Risdon Brook Park 25th July

Risdon Brook Park  25th July

This is a great location for a walk. But the cold breeze off the water means there is always a wind chill factor.

The reservoir is managed by Taswater and there is a lovely scenic circuit track. Built 1968,  it was estimated to cost $1K. The dam contains 800 million gallons of water (on a good day presumably and pre decimal). It is filled by a pump from the Derwent River after treatment at New Norfolk, it gravity feeds to Warrane and Lindisfarne. Local run off is too hard and bypasses the dam.

More fascinating gems of history and information can be found here:

http://www.mrt.tas.gov.au/mrtdoc/tasxplor/download/65_0387/65-0387.pdf

Let's walk...

Assembling to start

 

 Dick and Caz lead the way

Local inhabitants two  Pacific Black  Ducks, and a Coot. We also saw lots of Coot in the water and on land.

 
Mount Direction. A walk for another day, a three hour circuit but worth it for the views.

A different set of locals...with their model yachts.

Off we go

 Mount Wellington in the distance...

and closer up.

Some took the low road and...

 

 

 

...others took the high road. 

 

Wattles in bloom.

Heading towards the top of the reservoir, a bit of a hill.

 and down again, into the dramatic rock formation of...

 

...a disused quarry. This may be where the rock for the dam came from, I need to read the report!

 

 

 

The remains of Risdon Brook

 

 Paparrazzi?

 

All smiles going up again.

 

 

 

Looking great.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Something interesting down there? 

High viz shoelaces!

 

Track markers showing alternative ways to go up Mount Direction (121m asl)

We wend our way around the foothills...

...back towards the dam wall. With some lovely views across the water as we come back into sunshine.

At the time I could see a lion, as clear as anything, others saw other things. Now it is a rocky outcrop.

We have reached the beginning of the dam wall crossing.

We meet more locals, Bennets Wallabies.

Looking along the dam wall with safety barriers (rather overdone we thought!)

 

and back to our cars waiting in line to take us to lunch

Yum!

On the way to lunch we look down (literally) on other inhabitants. These are mostly unwilling as this is the location of Risdon Prison.

You can see it on the bottom right hand side of the map.

 

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Mount Nelson 18th July 2018

Mount Nelson 18th July 2018

This walk starts from the Mount Nelson Signal Station. A semaphore communication dating from the era before mobile phones. We descend through bush  and return via  steeper fire trail.

The semaphore was visible from great distances due to its elevated position. This means we now get the benefit of this stunning location.

 

 

 

 

 

The view south east

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the track

 

Backlight for special effect

 

 

 

 Hi there!

 

Arranging lunch!

 

 

 

 

Returning via a fire trail

It is steeper than it looks

 

 

Some things defied explanation, the numbers were sprayed onto the road but appeared to be in no order and some were repeated.

 

 

 

Mount Wellington in the background

 

 

 

Until we return to civilisation

Lots of wrens but they didn't cooperate with the photographer.

With time to spare we continued on to view the memorial to Truganini,  an aboriginal woman (1812-1856), remembered as a survivor of the extermination of her people in Tasmania.

  



A final exploration of the bush before returning to our parked cars.

 

 

 

 

Map of our walk

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