Kingston Walk & Christmas lunch 2014

Today we're  going to walk around Kingston. It's actually only a time killer until we can all return to Peggy's for our annual Christmas lunch.

The weather was muggy and warm with lots of cloud. The walk was initially led by Tas, until he suddenly took off in the direction of McDonalds, leaving Bob to carry on and stop us from wandering aimlessly.

We first went down the hill to the Wetlands behind the Kingston Hotel. I've only see these from the road while going into Kingston, and was very surprised at how much work Kingborough Council had put in to a facility to treat stormwater before releasing it into Brown's River.

Crossing the road we picked up the track that leads under the Outlet and follows Browns River, providing a paved way for the 'Walking School Bus". I wonder if this is still in operation?

Coming back to Summerleas Rd., we walked through suburbia before turning off onto a side road.

Walking down from Mona Street.

Into the wilds of the Kingston Stormwater Wetlands.

Don't know. Perhaps the ducks are getting creative.

Bob in suburbia looking apprehensive. 

As a child, my mother taught me a gentleman should walk next to the road to protect the lady from runaway horses. I have to say, it worked and no female was ever injured by a horse while in my company.

Just ahead we turned off and walked up to and then below the Twin Ovals complex, and found dirt!

Experimental over the head and pointing backwards potluck shot.

Bob led us onto the mountain bike track and SOME people tried cutting corners, much to Bob's displeasure.

Bob leading the way.

Gang of Three shortcut takers. You know who you are.

Looking back at Kingston.

Think of the movie '2001' and the monolith found on the moon.

It appears to be some sort of a jump for culling the numbers of bike riders.

Bob led us around the curly blue bit.

The 'Road to Nowhere'. Locals will know what this means.

After the rigours of walking the bike track, it was time for Morning Tea.

Bob spots a wee/little/small hill we haven't climbed yet. Gordon is unimpressed.

After tea, we walk back towards Kingston High School, while overlooking a cricket match at one of the ovals.

Cricket Match.

Back of Kingston High.

 

Coming back to Summerleas Rd., we cross and wend our way through rights of way and quiet streets to finally cross the Southern Outlet to make our way back for lunch.

Looking south along the outlet.

Using a track alongside the Kingston turnoff.

St. Clements Kingston.

I took the above because I knew I had an old photo to show what Kingston used to be like.

St. Clements in the distance on the left with Kingston Hotel opposite. Walking in Kingston would have been better than today.

It was time to make our way back to the start for lunch. We were supposed to be back at noon, and Bob got us back 3 minutes and 30 seconds early. Not bad going, but as Maxwell Smart would say to 99, "Missed it by that much!". For non fans of commercial T.V., that's from Get Smart that ran from '65 to 1970.

Lunch was a feast at Peggy's house with DVD sideshows of Tasmanian and foreign walks, (Western Australia counts as foreign) provided by some of our walkers, and by Tas from his latest adventure aboard a bulk carrier.

This was but a small part of the feast. More was to come.

"And they're off!"

Peggy taking a well earned break.

We've had the Gang of Three, here's the Gang of Four.

Thanks to Peggy and everyone who supplied such excellent food. It's impossible to name them all, I mean, some mornings I have to check my drivers licence when I get up.

We had around 10 walkers and covered 10.92km in 2:57hrs. David's GPS said 10.88km so we were pretty close in distance covered. 


Click here to download GPX file