Mount Wellington

photos by Tim Gadd

Click on thumbnails for fullsize picture.

	Trees in early morning fog, Eastern slopes.
	Sunrise from The Springs
	Me, dwarfed by dead Snow Gum, near Dead Island, Central plateau. Photo by Jo

	One of the ice-houses on South Wellington, from which my great-great-grandfather cut ice and carted it down the mountain on horseback. 'The first of the Mt Wellington ice Houses, in which snow was compacted to make ice, was built in the 1850's at the instigation of Governor Sir William Denison. The Ice Houses, which had thick stone walls and a brushwood roof, continued to operate until the 1890's, the ice being brought down to Hobart by packhorse. Their ruins can still be seen along the Ice House Track, which partly follows the original bridle path. A hermit, Mr Woods, lived in a hut at The Springs during the 1870's, and made a living by selling the ice. Mr Charles Gadd, the first mountain ranger, continued this practice in the 1890's, and Mrs Gadd supplied meals to visitors at The Springs cottage for many years.' From the Mt Wellington Walk Map, author not given.
	Near the pinnacle, looking towards South Wellington Gap. Photo by Alick Morrison.
	Morning mist above the Springs, Eastern slopes.
	Walking Track at Fern Tree, southern slopes, about a mile from where I used to live.
	Fog near Sphinx Rock, Eastern slopes.
	Boulders near the Organ Pipes.
	Fingerpost Track, Eastern Slopes
	Collin's Cap, from the Northern slopes of Collin's Bonnet.
	Trestle Mountain, looking West from the pinnacle of Collins Bonnet It doesn't look like a 1000' drop down to the saddle there, does it? :)
	North West Bay River, South-west slopes, near Mt Montagu.
	The Organ Pipes, in Winter.
	The Organ Pipes, in Winter.
	The Organ Pipes, in Winter.
	The Organ Pipes, from the upper Sawmill track.
	The Lost World.
	The Lost World.

Mount Wellington is a mile-high dolerite monolith which presides over Hobart, Tasmania's capital. It rises to its full height almost from sea level, which makes it a very imposing sight: it is impossible to escape the mountain's 'influence' if you're anywhere near Hobart. The town truly does seem steeped in whatever forces emenate from it. Those forces are very real to me, animistic creature that I am. I have always perceived the place as some sort of energy generator. At times this secret and ancient energy hangs about it in a form which seems almost palpable to me.

Mount Wellington is the Eastern edge of a range which extends back west in a long plateau incorporating Mt Arthur, Mt Connection, South Wellington, Mt Montagu, Mt Charles, Trestle Mountain, Collin's Bonnet, Collin's Cap, Cathedral Rock, Mt Marion and Mt Patrick. This area, mostly accessed only by foot, comprises a considerable area of largely unvisited near-wilderness, and it is quite possible to walk for a couple of days without touching upon civilisation. Even the 'familiar' eastern and south-eastern slopes of the mountain constitute a considerable expanse, and though the area is criss-crossed by (at my count) over 50 walking trails, they are amazingly under-utilised - for which I can only give thanks. That there is such a place as this within a short drive of a city of well over 150,000 is nearly miraculous.

Anyway, enjoy the pics. I'll be adding to them from time to time. Meanwhile, for some other excellant Mt Wellington photos by other people, and a map of the area, click here