Lady Barron Falls Circuit
Mount Field National Park
Directions - Located just over an hour west of Hobart, take the Brooker Hwy north and follow the signs for New Norfolk. Pass through the town and follow the signs for Westerway and then Mount Field National Park. Turn right into Mount Field National Park and the trail head is located behind the Visitor Centre using the path to the left.
The Hike - With an excellent morning spent exploring the stunning Mount Field East circuit, I drove back down the mountain with the hopes of tackling the very different Lady Barron Falls Circuit. With lush temperate rainforest, waterfalls in abundance and the largest flowering trees found in the world, it was a stark difference to the mountains, alpine fields and lakes of the upper reaches of Mount Field National Park. Having finished the Mount Field East hike in bright sunny weather, I was hoping that the sunshine would disappear for the next hike as the rainforests are not at their photographic best in these conditions. Having checked the weather forecast it was saying afternoon rain was on the horizon so with plenty of time I decided to wait around for a while before starting the hike.
Visiting the gift shop in the impressive information building and exploring the various displays they have passed some time before I retired to my car and watched the Warriors play the Pelicans (basketball) on my phone. When the game ended the sun was still out but I could see the first signs of the clouds rolling in off the mountain. Deciding that they would arrive soon I grabbed my gear and made my way to the start. Combining a few tracks close to the visitor centre, the Lady Barron Falls Circuit provides a longer option to link up the three main waterfalls found in the area (Russell Falls, Horseshoe Falls & Lady Barron Falls). The tourist friendly track to Russell Falls begins at the visitor centre and is paved almost all the way up to the falls. The 750m walk to the falls runs alongside the water course that is fed from the mountains above and feeds into the nearby Tyenna River. Large ferns line the pathway and there are some large examples of the Swamp Gum to admire, both standing upright and in a state of decay on the forest floor. Given the short length and proximity to the visitor centre, this is a very popular spot so expect to see a few people no matter what day it is (during non-winter times).
When you arrive at Russell Falls it is a lovely place to be with up close views of the waterfall from behind the wooden barriers. A bridge crossing the water also provides an excellent viewpoint and it quite selfie-friendly if that is the kind of thing that floats your boat. Unfortunately the sun had reappeared with great brightness so combined with the crowds I didn't take too many photos here. I did find a little spot off to the side where I could get a semi-clear shot of the falls behind some ferns but they came out a little blurry because of the wind blowing on the fern fronds. Having being foiled in my attempts at capturing Russell Falls I vowed to return after I'd finished the hike to get some better shots. I moved on to the track leading away from Russell Falls and up the hill to Horseshoe Falls. For some reason I was getting the vibe of being at an amusement park, possibly Jurassic Park themed, as the dirt path was very manicured and the rocks didn't look real. That feeling didn't last long and seemed confined to the area around Russell Falls.
Marching up the hill, I seemed to have found a quiet patch of path and was enjoying the peace and quiet as I walked through the forest. A lovely section of Sassafras with their white trunks reminded me of the nearby Marriotts Falls hike I did a couple of days prior. It wasn't long before I was at the top of Russell Falls admiring the views from behind the wooden fence they have erected. I get why it's there given the popularity of this section but it feels like you're in a nature zoo, peering from behind the barriers at the wilderness. The stream running between Horseshoe Falls and feeding Russell Falls is very lovely to behold but was hard to get a good photo of because the barriers were in the way. Moving on I hoped for better access photographing Horseshoe Falls and was happy to find a good viewing platform when I arrived. At this moment the dark clouds arrived and heralded the start of the lovely photographic conditions that would be with me almost until the end. Setting up my tripod I spent a lot of time here shooting different angles and exposure lengths while families and tourists came and went.
I have to say that out of the three waterfalls, Horseshoe Falls was my favourite thanks to the angles the water cascades over the rocks at and the different levels of water flow. It is just framed right with the ferns, rocks, forest and water. After quite a while I packed everything up and headed off on my way. Leaving the wooden boardwalks and bridges behind, it was nice to be wandering through the forest with not a lot of man made structures everywhere. I did however have to slow down/speed up every now and then as other people caught me up or I caught them. Having a thing where I like my photos to be mostly devoid of people, it was an effort to maintain this here. One legitimate reason to stop and faff about with my pack was the introduction of rain to the hike. Having being excited when the clouds rolled in for good at Horseshoe Falls it was only a matter of time before the heavens opened up. Having experienced some pretty perfect weather so far on my Tassie trip, I expected the rain to be nothing more than a drizzle but as I approached the intersection with the Tall Trees Walk it started to become more than a drizzle.