Lonely Tarns to Red Tape Creek
12.3km; 270m ascent/ 860m descent; approx 5-9 hours (Plus 1.2km; 190m ascent/descent; approx 1.5 hours return for Mt Sarah Jane) (Plus 2.3km; 50m ascent/ descent; approx 1.5 hours return for Lake Judd)
From the Lonely Tarns campsite, rise gently at first south then SW past a series of tarns, and up a muddy, open and eroded track with sensational views back over the country you’ve traversed. Give yourself a deserved pat on the back. After the bulk of the climbing, swing south and descend past a lake, with Mt Sarah Jane now posing a striking figure ahead.
As you approach another small lake at Sarah Jane’s northeastern base, you may be fortunate enough to encounter a thigh-deep boghole or two. Keep ascending south onto an exposed alpine zone, where the track becomes indistinct, and sidle below Sarah Jane. If you lose the pad, be careful not to drop too low, and keep an eye out for a rare cairn and a random, distinctive stretch of boardwalk leading past numerous small tarns.
Soon after, another cairn indicates the turnoff to Mt Sarah Jane (1290m). If you’re tackling this worthy 1.2km return add-on, follow the well-worn pad briefly, and then choose your own adventure up the boulder field. A half hour or so finds you at the summit. By now, you’ll either love or hate boulder fields, and you’ll possibly be desensitised to 360-degree views.
Back at the main track, sidle SE along stepping stones for a few-hundred metres to a large cairn marking the start of the knee-tingling descent to the plains. Avoid an early false lead or two, keeping left to follow the base of some small quartzite cliffs. Brace yourself for large steps. The further you go down, the more eroded and muddy the track becomes, with plenty of dense scrub either side. (You can only imagine how difficult this part must’ve been in the early days!). Be careful not to trip over the remains of pruned plants. After the contours ease, the bogginess returns until, suddenly, you’re back on boardwalk. Soon after, you’ll reach the signposted turn-off to Lake Judd. If heading in, cross the bridge, and allow about 40mins one-way of relatively easy walking into the campsite, at the start of the Anne River. Unlike the other established campsites so far, there’s no toilet here. It’s a stunning setting and a beautiful spot for a swim.
From the junction, it’s a 6.2km boardwalk and gravel bash (with one short muddy section) to Red Tape Ck. When you hit the suspension bridge at the Anne River, you’re on the home stretch. For your sake, I hope there’s cold beverages and a car awaiting you at the end.
CONTRIBUTOR: Educator, photographer and outdoor enthusiast Ryan Hansen relishes any opportunity to get out bush, even if it means slogging litres of water up a mountain just for the sunrise.