ROOM FOR A VIEW
At 1271m, kunyani/Mount Wellington
dwarfs the small city – its profile prominent
regardless of where you go around town. I
highly recommend a trip to the pinnacle for
the expansive views it offers over the city
and across the blue stretches of water, the
numerous bays and coves, islands, arms and
peninsulas that make up this south-eastern
corner of the state. Aside from the wind and
the murmurs of appreciation from fellow
spectators, from this height the city below
appears magnificently silent and still.
To get there, take the winding, narrow
mountain road up through the rainforest onto
the alpine plateau (definitely leave the van
behind for this one). On the way up, stop at the
Springs and grab a coffee at Lost Freight – a
shipping container cafe with shaded seating,
adjacent the Springs car park.
This is where you’ll find many of the
trackheads for the extensive network of first-
rate walking and mountain biking trails that
criss-cross the mountain. A little further up the
road, the short but very steep walk to the Lost
World is one of my personal favourites for the
great views.
The cool mountain air is unbeatably fresh,
FAST FACTSHobart is located in the
south-east of Tasmania
and is the state’s largest
city, home to an estimated
220,000 people.From Melbourne, vanners can take the Spirit of
Tasmania ferry to Devonport, then drive 280km
south to Hobart. Those travelling sans van can fly
direct to Hobart Airport.
Visitor information can be found at the Tasmanian
Travel and Information Centre Hobart, Davey
Street, Hobart, 03 6238 4222.
For accommodation options, see separate
breakout.and in colder weather snow is a
possibility – at any time of year!
Pack a warm jacket, regardless of
the season. Even on a warm day
in the city, the wind chill on top of
the mountain can take your breath
away. Avoid making the trip on
cloudy or misty days, when the mountain is
buried behind a screen of white and views are
non-existent.
I’ll give you a hot tip, though – on a
reasonably clear morning, sunrise from the
pinnacle is absolutely worth getting up extra
early for. Plus, you’ll likely have the place mostly
to yourself as you watch the world turn from
pink to orange and the lights of the city flick off
as the sun creeps higher.
If you’re looking for other good vantage
points around town, stop in at the Mount
Nelson Signal Station for views over the city
and the river mouth that can be enjoyed over
breakfast or lunch from comfy beanbags at the
Signal Station Brasserie. You could also pay a
visit to Taroona’s historic Shot Tower where you
can climb the 318 wooden steps to the gallery
for 360-degree views across Storm Bay and the
surrounding countryside.Salamanca Place.
The historic sandstone buildings
are now home to cafes and barsADVENTURESHrt,taniaMount Wellington sunrise