If you feel that Hanmer Springs and its forest are a bit civilised, head over to the tracks on the side of Mt Isobel, a peak of 1,319 metres. On the day, it was raining, so we chose the beautiful Dog Stream Waterfall Track, which follows a stream up to a 40-metre waterfall, starting from the end of Mullans Road. This gave us both a hit of native beech forest and an often rugged hiking track that takes about an hour or so each way.
You can also walk from the falls to the peak, but the cautionary sign was off-putting, given the weather. An alternative is to access the peak from Chatterton Road and Jacks Pass on the mountain's west side or below Jollies Pass on the east side. Note that Jollies Pass access requires a 4WD.
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