Improving the Walking Experience
Devils Throne Reroute
There had been enough days of milder weather to melt the snow from earlier in the week and it was decent enough day, with some sun. This was the fourth day at creating a new track to avoid the wet plain on the way to Devils Throne in Wellington Park. All the final 210 metres, left to be cleared at this event, was over solid rocky ground and included large flat rock making for easy passage for walkers.
We were able to complete the task and also move a considerable number of nearby rocks into gaps. The rocks make it both easier for walking and help define the route.
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| Greg and Adrian at the junction, the new track leads off behind them |
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| Bruce and Nick lunching, Greg in foreground. |
Over the four days we have created a new route of 815 metres; which is quite a feat. The old wet and degraded crossing was 520 metres, but as the new route is more direct, some 175 metres of track became redundant. When this added in, the old track totalled roughly 700 metres making it not that dissimilar in distance to the new way; but of course, it is now ever so much more pleasant for walking.
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| New track through a thick section of vegetation |
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| Route before work |
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| Same site as above after clearing |
Over the last 5 years the Friends of Wellington Park, as we are now know, has created over 2 kilometres of completely new tracks in the park, replacing braided and degraded tracks. This figure does not include existing tracks that have been cleared of overgrowing vegetation.
There are more photos from the day at this web site
A history of the Devils Throne work is at this link
A history of the Devils Throne work is at this link
Addendum
A group from the Hobart Walking Club came along the new track and many mentioned how appreciated they were of the new track and thought it was a good improvement.