Wilmot River Walks

26/08/2011

Wilmot River Walks and Minnow Falls Walks

Lower Minnow Falls with blandfordia

Wilmot River at Horseshoe Bend

Braddon’s Creek Ravine

Contents.

Disclaimer
Introduction
Private Property issues
Acknowledgements
Track Notes and Updates – Wilmot River
Track closures and facility changes Wilmot River
Article on Dooley and track history
Track Notes and Updates – Minnow Falls
Wilmot and Minnow Gallery

1.Disclaimer.

All walks are undertaken at own risk. Take particular care during wet and windy weather as dangers from falling limbs and slippery rocks increase. Avoid the walks during high water, and beware that the Wilmot River can rise suddenly if the Lake Gairdner dam spills .

2.Introduction.

The walks on the Wilmot River arose from work done on the Dooley Track , a historic track cut in 1859 to access the gold prospects on the upper Forth River. The tracks south to East Ellis crossing are easy and regularly maintained.There are low water crossings, shelters, bridges and information stations. The track goes through interesting country. There are placid pools, rock gardens and rapids, fern glades and fine benched sections among the dogwoods high above the river. At choice spots we have cleared lookouts.

The East Ellis circuit is suitable for all able bodied walkers but beyond East Ellis things get rougher and the routes are for more experienced bushwalkers. There are more unstable sections prone to landslip., and the logistics of maintaining the track are harder.

The river has to be forded 2.5 km north of Spellmans Bridge due to access problems on the west bank.

The through walk takes around 6-8 hours for a fit walker. A car shuttle or bike is necessary. It is possible to leave a bike at Spellman’s Bridge and drive down to Gentle Annie Road, then walk south using the East Bank track to Osbert Crossing, and then the Dooley track to Spellman’s.

There are tracks on both banks from the Alma to East Ellis Junction, with link routes and crossings at several points. The crossings are for low water only, but enthusiasts may be able to wade with a wading stick at moderate water levels. Do this at your own risk. The former Gold River bridge at Jamieson’s Road has been removed . The river can be forded just above this site at the tail of a big pool at low levels.
Campsites. Much of the valley is steep and rough but there are a few delightful camping spots. The best are, from north to south,

East Bank. Payne Beach camp. Cross the stepping stones at Payne Shelter and climb up to the high bank on the way to the beach and swimming hole. There are good sites in the dogwood forest.

East Bank. East Ellis Flat, excellent camping on a grassy flat with a shelter and picnic table. Keep off the private property(see signs)

West Bank. Osbert Shelter. Just before arriving at the Osbert Shelter there is an old camp in the dogwood forest which I have tidied up. There is a wood heater in the shelter and lots of flood timber around.

Please look after the Wilmot River valley. Leave no litter, light no fires. If you feel like helping by taking light tools along and clearing windfalls, thistles and bracken, that would be very nice!

3.Private Property Issues.

Most of the walks are on Crown land or State forest, but there are areas that are close to private property. Please respect the privacy of landowners, by walking quietly and creating no nuisance. Keep dogs on a lead to protect wild life. Snakes are a hazard to dogs in summer.

Specifically there are two areas of private land where access has been problematic.

In the north at Jamieson’s Road ,at the official start of the track, it is essential for walkers to stick to the flagged route over the last property, keep dogs on the lead . Please, please ,do not wander about this property, the landowners are still plagued by people invading their privacy with unleashed dogs etc. The route through here is very well marked with orange flags, it does not follow the river bank. If you can’t find it, consult an optometrist!!

The former Murray bypass has been closed for 2 years now, just proceed quietly through the gate along the road

Access to the Valley Property, Ellis and North Walters Flats has not been agreed.Please respect the owners request to keep off here. . There is a river reserve at South Walter’s Flat which is public land.Use the east bank route from East Ellis Crossing to Walter’s and Osbert Crossings if you want to do a through walk

4.Acknowledgements
I am indebted to Fred Groenier for his cheerful and invaluable help on the Track over the first 8 years. Thanks also to the Johns Brothers and all other friends who have helped cut track. More recently, Chris Dennis, Rod Davey and other members of the North West Walking Club and the Monday Girls have given excellent help. Max Richardson has become the track’s mainstay over the last two years, it could not be kept open without him.

I am indebted to the Kreger family for many things including use of the maps, and introducing me to the River. Jerry is probably still regretting it! Forestry Tasmania , Norma Jamieson and the Murray family and the new owners at the end of Jamieson’s Road have been helpful in forwarding the Dooley venture.

East Ellis crossing

Working on the ramp north of Spellman’s bridge

Map of East Ellis Circuit

Ellis Flat to Osbert Crossing Map

Osbert Shelter to Spellman’s Bridge

5.TRACK NOTES

Wilmot River Walks. Walk 1.

Lucys track/ Dooley track circuit from Alma to East Ellis Crossing and return OPEN

Maps Tasmap 1:25 000 4243 Kindred and 4242 Castra

This is a pleasant walk of three- four hours, mostly on flat ground. It involves two river crossings which pose no problems at normal summer river levels.
The simplest and quickest access is from a layby on the lefthand side of Gentle Annie Road about 0.9 km uphill from Alma bridge.It is the second layby on the left as you go up the road . This is not marked as we have been advised it cannot be an official carpark.Park here and cross the road carefully to pick up a zigzag path down to the river. At the bottom turn left along the riverbank, passing a new shelter. Continue along the east bank on Lucy’s track, named after a little dog who was one of the first to use this route. There is a steep rock above the river at Barking Snake Pool, a fine picnic and swimming spot. A safety rope and footsteps have been put in here to make for easy passage. After this wander along a lovely forest flat- Lucy’s Flat- until you come to an open area with little rapids in the river.Then follow the river until the route cuts across a low ridge to pickup an old vehicular track which takes you back to the riverside at a place called The Barbecue as locals erected an iron barbie, gone with the 2011 flood, (and an alfresco toilet) Keep going until along the river bank until East Ellis crossing is gained, take care in one section where big rocks have fallen. There is picnic table and map at East Ellis Flat just south of the Crossing.The shelter has gone in the Flood.The grassy flats are a delight. Please do not stray on to the private land – The Valley- beyond the shelter site – there is a sign on the boundary. Obviously you will not light fires or leave litter anywhere on the route! On heading over the crossing turn left and walk up a ridge until a junction where you turn right along the Dooley track which will take you back to the Alma area. On the way you will pass the Payne Creek shelter. The Dooley track is longer than Lucy’s track, but is a wide well benched track. There are however more ups and downs on it ! There are several shelter/information stations and little poems to inspire the weary traveller en route, with maps to show you exactly where you are.Towards the end of the walk the Dooley Track crosses private property utilising a crown road line; follow the orange flags, and do not intrude on to the property or linger here.Keep dogs on the lead. Then walk along Jamieson’s Road to the Alma Bridge- the former Murray property bypass is closed. Alternatively one can wade the river at Shoestring Crossing and go along the east bank track to the Gentle Annie zig zag .

A variant on this walk is to go along the Dooley track to the concrete step crossing at Payne Shelter and pick up a taped route which goes north along the river bank for about 200 metres before climbing up to a spur. Follow the tapes along the Spur until you reach Lucy’s East Wilmot track and take this track back to the Alma area.This walk is an hour shorter than the full circuit to East Ellis flats. The west side of the crossing is now more difficult as the Big Flood changed the course of the river.

Walk 2. Groove Creek Circuit. OPEN

Map Tasmap 1:25,000 4242 Castra
Time 3 hours plus 45 minutes for a sidetrip to Secluded Falls
The circuit is an easy walk .The hardest part is finding your way around the Sprent Forest road network, so detailed instructions are given for this.
Drive from Forth on the Kindred road for 10.5 km. Turn left at Swamp road, drive along it for 4.3 km until Nicolle’s Link turns off to the left. Go along this forest road for 3.7 km until a Y junction, take the left road here. Proceed for 0 .6 km, take right turn and drive along this road for 1.2 km . You should be on an open ridge with eucalypt and pine plantations with views to Mount Roland and Eardley’s Tor. Take a left turn, ignoring a road leading off to the left after 0.3 km. After 0.4 km you will arrive at an open space. Park here. Total travel distance from Forth should be around 20.7 km.

Please drive carefully on the forest roads are they are frequented by trail bikers and horse riders.

Just below the car park tapes and a sign mark a track leading down through the pine plantation. This ends at an old 4wd track. Turn left down this track until tapes and a cairn mark a right turn. Go down here and you will pick up another track leading down to Groove Creek. Just before the creek turn left and a route will quickly take you to the main Dooley Track and the Wilmot River. If you want to visit Secluded Falls on Groove Creek go on down to the creek bed , cross over and follow the creek upstream for about 10 minutes , cross again and go along the right bank for 5 minutes, cross again, and in ten minutes you will reach a point where the creek divides. There is a waterfall on the right hand branch just above you, obscured by the bush. The best falls are ten minutes further up the left hand branch, but this is very rough. There are some very fine manferns along the valley floor , but the upper slopes are loose and dangerous. The falls are spectacular after rain.

The main part of the walk goes north along the Dooley track climbing high above the river in places . There is a descent to the attractive forest around Osbert Creek, then another climb until you descend to the Osbert Shelter,formerly a fine overnight and picnic shelter which has had all the roofing iron and picnic table stolen, by a public minded citizen. Shortly after this take care to follow the unpleasant, unrelentingly steep, eroded 4wd track up the hill – the Dooley track continues north along the river. At the top of the 4 wd track you will join a forest road which links to the spur road you drove down to start the walk.

Walk 3. East Ellis Road to Osbert Crossing and South Walter’s Flat circuit.

Tasmap 1:25000 Castra

Time 3 – 4 hours

Drive to Knight’s Road (signposted) at the top of Gentle Annie Hill on the Wilmot Road. Head along Knight’s Road ignoring all turnoffs to residences, until a sharp right turn leads up Ellis Flats Road. There is a gate which is unlocked although it may be closed. Leave all gates at you find them. Park at the top of the hill unless you have a 4wd vehicle.Do not block the road as the farmer uses it. Otherwise drive down the steep rough road to a parking area with a map and signs to the Wilmot tracks heading north and south. Take the southern track, a well benched route leading down to the river bank through forest. Continue along the river bank through manfern glades crossing a small creek. The track then opens up in flood damaged areas, until a second creek is crossed. At this point you are opposite the River Reserve on South Walter’s Flat. This is Walter’s Crossing which you will wade on the way back.

Continue on the east bank on a new track which keeps close to the river until a rocky bank has to be negotiated. There is a steep and difficult taped bypass route above the rocks if the river is high, but this is really for emergencies only , its hard! The route then crosses another creek and heads through manfern flats and up over a low saddle before descending to the river at Osbert Crossing. This can be rock hopped quite easily in summer but is difficult and to be avoided at high water levels. A taped route takes you to the vandalised Osbert Shelter(recently patched up for the second time) There is a nice swimming spot just down from the shelter, follow the cut route. Return along the west bank past an old hut, which we have cleaned up after the Flood, and past Osbert Creek on a good undulating track with fine views of the river. On reaching South Walter’s Flat follow the river bank which is the reserve, and wade the river just before the private property sign. Pick up the east bank track which you took on the way in and climb back up to East Ellis Road.

Walk 4 .Groove Creek to Spellman’s Bridge

TasMap 1:25,000 Castra
Time 3-4 hours one way OPEN
This walk will need a car shuttle between Spellman’s Bridge and the start of the Groove Creek walk in the Sprent forest. Drive to Spellman’s Bridge and leave a vehicle. Drive up Spellman’s Road to Castra and then turn right heading for Sprent. Just before you reach Sprent turn right along Swamp Road. Turn right at the junction with Nicolle’s Link road and follow the detailed instructions for Walk 2. On reaching the Wilmot river at Groove Creek head south on a flat route through water ferns and then a manfern forest until Farmer’s Creek – a tranquil spot with little cascades(Lost in the Flood!) The route then rises, climbing above the river in a wild spectacular section. First stop is the Rock Garden lookout, where a steep little side trip can be made to exciting pools and big rocks in the river.Then onward on high levels before descending to Horse Shoe Bend, an excellent spot for swimming and lunch. This area of track is a long way in, and maintenance is more difficult. Climb over the little ridge at Horse Shoe and steeply down to a rough narrow passage by the river, until gaining another pleasant flat. A brief climb leads up to a well benched section of original Dooley track, before again descending to a treefern flat and a final Crossing. Ford the river here to avoid invading private property. Stay on the east bank all the way to Spellman’s Bridge.Its about 40 minutes on from here.

There are some rough sections on rocky banks which can be tricky when its wet, followed by what used to be a nice little wooded section before the Big Flood. The next stretch is over flat rocks in low water and along a rocky bank when the river is higher. Beware that these rocks can be treacherous when wet. After rounding a steep corner the difficulties are over. Cross a small creek. There are two new sections of track here above the floodline. Towards the end a big rock outcrop has to be crossed . It now has a fine walkway over it. This is a walk for low river levels but its one of the best on the river.

Track Updates . 25 May 2012

I am going off to Europe for some walking on 31 May returning in late July. Max is also off to Queensland and the Territory from 20 June until early September

I have just checked the East Ellis circuit and the Osbert to Payne Creek circuit, all is well apart from the thief returning to steal the wood heater from Osbert Shelter!! Its lying halfway up the hill.

There may not be much maintenance done while I’m away, best to stick to the East Ellis circuit for the winter and be prepared to wade the crossings

River levels. Please note that when Lake Gairdner Dam is spilling the Wilmot river may be impassable at low points on the track and crossings for days even after rain has long since passed. Recently the river was low when I started a walk and rose 650 mm in the course of the afternoon. Avoid crossing in high water, return by whence you came!

The dam collects all the highland water from the Lea and Iris rivers. Hydro have a useful website www.hydro.com.au/water/lake-levels

Lucy’s track has been upgraded in many places. There is a new sign at the Shoestring Crossing junction very kindly made for me by Bill Smith.

The Dooley track south of East Ellis junction is still closed due to access problems on private property. Use the East Bank route over Ellis Flats Road to rejoin the Dooley track at Walter’s Crossing or Osbert Crossing. See note below.

The East Bank track south of Ellis Flats road has now been repaired and upgraded. Max and I have cut a higher track, often into hard rock, which should be durable. This route should be used for through walks from Alma to Spellman’s. It leads to the crossings at the South Walter’s Flat River Reserve and Osbert Shelter. Max has found a good crossing to South Walter’s at the island- look for yellow tapes . The river is narrow here and large rocks can be jumped if you are agile. Rock hopping is possible at Osbert’s with normal summer water levels.

This track avoids the private property on the west bank at North Walter’s Flat. It does involve climbing over two low saddles, but it is an interesting route .

The first part of the track is easy walking until a rock section opposite the southern end of Walter’s Flat South. This is not difficult . The rocks extend into the water on a shelf so it is not deep at summer levels. There is a rough taped bypass track to avoid this section but it is not pleasant, very steep and loose in places.The route then crosses a small creek and goes along ferny flats before cutting over a low saddle and down to the river at Osbert crossing. The descent to Osbert Crossing has just been re-aligned to give a safer gradient with about 250 metres of new benched track.

East Ellis crossing was repaired , but was damaged again by floods in mid March.

The section from Osbert Shelter to Groove Creek has been extensively cleared and benched and is now a lovely walk.

The Dooley track from Osbert Shelter to the river reserve at South Walter’s Flat has been re-opened

The track from Groove Creek through to Spellman’s Bridge has been cleared. Thanks to Max, Chris Dennis, Keith and Bert for their generous help in this. The entire route from Alma to Spellman’s Bridge is now open, using a combination of east and west bank tracks.

SOFT EDGES

Please note that new sections of track often have soft edges. For your own safety and the wellbeing of the track, try to walk on the inside of the track, especially under wet conditions.

Braddon’s Creek Ravine. This is an exciting sidestream just south of the Rock Garden rapids. It can be accessed by fording the river at the Rock Garden and picking up a taped route to the mouth of Braddon’s Creek. Head up the creek bed, several small falls will be encountered and then a very narrow ravine section which involves scrambling and wading the odd pool.Then the creek flattens out with a long delightful stretch in mossy forest.We have gone right up the creek and emerged near the Lockington boundary(PRIVATE PROPERTY) and have also gone down the ridge from the plantation north of Lockington, keeping above the side creeks. This area is very rough and only suitable for experienced scramblers.Best in dry summer conditions ,although the falls would be quite something after heavy rain. It is a good through walk from the plantation down to the Wilmot river and back up to Spellman’s bridge. This requires a car shuttle or long road walk.

6.Track closures and facility changes Wilmot River

I have listed these together as some users have missed out on developments.

Tracks.

All tracks south of Spellman’s bridge are closed and will not be re-opened.

The Murray bypass track is closed, just proceed quietly through the gate and along Jamieson’s Road.

The track on the west bank between East Ellis junction and Walter’s Crossing is closed, as we do not have permission to cross Walter’s Flats. We are continuing to keep the bush track on public land clear as it was a lot of work to originally open it, so you can still go as far as Platypus Pool. There is a new track on the east bank from East Ellis Road to serve as a through track to Spellman’s.

Shelters.

The Osbert Overnight Shelter was destroyed two years ago by vandals and thieves who stole most of the roofing iron and upper timbers. It was repaired as a day shelter in January 2012, but alas the thief has recently returned and stolen the remaining roof. We have patched it up again using whatever materials were at hand . 29/05/2012 The latest outrage is that the thief has dragged off the wood heater we found it lying halfway up the 4wd track.

The old fishing hut about 500 metres north of Osbert Shelter has been repaired and cleaned up – the Flood deposited 3 inches of mud in it and rats had set up home .There are verandahs if the rats get bad again inside!

The East Ellis picnic area shelter was lost in the Flood of January 2011. The hut for the proposed toilet can be used as a shelter. The picnic table and benches were recovered from the flood debris and re-erected higher up.

The North Ellis shelter is damaged but still functional. Its on west bank about 1 km north of East Ellis junction.

Bridges and Crossings

The Groove Creek bridge lost its decking in the Flood but the creek can easily be crossed dry foot.

The Gold River bridge has been removed. The river can be forded at a riffle just above the bridge site

Shoestring Crossing is now a wade due to flood damage.

7. Article on track history

Notes on James Monaghan Dooley and The Wilmot Gold track for the Official Opening of the Alma Section on 20 November 2006 at Alma Reserve

The incentives to the first track up the Wilmot valley were gold fever and timber. The goldrushes in NSW and Victoria inspired Tasmanian attempts to emulate their success. The arrival of James “Philosopher” Smith at Hamilton on Forth in 1853 and James Monaghan Dooley’s appointment as District Contract Surveyor in 1856 provided just the combination required to get things moving in the district. Smith was guided by his prospecting experience in Victoria and also by the advice of the Rev. W.B.Clarke, geological adviser to the colony of NSW, who declared that the area along the 146^th parallel and especially the headwaters of the rivers flowing north towards Emu Bay could be rich in gold. (Haygarth p. 42)

Smith was also interested in the pencil pine and king billy resources of the Dove River area and made his Pine Road south of Penguin to access timber which was floated down the Forth, some was recovered at Forth heads “much battered” .The best of the pine was five feet in girth.

This was frontier country, the Wilmot River had only been discovered by Nathaniel Kentish during his expedition to find a new route to Emu Bay in 1842.It was named after the Governor Sir John Eardley Wilmot. Dooley arrived from Ireland in 1855, started work at Forth in March 1856 and by April he was reporting traces of gold on the Wilmot. He was obviously a fast mover. James Smith , J. Jones and J.Johnson found traces of gold at two places on the upper Wilmot and again on the upper Forth at the Golden Point in Apri1 1859 but the difficulties of the terrain and keeping up food supplies made an access track vital. A meeting was held at Captain Logan’s public house Leith on 13 July “at which it was resolved to cut a bridle track from Forth, by way of Clerke’s Plains,[Kindred]to the neighbourhood of Middlesex Plains. Mr Dooley volunteered his services to mark out a track, and a committee was formed to defray the expenses of cutting it.” (Ramsay p.90) The track went up the west bank of the Wilmot – there was no bridge at the Alma until 1883- and there is a report of parties setting off prospecting on 18 November 1859(Denholm p.42. LSD register of files)

The track probably went up the Wilmot valley as this was a slightly easier option than the Forth with its fearsome gorges. First of all there were the Devil’s Gates at Barrington, then forty five miles upstream the Forth Gates. Since Hellyer’s expedition of 1828, legend had it that there was a huge waterfall with a petrifying pool at Forth gates. This was only disproved by Crosby and Raymond’s epic boat journey in search of pine in 1868. How far did Dooley’s track actually go? Len Fisher, the historian of Wilmot, says it only went as far as an east-west line with Gunn’s Plains, and that the track was not used to any extent.(Fisher Wilmot Information vol iv p.89) During our endless searches for the old track in recent years Fred Groenier and I have only found benched track as far as about two kms north of Spellman’s Bridge. There are a couple of small sections about half way between Eastley’s Road and Anderson’s Road (Nietta) and an interesting trench above the river off Anderson’s Road. The fact that Smith made a new track from Penguin to access pine in 1868 also suggests that the Wilmot track may not have reached the Middlesex plains in the 1860s.

If the Dooley track did go further south it would have encountered the Wilmot Gorges which would have forced the route up to Smith’s Plains at South Nietta. The aim of all the prospectors and piners was to link up with the old Van Diemen’s land Company track , optimistically entitled the Great Western Road, which ran from Emu Bay to Deloraine via the Hampshire and Surrey Hills, Medway and over the shoulder of the Black Bluff range to the Vale of Belvoir and the Middlesex plains. The Field cattle kings had stations along the VDL track to shelter the weary traveller. From the Middlesex plains it descended the infamous Five Mile Rise to a ford over the Forth near present day Lorinna and up again over Gad’s Hill to the Mersey at Liena.

It’s worth stopping to consider what the pioneers were up against in the North West wilderness. Beyond the last settlement at Clerke’s Plains there was nothing until the VDL track and the outposts of the Field cattle stations. The VDL prefered the open plains of the high country to the dense forests of the coast for grazing stock despite the cold and wet winters. The Forth and Wilmot valleys were steep sided and rugged. The ridges between the rivers, where subsequent rich farms were established on the good basaltic soils, were covered in tall forest. The Wilmot itself was a mighty river then, now its a ghost river with all its highland water captured in Lake Gairdner and sent tumbling off to the Wilmot Power Station on the Forth via a tunnel. But occasionally when there are big floods and Lake Gairdner spills, it comes roaring back to life. In October 2005 there were two such floods -if you walk along Lucy’s Track on the east bank of the river above Alma you will come to a big rock with a safety rope, where flotsam from the floods can be seen 10 feet above summer levels. I was working on that track at the time – one would not want to have fallen in! On one wild day I cleared a section in the morning which was underwater by the time I went back home in the afternoon. Len Fisher, the Wilmot historian has told me that before the dam went in the fishermen had to get out of the gorges fast when the river was rising – they could hear it roaring down!

The lower Wilmot valley has a particularly noxious greywacke rock, brittle, and prone to landslips, and of course there was thick scrub, dogwood, correa and bauera to contend with. Dooley’s team had no power tools, only the axe and crosscut saw, pick and shovel. Hard rations and no modern rain gear. However he had two great advantages over modern track blazers – there were no problems with PUBLIC LIABILITY o r LAND OWNERS. Once he left Kindred he was truly beyond the Pale! Dooley was by all accounts a very hardy bushman. On a trip along the VDL track from Surrey Hills to the Middlesex plains with his boss Surveyor General Calder in 1862, they were caught up in darkness and only Dooley’s tenacity finding the route by improvised torches got them to the Field station hut. Interestingly Calder had wanted to go by this route because he was tired of the endless forests of the coast! People like Smith and Dooley were tough, self reliant bushmen, with no helicopters or rescue beacons to fall back upon. They would never have thought of sueing anyone if they got into strife in the bush – it was not in their book, you looked after yourself or your mates backed you up. There are harrowing tales of injuries, and long painful trips to medical care. Black humour sometimes appears, one rather heavy chap perished in the bush on the west coast and his colleagues decided to gut him to make his corpse easier to carry out! I often wonder what Philosopher Smith or Paddy Hartnett would make of wee signs warning them they could be drowned or bitten by a snake. I guess they knew that already.

Dooley was also a first rate talker, as befits a Tipperary man, irrepressible in promoting himself , land ventures and the surveying of tracks to open up the hinterland. His arrival in the colony most fortuitously coincided with the passing of the Waste Lands Act of 1858 which aimed to open up crown land to yeoman farmers. As member of parliament for East Devon between 1872 and his death in 1891, he was a relentless pork barreller for the North West coast, arousing the wrath of the Hobart Mercury which lamented his oratory and filibustering. In 1884 “Mr Dooley was in his glory in the Assembly yesterday afternoon, and succeeded by a series of silly objections, in which he was supported by nobody, in making the passage of a bill through committee, which would only have taken ten minutes , last an hour.” (Denholm p.95)Naturally, he was a hero in the Northern papers “Mr. Dooley is exceedingly painstaking and indefatigable in anything he undertakes for the welfare of his district or the benefit of his constituents…”(Denholm p.97)

As it turned out the gold prospecting on the Forth and Wilmot fizzled out in the early 1860s. Smith of course went on to discover the mountain of tin at Mt Bischoff in 1871, and there were numerous mines in the Forth, Lea and Iris valleys, which have been worked spasmodically since the 1880s. Tin , silver lead, bismuth. molybdenum and tungsten were all found in the highly mineralised rocks on the edge of the upper Wilmot and Forth highlands. Gold was worked on Bell Creek, a tributary of the Wilmot above Erriba, some 15,000 pounds sterling in gold was won at the Bell. A silver lead mine was established in the Wilmot gorge between the current Lake Gairdner and the Erriba crossing. It had a fearsome haulage down to the river.

Some farming has been carried out on the flats along the Wilmot, and timber cut in the more accessible reaches.There are numerous rough 4 wd tracks down to the river , particularly in the Sprent area, and three main crossings at Spellmans, Narrawa and Erriba .Only Spellman’s is now in use with a bridge and sealed road access. For the most part the steep and rough sections have been the haunt of local fisherman and hunters, and Dooley’s track gradually fell into disuse. The bush quickly recovers its own.

However there has been a renaissance of the Dooley Track in recent years with latter day Dooleys in the form of Mr Jerry Kreger and his family who have enlisted the Wilmot Community and an amazing coalition of helpers to restore the track for public access and the protection of the local environment. This movement has been very fortunate to secure the backing of Forestry Tasmania- most of the valley is state forest or crown land- and some public minded landowners. With so many different workers we don’t always entirely agree on what should be done, but we are united in wanting to give the public access to the Valley and above all to look after it. You will find no litter on our tracks, although there are occasional broken bottles left by fishermen and mindless hoons dump old cars on the Sprent side.

The Mercury once described “the persistent water dropping of Mr. Dooley which is enough to wear out even the most hardened minister” . Likewise Jerry Kreger has tirelessly pestered bureaucrats to forward his vision of a Wilmot Trails network from the Alma to Middlesex Plains, and he has found hardy bushmen like the Johns Brothers and Doug Mason to cut huge logs and bench the track. The Army have taken materials down the roughest of roads. The Greencorps and Green Reserve have toiled on maintenance and carried in scores of old tyres which do wonders in stabilising steep and landslipped sections.Mersey Skill Training have facilitated working groups. Funds have been raised for fine bridges , signposts, shelters and toilets are springing up to improve facilities for the wider community and tourists . Concrete stepping stones are a boon for bushwalkers who previously had to struggle on slippery boulders . All this achieved with great ingenuity, economy and skills worthy of the old bushmen.

Currently there is only a circuit track between Gentle Annie road and East Ellis Crossing officially open to the public, here you can enjoy pristine forest, quiet fern glades and beautiful swimming pools. The circuit takes 3 -4 hours.Because it’s State forest you can take your dog on this section, but you should keep it on the lead to protect the wild creatures who live here.

The route through to Spellmans Bridge is marked,cleared ,and being brought up to standard. Its completion will depend on access agreements with landowners. Beyond that there is a marked route south to Andersons Road in South Nietta, after which the splendid Wilmot Gorges remain trackless, open only to those who swim the pools and rockhop. The track will bypass them to Smiths Plains, and thence on to the Lea valley, and Tiger Plains of Black Bluff

. I am currently working on a fine circuit in the Anderson’s Road area which experienced bushwalkers will enjoy, with steep crags, delighful pools and some fine rainforest

But then there are the wild canyons running down from the Tiger Plain, there’s Duff falls, there’s the Winterbrook – there’s always a river somewhere!

Bibliography

Binks, C.J. Explorers of Western Tasmania Launceston; Mary Playsted, 1980

Denholm, Bernard The irrepressible Mr. Dooley published by the author; Hobart, 1980

Fenton, James Bushlife in Tasmania Richmond Press, Devonport 1964

Fisher, Len Wilmot :Those were the days L. Fisher; Port Sorell, Tas. 1990

Fisher, Len Wilmot information Books 1-4 (unpublished mss. held in Devonport Library)

Haygarth, Nic Baron Bischoff: Philospher Smith and the birth of Tasmanian mining Perth, Tas.2004

Haygarth, Nic. A view to Cradle : a history of Tasmania’s Forth River high country

Canberra, A.C.T 1998

Mersey Skill Training. The Dooley’s Heritage Trail system (incorporating the Wilmot, Forth …) [2002?]

Ramsay, Charles With the pioneers 2^nd revised ed. National Trust of Australia(Tasmania) 1980

Wilmot River and Heritage Trail (unpublished brochure held in Devonport Library)

8. Minnow Falls Walks

Lower Minnow Falls

Middle MInnow Falls from the Lookout above the Cave

Minnow Falls walks. Map Gog 1:25000.These are splendid routes on the Paradise escarpment of Mount Roland which were initially found by Fred Groenier. I have improved the routes over the years. The falls are at their best after heavy rain, but the rocks are more slippery then!There are four main falls and a good strenous but easy return walk can be made to the lower fall. To climb up to the middle and top falls involves steep rough walking with rope ladders in three places to assist on short slabs.It is best to do a traverse over to O’ Neill’s Road using the old tourist track from the top Minnow fall, and a car shuttle.
The walk starts on Belstone road in the Paradise Plantation. To get here take Claude Road out of Sheffield, then turn left along Union Bridge road to Paradise. Just after the last farm in Paradise, marked by a religious sign, turn right along Dolly Bush link, then down Short Spur link to join Belstone road( you can also go directly to Belstone road by fording the river near the old picnic ground if its low)About 1 km along Belstone Road park at the junction with Belstone Spur 5 as the bridge ahead over Minnow Creek has gone. Walk along Belstone Road for a further 700 metres until you reach a turning place with cairns and a small wooden sign Minnow Falls Track (Grid ref GOG 445078)Follow the tapes through the plantation. At a junction go straight ahead uphill on an old 4wd track. Keep on this until you come to an old quarry.The Middle and Top Falls can be seen from this road,especially when in flood. The bush track goes up from the quarry in open forest, quite steep in parts. When you reach the bottom of the cliffs turn sharp left and follow a pleasant route through mature teatree meandering along below the cliffs. You will reach a gully with a small creek, often dry, descend slightly then traverse along again. There is a new option to avoid climbing to the base of the cliffs and descending again- about 100 metres into the teatree forest look for yellow tapes. These will take you on a rough but open route to the first gully where the track traverses. The route is well marked. As you approach the Minnow River the route descends again and is rougher as you approach the bottom fall.The falls make a good lunch spot with a deep pool at their base.In early summer there is a glorious blandfordia garden near the pool.For the short walk return by same route.
The route to the Middle Falls and the top of the escarpment starts just before the first fall . It is steep and rough and has three little rock slabs to scale assisted by rope ladders. This can be difficult in wet conditions, if you have any doubts about your ability to get up the slabs, stick to the return walk to the Lower Falls.

Head steeply up a little creek , before escaping on to easier ground. You will often be in the creek bed on this route! Then there is a steep little slab below a tree which has a rope ladder to assist. After this you enter a cave and emerge through a hole on to a ridge. This is great fun, Fred did well to find it.To view the Middle Fall turn left down the ridge , with care as there are steep drops on either side, to a wide platform lookout, a superb spot, with the fall behind you and a vista over the Minnow Valley and Tiers. Go back up the ridge past the cave using a safety rope and continue steeply up towards the escarpment. Two more rope ladders await before you enter the sublime Paradise Gully, a cool rain forest retreat. Leave the gully near the top – steeply to the left- and enter open teatree which can be followed to the Minnow river above the top falls. There are actually two falls at the top, only one can be viewed from above, the second can be seen from the access roads below when the river is high.There is another good lookout here, turn left just as you approach the river to access it.
After crossing the Minnow ,pick up the tourist track which connects to the Mt Roland track. This can be choked with bauera in places near the falls. At the junction turn left and then downhill at the saddle for Claude Road.

Update 15/11/2011. I have cleared the track of limbs, debris and ferns through to the Lower Falls.

Update 22/11/2011. Max Richardson has cleared the big logs in the lower forest which have been there for as long as I can remember. We owe Max a great deal for his fine chainsaw work. I only helped to carry the gear and tidy up! There is now a clear route up to the cliffline

Update 1 /12/2011. I have put rope ladders on the first two slabs. This should make it easier in the wet. There is also a new safety line above the cave.

Update 13/12/2011 .Max and I have checked the rope ladders and put another one up at the third slab. We removed a tree at the first ladder and it is now very easy. We also cleared the route up to the Minnow river crossing and put up new marking tape. The section from here to the junction with the Mt Roland track has not been cleared – perhaps other users would like to help with this?

We have taped a short cut through the teatree forest to the first gully which avoids much of the climbing up to the cliffline, look for yellow tapes about 100 metres up in the teatree zone when you leave the tall forest. This should please those who felt the route undulated somewhat.

9. Wilmot and Minnow Gallery