We headed further into the rugged beauty of Southwest, Tasmania, aiming for the heights of Hartz Mountain. There is a bit of a debate about where the name comes from—some say it’s after a German geologist, while others think it’s from the Dutch word for resin, which makes sense given all the timber history around here.
Our first stop was the Waratah Lookout. It was a short walk in, and while the view of the ranges was completely swallowed by a thick blanket of cloud, the forest itself was a treasure. The moss growth on the trees was so thick and vibrant it felt like walking through a fairy tale. Lisa was fascinated by the different textures of the greenery, even if Steve was a bit disappointed he couldn't see the peak through the mist.
We continued on to Arve Falls, and this is where the day took a real turn for the better. While we’ve seen bigger falls, the sheer volume of water thundering over the rocks from the recent rain was impressive. But the real highlight was our very first sighting of snow! We certainly hadn't expected to see the white stuff today. We were both very glad we’d tucked those extra warm clothes into our packs before leaving.
The grandkids would have had a ball with what we found next as we headed toward Lake Esperance. By the time we reached the track, the snow was everywhere, sitting in thick patches across the alpine scrub and right on top of the wire-mesh boardwalks. It’s a steady uphill climb to get there, and a bit of a scramble over some water-covered rocks in the middle, but we found our rhythm and the track was surprisingly grippy.
When we finally reached Lake Esperance, the view was just breathtaking. There is a small wooden jetty and a bench right at the water's edge where we sat down for a well-earned snack. It was so peaceful looking out over the water toward the dark, moody hills.
The snow was quite thick on the timber planks of the walkway leading to the water, giving the whole place a quiet, frozen feel.
We weren't able to linger as long as we liked, though. The weather in this part of the world doesn't mess around. Just as we started heading back down, the wind picked up with a vengeance and the temperature felt like it dropped 10 degrees in a heartbeat. We were both very relieved to reach the lower section of the track where the head-high bushes and small trees gave us a bit of a break from that biting wind. It was a proper Tassie mountain experience—four seasons in one walk!
