North East Rail Trail Sat. 8th September 2018
The Rotary Club of Scottsdale has developed the
section of the former railway line between Scottsdale and Billycock Hill
near Legerwood as a 27 km walking/cycling track. Our next Boots 'n' All
walk on Saturday 8th September will be along part of this trail. Being a
former railway it is either flat or gradually inclined with a smooth and
even surface and so is easy and pleasant walking.
We have two route options for this walk: The easier option is to begin
at Scottsdale Station and walk until we emerge again at the Tasman
Highway near Ling Siding, a distance of about 6 km. This will be an easy
gentle (mostly) downhill walk firstly through open farming countryside
with sweeping views, then later through some sections of forest.
A longer, and perhaps preferred, option is to walk from the other end,
Tullendeena Siding at Billycock Hill, down to Tonganah Station, a
distance of about 18 km. This is through beautiful forest, with views
over the countryside here and there, and is actually quite remote for
most of the way. It is very relaxing and enjoyable with a few
interpretive signs along the way to explain some of the vegetation and
other features. Though quite long it should be noted that this could be
the easiest 18 km walk possible because of the surface as explained
above. In addition, there are two possible exit points along the way.
One is at Kamona Station, after about 6 km, and another at Trewalla
Siding after a further 6 km. Though these stations are still remote, it
is possible to reach them by road with a light 4WD and so it will be
possible for any who are finding the going a bit much to bail out at
either of those points. We would be stopping at both places for a break
in any case. Which option we take will depend on the size of the group,
ages and fitness levels of the participants, and the weather on the day.
In either case a car shuttle will be required so some advance planning
regarding numbers coming will be necessary. This walk would be suitable
for energetic older children, and also for strollers and pushers. Bring
some drinking water - suggest 1 to 1.5 litre per person, although there
should be water available at Kamona Station. You should, of course,
carry wet weather gear as well as warm clothing including gloves and
beanies in case of sudden weather changes.
Meeting Times and Places:
If you are interested in going on this walk, please phone the walk
leader, Phil Andrew, on 0408 014 757 or 6300
1067 to book in by Thursday 6th September at the latest.
Because of the need to plan for a car shuttle, it may not be possible
to accommodate last minute requests to join the walk. The departure time
is 8:30 am from Door of Hope car park in South Launceston. It may be
possible for some to meet us at Scottsdale at 9.30 am, if they prefer,
or somewhere else along the way. Regardless of where you propose to meet
the group, please contact the leader well beforehand. The walk
leader should be notified of any other people you intend to bring along.
Please be at any meeting place 5 minutes ahead of departure time.
To access this area from northern Tasmania: proceed from
Launceston via Northern Outlet, turning off at University Connector to
head for Lilydale Rd. Follow through Lilydale and continue through
Lebrina, Golconda, Nabowla and Lietinna to Scottsdale (70 km from
Launceston via this route). The other popular route to Scottsdale is by
following Tasman Highway though Waverley, Nunamara and the Sideling,
which can be uncomfortable for those prone to motion sickness! See notes
above for the start points. Highway distances are very much the same as
the rail distances - 18 km from Scottsdale to The Billycock, and 6 km to
Lings Siding.
Warnings:
No particular warnings, but see remarks above about clothing and
carrying water. It is advisable to make sure your footwear is well worn
in, because of the longer distance involved.
Bushwalking can be dangerous in poor weather if not adequately equipped; see
http://bootsnall.sutas.org.au/Pages/Equipment_Safety.htm for some guidelines.
Map details for the walk area:
1:100000 map is Forester (Tasmap 8415)
and 1:25000 maps are Scottsdale (Tasmap 5444) and Springfield k (Tasmap
5443)
Map references:
Short ref. n/a
Other:
Zone Easting
Northing Latitude Longitude
n/a
No peakbagger points will be visited on this walk. For listing of peakbagger points, see the Hobart Walking Club
Peakbagger's Guide (2000 revision) which can be downloaded (Excel) from
http://tastracks.webs.com/peakbaggers.htm The same web page
contains several other listings of Tasmanian peaks.
GPX version of the track:
Click here
to download. Google Earth version of the track:
Click here
to download.
Right-click on the file and save target as to a location of your choice.
(Suggest you click the Last modified at top to sort by date to get the
most recent at top to find the file for the next walk).