FROM COAST TO CENTRAL PLATEAU
As we wound our way ever upwards through varying swaths of eucalypt forest the clouds grew heavier and thicker, until we were enveloped in an almost impenetrable fog. Visibility shrunk to just a few metres and we slowed to a crawl as the switchbacks that the mountain is so well known for began.
"After our abortive drive up the Ladder, we back tracked and headed to the north-east coast where the weather is reportedly milder and sunnier."
When we got to the top — only apparent by the sign we could occasionally see through the drifting mist — we stopped and got out of the vehicles, but that didn’t help matters and apart from that it was a darn sight colder. It was a timely reminder that cold weather and even snowfall can come at any time in Tassie, especially on the high peaks. The lookout point nearby was a lookout in name only, so we slipped back to the vehicles to wait in vain for the weather to clear.
Originally, the only access to the top of the Ben Lomond Plateau was via a rough walking trail from the
