Collingwood River to Lake St. Clair

The Ride

Not a huge distance covered today, 27.5 miles, but the huge Mt. Arrowsmith stood in my way. 440m of tree-lined tarmac to grind my way up. This was the biggest mountain I climbed with the full load on the bike.


See Full Ride Details

03:17:08

27.65

8.4

29.5

 
The Characters

Having a rest halfway up the mountain, A trucker stopped to chat. It was my first proper conversation with a trucker. You might understand truckers don't usually like cyclists much as there isn't much love lost on the road between these two groups. Truckers don't like to slow down or stop, and they believe cyclists should get out of the way.  As a cyclist I know these guys don't bluff and when you get the honk, you get off the road.

This guy was very cheerful and interested in my journey. His job was to deliver drilling parts from one part of Tasmania to Queenstown. He helpfully told me I was nearly at the top of the mountain, even though there was 200m still to climb!

The Camp Site - Lake St. Clair National Park (Fergy's Paddock)

There are two options here for camping. Pay for it, and get a site near the visitor centre and camp kitchen, or use the free site further away but right on the lake called Fergy's Paddock. 

I opted for the free site. Lake St. Clair doesn't have the Alpine huts like Cradle Mountain and facilities are much less developed. There are no grocery provisions and the restaurant has shocking prices ($10 for a sandwich).

Horse Fly Mania

The free camp site seemed OK at first, but then the horse flies rained in. These buggers give you a nasty bite if you let them settle, and they will buzz around all day, increasing in numbers until you run away. Even if you get safely into the tent without any tenants, they will continue to buzz and smash into the sides of the tent trying to get you. 

Cooking outside is absolutely impossible due to these flies. It was necessary to carry all the food and implements to the BBQ area and cook there, where you are less pestered.



The Park
  
There are many walks but you have to go a long way, and climb a significant amount before you can see views of the lake below. I had a good walk for a couple of hours but never saw out of the trees once.

Lake St. Clair

The lake is beautiful, and you can swim in it. I did, as the weather was now hot again. 

There was a "Jaws" style moment as Tasmanian Tiger Snakes were spotted swimming on the surface of the lake. Everyone dashed out of the water as these snakes are venomous. (However nobody has died from a snake bite in Tasmania for several decades.) It was good while it lasted.