Participants of the Tasmanian Ranger Relay have just completed the first leg of the month-long epic! Connecting Penguin to Cradle Mountain, this volunteer formed and managed trail is lesser known than the Overland Track it ends at, but no less rewarding.
The start of the Relay was a lovely event under the iconic Big Penguin. The enthusiastic gathering was opened with a Welcome to Country from local Erica Short-Maynard, and a fortifying reminder of our cause for the Timorese rangers from our Tasmanian Rangers Association Chair, Brendan Moodie.
We also received words of motivation from Parks and Wildlife Deputy Secretary Jason Jacobi, and from the visiting Council of Oceania Rangers Associations Chair Jolene Nelson. Jason will be catching up with the Relay at other points throughout the event and hopes to join a day himself, and Jo celebrated her first wedding anniversary with her husband by walking the first day of the Penguin Cradle Trail!
Andrew Bain, writing for Australian Geographic and dropping in and out over the course of the relay, joined this first trail section, while Deloraine Field Officer Jason Neasey will join several legs, and Maria Island Field Officer Darren Emmett will participate in all of them!
The baton for the relay, uniting all field officers, rangers and visitor staff alike, is of course a golden toilet brush. With this, a toy devil mascot (to be sent to our Timorese counterparts) and under the rallying banner of the TRA, the participants embarked upon the first steps of the long journey.
Unfortunately it was not all perfect: at the very first campsite, a participant had her backpack stolen, and had to withdraw from the rest of the Penguin Cradle Trail (though she will be returning at Cradle Mountain).
Incredibly, outdoor retailer Find Your Feet (who were already supporting the Ranger Relay) stepped up to offer assistance in replacing the lost gear! The event is bringing out the best in us all, and it such a great pleasure to be raising funds for conservation with such support - we have already raised $8000! Everyone cares about the cause - indeed, although the Ranger Relay is being done in the participant's own time, they did what rangers always do when they came across someone else's rubbish on the trail, and left it better than they found it. Above and beyond Leave No Trace is what we strive for.
Photo credit: Leven Canyon (Darren Emmett); clean up (Ben Correy); rainforest PCT (Jolene Nelson), passing the baton (Andrew Bain)
Kate McClafferty, Cradle Mountain Visitor Reception Officer and participant of the first leg of the relay, has written up the following account of the journey:
High vibes and blue skies set the tone for Day One of the inaugural TRA Ranger Relay. Following our Welcome To Country, we donned our packs and set off. Nine of us (plus Ellie) pounded the pavement from the Big Penguin to the Trail head. It was onward and in the words of Chapman "unrelenting" in nature of upward from there. Unfortunately, smiles had turned to confusion by the eve of Night One as the case of The Stolen Backpack unfolded. Hail fell, mud puddled but gratefully we awoke to still skies and a Police Report about to be filed.
And then there were four. Pushing up Mount Lorymer the journey was well underway. The steep downhill (feat. a few decent slides) to Wings Wildlife Park campsite earned us each a serve of hot chippies as reward. Free hot showers 24/7 (just fyi to an aspiring PCT-ers) and a frosty start amped us up for Day Three.
And then a sign 'Loongana 16hrs return' *cringey face*. In knowing that Loongana was less than an hours drive away, had us wanderers pondering. So... Off. We. Set. Pewwww! In a word: getintoit! Leven Canyon is a little bit of ABSOLUTE awe. Seriously, getintoit. But also, develop that core strength and maybe consider investing in a walking pole.
Spying the forecast and knowing the nature of the High Country, a bit of rescheduling occured and Darren made the stretch from Taylor's Flats to Fourways look like easy work. Some of us, not so much. Bogholes and buttongrass a-plenty, we all know how that combo feels. Cue: snack attack! Obviously. As the afternoon of Day Five rolled in so to did the clouds. The rain has since been tipping down. Stay tuned home-viewers... there's just under a month to go! Don't forget to donate, to spread the word, and to follow along with the next section of the Tasmanian Ranger Relay: the Overland Track!