First Visit

January 19, 2026

Nestled below the huge cliffs of Eliza Bluff, over 700 metres above, lies a beautiful body of water in South West Tasmania called Lake Judd.

I have walked past the access track several times over the years but I have never walked in to the lake so this time I felt a proper visit was in order.

The track climbs steadily for 300 metres over the next several kilometres before finishing at a small campsite on the shores of the lake. Summer has finally arrived in Tasmania and the day was a perfect South West Tasmania summer’s day with temperatures in the low 20’s and plenty of sunshine. I was wearing Mont’s new Sundance long sleeve top which was perfectly suited to the conditions. Cool, protective and light to wear.

I arrived in late afternoon in clear weather and although I was hoping for a spectacular scene at sunrise the next morning I felt it wise to capture some “insurance” images that afternoon....just in case the sunrise didn’t happen.

There was a small group of Hobart Walking Club members already set up at the lake but I still found a cosy spot for my Moondance 2FN in the forest. The group contained some experienced walkers and they provided pleasant conversation as we compared past experiences.

Expecting very mild conditions, I elected to pack my Zero Superlight sleeping bag. This bag contains the rarely used 1000 fill power down, a very high quality down that offers the best insulation for its weight currently available.

I set my alarm for 5 am the next morning but when I arrived at the lake’s edge I was greeted by a heavy layer of mist a hundred or so metres above the lake. No spectacular sunrise this morning.

Grabbing a few images before breakfast, I was packed and walking not long after. As I exited the forest onto the buttongrass plains the mist around the mountains began to clear and I managed to get a few more images. I suspect the campsite was still clagged in so I was happy to be where I was.

Summer in Tasmania’s southwest delivers a multitude of flowering plants and it was a slow walk back to the car, stopping to capture some of the many flowering species beside the track.