Montrose Towards Cadbury's 2016

Today we're being led by Julie and Richard on a walk from the Derwent Entertainment Centre to (nearly) Cadbury's.

We're mainly walking along the shore of the Derwent River and although we do pass some bushes, it's not a bushwalk.

We've got a big group as we set out from the car park at the DEC.

On our way and it's going to be warm

There are a couple of raised walkways across two inlets to Elwick Bay

Mt. Direction on the eastern shore

Gleaming in the sun like Camelot is our destination, Cadbury's chocolate factory

This is a popular walk with the locals

Our first destination is going to be MONA (Museum of Old and New Art) where we'll have Morning Tea in the grounds. Before that we walk along to Montrose Bay High School where we take to the footpath along the Brooker Highway then off and along the old Main Rd.

Soon, we turnoff into the entrance through the vineyards that leads to the museum.

Mt. Wellington has a little cloud on top

Looking back at the DEC

Looking back the drive to MONA

We're heading up the hill

The museum is closed today, but there are a few tourists around the grounds. We find a large wooden table at the top and settle down to watch a couple of people doing maintenance work while we have our break. Few things are more enjoyable then watching others work.

Morning Tea

Watching the workers

Break finished, we continue through the grounds to Cameron Bay where we take a short path along the foreshore. This leads us to the old caravan park which has been bought by David Walsh of MONA who has plans to provide accommodation in refurbished old caravans and cabins, or some such thing.

We did find a nectarine tree in full fruit and did our best, but there's plenty left. And very tasty it was.

Getting closer

I hope they don't cut down this tree when they landscape the old caravan park

 We walk on the track around Lowestaft Bay which takes us through a linear park called the Australian Trackers and War Dogs Memorial Park.

I didn't realize this was a selfie until I put it on the computer

Many of the trees have plaques also

I was taking photos of some of the memorial plaques and Sue was having a look around when we realized no one else was in sight. I've been on this walk before, which was a good thing as long as no changes have been made. So we took off and to cut a long story short it took the best part of a kilometer before we caught up with the main group. The worst part about it is I don't think anyone knew we were missing!

Still, it would have been hard to get lost with the river on the right and a dual lane road on the left.

I did manage to photo some of the waterbird life on the banks.

That white splodge in the middle is the DEC

Oh, there they are

We continue on and the temperature is getting higher.

Mt. Direction from another angle

We reach a shelter and there's a discussion about whether we continue on as it's open ground from now on and some are worried about the heat. It's decided to split here, so some will stay and others will continue on.

The 'A' team continues on sans packs

It's only just over there, but we have to walk around Windemere Bay to reach it.

There are some wet lands here so we cross over this nice old sandstone bridge and back down

We don't actually go up to the factory but do a loop around the fairly new (to me) War Memorial where we find some interesting signs.

The Remount Units prepared horses, largely unbroken, for war. When ready the horses were shipped out along with the remount company that trained them. The company started out at Pontville and moved to Claremont, I believe.

I found some information that appears above, but may be a little hard to read. This is from Hobart Mercury 15 September 1915 and sets out the requirements and numbers of troops needed. Each municipality in Tasmania was given a quota of men and asked to supply them. For instance, Kingborough's quota was one.

The company was to be made a number of ranks and skills including farriers and shoeing smiths plus 83 privates which would include 20 rough riders.

If you're interested in joining you must be between 40-50 years (exceptions were made for rough riders), at least 5 foot 2 inches with a 33 inch chest and weigh no more then 14 stone or about 89 kilograms.

Moving on, we start back to join the others and have lunch.

On the way back we getting near our destination when Ron and I decide to take a more direct route than the others, particularly as I can see the top of the shelter. We'll call ourselves the 'A+' team for using our initiative, and reach the lunch spot some minutes before the 'A' team.

Didn't we cop it for taking a shortcut! Never mind. We wake up the 'B' team and have lunch.

Lunch

How the 'B' team spent the time until we got back

Lunch finished, we drag ourselves to our feet and start back. It wasn't long before we came to a spot where Bob said I had to take a longer path because of the earlier shortcut. Ron proved to be conveniently out of earshot at this time.

So, off I set on a loop that would bring me back at the tail end of the group when I rejoined. Actually, it's the old track and was much more interesting and had better views then the new one.

The punishment track Bob sent me on

The others are up there some where, bounding along a modern track

Still, I found a good view...

...and rejoined the others

There were several other minor variations along the way back which didn't amount to much. Now, we're just heading back to the cars and it's hot.

The waterbirds have changed shift, the pelican has been replaced by the swans

Nearly back to the parking lot

Now, there were several queries re distance walked due to all the group variations, so I'll give you my results.

A+ covered 14.89km
A    can add 285 metres to that
B   covered 11.4km

All figures are final. No correspondence will entered into re results.

One final remark, I saw the banner below outside of the Granada Tavern. If you don't know, Beccy Cole is a talented country singer/song writer. Frankly though, judging from her picture on the banner, I wouldn't attend her concert without a large bag of salt and a couple of sharpened wooden stakes for protection! She doesn't look too sweet to me.

We had 19 walkers and officially covered 14.89km in 4:04hrs. When I got back into the car the outside temperature was 34C and dropped down to 31C by the time we got back to Kingston.

Click here to download GPX file