Midway Point Loop - 18 May 2021

 Today's walk was lead by Bob. 

Ron provided the following commentary and photos. 

Due to major construction work on the roads around Midway Point and Sorell, Bob had to change our route.   

We started at Midway Point, went in the opposite direction to last time and were unable to do the Sorell section of the walk.

For today’s trip we walked along the outskirts of Midway Point and Sorell, went through numerous parks, crossed a causeway,  had morning tea sitting on a pile of bricks, lunch on picnic tables at the sports centre, walked along a beach and finally had fun testing out the flying fox in the park (some walkers may even have gone back to their childhood).

This walk was a four playground walk.

Another playground beckons.

 

 

The Causeway view.

 

Morning tea at the Sorell worksite.

Bob insisted we do the circle.

Up Lorna's Hill.

A couple of shaggy wind blown observers.

We didn't stop at this playground.

Where is the next corner.

Chris is in a happy space by the look of it.

 

 

 

One of the locals.

And some more locals.

On the beach.

 

There were 12 walkers today and we covered 13.5 kms in 4 hours.

Montrose Trail 11 May 2021

Today's walk is being led by Bob up Montrose Trail in the hills behind the suburb of Montrose.

There were some in the group (who shall remain nameless) who were of the belief that we were going to be walking around lower Montrose close to the Derwent foreshore.  Bob indicated that those walkers should also read the gradings as a foreshore walk would only rate a 2 not 3.

We parked at the very top of Montrose Road and commenced our walk into the foothills of the mountain.

Some people were excited to get walking.

Now the climb begins.

 

A couple of memorial plaques under an old walnut tree. It appears to relate to people who lived nearby.

 

The uphill climbs wasn't that difficult.

A very peaceful mossy glen growing over a rock scree.

 

The next two photos require an explanation as to why they were included. You will note (if you look closely) that they feature a Transmission Tower without any wires attached. They were probably 200 meters on opposite sides of a steep gully and after an inspection none were found to have any connection to the grid. Comments made for this unusual configuration were that the government ran out of money and couldn't afford to connect them, that there were so many lines convening at this point it would dangerous to connect them but the most implausible was that Transend (who operate the state wide transmission of electricity) have developed and WIFI system for connecting the towers.

 

 

Being unable to solve the dilemma of the missing wires we settled in to morning tea.

 

It unusual to see a Diannella Tasmanica growing out from under the bark of a eucalypt tree.

 

Continuing the steady climb and the trees have become taller and closer together.

 

Epacris impressa - Common Heath.

 

Looking back down the track.

 

And the way ahead.

 

An interesting tree growth. Can you see a face in the bark.

 

Checking the pond for frogs and tadpoles.

 

The track has started to level out.

 

An indigenous shield lying on a rock lichen.

 

Overnight dew on a signal leave on the forest floor.

 

It is good to see a bunch of happy walkers probably because it was finally reasonably flat.

 

The first real view of the centre of Hobart.

 

And we took the Zig Zag Track and starting our way back down the hill.

 

Another view of Hobart including the remains of the quarry above the city.

 

Our first view of Mt Wellington.

 

Its a long and windy road down the hill.

 

A more expansive view of the city.

 

Lomatia tinctoria - Guitar Plant's split seed pods.

Banksia marginata.

 

Lunch spot under the transmission line.

 

Lunch over and more discussion about the un-connected transmission towers before we walk back to the cars.

 

A large bracket fungi high in the forest.

It was a good walk and a day that was ideal for walking, cool, no breeze and not too much cloud.

There were 12 walkers who covered the 8.9 km and climbed and descended 625m in just under 3 hours