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Tuesday 31 March 2015

Tasmania Travel Pt 6: Crazy Winds At Mount Wellington


Mount Wellington is just about 21km from Hobart City. Heard we can get a panaromic view of the city and its suburb so I was looking forward to the trip.
It is convenient to get to the summit as Hobart Shuttle Bus Company runs daily 2-hour tours there. Tickets are priced at AUD30 (adult) and AUD20 (child) and can be purchased from the Travel and Tourist Information Centre at Elizabeth Street.
Our van drove through a temperate rainforest and we see many gum trees along Pinnacle Road which leads to the peak.
Mount Wellington is 1271m (4170 ft) above sea level. This small waterfall along Pinnacle Road marks the 1000m level.
A bushfire in 1967 burnt nearly all the vegetation and all the buildings on the foothill of Mount Wellington except for this little chapel (Anglican Church of St Raphael).
We finally arrived at the summit after a 40 minutes drive. I was anticipating to see a beautiful park with flowers, benches to sit on and a cafeteria to seep a cup of coffee but my oh my, I was dead wrong. There are no beds of lovely flowers, no benches and no cafeteria. It was freezing cold at the summit and and the wind was simply crazy. 
The summit features a landscape of sub-alpine flora and lichen-encrusted boulders. The wind was so strong and cold that my eyes started to tear and the nose run. Hats and scarfs will easily fly off. Pets are not allowed here as they may get blown away too. We have to help a lady driver close her car door as try as she might,  she could not pull the door to close it. I have never experienced a wind that crazy.
 There is a tall tower here.
"I can still smile even though I am freezing cold ", Ron says.
The bushes and tiny flowers are quite nice if you'd care to look at them though.
No one resides on the summit as the weather is simply too harsh.
There is an observation shelter for those who want to seek temporary relief from the crazy wind out there.
Inside the observation shelter.
A distinctive feature of Mount Wellington is the cliff of dolerite rock formation which is also called 'Organ Pipes'.
More 'Organ Pipes' visible on this photo.
Bridge leading to lookout point.
 At the lookout point
A look at the hair will tell you how strong the wind is.

The View
It is not easy taking these photos as the camera often shakes due to the powerful wind. I could not focus properly too as the eyes have turned blurry due to the tears. Anyway the snaps didn't turn out too bad.
In this photo you can see Tasman Bridge

Tasmania Travel Pt 11: Savouring The Natural Beauty Of Tasmania's Mount Cradle                                              National Park
Posted by Lily... at 10:34
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