June 2: Trip to to Green Gorge - Day 1




Frozen lakes from the Overland Track. Photo: Jacque Comery

Farewell VJM. Photo: Jacque Comery

Crepuscular clouds looking back over North Head. Photo: Jacque Comery

Moss. Photo: Jacque Comery

Having not yet explored further south than Brother's Point, a three day trip down to Green Gorge was planned. Louise, Bureau of Meteorology Observer also had time off and joined me on the adventure.
We set out in fine but cold weather leaving Station (call sign VJM) at around 0830hrs.
The snow at the top of the Doctors Track, which jumps you up from VJM to the Plateau started to build.  What at first presented as a pretty photo opportunity soon became a little treacherous as we navigated elevated boardwalk sections of the Overland Track (the OLT) all buried in snow up to our knees!  The cold kept the photo opportunities limited as I was trying to preserve my fingers, but we were stunned by the beauty and the colours that glow from the landscape when the sun breaks through the clouds to light it up.
This part of the plateau is lashed by winds usually 10 knots higher than down on Station.  The only things that grow up here are mosses and some other tenacious plants such as Azorella macquariensis. To give you an idea of the conditions here, another known species of Azorella grows in the Andes!
After a 6 hour walk we finally reached Green Gorge, tired and ready for cups of hot tea.  I was fuelled on the walk by about 6 pieces of my leftover birthday cake!