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| Map locating Mt Victoria in the State of Tasmania created and sourced from Google Maps |
Getting there:
Mt Victoria is located South of Ringarooma in the North East of Tasmania in the Mt Victoria Forest Park.
From Launceston or Scottsdale; make your way towards Ringarooma on the C423 (car is absolutely necessary unless you partake in long distance cycle journeys, forget public transport) and truck on through town, Ringarooma Road becomes Mathinna Plains Road at the right hand turn after 1.5kilometres, keep rolling for 12.5 kilometres as the road gets windy and wiggly and look out for a left hand turn onto Mt Albert Road and the car park is opposite the start of the walk at around 4 kilometres.
The road is dusty at times and carries crazy fast weaving logging trucks so hang onto your hat.
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Tasmanian Waratah flower.
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Mt Victoria is 1200 metres above sea level and if you manage to grovel your way up to the summit on a fine day you will catch some of the finest views in Tasmania.
It can get a tad blowy up there too (very exposed) but I spied some good camp sites tucked away along the final few hundred metres of the main track.
From the signage at the track start, head up the path through some boggy patches and go straight past the boulder and the handmade sign suggesting you turn left and make a run for Ralphs Falls. You can do that afterwards.
There is a bit of rock hopping and getting scratched up by thrashings of scorparia and a short climb to the top.
Make your way back down to the sign and follow the rough route type trail on the right.
This is the North East Highlands Trail that kicks on for 80 kilometres from the Mt Victoria walking trail to Halls Falls in the West. The section from Mt Victoria to Ralph's Falls is 'Day1' on the official listing.
There is a bit of a tale concerning the creation of the trail and it's current virtually unknown status and I reckon to actually refer to it as a 'trail' would be misleading. Try 'at times faint taped route', and a very worthwhile one at that.
This
thread on Bushwalk.com provides the backstory via scanned in track notes and a basic map from a 2009 edition of Wild magazine..
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| Map sourced from Bushwalk.com and Wild magazine. |
Around 4 and a bit kilometres of winding through myrtle forest will land you in the open car park and picnic area of Ralph's Falls.
There is a shelter, rain water tank and a short trail to the Falls overlook.
Gear:
I took a hiking pole, Topo shoes, a bright purple merino top and quite a few photos. Easy walking, loads of shade from the sun after leaving the Mt Victoria summit trail.
I returned the same way back to my vehicle.
