Lady Lake Central Plateau, Tasmania, Australia
By CarrollEyre on 10-Apr-10. Waypoint GA1941

Fancy a walk to picture perfect hut on the northern edge of the Central Plateau?

The current Lady Lake Hut built early this century replaces the original hut built early last century but sadly lost in a bushfire in the 1960’s. The Mountain Huts Preservation Society should be congratulated for rebuilding this hut and encouraging more  people to visit this beautiful part of the World Heritage Area. Access to the hut is via the Higgs track originally cut in the 1870s as a droving route between the plateau and the river plains.

The current Higgs track starts from a small car park at the end of a signposted spur off the Westrope Road.  Westrope Junction is S 41 40.011 E 146 28.474 The Higgs Track carpark spur is not far along the DaleBrook Track is approx S 41 40.017 E 146 28.375. Westrope Road terminates onto C168 and the CEyrettes strongly recommend going through Chudleigh to join the B12 because of the Honey Factory icecreams……

The Higgs track crosses a couple of small bridges before commencing the climb to the plateau, a relentless 2 km climb that steepens as you get tireder….. You will be very close to the cache My Fair Lady when the plateau edge is reached and the hut can be seen across the creek flats.

The hut is small and unheated except for a methylated spirits stove. There is no power so the three candle holders are welcome to create the cabin atmosphere that the CEyrettes love. There appears to be no method of booking the hut so be prepared to either share the hut or bring your own tents to sleep in. Make sure that the hut door is firmly closed when leaving so wildlife does not enter.

The toilet is some distance to the East of the hut and is not signposted. Try S 41 40.607 E 146 26.829. The view from the toilet door is truly inspirational…….bring your own toilet paper.

This large cache, Lady Lake, is at the edge of the  sub alpine Central Plateau area surrounded by considerable drops. Be prepared for severe inclement weather at all times of the year and take extreme care if icy conditions are encountered. Take enough provisions to cater for an unexpected overnight stay as the weather can deteriorate with startling suddenness. Have an evacuation plan in case of injury, illness or snake/spider bite. An EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) is recommended and always tell a responsible person where you are going and your expected time of return.  Phone reception is fair at the cache site.

To log this cache you will need to enter the very large cache container (which is about the size of a hut that sleeps 7) and log your visit in the logbook  using your CACHER NAME, photograph your entry and add the photo to the gallery of this cache. Since the caches container is in such a pretty place you may want to add a few more images of the local scenery, the lake, sunset or rise, vegetation, wildlife, or the members of your party.

Enjoy your trip to Lady Lake Hut.

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