MT. PROJECTION EASIEST TO DATE

by
Keith Lancaster
Mountaineering in Tasmania 1931-71 Volume I, pp 46-47

Home to Index  





Note: This report has been scanned in as written. I have included the height, distance and time indications where used, e.g.:
(1000'- 12m.- 4.45p.m.)
which read as follows: height in feet - miles for the day - time.

[46] We were astir early on the morning of Sunday, Oct. 16th. 1938 in preparation for a mountain climb. The sky was semi-overcast with high clouds of 7000' to 8000' elevation. The clouds appeared heavier in the south and south-west, so we chose St. Paul's Dome as our goal for the day, setting out per car at 6.10 a.m..

As we approached Perth, we were delighted to find that the clouds did not extend far to the south and west and that all of the Western Tiers were completely free from clouds. On the oth¬er hand, clouds were in evidence to the east, so we changed our plans and headed for Mt. Projection via Pateena Road, Carrick, Exton and the Great Lake Road. As the car climbed around the eastern side of Quamby Bluff, the road became very windy and the roadside flora very beautiful, whilst we gained altitude at every turn.

At 8.45 a.m., we halted the car under the small but steep walls of Mt. Projection - the aneroid recording 3300’ and the mileage meter, 46.6 miles. Ten minutes later, we set out to climb to the plateau. This task was accomplished after a quar¬ter of an hour's effort, 3860' appearing on the aneroid.

The highest point of the plateau lay about half a mile to the southward and, ere much time had elapsed, we had gained the top of Mt. Projection, recording its altitude as 4050'. The view from this peak is not very extensive but quite interesting although, on this occasion, the presence of the high clouds in the vicinity and the absence of sunshine did much to impede clarity of vision.

Due north, the top of Quamby Bluff protrudes just above the plateau level. In the far north-east, Mt. Arthur can be seen, while Mt. Barrow lies N.E. by E. and Ben Nevis in the E.N.E.. East by North and close at hand, Dry's Bluff presents a striking picture with its sheer rocky cliffs. Cathcart's Bluff and the Lofty Range are in evidence in the S.E., while the Great Lake occupies the area from S.E. to S.. In the W.S.W. lies Culmer Bluff and some snow-clad lofty peaks of the interior. Slightly north of west, Bastion Bluff is situated with Western Bluff (Extreme Tier) lying little more to the northward. Mother Cummings Peak rears its pointed head in the W.N.W. with Black Bluff rising high above it in the distance. In the north-west, Gog Mt. and Mt. Roland are visible above the edge of the plateau.

Before setting out for home, we erected a small cairn on the summit and it was 10.45 a.m. before we were again afoot. We made the descent at the southern end of the peak, reducing the climb almost to zero and gained the road about a mile to the south of the car.

At 11.15 a.m., we had the car in motion again and, after journeying about four miles, stopped at the beginning of the Lif¬fey Falls track. At 11.35 a.m., we set out on the 2¼ miles of [47] track which passes through some of the prettiest bush scenery in the state. Myrtles, wattles, musk, sassafras and dicksonias were all there in abundance - many of the smaller shrubs were just bursting into bloom - countless varieties of ferns fungi and moss¬es were crammed into every shady nook, the who1e combination pro¬viding a sight well worth inspecting even if the pretty falls did not exist.

Twenty minutes after midday, we arrived at the falls, split up over a series of falls, all close together. The last of the series provided the deepest drop and, although rain had not fallen for a couple of weeks, there was enough volume in the Liffey to provide an interesting effect. At the top of the centre fall, the water passes through what resembles a large chute through which the water develops such great velocity that it leaps a few feet forward of the rocky lip of the falls before it plunges into the deep pool below.

At 1.15 p.m., I set out on the return walk, regaining the car an hour later. Then we made our leisurely way homeward, arriving back in Launceston at 4 p.m..

Home to Index  
If you would like more information on Keith Lancaster's diaries, please feel free to send me an email.