Thark Ridge
Adrian and Greg at the track where they have been clearing the vegetation.
Clearing vegetation Thark Ridge
Some of the workers at Thark Ridge
Greg Kidd Moving rocks on Thark Ridge
Work on Thark Ridge by the Friends of Wellington Park
The Friends of Wellington Park began work on Thark Ridge following a request from Parks and Wildlife to help them put marker poles on the track. These Poles were flown in and left at about 4 locations along to route, after the saddle on the ridge so it was just the southern part of the Thark Ridge. The work on the stakes took several trips in there starting in 2009 and finishing 2010. It involved carrying the poles along the route and dropping them off at appropriate locations and then others hammered them into the ground with especially built tool to thump them in the ground. Once all this was done coloured markers were screws on the poles to make it easier to follow.
Parts of the track were slightly overgrown and closer to the old Montague firetrail it was really quite thick, especially with Bauera. The FOWP then did some clearing of that in 2010 and 2011.
All this work was on the southern half of the Ridge, a distance of 3.7k, but the northern half of it was quite degraded at the start with multiple tracks going across the wet moorland. Various options were checked out for potential rerouting and approval gained for the selected way. On ground work in rerouting the track began in 2012 (stage 1) and several days work was done to clear vegetation on harder ground. Further along there was another section that was very boggy and this was also rerouted to higher Ground in 2013 (stage 2). A final section (stage 3) was investigated and done in 2014 and finished in early 2015.
From 2014 onward the FOWP have also done maintenance on the track but haven't got to the far southern end again, although we we have been there to look and it's quite overgrown again where it crosses wet areas close to the old Montagu Fire Trail.
Below are details of the individual events
Thark Ridge Track Map
Blue is southern section where poles were added 2009-2010
Red shows the reroutes done 2012-2015
Stage 3 reroute
Maintenance Since Reroutes Finished
Since 2018
North Section Reroutes and Clearing Big Bend to Saddle
14 May 2013 80 metres done
The route was checked again and taped to faciliate the desired cutting of the track.
Greg, Adam and I worked until about 3:30 and managed to complete 80 metres of track. This doesn’t include the bit that Peter C and Adam did further south. The taped route marked today is in red on the attachment (it includes a bit at the end was walked but we decided the take it 20 metres further SW). The bit that was cut is also marked. There is 230 metres more to go plus 40 metres at the start end.
The taped route follows closely on the one we selected when went over it on 10 July 2012.
Peter Feil and Peter Cusick were there from PWS
25 Jan 2012 final 230 metres cut
The final 230 metre section between and existing track and the newly cut one was finished as part of the reroute for the start of Thark Ridge Track. The short joining bit at the far western end was cleared and poles put in to mark the way. Markers were placed over the more open section of new track.
Far End - Thark down to Old Montagu
State of track
Updated 8 February 2023
The southern end of the track particularly after descending from Thark Ridge the scrub has become overgrown in the 12 years since FOWP worked there. This was first noticed during a walk to Mount Montagu in 2018. FOWP cleared it as far as the Old Montagu track between 2009 and 2011 and it was a long walk of 2 hours to get there However an easier option has now been presented, involving vehicle transport with Parks & Wildlife staff along the Pipeline Track. This makes it a shorter distance and takes a bit over 1 hour to get to the end of the Thark track.
In February 2023 a distance of just over 400 metres was cleared back primarily with hedge trimmers operated by PWS staff and FOWP doing removal off the track and clearing up, including missed bushes often low to the ground.
Photos 2018
Thick overgrowing vegetation bottom section Feb 2018
Thick overgrowing vegetation Feb 2018
Greg Bell pushing through below Thark Ridge Feb 2018
Thick vegetation close to Old Montagu track Feb 2018
Thick overgrowing vegetation upper section before Thark Ridge is reached Feb 2018
Work between 2010 and 2011
10 November 2010
Checked bypass route at start of Thark and also a second bypass where pineapple grass is badly effected and bogs exist. From 517144 5250797 to 516934 5250706
Seems quite feasible with fairly solid ground most of the way, close to trees and rocks.
Middle - Thark saddle to South end of Thark Ridge
20 January 2009
Poles from two stores were inserted in the ground with the aid of crowbar and post installer along the majority of the length of the southern section of Thark Ridge. Some poles from stores had been put in by passing walkers as a temporary measure over the previous year, and many of these will require proper installation on a future working bee.
Markers will also be placed on the poles at a future working bee and some vegetation will need minor clearing to avoid trampling over a wider area.
Ted Milne reported that there are 42 poles mostly in a pile at the end below Thark. 8 were set roughly up above the pile and 5 below by passing walkers. A further small stockpile was also located between the saddle and high point of Thark at the north end. Ted also reported that the scrub was closing in on the track as it gets closer to the old Montagu FT section.
Track Usage
The FOWP placed a track counter to record the usage of the Devils Throne Track. Details of usage is at this page