I made my first visit to the Disappearing Tarn on Mt Wellington yesterday. The Disappearing Tarn, as it’s name might suggest, is not a permanent water feature on the mountain, and only appears after very heavy rainfall then slowly drains away.

The Disappearing Tarn on Mt Wellington

Over the past few days there was around 110mm of rain on Mt Wellington so I figured it could be worth the walk to see if it had appeared – and late on Monday the ABC confirmed that it was there, so although that kind of took the element of surprise out of it I was still keen to get out and see it for myself.

The Disappearing Tarn on Mt Wellington

The walk is 90 minutes from the Springs, along Milles Track to start with, then the Wellington Falls track. The first half, to the Snake Plains turnoff was fairly muddy and the second half was quite rocky. All in all it is reasonably flat but there are ups and downs along the way – particularly the last bit as you near the tarn, which is a steady descent.

The beautiful blue hue of the water is particularly appealing

Another view of the tarn

Some of the trees were partly submerged

Another view of the tarn.

The tarn is not on the track, therefore as you get into its vicinity you must use all your bush knowledge and experience to find its precise location. Analyse the lay of the land, study the contours of the slopes, discern the different rock types noting the vegetation. Although if you don’t feel up to all that then make sure to keep your eye out for this:

A helpful marker for those on their first visit to the area!

It’s a beautiful little spot. And given Tasmania is only for Tasmanians this winter and spring, well worth getting out into your backyard and taking a look before it – well, disappears.