TASMANIA : DAY 3 : OVERLAND TRACK : Pine Forest Moor Hut to Pelion Plains Hut (10 km, 5 hours)

DAY 3 : cool with light rain

 We began our day at 9 and began to descend around the base of Mt Pelion West down to the Forth River and Frog Flats, which is the lowest part of the track. We had excellent views of Mt Oakleigh (1286m).

 

Small robin resting
 

 

Towering gums - 100s of years old

 

Frog Flats - the lowest point of the Overland Track

 

 

Views of Mt Oakleigh with its dolerite columns

 

 

Perilous muddy sections

 

Beauty - even in the mire

 

Rob providing snacks and fascinating tidbits of information

 

Highlights today were of visiting an abandoned copper mine. Miners had dug out 30 metres of solid rock by hand before they decided that it was not a worthwhile venture, given the yield and the inaccessibility of the area.

 

Failed copper mine near Old Pelion Hut (1895)

 

 Nearby at the National Park Pelion Hut there was a stony beach with a myriad of fossils. Such pristine countryside and every aspect beautifully maintained by the National Parks.

 

 Abundance of fossils in Douglas Creek near the Pelion National Park hut

  

Relaxing after another adventurous day

 

Taking in the evening air on the wooden helipad outside of Pelion Plains Hut

 

M&M