Knocklofty 2020

Today Jenny B. is leading us around Knocklofty on the outskirts of Hobart.

It's a bit misty as we park on Forest Road to start our walk, but it promises to clear before too long.

Parking in Forest Rd.

A bit of mist on the Eastern Shore

While everyone is gearing up, I took these two photos of a tree getting ready for Spring next month

The start

We walk along for a short distance before coming to a lovely set of steps leading up.

Up the steps...

...up more steps

Leaving the steps behind

New tourist accommodation

A peaceful forest pool

Mt. Stuart and Knocklofty are quite rocky

We make our way back on to the upper end of Forest Road and continue on.

The farther we go, the narrower the road becomes.

The bush is quite young up here

We're soon going to find out why all of the trees appear to be quite young. Jenny is going to give us a bit of history along the way and we're now going to make our first stop.

Back in 1967 southern Tasmania was subjected to terrible bushfires, known as Black Tuesday. One of the places hit was Knocklofty and now we're going to see one of the results of that fire.

We're about to make our first history stop

These foundations are all that's left of someones home

I have an imaginative suggestion for the idiots that do this this sort of thing of a place to carry their spray cans.

Up we go

The old bath

On the end of one wall is a memorial to the couple that lost their home of 11 years.

Part of a memorial to this couple

There were two memorial plaques also on the wall, but being made of shiny chrome, they didn't photograph well. I can say that the couple and their family got out safely and they went on to a happy life with many children and grandchildren.

Val & I plus our daughter arrived in Tasmania at the end of 1968 and damage from the fires were quite apparent. I also heard stories from my in laws and neighbors when we moved down the Channel.

There are many web sites devoted to the fires. Unfortunately, I missed most of Jenny's history lessons, but I did find an interesting one online that tells the history of Knocklofty and if you CLICK HERE, you can read about it.

Look familiar? This is what Forest Road, where we parked our cars, looked like back in 1967

Off we go again, still following the old road.

Looking across the valley

Last week we were looking up at that new development

Mt. Wellington and the Organ Pipes are beginning to show their faces

McRobies Gully Waste Management Centre (The Tip)

Last week we were walking on the other side. These are the compost heaps from all the green waste that's collected.

Jenny takes a detour that will lead to Morning Tea

Morning Tea

Tea finished, we take a track just to the left that leads us up hill. I think this is Woodmans Track.

Looking back

There are a myriad of tracks up here and we'll see markers with Mt. Stuart Circuit more times than you would imagine.

Looking towards Lenah Valley

Difficult to see, but that is pointing the way to Mt. Stuart Circuit. Told you we'd see it again

On we go until we come to another track.

I found Fiona's story on a website called Monuments Australia and I've put her story below.

When Fiona Allan, a former leader of the Ranger Guides, died in Nepal at the age of twenty-two, they built a single file walking track so that walkers could enjoy the birds, in her memory. The Guides put in about thirty railway sleepers to prevent erosion and planted the native trees and shrubs donated to the project. Another Guide project was to put ninety-seven railway sleepers into the western face to improve access for firemen and children.

We're starting to get views over Hobart

That cylindrical building in the distance is the Wrest Point Hotel Casino

We come to the Mt. Stuart Lookout and as you can see, the weather has improved quite a bit.

Better view over Hobart and a new house going up

An old quarry put to new use

After some street walking (doesn't sound quite right) we turn off into the reserve

Unusual house. I tried to find some history, but couldn't

Don't believe everything you see

A local assured Jenny that the track had indeed been repaired and they just haven't taken the signs down yet. We did pass an area next to the track that had large rocks dumped in a section that had collapsed.

There's a new subdivision just below the track. I guess the views are pretty good. As, I suspect are the prices.

Another frog pond

We're heading for lunch

Jenny has found us a sunny spot overlooking the city for lunch. The pile of soil I guess is for track repair.

The misty day at the start has turned into a beautiful sunny day

After lunch we head off to our right and start climbing. I'm not sure of the track name, it isn't appearing on my map.

Up we go

We're heading for the highest point of Knocklofty. But don't get excited.

The frogs can wait, we're heading for the summit

This is the summit

I told you not to get excited. the summit is crossed by power poles. Never mind, we cross over and start making our way down.

Decisions, decisions

Mt. Wellington and the Organ Pipes

What we need is a cable car crossing over the boring trees and giving something interesting to look at besides those boring organ pipes.

Someone you, it was pointed out to me, rarely see on the blog. Me

There are some interesting rocky outcrops up there

We soon come to another lookout where there are more people around as there is a nearby car park for those who don't want to walk too far.

Another lookout

A panorama looking down river over the Casino and Sandy Bay

Looking up river to the Tasman Bridge leading to the eastern shore

As we leave the lookout I point out a nice vertical track to Jenny in the hopes she will include it on future walks.

Nice vertical track leading who knows where

We had 15 walkers and covered 10.69km in 3:59hrs.

Jenny provided a great walk in an interesting area with perfect walking weather. It doesn't get any better.

Click here to download GPX file

Look at the shape of the track and you can see a Kangaroo head. Hint, the spot marked Lunch is the tip of the nose. I wonder if Jenny was trying to recreate on the ground the track of the final Qantas Jumbo leaving Australia to be stored in the desert in the U.S.A. shown below