I don't know what this plant is, but its huge and awesome.
I hadn't taken a hike in about 2 weeks and I started getting the itch the other day.
I had to get some audio work for my Film class (don't ask about it, it's really crappy), and so I took a hike up to the top of Mt Nelson, here in Hobart. There's a road going up a big hill just behind the university called Mt. Nelson Rd or something similar and i
thought that was actually Mt Nelson. Before taking the trip I went to the tourist info place and grabbed a hiking map of some of the trails in Hobart, and turns out the start of the trail up Mt. Nelson was about an hour walk past the Uni. So my simple 2 hour trek turned out to be MUCH longer; but hey I had nothing else to do so I went anyways.
Along Sandy Bay Rd theres a short walk along the water to a place called blinking point, which is here. There's nothing really to tell you about the significance of the place, but it has a tiny lighthouse and a small dugout in front of it which had some guy sleeping in it.
Luckily it turned out to be an awesome hiking day, as lately its been freezing and miserable out.
About two hours since I left home I finally came to the start of the trail, already tired and SO niave as to what lie ahead.
The map shows the start of the trail as being a straight line before climbing up the mountian. Oh how trail maps lie! For the first third of the trek you slowly wind your away through this twisty jungle over muddy boulders and under fallen trees. It is really quite beautiful, but quite hard to navigate.
I re-read my map and in bold letters it states:
Much easier as a decent! crap.
Luckily I got some great audio work from the rivers and the birds everywhere, tho this is the only one I got a picture of because they hide very well.
Once out of jungle hell, you enter Steep Forest Hell. Every once in a while people would come down the trail and look at you like your crazy for even trying to go up this trail. They give a smile and a hello as they sprint downwards, and with my legs burning and totally out of breath I reply "uuuuuuhh guuuh hello. uuuuuuuuh"
Half way there; by now I am a wheezing sweaty mess of a man. (Did I mention this was another hangover hike? yeeeah gotta stop doing that)
Nearly at the summit is this small copper... thing on a rock, called the Truganini Memorial.
It's sort of hard to read, but my flatmate says its for the last Aboriginal who was buried in Tasmania; another moment in Australias none-to-friendly past.
Some fool built a boat at the top of this mountain. Actually this is the Mt. Nelson signal station, used in the days before awesome things like phones and GPS positioning.
A lovely view from the top. Past that ocean somewhere is Antarctica.
Someone used to live in this tiny shack. What a crappy job that would have been.
Flags!
Welcome to Hobart in flag speach.
Not really wanting to go back the way I came, because it goes on the other side of the mountain and I'm trying to go home, I found an unmarked trail which looked like it headed back to town.
What the hell? Why didn't I come up this way? Why is the shitty jungle trail on the map and not this slow leisurly one? good grief.
I came out totally lost on some mystery street, but found the casino! the casino always takes me home. As long as you can see this building you can find your way around Hobart. and so I followed it.
Success! I really should go there one day, as it's been very good to me so far.
This picture is taken from the Uni field, and at the top of the mountain back there is the signal station. To get a sense of how far I walked, the start of the trail is on the
other side of the mounatin. Blah, never again. When I got to the uni I said screw it and took a bus home and had a huge nap.
So that was that, in other news I only have a couple weeks of school left so its crunch time, sort of. Theres a hot rod/pin up girl/roller derby/art show on saturday here where I will have some art work in, but mostly checking out girls and cars :)
OH! and GO CANUCKS!!!!! 3rd round baby! WOOOOOOO
