Lower Mountain Tracks from Fern Tree 2015

Today's walk was on the lower slopes of Mt. Wellington, leaving from Fern Tree and we were led by Gordon.

We could see from our meeting place at the car park in Kingston that there was a bit of cloud hanging around the top of Mt. Wellington, but too high to bother us. Otherwise, the weather was mild and clear, the car gauge showing 15C which dropped to around 11C when we parked at Fern Tree.

We had a couple of new walkers join us today and I hope they had a good time.

Parking at the quarry near Fern Tree Tavern, we walked up the steps and through the entrance to the Fern Glade Track.

Getting geared up in the car park

I know the top sign gives more info, but I prefer the older one. Plus it isn't filled with restrictions!

Up we go, Gordon in front

You immediately get a drop in daylight as you enter the trees. This gives me the opportunity to put forward my first excuse. Because of the lower light my camera has to take longer exposures which gives rise to some blurring. I can correct some of it and I could use a flash but it looks too artificial. So, no complaints!

Into the bush and a world of ferns before we get our first sight of Mt. Wellington. I think it was William Bligh who called it 'Table Hill'. They should have made him walk up it, maybe he'd have had more respect. Admiral D'Entrecasteaux called it 'Le Plateau', so he wasn't much better.

A chart of 1793 by Lt John Hayes called it 'Skiddaw' - the name of a mountain in the Lake District of the U.K. Lt Governor Collins called it 'Table Mountain' which was a bit better, which it stayed until 1822 when it was called, finally, Mt. Wellington. Of course the Aborigines didn't have all this confusion, they just called it 'Kunanyi' That was only one tribe, of course. 'Unghbanyahletta' (my favourite) or 'Poorawetter' are other choices. So, in reality they were as confused as us.

We're heading to O'Grady's Falls. You can tell it's an old sign, they've put in the apostrophe

Mt. Wellington

After a short walk, we reach O'Grady's Falls via Betts Vale Track. Due to the thickness of the surrounding bush, it's difficult to get a good photo of the falls.

Leaving the falls we continue on various old tracks until we find a place for Morning Tea - for our new walkers, I always capitalize due to the importance of Morning Tea to our walks.

Not the best photo, but you can tell it's a water fall

Looking back

Eventually we reach Pinnacle Road and walk up to the start of the Shoobridge Track and head towards the Octopus Tree for tea. The Octopus Tree is a giant Gum that has grown over a large boulder, roots draping down the sides. It's difficult to get a good photo. So I didn't.

Settling down for our break, we suddenly realized that a large group of young people were a short distance away, staring at us. It turned out to be an excursion by a group of Hobart College students and their teachers, heading towards the aforementioned tree, so we kindly let them through.

Up Pinnacle Rd. for a short distance

Turning off here

Settling for our well earned break

Hobart College students viewing the Octopus Tree

After our break, we take a trail behind us that you can't see, but is a mountain bike track.

Just some of the plants we pass

Part of the bike track, you can go over or under the log

Next we come to the Finger Post Track, and a quick comfort break at the springs.

Photo by Carol. Very bush cathedral effect, I'm guessing it's the Fingerpost track

I won't bore you with how fast I had to travel downhill from the rear to get this photo of Peggy, Bob and Gordon.

I wondered why they had markers on the boulders until I found out they also ride bikes down at night

I wouldn't walk a bike down here in the day time, let alone ride at night!

Walking down we reach the Radfords Track, named after a young fellow who died here back in 1903 while in a race up the mountain. I should point out that there was no road up Wellington in those days.

The warnings don't worry me, we're on tank water

Not the only person to die on the mountain

Leaving the memorial, we travel on Woods Track and turn off here for lunch

Lunch at Rocky Whelans Cave.

John 'Rocky' Whelan was a bushranger who hid here in 1855, before being captured and charged with several murders around Hobart Town.

As I began to follow the others, Carol asked to borrow my camera and take a couple of photos, as I rarely appear in any of the walks. I began to climb when she made another comment that I had taken many photos of other peoples' bottoms.

Slightly unsettling photo by Carol of me climbing up. I think she follows too many greyhound's bottoms

Rocky didn't have great taste in caves, this more of an overhang

Now for lunch

Photo by Carol of me sorting my phone GPS program before lunch.

I noticed a track that appeared to go up and on top of the cave, so I had a look. There's a large log blocking the way, but it's all overgrown anyway, so I didn't continue.

Top of Rocky's cave

After lunch we made our way back to Woods Track and returned to Radfords Monument.

From the monument, we picked up the Fern Glade track and made our way towards Silver Falls.

Interesting fungus at entry to Rocky Whelans cave

Returning along Woods Track

It's a very pretty walk

Top of a man fern (Dicksonia antarctica)

Fern glade

Very large decapitated gum

Heading for Silver Falls

Near the top of the falls

Bottom of Silver Falls

Everyone waiting for the photographer. That's VERY rare!

From here we travel back towards Fern Tree and the cars.

Above photos are of the small creek from Silver Falls that is actually Browns River

Original marker

This was a great walk in excellent weather. Nothing difficult (that's next week) but very pleasant walking put together by Gordon.

If anyone would like to have photos included, just ask me and I'll tell you where to send them. I should warn you that if they're too good, I'll claim them for myself.

We had 14 walkers and covered 8.27km in 3:28 hours.

Click here to download GPX file