Nestled in the Denison Range beneath Reeds Peak is the
very pretty and very remote Lake Rhona with it's unique pale pink sandy beach. A photographers paradise.
The view from Reeds Peak includes Lake Gordon, Mt Field, Wyld's Crag, Mt Anne,
Frenchman's Cap, Mt Rufus, Mt Olympus, Mt Ossa, Mt Pelion West and The Walls of
Jerusalem. Lake Rhona is in the Gordon-Franklin Wild Rivers National Park.
The walk into Lake Rhona takes between 7 and 10 hours
depending on one's fitness level and track conditions. The track
starts at the end of Terry Walsh Road (Go3 spur). Take the Florentine Road
past Maydena. Continue on along Tiger Road and then Range Road.
A very good and well defined track descends gently to
the Gordon River after about 45 minutes. Here the river must be waded.
As such the walk can only be done when conditions allow. Although only
knee deep the week-end we visited, the river may not be passable on the
return trip if there is heavy rain. The river is the same depth
across.
After a further 15 minutes the Vale of Rasselas is
reached. A long 6 to 8 hour walk is needed to reach the point where
the track scales the foothills of
the Denison Range. The track along the Vale is relatively flat.
The ascent to Lake Rhona takes about an hour from here.
The vale has intermittent very boggy muddy sections -
three are particularly long. Not a hard walk overall but long.
The beach has a distinct pink hue. A further 2
hours are needed to reach Reeds Peak. Easy but for a boulder hop near
the peak. A full photo shoot is on the Lake Pedder DVD.
The Vale of Rasselas and Mt Field from Reeds Peak.
Looking west from The Great Dome. The North Star is
the peak in the centre of the picture.
