Destination Tasmania – Part 6 – Hobart

15th to 18th February 2020

Please Note: Videos covering the material in this blog post can be found at the bottom of the post.

Saturday morning and we awoke to pools of water on the balcony and driveway. The first real rain since we had arrived in Tasmania had fallen over night. Patchy cloud in the morning cleared to a sunny day with a cold south easterly breeze.

We left New Norfolk, heading for Hobart, but we needed to fill in time to check in. So we drove down river, crossed to the east side and made our way to the Tasman Highway that passes the airport and ultimately leads to Port Arthur and the East Coast. We wanted to see what the suburbs over the river from Hobart were like and to view the city from the eastern shore.

The western end of Seven Mile Beach

We made a quick call into Seven Mile Beach. Craig and Anne Sheather and the girls spent a few days there as their Hobart base in December. The beach was bleak, as the cloud cover had intensified and the wind was coming in over the bay. We quickly made thermos coffee and returned to the car to drink it.

Hobart’s southern most west side suburbs

After retracing our steps back towards Hobart, we turned left and drove down the South Arm Peninsula to the southern end of the bay that is encompassed by the sweep of the peninsula as it turns back to the north. By this time we realised that we were too far south to see Hobart so we turned back north, keeping as close to the western shore of the Derwent as possible.

Cloud covered Mount Wellington
Port and City of Hobart from Rosney Hill Lookout

We drove past what used to be the Tasmania cricket ground, now their major sports stadium, and then turned back to the shore at Bellerieve. Then, quite by chance, because we turned left instead or going ahead, we came upon Rosney Hill Lookout near the eastern end of the Tasman Bridge. This elevated lookout gives splendid views of Hobart and it’s immediate suburbs on the west side of the Derwent, as well as of the Tasman Bridge. Mount Wellington provided a backdrop for the city. It’s summit was covered in cloud. Not the day to drive the road to the summit, we decided.

Those western shore suburbs again

It was now lunch time, so we returned to the Rosney Park Mall in search of food. When we returned to the car Mount Wellington was clear of cloud, so with an hour to go to check in time we decided to drive to Mount Wellington prior to going to Sandy Bay to check in.

Mount Wellington summit is clear. Let’s go!

Mountain weather is not to be trusted, particularly as far south as Hobart. As we approached the summit we could see cloud drifting over. By the time that we had parked at the summit only glimpses of the views were to be had through gaps in the cloud. The wind over the summit was strong and cold. Ruth sheltered in the car while I dashed around getting the photos that I could.

The trig point at the summit of Mount Wellington.
Mount Wellington viewing shelter gives good views of the city, provided that there are no clouds.
Bruny Island through the clouds
City and the Derwent River
The cloud cover is complete but below the summit

There were better photo opportunities down the mountain, but not with the same panorama as that available from the summit, but with less cloud. We stopped while I took a few more shots.

The Derwent upstream of the city
North of Hobart and the Tasman Bridge

Our Hobart accommodation was the Bay Hotel Apartments at Sandy Bay, just a short drive from the City. The units are old but have been renovated to provide comfortable accommodation. We stayed for four nights, giving us three days in Hobart.

Our first day in Hobart was Sunday. We opted for a restful morning, so stayed in doors. After lunch we set off to check out the city, particularly the waterfront area. We found a parking station in the City. Street parking was near to impossible.

Elizabeth Street, Hobart
Part of the City Mall

Our first port of call was the Information Centre where we loaded up with brochures. We then went dockside, just a short walk away.

Full size replica of the Lady Nelson. In 1800 the original was the first ship to sail west to east through Bass Strait, shortening the voyage from England to Port Jackson. During the following years Lady Nelson was closely involved with exploring and settlement of Australia, particularly in the establishing of settlements at Hobart, Launceston and Port Philip Bay.
The old Henry Jones IXL building is now a the up market Henry Jones Art Hotel

The day was cool but sunny in the afternoon. Despite car parking spaces being full there did not seem to be many people about. The dock area has many eating establishment, plus museums, boat cruises and shopping.

The Drunken Admiral Restaurant behind boats of the Hobart fishing fleet
Dock, city and mountain

The cruise ship Viking Queen was in port but any resulting increase to the pedestrian traffic was not noticeable.  We alternatively wandered and sat, snapping photos all the while.

The cruise ship Viking Queen viewed through the rigging of the sail training vessel Rhona H

Situated directly behind the Constitution Dock area is a replica of the hut built by Sir Douglas Mawson and his group of polar explorers during the voyage to Antarctica during the period 1911 to 1914. We didn’t tour it, but it is an exact replica and houses a display of artifacks relating to Antarctica and the expedition. Hobart is the port from which services to Australia’s Antarctic bases are provided.

Hobart replica of the hut that Sir Douglas Mawson built during his 1911 to 1914 expedition to Antarctica

Ruth’s sister Judy had suggested we visit the old signal station on Mount Nelson, so we decided to go home that way. The observation point provides excellent views of the maritime approaches to Hobart. Judy also mentioned Devonshire teas at the cafe at the the car park. We can recommend them as well. There are excellent views from the observation area and the cafe.

Bruny Island in the foreground and the South Arm Peninsula, in the background. The mouth of the Derwent River lies between. The d’Entrecasteaux Chanel separates Bruny Island from the main island of Tasmania

We then dropped down to the coast road at Wrest Point (literally, the road was very steep) and drove down the coast to Taroona. We didn’t realise that we were almost down to the historic shot tower, but a visit to the tower was on the list of things to do coming back through Hobart, after we had been south to the Huon Valley and Bruny Island.

We then returned to the unit for a quiet evening.

A painting of racing yachts in the Maritime Museum

We returned to the city on Monday morning, found a long term parking space and made our way to the Tasmania Maritime Museum. This interesting place is conveniently located over the street from the Information Centre. There is a huge amount of nautical material to absorb, much of it historical. Some was familiar, some new. But it took up the early part of the morning.

Models of boats in the Museum
This is part of bow and keel from an unidentified wreck in Tasmanian waters

We had a late coffee and a walk before boarding the Spirit of Hobart for a 90 minute luncheon cruise. The route took us over the Derwent estuary area, both upstream and downstream of the harbour, being informed as we dined about a huge range of historical, political and social happenings. Part of the trip crossed the finishing line of the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, but going the opposite direction to competing yachts. The lunch was excellent. The trip was really good value.

The saloon area of the Spirit of Hobart
The judges box at the finishing line for the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race
A moored yacht with some of Hobart’s southern suburbs in the background. They would get a great view of finishing Sydney Hobart yachts from those homes.
The former Hobart Cricket ground at Bellerieve is now an all purpose stadium
Passing under the Tasman Bridge

Back on shore, we took the short walk to the Salamanca precinct where old warehouse buildings have been converted to up stairs apartments and to commercial premises down stairs. Many of the businesses are food related. One interesting place is a laundry cafe. Lunch or snacks while the washing machine and the dryer churn seemed to be popular.

Salamanca Fruit Market
Courtyard area at Salamanca Markets.
The Salamanca laundry cafe

With some time still left to the afternoon, we drove out to the convict women’s prison at Cascade. Traffic was thick on near city streets because of an accident, so by the time we arrived there was only 20 minutes till closing time. The place is heritage listed and looked interesting so we decided to return the next day. About 10,000 female convicts were sent to Hobart.

Original buildings at Cascade Brewery

Since we were in Cascade we went another 500 metres or so to take a look at Cascade Brewery. It proved to be a quite substantial establishment. Judging by the size of a tour group that we saw the tours are popular. No doubt a sample of the product is included.

Covered portion of the Hobart city mall

Tuesday was our last day in Hobart, so we started in the city centre, checking shops for a couple of things that we needed. But a city centre is a city centre and they are all similar. From those many years ago when we toured Tasmania I recalled the Cat and Fiddle arcade as a sort of quirky kind of place. We found it again but it is now quite bland. Just a mall with shops.

The main gate of the Hobart Botanical Gardens

Next stop was the Botanical Gardens. They are located a short drive from the City and parking was not an issue. We walked through sufficient of the area in a couple of hours to get a good feel for the place. Botanical gardens, particularly those in capital cities, rarely disappoint and Hobart’s effort is no exception.

Fern covered waterfall on the hill side
Water Lilly ponds and deck
The floral clock. Sorry about the gardener in the photo.
Gardens at the entrance if the conservatory in the gardens

Inside, the conservatory is spacious with seating for those who want to sit for a while.
Administration offices, gift shop and cafe
Entrance to the Japanese garden
Water wheel and water fall in the Japanese garden

A drive to the northern suburbs followed. We stopped in Glenorchy for some lunch and then came back for a second try at the female convict penitentiary. Back in the day the female convict establishment was called a factory. Placing female convicts into service with Hobart households was part of the transportation plan. To have worked in a factory did not have the stigma of having been an inmate of a prison.

This was the layout of a supervisor’s cottage
The layout of prisoner accommodation buildings with original buildings in the background.
An area of original convict workmanship

But jails they were, with sentences to be served behind stone walls. A couple of buildings still stand but in most of the area the lay outs of buildings are marked by wire crated stones. Information plaques are widely used to explain it all. It is well worth a visit. Conducted tours are lead by theatre folk, so for a added cost you can have the story told by an actress who will provide a full costumed performance.

South Arm Peninsula over the Derwent, viewed from part way up Mount Wellington

We looked up at Mount Wellington again but its summit was playing tag with cloud. So we drove about half way up to where we were well below the cloud base but there are lookout points provided at the end of a short walk. The views were worth the effort.

View beyond Hobart and the Derwent over the airport area, Seven Mile Beach and the Tasman Peninsula

We concluded our stay in Hobart by dining out in the evening at The Drunken Admiral Restaurant. Located in one of the wharf side buildings, this well known eatery has been in continuous operation for over forty years. I had dined there when in Hobart on business early in its life, so decided to take Ruth there. I chose the same dish as on the previous visit, the signature dish of seafood chowder. It was as I remembered. The waitress assured me that the recipe had not changed.

Neighbouring tables at The Drunken Admiral where we went to dinner.

Destination Tasmania – Part 5 – Mountain Roads and Highland Lakes

12th to 14th February 2020

Please Note: Videos covering the material in this blog post can be found at the bottom of the post.

Clouds against mountains approaching Queenstown from Strahan

There was a suspicion of drizzle as we packed the car to leave Strahan.  In several areas, as we drove to Queenstown, our way was partly obscured by cloud cover that sat atop the mountains like a blanket. The point from which we viewed the mountains behind Queenstown the previous morning was a totally clouded, with no view at all.  As we approached Queenstown, banks of cloud hung in front of the mountain range, but all of the cloud vanished as we drove up the range towards the east to give us an almost cloudless sky.

Queenstown from the Lyell Highway heading east
Queenstown in the valley and the road east clinging to the side of the mountain
A caravan making its way up the mountain from Queenstown

We paused at Queenstown for fuel and stopped again at the observation point part way up the baron slopes for that final view of the town.

Lake Burberry is one of Tasmania’s newer dams. The Lyell Highway crosses it by bridge at its narrowest point.  A National Parks camping area on the east bank provides picnic facilities, so we stopped there for morning coffee.

Lake Burberry has a good boat launching ramp

The road from the dam to Derwent Bridge runs through endless national park, and is lined with an infinite variety of vegetation as it passes over mountain ranges and through rain forest filled valleys.

Information at the highest point on the Lyell Highway between Queenstown and Derwent Bridge
A view into misty mountains at the geographic high point

At a number of places along this road there are parking areas giving access to short to medium walks to features such as lookouts and waterfalls.  One parking area is the starting point for longer walks that extend to several days in the area of the Frenchman’s Cap range.  Another stop marks the highest point in the range that divides east from west. Interestingly, we could see Frenchman’s Cap from the boat on Macquarie Harbour.  At 1,446 metres it is quite prominent.

National Park visitor centre at Lake St. Clair

We turned at the small town of Derwent Bridge for the short drive to the Lake St Clair National Park Visitor Centre.  As well as being a worthwhile place to call, it is the southern end of the Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair 6 to 7 day walk.  Many hikers, carrying back packs, were either arriving from the walk or waiting to leave to walk north.  A ferry service links the southern end of the walk with the visitor centre at Lake St Clair.

The official end of the Overland Trail from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair

We had intended to have a picnic lunch at Lake St Clair, but we were attacked by a swarm of March flies. Tasmania seems to have a March fly plague but today was the worst that we had encountered.  So the picnic went back in the car and we took refuge in the restaurant.

Arriving and departing hikers at Lake St Clair ferry

It is about 140 km from Derwent Bridge, mostly down the Derwent Valley, to New Norfolk. Most of the journey is through mountainous timbered country. The road passes a number of dams used for hydro electricity generation.  In the Tarraleah area, we saw a couple of sets of huge water supply pipes descending steeply into power stations.

Derwent Valley near New Norfolk
Hop fields, Derwent Valley

The forests finally give way to farm country with grazing cattle beside the road.  Just before New Norfolk, orchards appear along the banks of the Derwent, which is quite a substantial river at this point.

Our apartment was on a hillside overlooking the Derwent River, with views over the town on the eastern bank and the mountains beyond. We were there for three nights. New Norfolk was our first encounter with a digital reception. A sign on the door gave a phone number to call, A code was then sent, by text message. The code was our door key.

New Norfolk and the Derwent River from our balcony at New Norfolk
Lyell Highway bridge over the Derwent at New Norfolk

If someone tells you that more trees should be planted, tell them to visit Tasmania. We spent yet another day driving through trees, trees and more trees. Tasmania’s south and south west have an abundance of trees.

We started the day with some medical maintenance at a New Norfolk pharmacy and then headed for the trees and the mountains. In Tasmania trees and mountains seem to go together.

The road on the west side of the Derwent is a shorter route to Mount Field National Park. There is quite a lot to do in this extensive park but time limited us to the short walk to Russell Falls. Like many falls walks the path leads along the ravine that carry the waters of the host stream. The view of the tiered cascade is all the reward needed for the easy 30 minute walk.

Russell Falls, Mount Field National Park
Russell Falls are popular. It was hard to get photos without strangers in them.

Like Lake St Clair, the visitor centre here was busy. There are a number of walks and other attractions and it is only about 80 km from Hobart. Some walks lead to elevations that provide views back along the Derwent Valley to Hobart. Given an absence of cloud, of course.

Mount Field National Park Visitor Centre.

We then drove on a further 95 km along the Gordon River Road to reach the Gordon Dam and Lake Gordon. It is a lonely road passing through a handful of small locations, the last and most substantial of which is Maydena, followed by 70 km of sealed mountain forest road.

Misty mountain on the road to Gordon Dam

Lake Gordon and its neighbour, the better known Lake Pedder, are just over a ridge from each other at Strathgordon. There was a huge environmental fight over Lake Pedder that the Hydro Commission eventually won, which helped achieve its icon status.

The Sentinel Range near Lake Pedder

Strathgordon was only ever a dam construction town. Nothing much has changed, with administration and some worker accommodation still there. What was, I think, the single worker facility, is now a wilderness lodge that provides accommodation as well as the facilities of a pub, cafe, restaurant and coffee shop.  Fuel is available as well.

Lake Pedder Wilderness Lodge
View of Lake Pedder from the Lodge

These huge water storages look fantastic as they lie among the mountain ranges, some of which are densely forested and others massive piles of almost bare rock. A clear sky produced striking reflected blue water.

Gordon dam is 140 metres high

The dam that holds back the waters of Lake Gordon is quite a sight at 140 metres high with a pronounced curve in the wall to cope with extreme pressure. Both lakes cover more than 500 square kilometres and hold the equivalent of 37 Sydney harbours.

The bottom of the wall of Gordon Dam is accessible by these stairs. It is a long way down.
Outlet and part of the power station at Lake Gordon
Lake Pedder from the road to Gordon Dam
This channel carries water from Lake Pedder to Lake Gordon

Gordon and Pedder dams are connected by a narrow channel that carries water from Lake Pedder to Lake Gordon. Lake Pedder appears not to have its own hydro power generator. Its water is directed through the Lake Gordon.

The return journey is over the same road as we travelled outward bound. We used Maydena as an ice-cream stop, pleasantly absorbing the warmth of the afternoon sun as we enjoyed the treats. And so, back to our comfortable unit, which was easily the best accommodation that we had so far occupied in Tasmania.

The next day, Friday, dawned overcast with a chill breeze. Just the day to drive through areas where snow regularly falls during winter. We were bound for The Great Lake in the Central Highlands of Tasmania but by an indirect route.

We drove down the east bank of the Derwent River to Bridgewater and joined Highway One, heading north. Downstream from New Norfolk, the river is not as confined by its banks and sprawls into wider expenses of water, some of which are shallow and marshy. The bridge at Bridgewater is at one this wider area so the bridge is rather long with a causeway and a lift section for taller boats.

Historic houses at Bothwell are still in use

Highway One, the Midland Highway is the main road link between Launceston and Hobart. After about 50 km we turned left for Bothwell, a small rural town, full of historical buildings. A sheltered corner in the park provided a morning coffee stop and a pause while we looked at history dating back to early settlement in Tasmania. The area was settled by farmers in the 1820s.

The visitor information centre at Bothwell
Historic plaque on St Lukes church in Bothwell, The plaque dates the building at 1830.
St Lukes church was built in 1830
Part of St Lukes’ cemetery

After Bothwell, the road continues to the North West until Miena is reached. Miena is a spread out town of highland holiday houses and well housed permanent residents. A couple of small hills provide lots of water view opportunities over the southern end of the Great Lake.

The Steppes Sculptures information board

The only real point of interest along the road to Miena, about half way, is a collection of sculptures, in the bush just off the road. They are at the end of a short dirt road with a small parking area. The road is marked by a simple sign that announces the “Steppes Sculptures”.

Plinths holding animal sculptures form a circle

A short walk away a circle of twelve stone plinths each hold a bronze sculpture with a thirteenth in the centre. They are the work of Stephen Walker, a well known sculpture who has work that decorates the Hobart waterfront and who sculpted the whale memorial at Cockle Creek. More of Cockle Creek in a future post.

This appears to be a Tasmanian Devil
Sculpture of Platypus

The area is known as The Steppes, presumably because it is part of the area that “steps” up to the highlands. A historic farm house on the property can be visited either by a short walk or a short drive. We passed up on the house as it is not often open and it was not a day to be out of the car for too long without being rugged up.

Just before Miena we pulled off the road to look at the Miena Rockfill Dam the construction of which created The Great Lake by backing up the Shannon River and caused two smaller lakes to become one much larger lake. A lookout provides excellent views of the retaining wall and the lake that backs up to the north, way out of sight. On the south side of the lake is Shannon Lagoon. But more of that shortly.

Mienna Rockfil Dam holds back the waters of The Great Lake
The Great Lake viewed from the South

We drove further into this very spread out town and found the Central Highlands Lodge, a sort of guesthouse hotel of the kind that you find in these kinds of places. We were served a good hot meal suitable for the day and, of course, coffee. We then drove on through the town and along the road to the west of the lake that would have taken us to the Bass Highway, but the clouds were below the tops of the distant mountains and showers of rain were moving over the surrounding planes and across the lake. Frankly, it was quite uninviting, so we turned around and headed back into town.

Central Highlands Lodge provided a lunch suitable for a cold day
Part of the town of Miena

When I was learning about Mount Bischoff tin and Mount Lyell copper at school I was also learning about the Tasmanian hydro electric generation industry and particularly Tarraleah and Waddamana. I remembered Tarraleah because we had spent a night there 45 years ago and it had snowed. We had driven through this town two days before and noted its steeply sloping water pipes feeding the generators. But where was Waddamana? That question was answered on the drive earlier in the day when we had seen a sign pointing to Waddamana and the historic hydro electric trail. The turn was about 15 km back towards Bothwell.

The Historic Hydra Trail had information signs at regular intervals describing the project
The water supply channel as pictured on the information sign
Water supply channel as it is now

The great lake is the birthplace of serious hydro electricity generation in Australia. It all started in about 1910 when a dam was built at the bottom of The Great Lake which channelled water through pondages and canals to the top of a steep slope and shot it down the slope to Waddamana A power station. The scheme was commissioned in 1916, held up by bad weather and the start of WWI.

Penstock Lagoon was the final holding basin before the water was released into the channel and pipes that fed the turbines
Old water supply pipes protruding from the retaining wall at Penstock Lagoon
This channel leads to the point where the water enters the large pipes for the final plunge to the turbines

Shannon Lagoon was a balancing pondage which fed water into a manmade channel that carried water to Penstock Lagoon. From this temporary storage water was released into another man made channel and then down the precipitous mountain side to Waddamana A. There was a construction town named Shannon but it ceased to exist many years ago.

Entrance to Waddamana power station
Information boards for stations A and B at Waddamana

Waddamana B was commissioned 1946 so was slowed, in its turn, by WWII. This expansion of generation capacity greatly increased the output of Waddamana and helped to set the paten for future power generation.

Turbines in Station A. The water was used several times as it flowed through the line of turbines. This photo shows a turbine with its protective cover removed.

Waddamana A is now a museum with most of its turbines still in place with some cut away to show what really makes the system work. I was able to walk through among the equipment and gained a good understanding of it. Most of the pipes that fed water to the turbines are still in place although truncated and often incomplete.

A partly stripped view of the electricity generator
Truncated pipes at the bottom of the hill behind the power stations.

There was a small town at Waddamana back then which is still there but not used for power station workers any more. Some of the houses appeared to be occupied. On a hill above the town and power station a new and substantial wind farm has been built. The wind vanes were still against the afternoon sky but we heard on the news a few days later that is had been officially commissioned and was in production.

Waddamana A on the left and B on the right,.

We made our way home on an alternative road that was sealed so long ago that it was like driving on gravel but it was in surprisingly good condition. It brought us back to the Lyell Highway at the town of Ouse which is on the Ouse River, a tributary of the Derwent. The final part of our drive was again through the vinyards, orchards and hop fields of the Derwent Valley.