodaughters and one 4-year-old son,Charles Percy Sprent.

Completion of MapIn 1854 Major Cotton, then theDeputy Surveyor General stated in anaddress to the Royal Society “Theobservations have been in the hands ofone single individual, Mr JamesSprent, whose untiring perseveranceand patient endurance has enabledhim single handed to effect what inother colonies would have been sharedby many, equally qualified for thework.”

Mid 1855 saw the end of the fieldworkand the following year found Sprentinvestigating a possible railwaylocation between Hobart andLaunceston.

Early in 1857, a Select Committee ofEnquiry was set up under thechairmanship of John Helder Wedgeto investigate the accuracy and valueof the Trigonometrical Survey. Aftersittings which extended over a year,

Sprent’s PassingIn early 1858, Sprent was appointedSurveyor-General, but his health hadbeen so badly affected by the years ofhardship during his fieldwork, that hewas tragically forced to retire due to illhealth later the same year. Calder waslater appointed to the position andcontinued his criticism of Sprent’s workeven after his own retirement in 1869.

James Sprent died at his home inHobart on 22nd September 1863, aged55, and so was gone one of thecountry’s great surveyors. Sprent’scontribution to early TasmanianSurveying cannot be overemphasised.

One of the principals Theodolites usedby James Sprent an 8” Troughton &Simms, is currently on display in theoffices of the Department ofEnvironment and Land Management.

James Sprent’s remaining sonfollowed in his father’s footsteps andin 1884, at the age of 35, CharlesPercy Sprent was appointed DeputySurveyor-General, (from 1869 to 1894the title Surveyor-General havingbeen assumed by a Cabinet Minister!).Three years later he tragically died

Mt Rufus. A fine cairn built after theTrigonometrical Survey 1833-55. PhotoFred Lakin.

Mt La Perouse. The classic Sprent cairnas it was in 1941. Photo D Wilson.

WILDTIMESSeptember 2001

13

from typhoid. Mt Sprent was laternamed after him.

Survey CairnsFollowing the death of James Sprentmany surveyors continued with thehuge demand for surveys particularlythose related to the sales and grants ofCrown Land.

To assist with the integration of thesesurveys into the trigonometricalnetwork, various surveyorsestablished further cairns and markers.

Surveyor Wentworth Hardy wasresponsible in the early 1890’s and1900’s for the very fine constructionof at least 14 cairns in the South Eastand Midlands area of Tasmania.

Twelve of these are still standing,mostly on private property wherelandowners are very much aware oftheir historic value.

The exact number of cairns built bySprent is uncertain, many have beenpartly demolished, and some havemodern survey beacons erected on theirremains. Whilst some have been totallydemolished. The most blatant act ofvandalism was the complete demolitionof the Sprent cairn on Mt Field East inthe mid 1980’s. Less than 12 Sprentcairns remain substantially intact.

The total number of cairns stillexisting throughout the State invarying conditions, is less than fifty.By comparison there are over 750survey beacons in existence.

ConclusionIt should be realised that the earlysurveyors worked under extremeconditions and experienced greatpersonal hardship without the benefitsof modern lightweight refined foodand camping equipment. Morerecently the advent of the GlobalPosition System (GPS) has made avast impact on surveying.

The efforts and capabilities of thesepioneers should be applauded andparticular tribute paid to James Sprent.

Measures should be taken to preservethe stone cairns built by Sprent, Hardyand other early Surveyors as fittingmemorials to their pioneering work.

AcknowledgementsThe Author wishes to record his

Snug FallsWalking Track— perfect for a

sundayafternoon

stroll!If you have not had the pleasureof walking the Snug Fallswalking track (at Snug, in theState’s south) recently or at all,then treat yourself!

WILDCARE volunteers haveundertaken work on the“neglected” track, with 4 workingbees held since May this year. Asan indication of how popular thistrack can be — at the first workingbee, one volunteer counted over 40people walking along the trackduring the course of the day!

A further working bee is plannedfor Sunday, 21 October 2001. Formore information or to registeryour attendance please contactPaul Dimmick, PWS RangerDover Field Centre on 6298 1577or email <Paul.Dimmick@dpiwe.tas.gov.au>.

See you at Snug Falls sometime!

STOP PRESS: David and JillWalker are the new co-TrackCaretakers for the Snug Fallstrack!

How many cyclists does it take tostuff [WILDTIMES] envelopes?

It was a wet on the day we usually go cycling with our group of friends (fromthe Hobart Walking Club) — what could we do to keep our cycling friendsoccupied after lunch?

We produced all these envelopes to address with sticky labels to be sent out toWILDCARE members, ready for when the WILDTIMES magazine was printed.In about twenty minutes 10 volunteers had completed the lot — over 2,000envelopes — which helped us tremendously. We are hoping that it is another wetcycling day when thenewsletters arrive to be put inthe envelopes!

Bob & Phyl WyattWILDCARE members

Bob & Phyl’s wish came true — itrained the day the newsletter arrived,and 8 cycling friends just happed to beat a loose end! Thanks toWILDCARE members whoresponded to the call up in June 2001issue. Your contact details have beenpassed onto Bob & Phyl.

appreciation for the assistance hereceived from many individuals whoprovided photos of some of the moreremote cairns and to those whoprovided survey and historicalinformation. Special thanks to MrPeter Monaghan of the Department ofEnvironment & Land Management forhis assistance and encouragementextending over several years.

ReferencesGowlland, R & K — Trampled

Wilderness, 1973.

Binks, C.J. — Explorers of WesternTasmania, 1980.

Monaghan, PA — Surveying — EarlyDays Around TasmanianTrigonometrical Stations (ASAConference 1981).

Jones, Alan — Backsight, A Historyof Surveying in Colonial Tasmania,1989.

Early Surveyors Monument Bronte. This monument was erected on the sideof the Lyell Hwy near the junction of theMarlborough Hwy and bears thefollowing inscription: ”This monumentwas erected in 1983 by members of theInstitution of Surveyors Australia,Tasmanian Division, to commemorate theearly surveyors who explored andmapped this State. Located near thegeographical centre of Tasmania. It issimilar to the cairn erected by JamesSprent on Mt La Perouse during hisTrigonometrical Survey 1833-1855. PhotoFred Lakin.

Phyllis Wyatt (front left) and fellow cyclistputting the June issue of WILDTIMES intopre-labelled envelopes. Photo Bob Wyatt.

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WILDTIMESSeptember 2001

Warden welcomes walkers

world’s great walks. Recently theyreturned from Chile after walking theTorre Del Paine Circuit (10 days).They have walked the WesternArthurs, Federation Peak andFrenchman’s Cap. Glenn has climbedin the Himalayas, rock climbed inAustralia, Thailand, Sumatra, USA,UK and France. He has also authoredpublications on rockclimbing,Melbourne daywalks, GrampianSelected Walks (2nd Edition) andBushwalking Experiences worldwide.

Dave and Ros McCormack alsowalked the Overland track from theSouth to North. More people eachyear seem to be doing their walk inthis direction. He has toured andwalked in most of the major countriesaround the world and climbed in the

One of the most enjoyable areas of aHut Warden’s work or duty on theOverland Track is talking to thewalkers as they pass throughWaterfall Valley Hut. They areeither walking south or waterfall istheir last night on the track. AroundEaster walkers come into the areaand use Waterfall as a base forclimbing barn Bluff, a saunter overto Windemere and perhaps LakeWill and the Waterfall Chain here.

I would like you to meet some of thewalkers I have talked with while Ihave been volunteering at WaterfallValley.

Glenn and Karen Tempest stayed inthe Waterfall area for a couple of days,camping down near the old hut. Theirtime was taken up climbing BarnBluff and doing a bit of photography.Glenn is a photographer andpublisher. He has a business calledOPEN SPACES. He sells articles toWILD magazine (you may have readsome of his articles) Glenn walked theOverland Track almost 25 years ago.He noticed some big differences. A lotmore people certainly, but not enoughto interfere with the scenery he said.Some of the huts are much improvedas are the trails. He said “We were upto our waists in mud on Pine ForestMoor back in those days. This trip wedidn’t even get our feet wet”. He said“We loved the tent platforms. I was abit suss at first but we quickly sawtheir advantages. Very easy to use”“What disturbed me most was thenumber of walkers that were clearlynot equipped to be on the trail(mentally, physically and equipmentwise).”

Karen is keen to “collect” all the

Rocky Mountain National Park. Daveworks with the Antarctic Division andhas done so for 30 years. He startedwhen the Division was based inMelbourne in 1971. His first winterSouth was at the Casey Station in1972. His next trip South was toMawson, his favourite station. Davesaid “it was the real Antarctic for him,with beautiful mountain peaks pokingthrough the blue ice plateau, as abackdrop to the Station” FromMawson they had access to fourEmperor Penguin rookeries once thesea had frozen and was safe to travelon. He felt that he was lucky to havespent his years at Mawson while theHuskies (dogs) were still there. “Weran hundreds of miles on dog trips.After they left it wasn’t the same”

In 1998/99 French AntarcticExpeditions invited him to go on acouple of their long inland traverses toDome C, some 1100 km from DumontD’Urville. This Station is a jointventure between the French andItalians. Hey have an ice drillingprogram. The cores are examined andassessed in the laboratories on site.They are soon to set up a Spacetelescope program. The high altitudeof the Station (3200m) and clear airmakes conditions perfect to look at thestars.

Dave and Ros have walked theOverland track several times and haverecently climbed Frenchman’s Cap.They scuba dive all year round mainlyat Bicheno and Eagle Hawk Neck.

Every year at the end of January I takea group of people, who have notbushwalked before, through theOverland Track. The walk is designedto be leisurely with plenty of time forreading, siesta and conversation. Wefinish the walk overnight at theDerwent Bridge Pub, with a goodmeal and a wine or two. I promise thegroup that the excellent meal at theHotel will blot out the memory of allthose cup o’soups and pasta!

Glenn Morns, the chef at the Pubsupplies that meal. Glenn, withfriends, walked into Waterfall on hisfirst night on the Overland track. Theface was familiar but I asked him hisname. He knew me. Of course it wasGlenn the Chef! Glenn cametoTasmania from Brisbane in thesummer of 1999, after working in FiveStar hotels and bistros doing 50–80hours per week with a lot of stress andno social life. Where he is now hasopened his life to an entirely new

Glenn and Karen in the Western Arthurs.

Glenn Morns.

WILDTIMESSeptember 2001

15

VOLUNTEER CALLUP NOTICE BOARD

Orange bellied parrotsrecovery program

Each year Parks & Wildlife Serviceand Resource Management &Conservation Divisions, runOrange Bellied Parrot surveys atBirches Inlet at the bottom ofMacquarie Harbour, Strahan, tomonitor OBP release and breeding.Volunteers have “flocked” toparticipate in past call-ups! With only 4 positions available,volunteers will be taken on a “first-in” basis. Dates for the surveys are 9to 23 January 2002 and 20 March to 3April 2002 (2 x 10-day shifts).Volunteers will need to ensure theyare current WILDCARE members atthe time of participation.If you are interested in spending 10days in one of the most beautifulplaces in Tasmania, assisting theongoing preservation of thisspecies, contact Krissy Ward,Ranger PWS Strahan Field Centreon 03 6471 7122 or email<Krissy.Ward@ dpiwe.tas. gov.au>for further details.

A number of years ago (back in the1980’s) the Parks & Wildlife Service(PWS) produced a series of teachers’guides and study kits for schools. Thekits were very popular and are stillbeing used in classrooms today, withPWS Interpretation Sectionoccasionally receiving requests forcopies. Unfortunately, there has notbeen a program of update andreprint of these publications formany years.The kits included:• A Teachers Guide to Maria Island

National Park• A Teachers Guide to Asbestos Range

(now know as Narawntapu) NationalPark

• A Teachers Guide to Archaeology• A Teachers Guide to Minimal Impact

Bushwalking/Phantom Walker• Wildlife Study Kit — Wetlands• Wildlife Study Kit — Birds of PreyGiven the popularity and quality of thepublications it would be great if the kitscould be checked over, contents updatedand prepared for reprinting. In mostcases there are only single copies of a kitleft in existence — therefore contents

would need to be updated, retyped andthen checked by relevant Departmentalexperts.

If this type of volunteer workinterests you please call AndrewSmith, Community PartnershipsSection Manager, on 03 6233 2836 oremail <wildcare@ dpiwe.tas.gov.au>to discuss options for participating inthe project. The job could be done at acomputer workstation in theCommunity Partnerships Section,located in the Lands Building in Hobart(one day a week, for example) OR fromhome (subject to computer softwareprograms compatibility) OR a mixtureof both!

Each kit has a series of worksheets andinformation sheets for copying andclassroom use. While most of thesewould not need altering there is scopeto redo and expand these resources foreach kit. Be as imaginative as youlike…!The Interpretation Section of PWS has an on-going need for assistance with collecting andcompiling information for schools and forpresentations at schools. If this type of workinterests you, call Jenni Burdon on 03 6233 2184.

The Tamar Island Wetland Centre,located on the western shores of theTamar River is looking forWILDCARErs interested inproviding volunteer support on aregular and on-going basis.The focus of the volunteer activity is ofcourse on the environment and tourismso anyone interested in any aspect of thiswould be very welcome.The Centre caters for all sorts ofpeople, from tourist to local communitymembers to school groups. Volunteersprovide Guided Tours, and school talksas well as providing local knowledgeand information to tourists. History ofthe Island and birds are popular talkingpoints. Anyone good at Interpretationsor with an education background wouldbe fantastic. If you are passionate about

birds and wetlands and increasing thecommunity’s understanding of thesethen that would be fantastic too.

Training is provided for all aspects ofworking at the Centre.

The Centre Manager, Janine Keesing, islooking for people with goodinterpersonal skills and telephone skillsand if possible be able to handle money.Being able to, or willing to learn howto, talk to groups would be anadvantage.

The Centre is in desperate need of up to10 weekend guides and about 6 weekday volunteers — to work on a rosternegotiated with the volunteers.

If you are interested please phoneJanine Keesing on 6336 2678 or 0409973 780.

Wanted: Orphaned &injured animal carers

The Senior Ranger at BridportField Centre is compiling a list ofinterested WILDCARE memberswho wish to be involved with caringfor orphaned and injured animalsin this district (Bridport across toSt Helens, down to Lilydale-Karoola, and everything inbetween!).If you are interested in becoming aCarer, please contact DominiqueCouzens, Senior Ranger PWSBridport on 0427 560 451 or email<Dominique.Couzens@dpiwe.tas.gov.au>

Education kits update and re-publish

Tamar Island Wetland Centre

scene — “the wilderness”. I wonderwould you call this a “sea-change” orwould it be a “bush-change”? Hespends his spare time walking in theLake St Clair area and in his words “Ihave seen many new and wonderfulthings. From amazing waterfalls,wildlife, colourful sunrises and themost romantic sunsets”. In addition hesaid “Ive met people from all parts ofthe globe and shared many laughswith strangers” He has been inTasmania for 2 years now, working a

roster of 10 days on and four off. Hehas seen more of what Tasmania hasto offer than some local Tasmanians.“I can’t see myself going anywhereelse too soon”.

Our last Overland Track walk withfriends, bearing in mind my raving onabout having an excellent meal at theDerwent Bridge Pub, I read on theblackboard in the dining room “Quail”— good that’s for me I thought. Ifailed to read further the fine printunderneath. Out came the Quail — on

a bed of cold noodle salad!

I have met and talked with walkersfrom Iceland to Chile while staying atwaterfall. Above are just a few I hopeyou have enjoyed meeting. I read thisrecently “Into the silence of highmountains where the eye ranges freelythrough the still pure air and fondlytraces out the restful contours.Apparently built for eternity”

Bill ForsythHut Warden Volunteer —

Waterfall Valley

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WILDTIMESSeptember 2001

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Thankyou!WILDCARE wishes to thank the following sponsors for their

support of the WILDCARE Fund

Gold Sponsors ($10,000 plus)

Category 2 sponsors ($5000–$9999)Environment Australia

Category 3 sponsors ($1000–$4999)• Malcolm Murchison • Dept. Premier and Cabinet

• Brighton Council • Resource Management & ConservationAnd the following WILDCAREmember-discount sponsors

Parks and Wildlife Service – $20 discount on Annual Park PassSnowgum equipment – 10% discount

Par Avion Wilderness Flights – 10% discountEaglehawk Neck Backpackers – $2 discount per night

Moonpads – 5% discountThe Possum Shed, Westerway – 10% discount on all gifts

(To claim your discount, simply present your WILDCARE member card.)

We are looking for other sponsors, both for the WILDCARE Fund and as discounters. Knowsomeone who you think might be interested? Why not have a chat to them and suggest theycontact Andrew Smith at Community Partnerships Section for more details (Ph 6233 2836— GPO Box 44a Hobart 7001).

This essential guide will give walkers, bicyclists andhorse riders all the information needed to travel all orpart of the unique Tasmanian Trail.Detailed trail notes cover each stage of the journey,providing concise directions and information onaccess, campsites and facilities. Distances are given fortrips in either direction, while each stage is supple-mented with detailed maps. Planning, safety and environmental issues are all thor-oughly covered.

Fascinating snippets of information on the natural andcultural features you will discover along the trail areliberally spread throughout the book.If you are contemplating a full traverse of the state orjust a day trip, this book is a must.Recommended Retail Price: $22.00. Order through theWILDCARE Office, GPO Box 44 Hobart 7001. Pleasemake cheques payable to The Tasmanian Trail Association.

ISBN 9 318923 009651

Tasmanian Trail Guidebook – Tasmanian Trail