Paddy's Lake
From Bushwalk Australia
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Track Briefs
25000:1 MAP: 4041 Loongana
Start (Lat/Long): 41° 26.574' S 145° 59.998' E (Winterbrook Falls carpark)
Distance: approx. 4.75Km (Brookes Track) Approx. 4.60Km from Winterbrook Falls carpark
Time required: rtn 4 hrs (Brookes Track) or rtn 6.5 hrs from Winterbrook Falls carpark
Degree of difficulty: moderately hard
Elevation Gained: 700m (Brookes Track) or 400m from Winterbrook Falls carpark; Lake is 1060m above sea level.
Track Type: marked with tape and cairns or snow poles.
Vehicle Required: 2WD
Description
Alpine Tarn located at -41.45052, 145.96247 below Black Bluff usually done in conjunction with this walk.
- 2 hrs from start of Brookes Track park at Taylor's Flats picnic area off Loongana Rd. which leads to the bluff summit - see track notes for Black Bluff,
- or 3.25 hrs from Winterbrook Falls carpark off Smith Plains Rd. via the Tramway Track. (see map below)
- Alt access: Maxwell Track (most direct route) turnoff before Winterbrook carpark or Penguin-Cradle Trail from the south
Tramway track is a scenic, historic easy route passing both Winterbrook Falls Lookout, and base of falls. It has a much shorter steep section than Brookes track. At the base of the falls follow the tape across the Winterbook to the Maxwell track. A signposted turnoff leads upwards to eventually join the Brookes Track and Penguin-Cradle Trail. Approx 30 mins of hard climbing to the alpine area through a gap between the rocks called the Eye of the Needle. The upper section of the track is a little overgrown at the time of writing with prickly plants but the trail is well marked by tape and with cairns when the rocky ground just below the plateau is reached after the eye. On the plateau the Penguin-Cradle Trail is signposted and marked with snowpoles - proceed roughly NW to a view of the lake.
Prepare for exposed alpine conditions ( extreme UV, strong winds, fog and snow).
