DEEP GLEN BLUFF ST975 Murdunna, Tasmania, Australia
By AlbyDangles on 11-Mar-18. Waypoint TP7778

Today Mr T decided to tackle this trig point after finding the cache at Cape Surville. Mr “T” planned out a route to the TP following the contours with waypoints, as he walked out to the cape he saw a track towards Macgregor Peak, which he followed, but soon the track headed west, wrong direction. He then reverted to his planned track. This was a challenge due to thick scrub and fallen trees, but continuing on he found elevation was his friend and headed up the hill. As he headed towards the TP he passed many small sandstone cliffs with windblown holes and small caves. This was very hard to navigate due to moss covered rocks and fallen trees, a slip/fall happened along the way. He made the mistake of following the contours and this took him 1 and a half hours to reach the TP. Once there the necessary pictures were snapped and the panoramic views enjoyed. On the way back he headed up the hill and followed the ridge and down the hill to the track and marked way point, this took 1 hour. Once back on the Cape Surville track he made his way back to the car, left the car at 12:15 and returned back about 5:00. An enjoyable walk, but a very hard slog there and back, a tough trek. Thanks AlbyDangles for the challange and excellent views.  

Rated: for Overall Experience

Have been wanting to get this cache since it was published. Set of after lunch with the intention of checking for trees on the track but decided to give it a go. Left the car at 1:30 which meant I needed to get to the cache by 3:00 so as to give myself enough time to get back to the ute. Over shot the cache by a bit which wasn’t to much of a problem. But the decent down the wet moss covered rocks was diabolical and the ascent even worse. Had cramp in both legs and still 1.5 hours of walking to get back to the ute. Arrived back at my ute about 4:30 a bit sore and battered. One of the hardest walks I’ve ever been on. Now just need to come back and go down into Deep Glen bay.

Day one was to be just a reconnaissance of the area been a preliminary research / survey, checking out the roads and access before making a real attempt on another day.
I drove down to Macgregor Road and started to drive up a forestry road that I hoped would take me to Schofields Road but it wasn’t too long before I came across a tree across the track. I got out and had a look and saw that others had driven around it but as I was by myself I decided to forget about it and got back in the car and was about to head off when the voice in the back of my head said “go for a walk”.
I started walking taking with me a very basic pack in case of an emergency. As I made the steady climb up the hill I thought I should go back and get the car and drive around the tree, but I kept on going. I then came across another tree across the track this one was much bigger and there was no way of getting around it. I continued on and found Schofield Road after half an hour of walking from the car. I continued on for another thirty five minutes to the end of the track where I found a lovely old hut then returned back to the car. On my back home I found where Schofield Road joined the Arthur HWY and went and for a drive, it wasn’t long before I came to a locked gate.

I went into forestry and was told that I didn’t need a key to that gate as none of the other roads in the area had gates on them.

Day two I tuned left just before the shop at Murdunna onto Hylands Road and took the first road to the right then turned left onto Schofield Road it wasn’t long before I found a timber bridge that was in no condition to be driven on. I looked at the GPS and decided to start walking / riding from here. I had to push the bike up the hill as it was too steep for me to ride. Once at the top of the hill I found another road that came in from the right, I wondered if I could have driven up that way. I rode the bike to end of the 4WD track (where I got to last week) and left the bike there before started walking down the hill. It was while I was walking down a narrow part of the track with a dense canopy that I was startled by a Black Cockatoo flying towards me as neither of us had much room to move it flew past my left shoulder before landing on a tree nearby. Where the track levelled out a bit I spotted where the track to Deep Glen Bay left, it was here where I left the main track and followed a very old logging track. This I believe would still be Schofield road. After half an hours walking I eventually found the quarry that is mentioned in the survey notes on the SURCOM site. I continued along the track until it disappeared from there I followed the ridge line to the trig this took another hours walking. The walk through the bush was easy going as there was little to no under growth just fallen branches to break off or climb over and small trees to navigate through. It was while I was doing this that I spotted a large snake about two meters in front of me, I was happy that it headed off away from me as I knew I couldn’t walk as fast as it slivered in this bush.
The views from the bluff were fantastic looking south to Cape Hauy and Pirates Bay / Eaglehawk Neck. I found a hole in a rock that could have had the brass plaque or a timber post in it.
The walk / ride back to the car was a bit quicker than the one in and with no surprises from the wild life.

Once back at the car I found another road that I drove up to the junction that I saw one the way in, so I could have driven all the way along the 4WD track to the start of the walking track, maybe one or two smaller trees to cut on the way.

Found at 1347 on 11th of March 2018

Rated: for Overall Experience

Published