(Record of activities on 20th September, 2010 but posted on above date)
Yes, we all remember the old folk song “On top of Old Smokey, all covered in snow” … and the many parodies, including “On top of spaghetti, all covered with cheese”.
Yes, we all remember the old folk song “On top of Old Smokey, all covered in snow” … and the many parodies, including “On top of spaghetti, all covered with cheese”.
No one knows for sure who wrote the original lyrics, but I can tell you for certain that, on top of Mt Wellington today, it wasn’t CHEESE Barbara was throwing at me.
Damn, that woman played clean when I was totally defenseless with both hands on the camera.
I would have climbed the cairn that holds aloft the trig point, but I was terrified of being blown off. No …It had NOTHING to do with me being 73 years old … honest!
Hobart town sits right at the feet of Mt Wellington. On Tuesday 14th September and for the next few days, an unseasonable cold snap dumped a mass of snow on the mountain ... so much that authorities had to close off the road to the summit to allow huge plows to clear a path. We spoke with residents of Hobart aged 50 and over and they said it was only the third time in their life they could recall Mt Wellington having fff-fresh s-sssnow the sss-second week of S-SSSpring!
We felt it best to wait 'til after the weekend so that holidaying Tasmanian children would be back at school, and to avoid the weekend rush of locals and tourists who turned the dangerously narrow and steep road into one continuos car park. Naturally by the time we got up there much of the snow had melted, but it was still a wonderful sight.
Near the summit, and overlooking spectacular views of Hobart and huge expanses of the Derwent River,
there is an enclosed viewing area
housing many informative plates. These detail history of the early European settlers' love affair with Mount Wellington. One reports Charles Darwin's struggle to it's summit on his celebrated visit to Hobart in February1836. Unlike most however, Darwin was not at all impressed, complaining bitterly about the ten-hour hike, and the ineptness of his guide.
We felt it best to wait 'til after the weekend so that holidaying Tasmanian children would be back at school, and to avoid the weekend rush of locals and tourists who turned the dangerously narrow and steep road into one continuos car park. Naturally by the time we got up there much of the snow had melted, but it was still a wonderful sight.
Near the summit, and overlooking spectacular views of Hobart and huge expanses of the Derwent River,
there is an enclosed viewing area
housing many informative plates. These detail history of the early European settlers' love affair with Mount Wellington. One reports Charles Darwin's struggle to it's summit on his celebrated visit to Hobart in February1836. Unlike most however, Darwin was not at all impressed, complaining bitterly about the ten-hour hike, and the ineptness of his guide.
From the relative warmth of the enclosed viewing area we were able to walk down to a viewing platform suspended over the cliff face. Barbara and I found no difficulty walking out there but we heard many, especially older women, saying there was no way their vertigo would allow them to step onto to that platform with its surpringly low safety railing.
Sadly, as happens so often on the 1,271 meters high Mt Wellington, the clouds suddenly enveloped us, wiping out all the wonderful views, and leaving us to conclude that, tomorrow a new day dawns.
looks very chilly
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