Windy Moor Crossing—Top Quality, On Time, On Budget

Text by Adrian Blackman and photos by Peter Franklin,

(Secretary and President respectively of Wildcare Friends of Mount Field)

This ambitious project by the Friends of Mount Field has been completed both on time and on budget. Construction of a top quality boardwalk over Windy Moor now allows walkers to traverse this fragile and valuable place in comfort while no longer causing environmental damage. The project, which took a little over two years from conception to completion, was largely funded by the Tasmanian Community Fund; additionally there were several other contributors, both groups and individuals. Interesting statistics include: 20 helicopter trips conveyed over 12 tonnes of material to the work site; volunteers did 645 hours of work and walked 336 kilometres to get to and from the work place; 304 planks, 111 litres of stain, 5,000 bugle screws and 15,000 staples were used.

Mount Field National Park is Tasmania's 3^rd most visited national park and attracts almost 200,000 visitors annually. Mount Field East is a popular alpine day walk destination in the park and visitors there can experience extensive views with varying landscapes of glacial lakes, high peaks, snow gum woodland, alpine moorlands and herb fields. Deciduous beech (Fagus), Australia's only native deciduous tree, occurs in the area. The Mount Field East Track starts at Lake Fenton and involves a gradual uphill climb to and then across Windy Moor. A final steep section leads to the summit of Mount Field East (1274 metres). Windy Moor, an alpine moorland with several endemic plant species including cushion plants, is fragile and easily harmed by walkers. In recent years the track had become seriously degraded by its increasing use. Erosion by water (rain- and snow-fall) had exacerbated the problem. Walkers made the destruction even worse by widening the track (braiding) in their attempts to avoid water and mud.

The Friends of Mount Field (FOMF) and Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS), have long had an ambition to protect Windy Moor with a boardwalk, preventing further damage and allowing the region to rehabilitate itself. In total the moorland crossing extends for over one kilometre and the plan was to construct an approximately 900 metre all-weather wooden boardwalk raised above the worst of the degraded track. In late 2016, a Tasmanian Community Fund grant was awarded. Vital contributions were also obtained from (listed alphabetically) the Australian Plants Society, Hobart Walking Club, Gregory Kidd, NRM South, Pandani Bushwalking Club, Parks and Wildlife Service, Phyl and Bob Wyatt and Wildcare Inc. The funds were to be used to purchase material, finance helicopter transportation and pay contractors to do much of the construction.

After detailed planning of purchases and logistics, the initial event was purchase (December, 2016) and installation (January, 2017) of the first of two track counters so that usage could be monitored. Next the timber to be used (treated pine) was procured from the Timber Growers Direct sawmill located at Osterley. FOMF members travelled there and spent a long day (December, 2017) twice coating the upper surface of the planking timber with a chocolate coloured preservative—so that it both better blends into the surrounding terrain and lasts longer. This needed to be done before the timber was finally dried (to reduce weight). There were 304 boards (each 6 metres long, 200mm wide and 50mm deep) and 111 of litres of stain were applied. The timber was then dried for a couple of months then packaged, each pack containing planks, posts and plates. The packs, 18 in total with an average weight of 650 kilograms, were delivered to the staging point on Wombat Moor on 9 February 2018.

Thursday 22 February, 2018 was a momentous day—not only was it sunny and almost wind-free but a helicopter was available. The timber packs and large bags of items including bugle screws, rolls of wire netting and tools (total weight over 12 tonnes), were transported by helicopter from Wombat Moor and placed at strategic locations along the Windy Moor Track. In all 20 helicopter trips were made, each taking about five minutes flying time with the distance varying from 2.9 to 3.8 kilometres. The two contractors were also transported and they commenced construction work immediately. PWS staff supervised and participated in the helicopter transportation.

The chief contractor was John (“Snapper”) Hughes and he had a paid assistant (different people at different times). FOMF members helped with the work; most notably Greg Kidd who volunteered his labour free for most of the construction time, starting from the first day (no helicopter ride for Greg though!). They had to put up with difficult weather conditions at times (wind, cold and rain) and they were forced to abandon work several times when periods of heavy rain set in. Typically they worked for 5 consecutive days (either camping on site or staying in Government Huts at Lake Dobson) before having a break to recover from the hard work and arduous conditions. Other FOMF volunteers spent single days helping as well, often in good weather. The final major task, mostly done by volunteers, was stapling wire netting to the walking surface to reduce the risk of users slipping in wet or icy conditions. A second track counter and acknowledgement signs were then installed. The actual construction of the boardwalk took 18 days of work spread out over 4 weeks.

The result of all of this activity is that Windy Moor is now more easily crossed and is protected from damage by an excellent, professionally made all-weather boardwalk 912 metres long and two planks wide. Furthermore this project was completed on time and within the budget constraints. The total cost of the project was $77,122 (grant, donations and in-kind support). Included in this is $19,350 generated from the 645 hours of work contributed by FOMF volunteers (worth $30 per hour). In addition PWS staff often worked alongside FOMF volunteers, contributing 455 hours to logistical and on ground support for the project and a financial contribution with an estimated value of $5000 to the project.

Although this project is formally finished, FOMF members will regularly record track usage via the track counters and monitor the moor’s recovery from damage by photo records taken recurrently from known photo points. The Windy Moor crossing is only part of the Mount Field East Track. FOMF members will continue to maintain this section and the rest of the track as well as the Lake Nicholls Track so that walkers can visit Mount Field East by using one or other of these tracks or indeed by both as a circuit walk. (In the latter case the Old Pack Track, also maintained by FOMF, would be utilised.)

The FOMF gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Tasmanian Community Fund, PWS and the other donors mentioned earlier. We also thank the contractors (especially Snapper Hughes), Helicopter Resources, Bo Pritchard Earthmoving, Statewide Earthworks Pty. Ltd and Timber Growers Direct. The project would not have been possible without contributions from FOMF volunteers, two of whom are worth special mention—Peter Franklin and Greg Kidd. Peter, President of FOMF, was the driving force behind this project and he worked tirelessly both with the numerous administrative tasks and doing fieldwork. As noted, Greg unstintingly worked for many hours over many days on construction work, often under unfavourable weather conditions (and made a financial contribution as well!).