Lower Mountain Tracks 2018

Today is a perfect day to walk some of the lower tracks of Mt. Wellington. Clear, sunny and the perfect temperature for walking. We park at the old quarry in Fern Tree.

Getting ready

We climb up the steps and enter the gloom of the rain forest. It's only a short way up before we turn left onto the Pillinger Drive Track, following it to the junction with the Pipeline Track and heading towards Silver Falls.

Silver Falls Track

Browns River downstream from Silver Falls

Silver Falls

A little bridge takes us across the river and we continue on, heading towards the Middle Track. Left at the junction and we're now climbing towards Radfords Track. We ignore the apparent shortcut of Reids Track as it never looks too inviting.

Middle Track

Left on Radfords Track and we're heading for the Springs and Morning Tea.

Radfords Track, heading up to the Springs

The sun is shining when we arrive at the Springs for Morning Tea and there's plenty of seating available.

Morning Tea at the main table

Overflow

Some opportunistic locals come to visit and Wayne contributes a few treats.

Black Currawong or to use the popular name, Strepera fuliginosa

A mate watches from a nearby gum

Morning Tea finished, we cross Pinnacle Road to take the Lenah Valley Track towards Junction Cabin. We'll make a couple of detours along the way.

First detour

There is a child-proof gate we have to get through, but the views from the rock shelf are terrific!

Wayne pointing out the distant features

There is also a good view of the Organ Pipes

If the cable car goes through, you won't have this view. Proponents of the car say there is already unsightly construction on the mountain in the form of the T.V. towers.  I say that technology is moving ahead rapidly, and I believe that a day will come, probably sooner than later, that these large towers will no longer be needed.

Looking over Hobart towards the eastern shore of the River Derwent

We head back to the track and continue on towards lunch at Junction Cabin.

Pleasant walk among the tall trees

There are a few rocky sections to cross...

...offering further glimpses of the Mountain...

...and Hobart

Up close and personal with a fallen tree

Even the rocks are worth looking at

 A number of old, rotten tree trunks border the track, and I can see that something has been having a feed from most of them. Echidna?

The rotten core has been pulled out to get at insects

A beautifully polished boot offers scale

Another scree slope, looking up

We continue past Rock Cabin. I didn't photograph it as there are pictures in earlier blogs.

On we go, heading for another diversion at Lone Cabin.

The cabin as it is today

There was a cache in here the last time, but it has disappeared

Small fireplace next to the door

Surrounding bush

I remembered that someone had lived here ago, but not the exact dates or details. Fortunately, I had found the history of the cabin, which is a bit like Grandfather's axe, which had four handles and three new heads but was still Grandfather's axe.

To save those who are interested the chore of looking it up in an earlier blog, below is the story of Lone Cabin.

Lone Cabin

Built in 1911 by C. Drew, L. Griffiths, D. Griffiths and J. Lennox. Partly
rebuilt later (when or before occupied by D. Griffiths).

Burnt in the 1967 bush fires and rebuilt again in 1970. This timber & stone hut, with stone chimney, was at the head of Myrtle Gully. Davies (1972) states 'Lone Cabin was originally constructed with a bark roof, but later the bark was replaced by split palings, with some sheet iron as ridge capping. The cabin lasted until it was burnt down in the early 1930s. Soon afterwards it was rebuilt in
enlarged form by Danny Griffiths with help from friends. The rebuilt hut
had flattened iron sheet roofing and had a 'boulder veneer' construction of
clay bonded dolerite and a lining of split timber. R&K Davies (2001)
note that while Danny Griffiths was in residence the hut also had a cellar for alcohol. 

In the 1960s the hut was beginning to deteriorate (some
stones lost from the chimney and a broken window) but otherwise in
good condition. Tracks were still clear and in use. The third version (post
1967 bushfire) was built by HWC members and friends – in 1967 the hut
was 'reduced to a heap of rubble and twisted tin' (Abrahams – only the
lower walls and chimney base survived), but the cabin was rebuilt (was
being rebuilt in 1969) – 'basically the same structure as before' but
designed more for the casual visitor. The rebuilding was undertaken by
Ted, Cornish, Frank Morely, Bill Waller, and Roy Davies and his family.
The HCC staff repaired the hut after fire damage to timber wall and
rafters above the fireplace in 1996.

Lived in for over 20 years [1930s-1950s] years by Danny Griffiths, a Hobart hairdresser, after his retirement (including when the land was bought from the Cascade Brewery). Was only one of 2 huts that were allowed to stay in private hands. 

Griffiths was made an honorary ranger for Wellington Park. According to Nicholson (2001) one of his main tasks was to look after the tracks and he notes that Griffiths built the original Myrtle Gully Track. Nicholson (2001) also notes that Griffiths avoided visitors (other than those people he knew such as the
Nicholsons who helped him with track work) and came and went by
various routes so as to avoid having an obvious track to the Cabin; that
Griffiths would go down to Fern Tree every Friday night have a drink at
the pub and collect his supplies for the week, but otherwise did not leave
the mountain; that Griffiths had tamed many local animals; and that there
was a grassy area outside the cabin where Griffiths had placed an upright
post in the ground and he had nailed to them pieces of wood that
Griffiths collected from on the mountain that looked like animals.
Griffiths moved to the Fern Tree Hotel when he was too old to live on
the mountain (in his late 80s) and died there in 1957.

The story is presented as typed, any errors aren't mine!

Leaving the cabin, we head back up the original track towards Junction Cabin where walkers who had seen Lone Cabin before have already started lunch.

Junction Cabin

Lunch was supposed to be at noon, but they are already hard at it when we arrive.

Bob's away and standards are slipping.

I notice a sign just at the beginning of the Hunter Track, above the cabin.

After lunch, we head back on the North South Track, letting a cyclist leave first.

It's a dual use track so we keep an eye out for other mountain bikers. There was only one, who kindly waited for us to get by.

The rock slopes offer views along the way

Mt. Wellington as it should look

If you look carefully at the above photo, you can see a white spot just right of centre.

Just a bit of sheltered snow

We reach the Octopus Tree and the Shoobridge Track and turn left here.

The Octopus Tree

A very large gum tree growing over a very large rock. You can see a walker on the left to show you how big it is.

On we go, heading towards a turn onto the Circle Track and down to the Betts Vale Track which will take us to O'Grady Falls.

Recent fall of a big old gum

It's a steep, muddy and slippery track down

Doesn't really do this old tree justice. It was massive, several metres across at the bottom, but hidden mostly by the new growth

Another photo of the large gum tree

This leads into the Hobart Rivulet

You have to admire those who first walked up here

We soon reach O'Grady Falls and the bridge over the Hobart Rivulet.

Or one large and one small walker

O'Grady Falls

The others had continued on and stopped at a junction of tracks ahead. I had planned to take Woods Track from the falls but missed the sign as I hurried after them. It wasn't too far back, but after discussion I made an executive decision to take the suggestion to make our way back via O'Grady Falls fire trail and the Bracken Lane fire trail.

In the end, I was glad I did as it gave a chance to step out a bit after a slow climb down the rocky tracks.

We had 17 walkers and covered 11.32kms in 3:31hrs. I'm going to quote the moving time in future, not the total time spent on the walk.

It was nice to get on the mountain again and makes you appreciate what is available so close to the capital city.

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