It was lovely to have the kid's Great Grandpa came over from the mainland to visit for a week, so we were itching to take him out into the wilderness and explore some of Tasmania's National Parks. Hartz Mountains National Park was our destination. A part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, it is located in Tasmania's south-west and dotted with small glacial lakes. We chose a walk to one of these lakes - Lake Osborne.
The 45 minute uphill walk was expected to be slightly demanding for the kids, but they were keen to come along and explore their surrounds. It was a delight to see R looking for fungi and studying the vegetation. B strolled along beside Grandpa, following his lead as he paused to smell a flower or feel the texture of leaves or bark. L was delighted to ride in the 3 wheeler pram as D navigated it around tree roots and bumped it over rocks. The kids were also glad to have their Nan along for the walk, so dashed back and forth between us all. Along the way, we stopped to read plaques that taught us about the young rainforest of myrtles, sassafras and pandani and 'Devils Marbles' - large boulders dumped onto the plateau by glaciers.
When we arrived at the lake, we were amazed at how crystal clear the water was. We could see clearly to the rock lined bottom and almost immediately sampled the cool fresh water. While we ate our picnic lunch, we perched ourselves on large rocks among the King Billy pines and took in the amazing beauty of our country.
Feeling refreshed we headed back down the track. Not long into the return walk, B complained of sore legs, so L snuggled into the sling while B enjoyed the pram ride. R was happy to walk back and amazed us with his boundless energy! A great day was had by all. So much so, that we have made a commitment to making our treks into the wilderness a regular occurence. Watch this space for more of our Tasmanian adventures!
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