Entrance to Mt Field National Park, July 15, 2016.
It has been a challenging few weeks for the Lake Dobson Tourist Road. The Tyenna River broke its banks on 15th July, and further up the road culverts filled with gravel, leading to overflows and substantial wash-aways. The road has been closed for the past couple of days, as a convoy of trucks delivered 400 tonnes of new gravel to repair the road damage. The contractors have worked hard to get the road back in order, and as of this afternoon it is ready for the weekend traffic.
The weather forecast is for substantial snow falls to low levels from Friday night, with further snow falls right through to Tuesday next week. The STSA volunteers from the Wellington Ski and Outdoor Club will monitor the situation and make a call late Friday or very early Saturday as to whether there is sufficient base to allow the 2016 season to get underway this weekend. Given forecast cold temperatures the snow quality should be excellent, but strong winds that are forecast could be a mitigating factor on overall enjoyment!
Another factor will be how quickly the road can be cleared of snow. The STSA has written to the Department of State Growth requesting that the Lake Dobson Road be given priority, and that a machine be used that is capable of removing the snow down to the gravel to allow standard vehicles to get through. There is certainly plenty of enthusiasm for getting the 2016 ski season underway in Southern Tasmania – fingers crossed that all the pieces of the puzzle come together on the day….
Road across Wombat Moor August 2015 – in need of some additional clearing!
