The first part of this trip was an "out and back" along the Hermits Track. This track terminates at Dobson's Cave. The cave is reputed to have been home for a hermit in the 1990s. Dobson wasn't the hermit, but the first non indigenous visitor to the cave. These details could be incorrect. There is vary little historical information about it on the web.
After returning on a slight variation of The Hermits Track I then did a bigger loop in the Nattai National Park. Some of that was adjacent to the Thirlmere Lakes. The lakes are thought to have been formed around 15 million years ago due to the land uplifting and blocking the natural drainage. In recent times the water level has been lowering, to the point that one has dried up completely. This is believed to be due to the nearby Tahmoor Colliery disturbing the ground under the lake beds. Water from the lakes was used in the steam locomotives of the era.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahmoor_Colliery
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| Water Trap Creek on the Hermits Track |
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| Dobson's Cave |
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| Dobson's Cave |
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| Typical of the Nattai National Park |
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| A rugged creek the route follows, fortunately it was dry |
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| Near the Lakes |
distance: 22Km, moving time: 4hrs 16min, elevation: 491metre
