Sandy Lake Hut
Over a century ago, in the early 1900s, the forward thinking and progressive Northern Tasmanian Fisheries and Tourist Associations built three huts in the Chudleigh Lakes area to promote fishing and tourism in the area. In the ensuing decades all three structures suffered irreparable damage due to the ravages of extreme weather conditions, wildfires and sadly, even vandalism. The huts lay in ruins on the plateau of the Great Western Tiers for over half a century. The Mountain Huts Preservation Society had, by 2004, rebuilt two of the huts – Ironstone Hut and Lady Lake Hut – and it was both desirable and logical that the third hut – Sandy Lake Hut – should also be reconstructed to complete the trilogy.
The remains and foundations of the original Hut, which dated from 1903, are now submerged under the waters of the enlarged Lake Mackenzie following the Hydro Electric Commission’s development of the Mersey Forth power scheme in 1969. It was therefore necessary to establish a new site for the rebuilding of a replica hut. In May 2012, six MHPS members inspected an area on the northeastern shore to identify a suitable site for a new hut. A second field trip occurred a few months later in December when Society members returned to the area accompanied by a PWS representative to view the proposed site which was situated on a peninsular between Pine Marsh Bay and Sandy Lake Bay, approx. 250 metres from the high water mark, reasonably level, sheltered from the wind and with a very pleasant view. In January 2013, with the water level in Lake Mackenzie extremely low, the original Hut’s foundations were exposed enabling a visit from Society members to measure and accurately record authentic dimensions.
Then followed a lengthy process of more than two years during which plans were drawn up by draughtsmen and various applications submitted to be processed by authorities such as Parks & Wildlife Service, Hydro Electric Commission, and Meander Valley Council. Meanwhile, Society members were kept occupied with researching the original hut, acquiring building materials and formulating plans and strategies for future working bees.
(Note: This hut is also referred to as Sandy Beach Lake Hut and Lake Sandy Beach Tourist Hut. In formal applications with regulatory authorities and on the PWS Reserve Activity Assessment the title of Sandy Lake Hut has been used – therefore from the Society’s view point this name has been adopted for all future reference.)
The Rebuilding of Sandy Lake Hut
The first official MHPS working bee took place on 5th September 2015. The work crew consisted of 12 Society members and 1 PWS representative who assembled at the Lake Mackenzie car park and, along with considerable supplies and building tools, were ferried across the lake by boat. The 10-minute water taxi ride became a regular feature of future working bees and saved considerable time as opposed to walking around the perimeter of the lake. The weather for the initial working bee was fine but brisk and with parts of the lake frozen, the boat needed to break through ice before it could tie up and unload on the shoreline. And, before any work could commence in earnest at the new hut site, snow needed to be shovelled from the area. Undaunted by the cold, levels were ascertained, measurements taken and marked and the rebuild of Sandy Lake Hut commenced.
By the end of October 2015, the foundations for the hut and the chimney had been completed. The roof trusses which had been pre-assembled off-site, along with pre-cut timber for the framework, were delivered by PWS helicopter. Working bees were very well attended and held on a regular fortnightly basis resulting in the first wall frame being erected in November 2015. By early January 2016 the entire framework was finished, and the hut was wrapped with blue insulation paper in readiness for the external timber cladding to be added.
Work was progressing at an extremely fast and satisfactory pace. Members were excited at the prospect of a completed hut by year’s end. But then came the disastrous bush fires in mid-January 2016, which swept through sections of the Great Western Tiers affecting large areas in and around Lake Mackenzie and threatening the very safety of the hut. The partially built hut was saved due to the direct action of a patrolling aerial Tasmania Fire Service crew who back burned and water bombed to save it from certain destruction.
Thankful that the Hut had been spared, members were keen to resume work, however those plans were once again thwarted by the unprecedented heavy rain which immediately followed the fires resulting in extreme flooding, erosion and landslides. The road to Lake Mackenzie suffered severe degradation in several places and as a result was closed to traffic until repairs and restoration could be completed.
On 19th March 2016, after a delay of 10 weeks, working bees resumed and continued regularly until late in October of that year before a recess was taken due to adverse weather conditions. Due to the setback to the timetable caused by the fires and floods it was decided to place corrugated iron as a temporary measure on the roof for protection against the fast-approaching winter. External timber cladding of the Hut was also completed and the internal walls were lined with Baltic pine. A mixture of linseed oil and turpentine was used to coat and seal both external and internal walls. A latched, solid wooden door and window frames were also fitted before working bees ceased for 2016.
Following the Christmas/New Year break, members were keen to recommence work now that the hut was taking shape and they could see many, many months of hard work coming to fruition. Between January 2017 and February 2018, the two major tasks at hand were the completion of the large stone chimney and the replacement of the iron roof with just over 2000 shingles. A large rocky knoll found in close proximity to the hut site provided a suitable supply of stone and many members spent considerable time and energy in prizing large slabs from the quarry and carrying them to the hut. A quantity of one-ton bags was also filled and relocated to the hut during a subsequent helicopter lift of materials by PWS. The task of laying paving stones under the veranda at the entrance to the hut was also completed. A woodshed was built at the rear of the hut to store dry wood to accommodate the fire box which had been installed.
Almost 6 years since the idea of a hut rebuild was first mooted, and after 40 working bees, 3 helicopter lifts, more than 2400 volunteer hours involving 60 members, 4 junior members and 3 PWS personnel, on Saturday 7th April 2018, the replica Sandy Lake Hut was officially opened before an estimated crowd of 300 people who had gathered to help MHPS members celebrate the completion of the project. They came on foot, on horseback, by helicopter and by canoe. Special guests and those unable to make the walk were flown courtesy of Tasmanian Helicopters and Tas Parks & Wildlife Service. For some it was their first ever ride in a helicopter and a highlight of their day. Several riders from the Tas Mountain Cattlemens’ Association were present on horseback which added another element to the gathering. Most walkers came via Lake Mackenzie however several members of the Parsons family walked from Caveside climbing to the plateau via the track which bears their family name and was cut by their forebears, Joseph and Herbert Parsons in the late 1800’s.
MHPS President, Roger Nutting, welcomed and warmly thanked everyone for coming before handing over to Rob Buck from PWS who emphasised the importance of the current good working relationship between PWS and MHPS. Philip Crowden, son of Charles Crowden who was Patron of MHPS until his passing in July 2017, spoke of his father’s passion for bushwalking, the mountain and his keen desire to see the huts preserved. Joe Parsons, long term Caveside resident and grandson of the pioneer Joseph Parsons then officially opened the Hut by cutting the “ribbon” of baling twine.
