Arm End - Gellibrand Point - 29 Nov 2022

 Once again the weather has intervened with strong winds and possible snow to 800m in the area of Hartz Mountain so we have opted to walk at Arm End.

Heading off towards Mitchell Beach on the northern end of Opossum Bay.

Obviously some of the forecast weather is now affecting Mount Wellington.

The view back down Mitchells Beach to the village of Opossum Bay.

Climbing up towards the telecommunication towers and television repeater station located above White Rock Point.

Looking across the Derwent River towards the Alum Cliffs between Taroona and Kingston with the Shot Tower vivible on the right hand side.

Maybe the weather is on the improve.

A pleasant morning tea spot just above White Rock sheltering from the southerly behind some trees.

Looking northwest across the river to the mountain and further up the Derwent River.

It was good walking around the coastal track although the breeze was still fairly cool.

Mary Ann Bay where in summer when the sea breezes are blowing it is a great spot for the boating fraternity to congregate out of the breeze.

Our group embarked on  plastic rubbish collection from the foreshore while climbing down on to Mary Beach and walking along the beach.

The family vault for a number of the Gellibrand family who were granted the land in 1824.

The story of the Gellibrand's ownership of the land.

Looking towards the Spit which is the small point on the left of the photo and is a sea bird nesting site.

In the distance is Betsey Island on the other side of the South Arm Nature Recreation Area.

We settle in for a quiet lunch on the shell covered beach.

 

 

There were 12 walkers who covered approximately 8 kms in approx 2.5 hours.

Cresent Bay - 22nd November 2022

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Thark Ridge - Devils Throne 8 Nov 2022

 Finally the weather gods have been kind to us and provide us with a sky clear of clouds, no wind and significantly warmer day than we have experienced on a lot of our recent walks so we can head off  with no worries for the day.

 We leave the cars in the main car park near Big Bend on the Summit Road and depart across the plateau under the directions of our leader Chris.

Chris reparing for the walk while the rest of us admired the view of the city and the river below with the peaks of Maria Island in the distance.

So the sign indicates not a long walk distance wise.

Heads down watching the uneven rocky ground which becomes a feature of the walk.

A very different view of the towers on the top of Mount Wellington.

Looking back across the first of a number of rock screes towards the river.

The track winds through the snow gum forests.

And patches of pineapple grass.

Climbing the first climb of the Plateau onto the ridge line.

There are some significant boulders in this area.

Looking towards D'entrecastreaux Channel near Woodbridge with Bruny Island in the distance.

We have morning tea part way up the climb and then continue to the top of the ridgeline.

The intersection that takes us down the other side of the ridgeline.

The local flora getting ready to burst into flower over the next month.

Walking through more snow gum forests.

Our first clear view across the Derwent River to Platform Peak and Mt Dromedary. We could still pick out drifts of snow in Mt Field above Lake Dobson.

Some of last years gumnuts.

From Devils Throne looking across Mountain River and the Huon Valley with the South West mountains ranges in the distance including Precipitous Bluff.

A great lunch spot in the shade with spectacular views.

Starting the walk back to the cars.

Last years Waratah pods have shed their seeds with the tree bearing new buds.

Looking back towards Collins Bonnet and further into the south west.

This little fellow fell out of a tree onto Michael before he landed on the ground.

We had eight walkers today and covered approx 12 klms over about 6 hours.

The walk followed a well marked track which has recently had work carried out on it to make the Devils Throne more accessible. 

It is a walk with some difficulty in that there is a lot of the track that involved walking on irregular rocky areas so that a lot of walking time is spent looking at feet rather than the view.

So anyone doing the walk should also take the time to enjoy those views.