Harts Hill- Baretta Reserve - Dru Point 2016

Today we're walking around Margate on a typical Tassie autumn day. Cloud, blue sky, clear, showers etc. Never boring. We're led for part of the way by Sally before she has to take off and leave us in Bob's hands.

We park at the Margate oval and head off onto the Margate Tramway Track which leaves on the south side of the ground.

I arrived when people were dropping their kids off at the primary school and there was no room at the club rooms to park, so I parked on the other end of the oval. 

Sally grouped everyone for a photo. Makes a change to see their faces!

I did suggest everyone should turnaround to keep the photo normal, but they declined.

Off we go

The Margate Tramway ran from the Wallsend Colliery coal mine at Kaoota down to the wharf at the end of Gemalla Rd. Built in 1906 it was 20km or 12 miles long and had a 610mm or 2 foot gauge.

The jetty was about 80 metres long and could service ships with up to a 7 metre draft.

History lesson over, we continue on.

Looking towards Tinderbox

It's a wide right of way that leads us to Englefield Drive.

We follow Englefield to Frosts Road and turn left. This leads us to the turnoff to Harts Hill.

Heading up

Looking back

Near the top

The marker is at the top and there's a bench for you to sit and enjoy the view.
It wasn't bad when we arrived, but we're surrounded by fast moving cloud fronts.

Looking west

Mt. Wellington is hidden in cloud

Across North West Bay to Tinderbox

We move on, down a steep slippery track towards the Channel Highway. Along the way we pass some colourful flowers.

Open bush with many tracks

We look for a place to have Morning Tea, which we find. Tea finished we move towards the Channel Highway which we cross to pick up the next track.

This takes us down to the Channel and around the shoreline

Dave Burrows was a local orchardist who first laid out the track.

The start of the track at Baretta

Looking south at the North West Bay Marina

A rainbow over Coningham, to the south

Tramway Creek runs into this little bay

We cross the creek on a raised walkway, that leads us to Gemalla Road which was the site of the coal wharf in the past.

Looking back at Harts Hill

Interesting stationary engine

It's a Gordon and was outside of some workshops in Gemalla Road. Somewhere here we've passed over the old route of the Tramway to the wharf. Shortly past here Sally abandons us to the mercies of Bob as she has another appointment to attend. We turnoff onto another right of way leading back to the shore, past the old Austal shipbuilding site with its large shed.

I know a number of small industries were using the facilities, but now I see the big shed is being expanded to almost twice its length. I wonder what's happening?

Shipbuilding shed being expanded

This is the Bundalla walking track

 The track leads us to the Esplanade and Beach Road, along the way this boat at anchor catches our attention.

Zooming in, it's a tourist boat with a mobile number and advertising whale watching

Mystery solved, we continue onto Dru Point for lunch. Since leaving Harts Hill we've had a couple of showers so are looking for sheltered accommodation.

At last, Tas isn't looking back to see where I am

We have a new member, Carol, and she's way back taking photos. Altogether a new experience for me not to be last.

Group of swans feeling safe in the park

Safe enough to dance

Lunch ahead and the shower has stopped

Lunch finished, we make our way along the Dru Point Track, back to Beach Road and around the houses to the Margate Oval and our cars.

North West Bay

Dru Point Track

 A good walk with a variety of Tasmanian weather to keep it interesting.

We had 13 walkers and covered 10.43km in 3:28 hrs. Always treat views from the top of Harts Hill.

Click here to download GPX

Lambert Ave to Mt. Nelson 2016

Today we climb from Lambert Ave in Sandy Bay to the Mt. Nelson Signal Station, then wend our way back along various tracks, led by Bob.

I made sure I knew where we were parking as the last time I (and several others) parked up at the entry gate. We were wrong at that time and had to walk down the hill to the others and backup to where we were parked. That walk was also led by Bob!

Everyone looks happy and the weather isn't bad

Good view of Mt. Wellington and the organ pipes

Lots of choices in an urban area

Nice wide track with several leading off

Soon we reach Churchill Ave. and continue along before turning off at the back of Waimea Heights Primary School, cutting between their athletic fields.

Churchill Ave for a short distance...

...and we turn off here

Through the schools tempting playground...

...completely ignoring the very tempting slide

We walk a short distance before cutting through the hedgerow on the right onto scrub ground.

There are actually houses all around us

Walking parallel to the Maning Rivulet, we pass this impressive pile of large rocks, the purpose of which I do not know

Over Maning Rivulet and up a way before we have our first climb

These steps lead us to Churchill Ave again, which we cross

We're still walking parallel to the rivulet, but where we, in the past, used to continue on is now blocked because of new houses, so we take a set of steps up to Sunvale Ave, continuing around the houses and up.

The other side of Churchill Ave, walking down into the scrub

Scrub

We've arrived at Sunvale Ave

It's a short winding walk up to the next level and does have some views. We're getting them for free.

Looking up the River Derwent. Wrest Point Casino tower in the middle

I suppose this road will be part of a new subdivision someday

Until then we walk on what appears to be an old access road from the past.

Remains of old road/track

This area has been stripped for building. It's been like this for some while

Bob helps one of our ladies up the slope. I think Ron knows he has Buckley's hope of any similar help

Just for our overseas friends, the phrase "Buckley's hope" is derived from
"you've got Buckley's or none", meaning no chance at all or it's as good as impossible. The Macquarie Dictionary accepts this meaning, however the ANU Australian National Dictionary Centre supports the theory that it comes from a pun on the name of a defunct Melbourne department store chain, Buckley & Nunn.

I think Macquarie Dictionary has it right as it's a much more interesting story involving an escaped convict in Australia's past. If you're remotely interested,
CLICK HERE.

You can never stop learning.

Back to the walk. We pick up a track at the top which leads us to our Morning Tea spot with a view.

Looking up river with the casino tower in the middle

A new park

This will be our Morning Tea stop

Casuarina or She oaks

Tea finished, we move up for our final climb to the Signal Station.

Waiting for everyone to be ready

It's a steep climb on a winding track which brings us out just below the Signal Station.

Mt. Nelson Signal Station

We reach the station where there are great views. I didn't go inside as my boots were pretty muddy from the climb. Last year's story has photos from inside if you're interested. just look for Lambert Ave to Mount Nelson 2015 in our past walks.

The photos below show the extensive views. from the area outside of the 1811 station. The history is interesting and you can CLICK HERE for the story of Mt. Nelson Signal Station.

Looking over South Arm and Opossum Bay

Looking towards Tranmere

Now a restaurant

I think that's Betsey Island in the distance

After a comfort stop, we continue on.

We've done our climbing, now it's along and down

Thin soil up here

We turn off onto a side track we've walked before...

...and found this

More destruction of the bush just to build more houses

We head back away from the damaged bush and look for lunch

We're walking through the Bicentennial Park according to the map.

Interesting gum tree. It would be impressive on a moonlit night

We find a spot with seating for all on fallen trees for lunch. Afterwards Bob finds a faint track we decided to follow. 

It brings us out to the main track to the Signal Station

It's a bit early, but we continue along it to where we would have eventually joined it. There we turn off onto another track leading down, passing this interesting gum. Someone had a bit of time to spare in the past.

We walk down steep zig zags until we reach Lambert Rivulet to walk beside it.

Most of the track hasn't had work done for a long time and can be tricky getting down the remains of old stone steps.

We reach the rivulet and cross a small foot bridge

Lambert Rivulet

Not far to go

We reach the entrance and walk back to the cars. The weather was kind to us, again, and it was quite a nice walk.

I forgot to take note of the number of walkers, I think it was 9. Anyway we covered 7.92km in 3:44 hours. You can add another 8.8km because of our uphill climb of over 878 metres. This is based on Naismith's rule if you're interested. You can look it up.

A good walk with better weather than last time.

Click here to download GPX file