Today we're parking near the junction of Wingara and Brightwater Road in Howden. Bob is taking us along Wingara Road to the end then up along the foreshore until we reach Tinderbox Road and beyond.
It's a low cloud possible showers type of day and there's some difference of opinion among the walkers as to whether rain gear is warranted. Looking across North West Bay we can see they're having rain and it appears to be heading our way.
In the end it passed us by and the day gradually got better.
Before we left the end of Wingara Road, Bob issued a challenge. This was to notice any deviations from last year's walk. I was too far away, probably taking photos, to hear what dire consequence would apply to anyone who got this wrong. No pressure, then!
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| Overcast and possible showers... |
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| ...which they're getting over there |
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| Wingara Road |
I can see someone is either putting on or taking off their rain coat.
Soon we turn off after being challenged by Bob.
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| There's a track that runs along the foreshore |
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| Sometimes you have to go down to go up again |
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| Well, it's nearly a track |
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| It's not looking any better |
We walk along until we reach Tinderbox Road near the jetty where we turn left, heading up the road towards a Morning Tea spot.
Turning off towards the Powder Magazines, we find a comfortable spot for our break.
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| Morning Tea spot |
Peter, who's been away in Western Australia, appears to be giving thanks for his escape from the Sandgropers and safe return to Tassie. Or perhaps he knows what's coming up after our break.
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| This is what's coming up |
Some of us have been up this hill before. It's steep and slippery and leaves the track just past the gate to the Powder Magazines. It's the sort of track that you want to keep your momentum up because if you stop you end up sliding down.
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| Bob helping the girls up the bank |
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| Heading up |
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| Looking back |
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| Smarter than us, the local wildlife walk across this slope. NOT up |
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| Nearly there |
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| Risking sliding down again, I take a photo for all the fungus lovers out there |
We regroup at the top and set off towards the top of Tinderbox Hills. It's an easy walk now on open ground with views all around. We follow a faint 4WD track.
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| Ready for the next climb |
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| There's a rainbow over Electrona |
It'll always be Electrona to me, not Peggy's Beach.No offense, Peggy.
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| Better shot from here |
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| As you can see, the weather is getting better |
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| Mt. Wellington, however, still has cloud on top |
It was about this time I heard distant shouts from some walkers further up. I couldn't hear what they were saying but could see they were pointing up.
I was just under a gum tree and tried to see what was catching their attention. Helicopter, Zeppelin, Donald Trump? Just then I saw a large bird fly overhead, too fast to get the camera out. I watched as it flew away and appeared not to be returning. However, it had a mate and I just managed to get this picture below. According to the definitions Peter and I have devised, it's a LBB or Large Brown (or Black) Bird.
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| LBB (see above) |
On we go, heading for a turn to the left along another track.
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| Good view of Wellington from here |
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| About to leave the faint track we've been following |
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| Heading north now |
We continue along for a while before coming to the turnoff that leads down to the Powder Magazines.
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| Heading down |
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| Possibly a sacrifice to the track god from Bob's last trip up here |
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| This leads down past the Powder Magazine buildings |
I took photos of the buildings and covered the story on our last walk here. Just do a search for
Powder Magazine using the new search box you will find if you click on the
Past Walks tab.
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| The back of the gate keepers office |
It's tiny and must have been pretty warm in the winter as it appears to have a small fireplace. Unfortunately you can't see inside. The site information sign is on the other side.
We keep going past the start of the steep track from earlier and find a dry, comfortable spot for lunch.
While having lunch we spot this artifact just opposite us. As we were leaving I walked over to have a look at it. It is a drain pipe covering a star picket. For what reason, I can only guess.
The money ran out before the builder got started.
They're waiting for the plumber to come back and finish.
It's a star picket with pretensions.
It's rural art associated with Dark MOFO.
Full of questions we head back to Tinderbox Road and the return walk back to the cars.
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| Being rugged, we don't walk on the road but beside it |
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| This gave me a chance to photograph these bracket fungi |
Soon, however we have to move down to the road, crossing all this rubbish carefully piled up as a good bushfire starter, come the season.
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| Back to what used to be the Powder Jetty |
As we're walking down red graveled Tinderbox Road, I'm keeping my eyes open for anything interesting. Suddenly, I realize I'd seen a round shape in the wet gravel piled up along the road edge. I spun around and walked back a couple of paces. At this time I would like to apologize to the two walkers I knocked into the path of the oncoming car. But what's a couple of broken bones against treasure? Yes, I'd found money. At first it looked like an old penny, but turned out to be more than that.
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| Rare 2001 20 cent piece |
Flush now with money, I continue on to catch up with the rest.
We walk back along the coast and road to the cars.
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| I found money and the sun's coming out |
A good (and profitable) walk. The weather stayed clear and everyone enjoyed the hills.
We had 11 walkers and covered 11.07km in 4:07 hrs.
Click here to download GPX file
The map below shows the minor differences between last year and this.
