Tolmans Hill to Ridgeway 2019

Today we're walking from the top of Tolmans Hill down to the Ridgeway reservoirs and back.

We've done this walk before so this time I thought we'd do it in reverse. I have the track from before on my GPS, what could possibly go wrong?

It's an overcast day with the possibility of showers later as we set off from Woodridge St. up the access to the top of the hill.

Up the access from Woodridge St.

The first part of the walk is fairly flat

Soon, however we start down hill. There will be a lot of downhill today, which means a corresponding number of uphill treks.

Down we go. I reminded them we'll be climbing up here later

This area has had many varied activities
over the years and old tracks are everywhere

At the bottom of that first descent, we turn left onto another track and I begin to keep an eye open for the spot where we turn off to the right.

The GPS shows me the spot, but it's pretty clear anyway as we'll be following an old pipeline. This will eventually take us to the Ridgeway Reservoir, sometimes called the upper reservoir.

Ron and I are at the front when we spot something ahead. From the shape, we conclude it's an industrial bush toilet.

Bush toilet

Our guess about it being a toilet is confirmed in the next photo. Obviously of American origin as a "John" is equivalent to an Aussie dunny or loo......

On we go following the pipe up hill and down dale until we reach the dam.

Looking ahead

We reach the dam just in time for Morning Tea.

Morning Tea

Break finished, we walk the short distance back to the track and head for the other end of the reservoir and Ridgeway Road.

As we reach the junction I look at my GPS to find where we will start down on the other side. Nothing. Blank screen. The spare, fully charged batteries are dead. I change the batteries and reboot, but it takes a while. I resort to old fashioned paper and choose a track leading down.

Water level's low for this time of year

Heading down

As we wait for everyone to catch up, I spot a local across the road.

From this angle, our local seems to have a very fat tail

On we go, finally reaching the Water Works and the upper and lower reservoirs. After facilities have been used, we have a discussion re lunch.

We can see Mt. Wellington from here and it appears showers are heading our way.

Mt. Wellington with showers moving in from the left side

I suggest an early lunch as there is a shelter nearby, so we move in and settle down. Rain soon arrives with a couple of drops then becomes heavier.

We're OK inside but it seems apparent we're going to need our wet weather gear when we leave.

Lunch

Wet weather gear comes out

It seems we have a wanna be council worker with us. I get out my jacket, which is rare, and we brace ourselves for a wet walk.

Out we go, heading for the top of the upper reservoir under the guidance of Ron & Wayne. Are we getting wet? Well no, because as soon as we left the shelter the rain stopped and the sun came out. How's that for planning?

It does mean another stop to strip off again!

On we go, I'd forgotten about this track which will take us to Gentle Annie Falls.

Sun's out and everything's alright with the world

We cross the Sandy Bay Rivulet

Rocky outcrop farther up the hill

The track widens and becomes flatter

Soon we reach the climb up Gentle Annie Falls

You may notice that it stops being flat here.

The reservoir we left behind

The top

Gentle Annie isn't a waterfall at all. Convicts cut a channel into the sandstone to deliver water from farther up to the reservoirs. It wasn't until 1940 that the water was redirected around the falls by pipeline.

The photo below is from about 1906 and shows what it used to look like.

We walk up the Pipeline Track, turning off at the McDermotts farm track.

I didn't realize that McDermott's farm existed up until the 1967 bushfires. Bill McDermott, 80y.o. at the time, saved his home, dog Brandy and some of his cattle but was killed by one of his bulls a few days later. The Hobart City Council subsequently destroyed his home.

View from about the location of the farmhouse

Hobart and Eastern Shore below

"Oh look! Another hill!"

As we're leaving the farm I get a shout from ahead to come along and get my camera out. I thought they were looking at a bird until I realized it was something else on the ground.

What all the fuss was about. A Mountain Dragon or Rankinia diemensis

Not too far along something else is taking some of the group's interest.

Commonly known as poo

I took the photo and hoped to identify it when I got home. It's too large to be a rabbit and too small to be wombat.

I had a look for something similar in my PooFlip - Life-size guide to the scats of Tasmanian native mammals,( and yes, there is such a thing,) but could find nothing.

Perhaps it's a young wombat who isn't squared away yet.
Note: Wombats do cube shaped poos for those who don't know.

On we go, and by this time I have my GPS working again. We're heading for the track we came down earlier from Ridgeway Road. It seems from the display we're heading down and Wayne & Ron realize it the same time I do. Nothing for it but to go off track for a little climb.

Going up

We find the track we want and make our way back to Ridgeway Road, turning left and uphill for our return journey to the cars.

It's a climb but not too bad

You can look out over rolling hills and not know a capital city is a few minutes away

Leveling off at the top the track takes us back to the cars.

Safely back

We had 15 walkers and covered 10 km in 4:51hrs. We climbed 1191metres.


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Almost Grasstree Hill 2019

Today we're walking almost to Grasstree Hill, near Risdon Brook Dam. We've not done this walk since 2017.

The weather's good with just a bit of breeze as we set off from the car park.

Setting off

We cross the hillside just above the reservoir to pick up an old track. This used to be an old farm, judging from the artifacts still left in the bush.

It's a very dry area that's been logged in the past

Old sheep pen?

It appears to be all constructed by hand split posts and rails

Loading ramp

 On we go, following the winding track. Unfortunately, the next photo shows a couple of our walkers being caught by Bob taking a shortcut. I won't use their names, but we'll just call them Wayne & Ron.

Caught red handed or should that be footed, taking a shortcut

I also took the shortcut, but as I explained to Bob I did it in the name of art by way of taking the photo.

The country becomes very rocky the higher we go offering cliffs and caves that draw the eye.

Rock outcrops begin to appear...

...and caves

Comfortable shelter

Staff entrance around the corner

Back in 2017 there were lots of wombat scat around here and footprints in the soft sand of the larger cave. Not so this time, very little evidence of animal life this time.

Morning Tea

Morning Tea finished, we continue making our way gently up.

Looking down through the bush

Still a moderate climb

We're high enough to get a view of Mt. Wellington

We're looking over Lutana and Moonah with Incat shipyard just on the other side of the River Derwent.

The gum trees and their bark create interesting patterns

We're heading towards Grasstree Hill and this is our first sighting of a Grasstree,
Xanthorrhoea australis

Also known as Grass tree, Southern grasstree, Austral grasstree or Black Boy to show but a few of its names.

It's a very old species and very slow growing. A flower spike appears usually after bushfires, and can be up to two metres or roughly 6 feet in height. A trunk only appears after many years and is coloured black by said bushfires.

According to Wikipedia it had the following uses:

Indigenous Australians soaked the flowering spike in water to produce a sweet drink. The soft, white leaf bases were eaten as well as the growing point of the stem. The flower spike exudes a resin which could be used as an adhesive in the manufacture of tools and the stem used for the lower portion of a spear. Stems were also used to make a base for a fire-drill to start a fire. 

 As we climb, more appear all appearing fairly young. Trunks may take up to ten years to appear. It's thought they can live 350-450 years and they love poor soil.

The black trunk says this is an oldie

 
We still have rock outcrops but they've changed from the sandstone of before.

The sign on the tree proclaims the caves as private property

We finally come to a point where we have to earn our keep and begin a climb. A steep climb.

Bob reminded me I had done this before, but my mind had wiped out all memory of it. When I call it steep, perhaps the fact I had to keep wiping dirt off the end of my nose will indicate how steeply it climbed.

Finally we reach the top and I began to recognize the area from past walks. The hill is part of the Meehan Range, but has no name of its own and the map shows it as being lower slopes of Grasstree Hill.

In the distance is the Midway Point causeway, which was part of last week's walk

Grasstree Hill

 Unfortunately, we're not going up there. First there is a steep descent then a steep, rocky climb with no tracks. Anyway, the private owner has sadly made it off limits to climbers and walkers.

Still climbing, looking for our lunch spot

It's here that we will have lunch. 

This is it. The fallen tree provides plenty of seating for lunch

 After lunch we start our slippery trek back down.

Bushfire created sculpture

Looking towards Claremont and Berriedale

About to start the steep part

The track is very dry with loose soil and rocks making it difficult to keep your footing. However, at least one of us has found a unique method of descent.

Not an accident, but deliberate

It's certainly faster, but fairly hard on the trousers. Bob, being a gentleman, made his way back up to supply a little dignity.

A true gentleman

Finally reaching the bottom of this steep bit, we continue on another track, that has a few ups and downs, but isn't bad walking.

Madmans Hill (?)

Back in 2015 Bob took the group up there, unfortunately I had a flat battery, well the car did, and missed most of the walk. I did manage to catch up with the group for the last 5 minutes.

One of several fallen trees to negotiate

We're starting on another long walk down. I assume this is an old logging road

Nearing the bottom where the old track meets the walk around the reservoir

Risdon Brook Reservoir

This is a favourite walk for many people  during the day. Some do it in their lunch hour.

The water level is down a bit. Although this is called Risdon Brook Reservoir, the water doesn't come from the brook or the catchment around the dam. The brook is actually led around the dam as its water is considered too hard or mineralised to be used. The water is actually pumped from the River Derwent and a treatment plant near New Norfolk.

We had 11 walkers and covered 9.44km in 4:27hrs. Lots of up and down made up for the distance. All comments aside, it was a very nice walk and perfect for the day thanks to Bob.

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