Walls of Jerusalem

While I was down in Tasmania, I really wanted to walk the Walls of Jerusalem track. It’s usually done as a multi-day hike but I really wanted to try and just walk the first section of the walk as a day hike.

While driving to the trailhead for this walk, I look out and see these giant tall trees that surround the road. I have not seen so many tall trees like this in Australian bush. It was the perfect setup for what was to come.

After signing the walker register, I start the first part of the walk which is a steep ascent up to 1250 m. For this part of the walk, I’m walking amongst these tall eucalyptus tree giants. They must be so old.

During the ascent I pass the old trappers hut, an old wooden hut where the trappers used to stay whilst snaring animals for skins. The original hut, which fell into disrepair, has been replaced with a replica.

Once at the top, the trail flattens out into a plateau. The tall trees disappear, the bush changes to alpine scrub and you can see the snow capped Cradle Mountain in the distance. There are small pockets of snow that are quickly melting in the sun.

After a while, I pass the first tarn, a small mountain lake on the plateau. The track in spots is muddy and marshy. I’m doing an excellent job at keeping my shoes dry by rock-hopping.

After a while I reach the Solomons Jewels, a collection of small tarns scattered amongst the alpine environment. From here I see King Davids Peak (1499m) and this really frames up for me what Tasmania is all about.

The bush up here is mainly alpine with pencil pines scattered around. The pencil pine is a relative to the King Billy pine with some pencil pines up here aged over a thousand years old. I see a few large stands of pencil pines but I have no way of knowing their age. I'm really enjoying this new environment. It’s so unique and feels distinctly Tasmanian.

I walk over a small hill and down into the marshy Wild Dog Creek. My shoes squelch as I walk along the wooden boardwalk that’s barely above the mud line. After the creek, I pass Wild Dog Creek Campsite and head towards Herods Gate. Heroes Gate is the entrance to the Walls of Jerusalem and as I crest the top of the pass, I see the view of the walls that surround Lake Salome. What a sight. I walk along Lake Salome to find a good spot for lunch. I find a dry rock, sit down facing Mount Ophel (1355m) and soak up the view. The trail heads towards Mount Jerusalem (1459m) which I can see between two mountains however Lake Salome was my intended destination for today.

After lunch and a long break, I turn around and backtrack to the hire car, passing multiple walkers doing the multi-day walk. I have the gear in Tasmania to do the multi-day walk but sadly I’ve run out of days in Tasmania, so I’ll have to return to this amazing part of the world later. This would be my last walk for my trip as well. What a trip.