Made Possible by Wildcare
Lake Nicholls Track
Saturday 21 April 2018
This was a mixed day of work between installing signs and trimming vegetation
on the Lake Nicholls Track. The FOMF
have produced signs on the history of Beatties Tarn, Lake Nicholls and Lake
Rayner with a grant from Wildcare. We
also have signs for some other locations but on this day, it was just the three
mentioned that were installed.
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| Beatties Tarn |
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| Howard and Greg installing sign at Beatties Tarn |
Whilst at Lake Rayner a quick check on an alternate access track to the lake
was made. At the moment the last bit
particularly is steep and shows erosion finishing at a wet spot that is not ideal.
A slight divergence is quite feasible and would end the track on harder ground
just above the lake. It also has rocks for people to sit on for a rest or to
view the lake.
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| Greg and Howard installing sign at Lake Rayner |
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| Sign at Lake Rayner |
Whist adding the new sign to the Lake Nicholls hut, a surprise find was
a cache of tools, nails and glues. All
were in very poor condition with plenty of rust. Why they had been brought here remains a mystery, but it must have been
since the FOMF replaced the floor timber near the hut entrance in 2004. There
was no indication that they had been used for anything.
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| Lake Nicholls |
Whilst the signs were being added others were busy trimming the track from
where work finished in January below lake Rayner and halfway back to Beatties
Tarn junction. The remainder will be done on a future occasion.
As we were heading back to the car there was a yell coming from the bush. Greg went back and continued up the track
towards Lake Rayner in response to the repeated yelling. Eventually he worked out where the voice was
coming from and called out for the person to walk in his direction. A lost walker
emerged from the bush. He wandered from
the track on the rock scree area and kept going in the wrong direction and was
certainly very relieved that Greg had come to his rescue.
This the second time that we have been there when people have got lost
and called for help. There are reports
of other such incidents, which is why we put extra marker poles in January this
year. No doubt there have been several unknown
and unreported occasions when people have wandered off the track whilst
crossing the boulders; it seems that even more poles are needed. It may be an option to include a band of
colour on the posts to make them more visible.
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