ON A MOUNTAIN HIGH
We used to live down the Channel and had a large garden so I never did many day walks; I was either gardening or on longer overnight trips. But three years ago we moved into Hobart and now I really enjoy the wonderful walks that Mt Wellington has to offer.
One of my favourites is the classic circuit of up the Ice House track from The Springs, then across the top to the summit of Wellington, and then back down the Zig Zag Track returning to The Springs, via the Pinnacle Track. The route is a bit rocky in parts but very well marked.
There are three remnant icehouses on the way up. The first two are fairly obscure but the highest one is obvious, marked, and an ideal place for morning tea or a break. From there it is a short climb to the plateau where you turn for the summit. On one of my trips with the six grandchildren we got to the third ice house and they immediately thought all the boulders below South Wellington looked much more exciting. So we did a direct ascent of South Wellington through the Devils Gulch, quite challenging for the five-year-old, parents and grandparents.
An excellent side trip is to go to Smiths Monument – dedicated to Dr John Smith, who died on the mountain in 1858. Another little side trip on the way to the Wellington summit is to go via the Rocking Stone. Apparently it used to rock but it doesn’t anymore. The track to the summit winds its way through alpine heath and fantastic dolerite formations. From the summit descend via the Zig Zag Track with fantastic views of Hobart until you join the Pinnacle Track. A little way along the Pinnacle Track is a huge house-sized boulder which fell off the mountain a few years ago. One can still see the trail of destruction before it came to its resting place. The walk takes about four to five hours and is about 10km with 500m of ascent.
There is a long history of recreation on Mt Wellington and in the late 1800s and early 1900s before better roads and cars, residents would build shacks on Wellington to get away to relax in the bush. Now of course we go further afield. Many of these shacks were quite elaborate but most being constructed of wood didn’t survive the many fires that are a feature of our landscape. But the stone chimneys and some foundations remain and it is a great walk to visit the old hut sites.
Maria Grist has written a book The Huts of Kunyanyi/Mount Wellington about the huts and their history. Most of the hut sites are not marked on maps but I know where many are.
One of the other joys of walking on Mt Wellington is to head out the back and a good trip is to the Devils Throne. There are many, many tracks on the eastern side of Wellington but the western side, out the back, is much more remote and wild and I love that wildness.
The walk to the Devils Throne starts at Big Bend on the Pinnacle Rd and first heads to Thark Ridge. The track follows the ridge and after 3½ km you see the Municipal Cairn which marks the junction of Kingborough, Hobart and Glenorchy councils. The Thark Ridge track continues on to Mt Montagu but there is a little side track that takes you to the Devils Throne, a rocky outcrop overlooking the Huon Valley. This minor track continues on, eventually rejoining Thark Ridge and so back to Big Bend. This section of the mountain is a combination of dolerite boulders and light alpine scrub.
The walking is not difficult but the feeling of being so remote and yet so close to Hobart is exhilarating. This walk is about 10km and 400m of ascent and takes about five hours.
The Wellington Range has some great peaks to climb, which can all be done as day walks from around Hobart – Collins Bonnet, Collins Cap, Trestle Mountain, Mt Marian and others. The eastern side of the mountain with its extensive network of tracks provides an endless repertoire of walks using the tracks in different combinations – although it is always nice to end up at The Springs to have a coffee at the Lost Freight Cafe.
Rupert Manners is a member and past president of the Hobart Walking Club