Waterworks to Fern Tree 2016

Today we're walking from The Waterworks to Fern Tree and are led by Tas.

It's another abnormally warm autumn day with no chance of rain, so it's good for walking.

We park outside the gates then walk down and across the dam of the Lower Reservoir, frightening a large group of white cockatoos.

Water levels are down a bit

Across the dam

Noisy cockatoos

 We take the track on the other side and walk along to the top of the Upper Reservoir where we start the climb up to Gentle Anne Falls and the Pipeline Track.

Looking across the Upper Reservoir

You can just see the receiving house on the other side.

Crossing the Sandy Bay Rivulet which we follow for a short distance

There's very little water in the rivulet

Starting up Gentle Annie

Looking back you can just see the Derwent River

 Gentle Annie Falls, which is a hand cut channel, hasn't had water since the 1940s when the water was redirected to another, higher, reservoir at Ridgeway.

The original channels were built back in the 1860s and were constructed in stone and wood.

If anyone is interested in further history, Click here this will take you to an interesting blog called "On The Convict Trail".

Stone steps carved out of the sandstone

Original stone covered channel

 We continue on towards the top and run into something unexpected. Roadworks! I suppose I shouldn't be surprised as all Hobart can talk about these days is about all the roadworks happening in town.

And you thought you were safe out here in the bush

 We met a couple of cheerful gentlemen who were working to block unauthorized mountain bike tracks people had made. Bikes are banned from coming down here as per a sign at the top.

Channel in stone leading to collection point where it goes into the covered channel

Upper Reservoir with hills in distance

Mt. Wellington

We continue up the Pipeline Track, which is easy walking.

That area with the houses is known as the Turnip Fields

I endeavored to find out the history of this name, and found a source that said that in the 1930s during the depression, there were a number of huts here occupied mainly by women with children. They raised turnips in the fields and sold them to travelers on the Huon Road. This was from an ABC program about quirky street names in Hobart. It explains several of our more unusual street names in and around Hobart. Dru Point in Margate certainly sounds interesting! It's only short so you can Click here to watch it. 

On we go, passing the Valve House which was built in 1862 with local sandstone. I hate to see what this would look like today, judging from some of the new builds in Hobart.

Valve House

 We stop at the rest area on Chimney Pot Hill Road where it joins the Huon Road for Morning Tea.

After our break, Tas surprises us by taking us across the Huon Road to the bus shelter where a new track awaits us.

Heading for the bus shelter

New Track

This has been recently completed and leads up in a zig zag fashion to the end of Bracken Lane. It's a pleasant walk up and will give us a nice loop at this end of our walk.

Nicely constructed new stone bridge

Looking back down the track

Bracken Lane

 We walk up Bracken Lane the short distance to Pinnacle Road where we cross and take the Pillinger Drive Track to Fern Tree. Crossing the road at Fern Tree, we start down the Pipeline Track back towards the Waterworks.

Looking back Bracken Lane

Pillinger Drive Track

Walking along the covered water channel on the Pipeline Track

A blow-in discards its clothing in the Tasmanian Autumn

Two stone viaducts were constructed in the 1880s to replace a dilapidated wooden bridge

The second viaduct

We continue on, crossing Chimney Pot Hill Road, down to the turnoff at McDermotts Farm.

Turning off at the farm

All that remains of Bill McDermott's farm

To save your eyes, I've written his story below

 The farm belonged to the McDermotts for 100 years at the time of the 1967 bushfires. Bill McDermott was 80 y.o. and managed to save his cattle and his dog by fighting the fire alone. He did lose several barns and other structures. Unfortunately, only 10 days after the fire he was gored to death by his, probably, traumatized bull. Afterwards, the Hobart Council bulldozed what was left.

Bill gave his dog the interesting name of Brandy Shamrock McShane. I'm sure it was shortened when Bill called it to dinner.

Now, we're looking for a place for lunch and Tas chose a good spot with plenty of seating and views.

View from Bill McDermott's farm

Lunch spot at the top of a cliff

Good view

Series of drops at my feet

Lunch finished, we move on as Tas takes us to Sixpence Cave. Just for your information, the location of the cave on the map of the track below is incorrect.

Turning off towards the cave

 I thought I hadn't been here before, but Ron said we had. It wasn't until we left that I realized he was right. We'd been here on a walk from Tolmans Hill led by Bob.

Inside the cave. Unfortunately the metal box was empty

Lots of names in the soot from the campfire

Tas told a story that Sally, who led us on the 'Wilds of Austins Ferry' was on a walk here and went to view the cave. There Sally discovered Father Christmas who, I believe, made her a present of a beer. Sound implausible?  Seems it was part of the Christmas run by the Hobart Hash House Harriers and Harriettes, described on their website as a 'Drinking club with a running problem'. On the way back to the cars, we found proof which I shall present shortly.

Leaving the cave, we walk on.

From the cave, we pick up this old track which leads us around a couple of large tanks for water storage. We walk down the paved access road and turn off again into the bush.

We follow this track down a very steep incline. Some walkers considered sliding on their bottoms until I mentioned the large Inchman (large ants) I had just seen.

 At the bottom we cross a creek and find the evidence proving Sally's story.

Proof Father Christmas was in Sixpence Cave when Sally visited

From this point we walk back to the cars.

We had 10 walkers and covered 9.97km in 3:50hrs

It was a very good walk and I particularly like the new track that created the loop at Fern Tree plus the detour to Sixpence Cave.

Click here to download GPX file