Impressed by its name and the great reviews on WikiCamps, we booked an unpowered site at the caravan park in Golden Valley. The place had a lovely vibe, lovely caretakers, and was well taken care of. What we didn’t realise, though, was that it lies at the edge of the Tasmanian central highlands making it much colder than locations north of it. Quamby Bluff towers over the valley and marks the border between the lush fertile north of Tasmania and its austere, harsh interior.
Serpentine after serpentine going south on the Highlands Road, only a short trip by car brought us to the high plateau: an alpine region with ancient plants, lakes, and a climate similar to Iceland or Southern Chile. Icy wind gusts, low vegetation, and then suddenly the Great Lake. Stunning views reminiscent of Norwegian shorelines. Fishing shacks made of corrugated iron. Also the general vibe was harsh: if you can’t handle it stay away.
The landscape is so wild and grand that I gave up on taking any photos. Have a look here for images of the region.
The next day, we went hiking. It was like an obstacle course. Liffey Falls, a popular waterfall, was closed due to damage from the floods in October. Projection Bluff started out okay, but soon led us to a lagoon that flooded the path. After trying to find a way around it through the thick scrub, we gave up and turned around.
The Quamby Bluff summit track, however, was welcoming – at first. A lovely path past a tiny Tibetan Buddhist monastery with views across the ridges led us to a forest thick with meter-high ferns. Soon we came to a tree that had crashed across the path. We scrambled over it. Then the next tree. We scrambled around it. Then a whole set of trees across the path… we turned around and enjoyed the lovely beginning of the path a second time in the opposite direction.
Our last night at Quamby Corner/Golden Valley was cold, so cold. We woke up to 0 degrees Celsius. You can see us here recovering with chai and hazelnut brownies at a coffee shop in Deloraine 😋
Liz Mike Travels 