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Part 8 - Lake Pedder Scenery
We made a brief stop off at the Creepy Crawly Walk. It is well worth the stop. Throughout the walk there are small, unobtrusive signs with information in the form of a detective story. You will be surprised at the outcome of the story. The walkway takes you through some pristine forest with old and new growth and heaps of little creepy crawlies to see as well.
We got back on the road and headed towards Lake Pedder. The road wasn't as well maintained as others but it was in fairly good condition. Mountain peaks formed an awe inspiring backdrop. Buttongrass plains also spread as far as the eye could see. There were many places we stopped along the way to get beautiful photos.
Finally, after 36 dusty kilometers of road and beautiful backdrops, we reached the Lake Edgar campground. This spot is on the south east tip of Lake Pedder with magnificent views all round. We drove into the campground to discover only one other party there at that time.
Lake Edgar campground from the Dam
The campground itself is rather beautiful. Lots of tall rainforest trees, heaps of birds and small insects to listen to and watch. It did feel a bit damp, which you would expect in that sort of environment. It felt colder than the Edgar Dam, but that was to be expected too. We decided to head back to Edgar as this place blocked the reason we had come here, to see the Arthur Ranges.
I liked the way that the campground was set up and must say well done to whoever designed it. The sites were sheltered and flat and there is lots of green, very relaxing. There are a lot of opportunities for getting macros of tiny little flowers here. As well as great landscapes, when the weather clears.
Lake Pedder is only a short stroll from the campground and offers magnificent vistas in all directions. The water and sky are the most amazing blue. If this wasn't in a national park I would definitely like to buy a piece of land here. It is such a serene and peaceful place.
I think everyone should see and experience this place. It is a good getaway from the rigors of normal life.
Part 9 - Waiting to see the Arthur Ranges
Most of the time we were there it was shrouded in cloud or heavy mist and haze only showing us tantalizing glimpses through a break in the clouds here and there. Every day we awoke hoping to catch a sight of the mountains. There were a couple of mornings when I thought, "Cool, we are going to see them today." We briskly walked to where we could see the mountains only to be disappointed a seeing nothing but cloud.
There was heaps of other stuff to see. We took walks around the area and discovered many little things. Gorgeous flowers and interesting creatures were in abundance. The only large animal I remember seeing while here was the Pademelon. There were quite a few birds around too.
The pademelons were cute. I don't know how many were in the area, they just jumped out from everywhere. Most of the time they would sit very close by and much on the grass and mosses. They are noisy eaters. At nights we would hear them thump from one place to the next, stop and munch then move on when they had their fill. They seemed to be doing this all around the tent. At times I wanted to hit the side of the tent and make them scatter, but I thought better of it, they were only doing what they normally do and we were intruding on their territory.
The days passed, and sometimes it seemed like years, well not quite that long but it was slow. At times like this I liked to watch the little things. Ants crawled and dragged things double their size to the nest. Spiders built their webs or wrapped their food in silk for later. Other insects waddled over the rocks of the campfire or the table. There is so much going on at the small level.
One morning near the end of our stay we went for a walk to the dam and on the way there we saw a baby pademelon take, what we presume, were its first hops outside the pouch. It was so cool to watch. At first it was very wobbly and it fell a few times. Within about half an hour it was bouncing, with great speed, away from its mother, into the bushes and back again. When it got back to mum it would ram its head into her pouch and have a drink. Mum wasn't too happy with this and pushed bub away. Nature is such a wonderful thing.
Pademelon and Joey
We watched a few people come and go while we were here. Most would pull up at a campsite, pitch their tent, take a couple of pics then go back to their site. After this they would build a fire and cook dinner. Then they would go to bed and in the morning pack up their gear and go. This, to me, is not experiencing Tasmania. It is just going somewhere to say that you have been there. I bet most of them would not be able to tell what they saw, unless they were looking at the pictures.
The day arrived when it was time to leave and I was feeling disappointed that the mountains hadn't revealed themselves to us. I suppose that's the way things happen down here. Sometimes the weather is with you and at other times it isn't. We had discussed coming back here for another try some other time. We packed up the tents and took one final wander down to the dam to see if the Arthurs' were going to be nice enough to show themselves.
My jaw hit the ground at the scene in front of me. There she was all her rugged beauty on full display. Her rugged outline stood proud against the magnificent blue sky. Their earthy colours stood out and the sunlight highlighted rock faces and showed shadows where the cliff faces fell in sheer drops to the valleys below. I was elated and we got many beautiful photos that morning and great memories of the best mountain range in Tasmania.
Arthur Ranges
A sense of satisfaction came over me, I had seen the mountains and had a ball watching Mother Nature and her creatures display their natural side.
I agree with you that it's often worth spending more than one night in the same place in order to really enjoy being there (not just to say that you've been there).
