Wingara Rd – Powder Magazine 2015

Today we're walking from the start of Wingara Rd. at Howden, around the coast and looping back to walk up Magazine Gully. We're led by Bob who's promised us a steep climb today.

We park at the phone box near the junction of Wingara and Brightwater Rd.

Taking off at a rate of knots, they leave me still getting ready

 It's a good thing the road isn't dusty because at the speed they were going I wouldn't have been able to see them. It took me a long time to catch up!

There they go, and that's the rear group!

I did manage to take a couple of photos and catch up.

I've caught up and I think they've settled down a bit

Looking across North West Bay towards Margate

It's a pleasant walk along the dirt road as there's no traffic. Soon however, we turn off onto the beach, walking past the typical sandstone of the area. It was a little slippery on the flat surfaces , but finally we came to where we turn off the beach to pick up the shore track.

Water bird wading out

Looking past the pair of swans to the boat building shed at Margate

Sculptured sandstone along the foreshore

There were large quantities of these lying around. I joked they were old table tennis balls. It sounded better than saying we were standing on piles of bladders

This is the coastal track entering a nice she-oak section.

The track runs between the shore and several properties with large houses on the other side. Eventually it becomes scrub before coming to Morwong Street, which sounds grander than it is. To our right is the old Powder Jetty which is now used by the fish farms so we can't go there. It's getting warm and here we stop to strip off a layer.

There's always one!

Removing a layer or two

It's a short walk up to Tinderbox Rd. where we turn left and head for the turnoff to the Powder Magazine.

I thought Bob had laid on some transport, but no, it's a road gang

There are some works going on a little way in front, they're improving the drainage under Tinderbox Rd.

That describes us

I always relate the graphic on this sign as a warning about politicians ahead. 

 We come up to the flagman and have to wait until we're cleared to pass the works. I think he was amused and probably felt like a school crossing guard.

Allowed through, we passed comments with the other workers. Not a bad place of employment on a nice day like this one.

Safely through, I look back

On we go. You can walk on the right, but we didn't want to destroy their work on the bank

 It's only a short way to our turnoff, at one point we go right and walk a little track just off the road.

We turn off at the gate and head for a known sunny bank for Morning Tea.

The start of Magazine Gully

Morning Tea

While having a break with views, we notice a woman walking up from the little gully in front of us. When she reached us she asked if we were a walking group and explanations were made about U3A. Turns out, she lives in the house we could see across the way, belongs to a couple of groups including the Hobart Walking Club and was interested in where we were going and what route we were following.

Bob gave her what information he could while I gave her a card with this blog address and suggested she check it in a couple of days and all her questions would be answered!

 After tea, we walked up the old access road to the Powder Magazine to the gate. This is where we found why this walk had the additional rating of S+.

Wellington. I wanted to get a photo of snow, and you can just see some through the cloud at the summit

Old road to the magazines

So this is what S+ means

This way up. I think Peggy just has something in her eye and is not emotional at the sight of the climb

 As we stopped and looked (Addie was dead keen to start!) Bob offered anyone who didn't feel comfortable climbing the chance to continue on to the end of the road and wait about an hour for the rest of us to arrive. No one took him up on this and all said we would be happy to climb.

So we started up a surface of loose rock and some mud. It was steep, Google Earth showed around 22%, but it felt more than that. On the way up some of us talked about giving a new definition to this sort of climb. Bob uses wee/tiny/small to describe hills. I suggested 'shallow cliff' but Sue suggested 'short of vertical' which I shall call 'SOV' in future. I would advise anyone with a particularly long nose to wear some form of protection. Your face gets quite close to the ground.

We're told it "Levels out on top." Well, so does Everest!

Despite all this, we made it to the top to discover there is a house up there, just a little below us. There is also a hairy  dog, very friendly and complete with matching tennis ball it was encouraging us to throw. I told it I get enough of that at home, but some other suc... or should I say walker complied with his request.

Leaving Bob's best mate behind, we continued up through open fields along an old vehicle track until we come to the point where we turn left.

Bottom shots are unavoidable here

Looking down...

...and to the side

These ladies requested I go ahead and take a photo looking back. Just an excuse for a break!

Up through the open fields. Not a steep walk

Another view of Mt. Wellington still with cloud

West over North West Bay

Towards Sleeping Beauty

Closer view of the reflections on the water

A serious discussion about gum nuts

We reach the top. To our right is another peak not much higher then we are, but it has a mobile phone tower on it. We're turning left to find the track from some months ago and walk down to the Powder Magazine.

Heading for our down hill track

Going down. Most of the area on our left has been burnt in a controlled fire that took place after our first walk in the area

Now, where are they?

Not as steep as the first climb

Someone's been at this one

When we reach the magazine area, we continue down past the buildings to head back towards the foreshore for lunch.

These are not in use now - as far as we know

Reading the board at the old gate house

While walking along the foreshore to lunch, this was pointed out to me as a fungus and a request made to photograph it. I passed no comment, just did what I was told. But I doubt if I will be able to identify this in my fungi book.

Dodgy fungus

Time for lunch

Panorama of North West Bay

Addie spotted this rainbow to the south. If it's only a portion of a rainbow, does that mean you only find a portion of the treasure?

After lunch it's back to the cars.

We had 13 walkers and covered 10.8km in 3:51hrs. For a day that wasn't supposed to have such good weather, it was actually a beautiful day for walking or just sitting and looking.

A good walk and I would do it again anytime.

Our friend from last week (Knocklofty 2015) turned out to have a bad sprain but will be fine.

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