Visitors can now enjoy an improved walking experience on the Junction Lake Track in the Walls of Jerusalem National Park with upgrades to the track now complete.
The project was led by the Launceston Walking Club (LWC). They secured a $226,000 grant through the Wildcare Tasmanian Nature Conservation Fund to make the upgrades possible. This work was done over a five month period in partnership with Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service's (PWS) Great Western Tiers Field Centre team.
For the past four years LWC volunteers have worked more than 1300 hours helping PWS staff carry out track maintenance and improvement projects in various parks and reserves.
The recent works include a kilometre stretch of timber double planking built on a section of track between Lake Adelaide and Trappers Hut. This work helps protect sensitive vegetation and wetland sections along the track and keeps walkers boots dry as this section can get wet and boggy.
To help walkers get a good grip during wet and icy conditions, LWC volunteers have installed and stapled 1km of chicken wire onto the double planking.
LWC have undertaken three working bees to remove overgrown vegetation from almost 6km of track near Lake Adelaide, Stretcher Lake and Lake Ball.
PWS and LWC worked in conjunction to prepare the required planning documents, run a procurement process and purchase materials.
As they say, many hands make light work. We are grateful for LWC's hard work helping to improve the visitor experience and provide more protection to sensitive threatened vegetation communities and wetland areas of the Junction Lake Track.