After the fires

摘要

WALKERS ON TASMANIA'S 65kmOverland Track are accustomed to pitting themselves against the elements. Unpredictable weather is all part of the experience — from blistering sunshine one moment to snowdriftsthe next. But when a dry-lightning storm swept across the island on 13 January this year, a very different threat loomed.Cradle Mountain ranger-in-charge Kate Burton says fires started by the lightning strikes came within 6km of iconic Dove Lake within the World Heritage-listed Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, and forced the closure of the track. Thankfully, the popular Cradle Mountain visitor precinct was spared. "The winds brought smoke and ash onto the track but it was closed for just a week as a precautionary measure and suffered ivo Aamagp',' she says.