by
Keith Lancaster 

Leaving Launceston at 2.10 p.m. on the Saturday under cloudy conditions the party journeyed via the Tasman Highway, thence via Legerwood, the West Maurice, Maurice and Trenah roads to Trenah where enquiries were made concerning the tracks leading towards Mt. Maurice (68m.). Some little time was lost in awaiting the return home of Mr. H. Gill but the track information secured amply compensated.

Then we resumed past the mill on the lower road. A faint turn-off exists through gate posts one fifth of a mile along on the right but is disregarded. The road continues onward in fair condition without branching until a fork is reached (70m.). Here the left hand fork (lesser used than the right) is taken and the road gradually roughens. An old stable appears on the left after about ½m. and the road winds and climbs slightly to reach its end at an old timber mill site (1400’ – 71m. - 5.45 p.m.).

With little more than an hour of daylight remaining, camp tasks were allotted speedily and a concerted effort made to assemble tents, mattress them and prepare tea. All was accomplished in a reasonable fashion by dark and the evening passed in bright moonlight and song, the latter until 11 p.m.. The natter, chatter and pitter-patter emanating from the female tents continued on more or less ad infinitum.

Next morning dawned bright and fine but three unpredictable females declined to face the starter at 7.45 a.m. (perhaps an aftermath of the night's incessant prattlings). Our route wound up a very steep "shoe track" which started behind the mill and provided the steepest climb of the whole course. It commenced by swinging away to the left but soon curved back to the right. Ignoring the few subsidiary branches, we arrived at the end of the "shoe track" after a mile's walking. Here we encountered a brief delay owing to the numerous logging tracks radiating in all directions for a few yards. Soon we found the track leading further up-hill and this foot track proved quite easy to follow owing to recent work performed by the Forestry Commission. Both on the outward and homeward journeys considerable blazing was done by our party in making the clarity of the track beyond doubt at all points. The foot track we were using was the old Maurice-Camden Road and undulated but slightly, maintaining an altitude ranging between 2500’ and 3000'. After nearly two miles along this, we secured our first glimpse of Mt. Maurice, a small clear eminence a little ahead to the westward.

Approaching the peak, the majority of the party forsook the track and took a direct course for the summit through the light myrtles ahead. The final three of us continued along the track, still blazing, across the small marshy openings which continue around to the south of Mt. Maurice. About 3½ miles out, we left the track and pushed up a clear lead towards the top of Mt. Maurice, encountering only one small scrub collar before bursting through on to the clear summit. Soon we were all united at the trig. station which marks the highest point of Mt. Maurice (3450' – 4m. - 10.10 a.m.).

The view from the top was fairly extensive for such a low peak and covered most of the North-East and away to Bass Strait. Main items of interest checked by magnetic compass from the top were: Mt. Arthur, 236 deg.; Mt. Barrow, 229; Ben Lomond, 176-149; Ben Nevis, 156; Mt. Saddleback, 116; Mt. Albert, 92; and Mt. Victoria, 89. The cleared plains of Camden looked invitingly close and the numerous patches of wattle in the nearby forest gave an unusual golden touch to the preponderating dull greens.

At 11.35 a.m. we decided to return homewards, the majority of the party swinging south towards the track through the scrub free leads. Some time was spent in effectively blazing this route down to the track - easily the best ascent route. The retracement of the track homeward then proceeded and all were back at the bus in the early afternoon (1400’ - 8m. - 1.45 p.m.). Our third meal of the day then followed to an accompaniment of heavy thunder and the later diners were sent scurrying for shelter as the rain and hail commenced pelting down.

Leaving in the bus at approx. 3 p.m., we journeyed back over our outward route through alternate spells of fine and wet weather - the hail over the latter section of the route laying thick and white over the countryside. We arrived home at Launceston at 6.50 p.m..

PERSONNEL OF PARTY:
Betty Hutton, Fay Hutton, Betty Pinkard, Lois Cleaver, Pat Wilson, Yvonne Blake, Jo Gardner, Helen Jones, Judith Doig, Melva Stocks, Ken Church, Bruce Ellis, Ian Cox, John Traynor, Geoff Lutwyche, Tony Holland, Gordon Whitaker, Eric Chaplin, Mark Smith, Jim Turner, Norman Hoyle, David Pinkard, and Keith Lancaster (leader).