New website highlights Hobart walking tracks

This new website, Greater Hobart Trails was featured in the Mercury this morning. Well worth a look. I've found a couple of new walks already. I do note that they have avoided some of the more risky bits of some walks. I think it's probably a compilation of the walks that have been featured on the various council websites for some time.

Kaoota Tramway Track - 5th December 2012

Kaoota Tramway Track.

This is an easy and pleasant walk in the hills between Margate and Kaoota. Completed in August 1906, the tramway connected the Kaoota coal mine with the wharf at Margate. The mine was for a time the third-highest producer in Tasmania, but as is the case with many Tasmanian mines, it didn't operate for long, and the rails were finally pulled up in 1934. This track has been reopened along its route, including the construction of bridges.

I recommend walking from Margate to Kaoota and then returning, but this is only because I normally like to walk uphill first.

From Margate, turn up Sandfly Road, then into Nierinna Road. There are signs indicating the way to the track, although one, indicating the right turn into Lawless Road was pointing in exactly the opposite direction to where it should have been. I wondered if some of the locals don't like the extra traffic the track has produced.

There is a very small parking area indicated by signs at the point where you must stop. Park as far off the road as possible.

The road continues up the hill, and the walk proceeds along it. This is a private road, and permission has been gained for walkers, horse riders and cyclists to use it to access the Kaoota Tramway Track. The road climbs a way and then a sign clearly indicates the start of the tramway. The slope is necessarily gentle throughout its length, and is very easy to follow. It emerges at Kaoota, where there are some picnic tables and a slightly larger parking area. For this reason, you may prefer to start at Kaoota. I can see the track being used by cyclists too, given the easy slope. The walk is about 6.5km each way between the parking areas.

Various plants are in flower at this time of year. This is a nice easy walk fairly close to Hobart which might be good to do on days when the weather keeps you off some of the higher hills. It was rainy the day I went. I found that there's a cafe at the Margate Train when I had finished walking.

The tramway includes this cutting

Bridges have been built across creeks

Goodenia ovata, Hop native-primrose

Natone Hill - 4th December 2012

Mount Wellington from Natone Hill

This is an easy suburban walk on Hobart's eastern shore, which I did the other week in between (and during) rain showers. It has good views of Mount Wellington and the Tasman Bridge.

Driving from Hobart, cross the Tasman Bridge and head left for Geilston Bay. At the Geilston Gay traffic lights, turn left and then left again into Nubeena Street. head up the hill and park below the walking track which crosses the top of Nubeena Street.

You can wander about the hill on a variety of tracks as much as you like. I suggest an anti-clockwise circuit, so turn right and head around the north side of Natone Hill, with views of Geilston Bay (the bit with water in it!) and industrial establishments across the River Derwent such as Selfs point and the zinc works. Views of Mount Wellington open up. You will come to a track heading uphill on the left, named the Selfs Point View Track. This climbs steadily to the top of the hill, with better views of the mountain opening up.

From the top, another track heads down towards the Tasman Bridge, and provides good views of it. Turn left on a walking track before you reach Tianna Road, and this will wind back around the hill to return you to the start.

The walk will probably take less than an hour. I went round twice to explore more than one route. This is a good easy walk in the bush for those days when the weather isn't great or you don't have much time.

The Tasman Bridge from Natone Hill

Arm End - 23rd June 2012

I've been re-doing various walks close to Hobart so I can put together a set of the best ones that are easily accessible from the city. This is probably the one furthest by road, requiring a drive all the way around South Arm to Opossum Bay.

Mount Direction, Hobart and the Tasman Bridge from Arm End - 23rd June 2012

I've previously provided a walk description, but I will be updating this and others when I put all these Hobart walks in a website sometime. (Soon...)

Rocks in Mary Ann Bay and Mount Wellington - 23rd June 2012

I note that some tree-planting has been undertaken near the Gellibrand vault, as well as restoration work on the vault, which has been fenced and excavated. You can still see the vault from across the fence.

The restored and fenced Gellibrand vault - 23rd June 2012

This is a good walk for a day with dubious weather, although segments can be quite exposed to the wind blowing off the very obvious Mount Wellington.

Taroona cliffs and the Shot Tower from Arm End - 23rd June 2012

Knocklofty Summit Loop - 29th May 2012

Rounding out this current short series of walks close to Hobart, is this nice walk accessible from the top of Forest Road. I'll have a few more close-to-town walks shortly, to be put into a Hobart Walks website. In the meantime, there are a small maze of tracks and pads on Knocklofty that seem worthy of exploration.

The summit loop is well marked, and can be started and finished either from the upper carpark or the walking track entrance to Knocklofty located by the turning circle at the top of Forest Road. Make sure you don't get locked inside the carpark, and if in doubt just park at the top of Forest Road and take the extra 15 minutes' walk to return from this point. Walk up the hill from the lower entrance, until you emerge next to the upper carpark. From here walk around to the right, past the open area with benches and tables and a good view of Hobart, and on, to fork left and up the hill. A few minutes later turn left and more steeply uphill, and follow the 4WD track as it climbs steeply under the electricity wires and on up the hill.

The loop is well marked on posts, but you will turn right across the top of the hill, then left and right again to go back under the wires pretty much at the summit. There are views here to the northern suburbs and hills. The track then descends and becomes a narrow walking track through very pleasant bush, zigzagging down the hill, then heading more directly around the hill back towards the start. You emerge on 4WD tracks near the Frog Ponds, and follow the main track back around the hill to where you forked off uphill earlier.

There are various other tracks you can explore, and it is tricky to get lost, although I caution that just behind here I once missed a turn and ended up at Pottery Road, Lenah Valley rather than climbing the back of Knocklofty - among the trees sometimes it's hard to tell exact direction. I estimate this walk at just under an hour without deviation or stopping to look at the view.

Hobart from the Knocklofty Lookout - 29th May 2012

Sunset clouds from the Knocklofty summit - 29th May 2012

The open forest near Knocklofty summit - 29th May 2012

Lambert Creek to Mount Nelson to Taroona - 27th May 2012

This is a semi-suburban walk which passes close to houses at both ends, and briefly in the middle, but is mainly in the pleasant bush on the slopes of Mount Wellington. You can do the walk as either a return walk or use a car/pushbike/bus shuffle to just walk one way.

Leafy Lambert Avenue is the starting point for this walk.

Starting at the Sandy Bay end, there is ample parking in Lambert Avenue (opposite the casino), which is one of the leafiest and most salubrious walk-starts you can find. You can head off from the lower entry to the park (The Rivulet Track) or just walk to the end of the road and head off on the wider track which goes to Churchill Ave more directly. Crossing Churchill Ave the track doglegs to the right, but is signposted well. The track is easy to follow from here as it heads up the hill, sometimes steeply. Follow the signs to the Signal Station. Quite a bit of work has gone into this track. The park is known as Bicentennial Park - the 200 years being those from 1804 to 2004 marking the establishment of Hobart. It is interesting to see the vegetation change as you leave the gully and climb onto the ridge.

Good track work makes the climb easy

The northern suburbs of Hobart on a rainy Sunday from the Signal Station

At the Signal Station there are good views, and then the track continues on to Taroona, in the Truganini Reserve. There is a brief sidetrack to view the Truganini memorial, placed in 1976 to note 100 years since her death. The track descends gradually and then steeply into a gully which gets wetter, and thence to the large parking area on the Channel Highway.

The Truganini Memorial near the Mount Nelson Signal Station

The walk is likely to take around 1 3/4 to 2 hours one-way, longer with a stop for the views.

If returning from Mount Nelson to Lambert Creek, the alternative Loop Track (signposted) can be taken to vary the walk. It will only take a few minutes extra.

View Lambert Creek - Mount Nelson - Taroona in a larger map