Tag Archives: Clarence Foreshore Trail

Theatre Royal, Hobart – proximity to the Derwent River

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The Theatre Royal located on Campbell St Hobart was built in 1834 and is the earliest theatre built in Australia that is still fully operational today – each week the Theatre Royal stages various events: theatre, dance, musicals, opera, eisteddfods, music concerts or comedy. After a disastrous fire in 1984, the building was restored to its former glory and its delightful small but grand interior is now well worth a visit.  Guided tours are on offer during the day.

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But what does the Theatre Royal have to do with the Derwent River you may wonder.

Firstly, it is located only a stone’s throw from the Hobart Rivulet that flows into the Derwent River. The Hobart Rivulet was the source of fresh water to the first settlers in Sullivans Cove (a bay in the Derwent River) in the years after they established the colony in 1804. Picking up the crystal clear waters from flows on Mount Wellington, the Hobart Rivulet wound its way through the early ‘Hobarton’ and these days it continues to flow under much of the current city of Hobart.

Secondly, the early shores of the Derwent River were further inland in the early 19th century than today. Considerable land fill has been added over the past two centuries.  When the Theatre Royal was built, the Derwent River was a little closer than today.

I have entertained myself with searches for old maps of Hobart so that I could understand where the Theatre Royal was located in relation to the original foreshore.

The image of the foreshore at Sullivans Cove below was drawn in 1804 (this was the year of first settlement here). Hunter Island was on its own before it was connected to the mainland by a causeway. This island was located not far from where Campbell St (the street on which the Theatre Royal is built) was established much later. The drawing shows the extensive forests which were removed over subsequent years to make way for the streets, houses and public buildings (image from http://www.tasfamily.net.au/~schafferi/images/Ocean&LNHunterIs1804img141.jpg

Ocean&LNHunterIs1804img141 Hunter island 1804

The site http://www.tasfamily.net.au/~schafferi/index.php?file=kop15.php offers the opinion ‘It is hard to imagine what Hobart Town would have been like when Lt. Gov. Collins arrived in 1804.  The rivulet ran free, (except when it rained heavily sending logs that blocked the rivulet, sending water spilling across its banks) large gum trees stood on both sides of the rivulet, some of which had to be cut down to make room for the new settlement.‘  The drawing below, made by George P Harris in 1805 or 1806, seems to look across Hobarton from what today is referred to as the Domain.  I think Harris employed a great deal of creativity when making the picture because the Mount Nelson Signal Station looms large on the distant hill yet it could not realistically have been that height.  

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Below, the 1811 town layout has an overlay of our contemporary streetscape (from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-24/footsteps-towards-freedom-art-project-begins/6251596).  If you can locate the intersection of Campbell St and Collins St, then you can appreciated that the yet to be built Theatre Royal will be sited a few metres along Campbell St (on the block at the top side of the letter E of Street). You can appreciate how close this is to the Rivulet and to the Derwent River.

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George Evans lithograph of 1819 below shows how little progress had been made in terms of new buildings and street construction 15 years after settlement ( http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-22/1819-slnsw-south-west-view-of-hobart-town-1819-george-william-e/5689410)

George Evans South west view of Hobart town

By 1832 significant developments had been made to Hobarton .  The map below (from http://www.auspostalhistory.com/articles/180.php) was made two years before the Theatre Royal was built.  Can you locate Campbell St?  Once found, can you see the thick black line that crosses it – that line is the Hobart Rivulet? The future location for the new theatre was a couple of house blocks away from the intersection between the street and the rivulet.  Looking at the shoreline with the Derwent River, already it is clear land has been reclaimed along the edge; the shape is manmade and the landscape no longer flows naturally.

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On the Proeschel map below (with the hand writing at the top of the map indicating 1858), locate the intersection of Collins and Campbell Streets.  Nearby, the Theatre Royal is listed as Public Edifice number 23 (from http://catalogue.statelibrary.tas.gov.au/item/?id=879658)

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In Jarman’s map of Hobart Town (http://catalogue.statelibrary.tas.gov.au/item/?id=573294 indicates the date for this is 1858, although if the Proeschel map’s date is correct then the differences are too marked for this to be correct. More research required.), the end of Collins St has been modified so that two streets are located one either side of the Rivulet (black rectangle above Collins St is the Theatre Royal).

Hobart Town

A woodcut map of 1879 by A C Cooke (from http://catalogue.statelibrary.tas.gov.au/item/?id=94421) gives a bird’s eye view of Hobart Town. On the lower right, the large watery dock can be seen intruding into the townscape. At the top end of this water is the large City Hall with Campbell St on its right hand side. Immediately behind the City Hall is Collins St.  Therefore the Theatre Royal is located on the right hand side of Campbell St a little above Collins St.

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The area around the Hobart Rivulet routinely flooded the streets after heavy rains in the 19th and early 20th centuries (substantial new drainage systems now prevents such occurrences). The photo below (from http://www.linc.tas.gov.au/tasmaniasheritage/browse/exhibitions/hobartrivulet/diversions-and-floods/image-3) was taken after a flood in the 1920s. We are looking back towards the centre of Hobart Town along the Hobart Rivulet. The large curved roof at the right of the photograph is the top of the Theatre Royal and, therefore, the first bridge in the distance which crosses over the Rivulet will distinguish Campbell Street.

Floods-NS869-1-497 1920s rivulet end of Collins

The photo below (http://www.linc.tas.gov.au/tasmaniasheritage/browse/exhibitions/hobartrivulet/diversions-and-floods/image-2) was taken during flooding in the 1930s.  The building on the right hand side is the City Hall which still functions as such today.  The road to the right of the flooding Rivulet is Collins St and people are standing on Campbell St above the Rivulet.  Therefore, the Theatre Royal is just out of shot to the left from where people are standing watching the torrent.

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Leo Schofield’s short-lived but internationally renowned Hobart Baroque festival lit up the Theatre Royal with spectacular performances.

Theatre-Royal-Hobart  seated people

Our Theatre Royal was located for easy public access 180 odd years ago, and the site continues to attract crowds easily. A new performing arts centre will be built next door over the next couple of years.  The Tasmanian Art School is located close by in Hunter St adjacent to the wharves and jetties jutting into the Derwent River. It fits with history to develop an artistic precinct near the water.

Walking from Lindisfarne to Geilston Bay along the Derwent River last Friday

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Gask

Talune St, Lindisfarne ended at the edge of the Derwent River, so I turned right to follow a pathway. At 11.45am the pathway continued along an extension of Paloona St before changing back into a shoreline Trail. Further on and next to the Clarence Foreshore Trail, an attractive weatherboard house named ‘Gask’, with an expansive enclosed verandah framing extensive Derwent River views, attracted my attention. Apparently this home was built in 1900 as a holiday residence for Dr William Crowther (but more research required confirming this because birth dates and the house dates do not make a suitable match). The property, originally named Villa Rose was renamed Gask, although I can find no explanation for this name. In 2010, the house was sold for over ¾ million dollars.

The Trail continued past the sweeping Koumala Bay where I watched the camouflaged catamaran speed past carrying its cargo of visitors from MONA to the city.

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In the photo below I have almost walked to Limekiln Point and the headland in the distance is Bedlam Walls Point. Limekiln Point is the southern location which corresponds with the northern Bedlam Walls Point across the other side of the gap where the Derwent River meets the waters of Geilston Bay.  At Limekiln Point I saw no remnants of any limekiln. Apparently Geilston Bay was initially named Lime Kiln Bay, so perhaps the lime works were centred around the curve of the Bay (more research required).

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Bedlam Walls Point will be the official starting point for Stage 6 of walk along the Derwent River.

My first view into Geilston Bay looked as follows:

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Closer to the Bay, my views included the following image which shows the walking track on the other side which I will follow in Stage 6 of my walk along the Derwent River:

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At midday, approximately 1km of my walk to the Geilston Bay Regional Park remained. The Trail became a gravel track, and while parts of the track earlier would have been suitable for someone using a wheel chair or crutches, much of the last 1000 metres of the track was better suited to mountain bikes, despite not being very hilly. Gardens cascaded down to the edge of the path and private uphill stony stairways ended in gates and fences. Jenny Wrens flitted through the undergrowth. Raucous sulphur crested cockatoos flew  screeching overhead. Colourful. Tranquil. Glistening light. Far from the maddening crowd (with apologies to Thomas Hardy). A perfect day.

I appreciated the skill in building a dry stone wall.

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Sighting the first massive almond tree filled with growing fruit was a surprise, and then when I saw a few more I was amazed. Obviously, these were self-seeded and reseeding.  All growing between the Trail and Geilston Bay’s water edge.  I wonder when they will be ready to pick and eat.  Perhaps December or January?  Since they grow on public land, it will be a matter of first in first served.

Eventually the gravel pathway met with a formal Foreshore Trail and I continued around the Bay until I spotted a bench on the grey weathered wharf in front of the Geilston Bay Boat Club.  It was time to enjoy the view of Geilston Bay, Hobart city beyond and the ever present Mount Wellington.

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Friday’s walk was an easy simple experience and since it passed places, streets, and vistas I had never seen before, I loved it all.

From the Tasman Bridge to Lindisfarne along the Derwent River last Friday

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Immediately after the Bridge, the Clarence Foreshore Trail ceased so I walked on the public road and then turned left onto a new road; Rose Bay’s Esplanade. From the cul de sac at the end of that road (which was parallel to the Derwent River), the Trail recommenced.  By 10.30am, I reached the spot where the Trail continued adjacent to a very long public road, the Esplanade.

The silvery blues of the Derwent River, Mount Wellington, and the Tasman Bridge provided a rich contrast to the green vegetation and the bright pink-flowered pigface plants that lined the Clarence Foreshore Trail as I continued walking through the Rose Bay area towards Lindisfarne Bay.  Throughout this Stage 5 of the walk I loved seeing the exotic flowers which had escaped from nearby gardens (and no, they didn’t run out of those gardens: the wind or birds moved their seeds) amidst the native plants because they created carpets and pops of sun-filled colour (I realise they are not good for the environment).

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During my walk from the Tasman Bridge, I was surprised to see a willow tree with its roots in the salt water of the Derwent River. Later in the walk I saw a couple of other large old willow trees on the banks of some Bays. Also surprising was the sight of a thick luscious stand of healthy silver beet proudly growing on the edge of the bank above the rocks.

Lindisfarne Bay

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The photo above shows my walk towards Lindisfarne Bay. From 10.50am, my walk left the Derwent River edge and began to take me into and around Lindisfarne Bay. A few minutes later I was passing the Lindisfarne Pump Station on the left of the Trail, and a massive enclosed kid’s playground with lots of holidaying loudly chattering families on the right of the Trail.  A set of adult outdoor gym equipment and public toilets were nearby.

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After 11am I passed the Lindisfarne Rowing Club, walked up to the continuation of the Esplanade road, and turned left for the Trail. I soon smiled at the duck crossing sign below.

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The Trail eventually turned left into Ford Parade where I noticed the Lindisfarne Scout Group Hall on the right with signs indicating the venue was available for hire. Around 11.09 I walked past the Lindisfarne Sailing Club, crossed the road and followed the Trail curving up and around a slight hill passing a wonderful old house named ‘Kentway’.  When this 1900 heritage home was listed for sale three years ago, its asking price was just under a million dollars. The sales spiel referred to the house’s Tasmanian Oak floors, and its ‘Blue Chip’ location. Lindisfarne was settled early in Tasmania’s history and has a wonderful array of houses of all vintages alongside the Derwent River.

Over the road, the Motor Yacht Club/ Returned Soldiers League displayed a sign offering meals available. I stopped by for a toilet break and was surprised how pleasant the place was with great views across Lindisfarne Bay.  I will get some friends together and enjoy their hospitality in the future.

Anzac Park

Continuing on the Trail, I reached a car park with Lindisfarne’s tennis courts on the other side. To the left was a dramatic gateway signed Anzac Park. It wasn’t clear that the Trail was through the gate, but I walked it, and found it was. By 11.25am, I reached a memorial to soldiers from the Lindisfarne area lost in wars since World War II.

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Further on an earlier war memorial remembering the locals who died in the first and second World Wars.

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Between the newer and older edifices, gardens containing memorial plaques for many were laid out carefully.

I left this area, Lindisfarne Point, around 11.30am all the while listening to the singing magpies, observing the tables and other seats that were plentiful for picnics, taking note of the Lindisfarne Cricket Ground on the right of the Trail and following the upper bitumen trail. Pathways continued down to the water of the small Beauty Bay with its kid’s playground however I trekked higher up in order to connect with the Trail and walk through the streets of Beltana Point. I turned left when I reached the small roundabout at Talune St.

Most attractive street

Up the road at the entrance to Koluri Court on the left, I spotted a very unusual sign. This street won “Most Attractive Street” in 1985 awarded as part of the Lindisfarne Garden Competition. Despite the fact that I was still walking along Talune St, I could see the lush foliage spilling from gardens.  In particular, the common plant was the Agapanthus, these days declared as a weed in Tasmania because it spreads into native bushland where it competes with native species. All parts of the plant are poisonous.

agapanthus

Photo from http://www.stockfreeimages.com/p1/agapanthus.html

What did I see on the walk along the Derwent River from Rosny to the Tasman Bridge last Friday?

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Previous posts have explained the route I walked and the bus services that supported my walk from Rosny Point to Geilston Bay last Friday. This and a further couple of posts will provide colour and texture to those bones.

Once off the bus around 9.20am, I walked through a light open forest of wattle, gum, casuarina and other trees and could see snippets of calm Kangaroo Bay to my left. The photo below looks across the Bay to Bellerive Bluff which was the official finish point of Stage 4 of the walk. The suburb of Tranmere with Droughty Hill above, appears in the misty distance (the location of Stage 3 of my walk).

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The beautiful Bay seemed like murmuring silk. Almost no breeze. The whoosh of cars on distant roads seemed oddly out of time and place.

The Clarence Foreshore Trail passes the inaccessible Rosny Wastewater Treatment Plant on the left.  From the Trail, occasionally rough gravel tracks led down making it possible to reach the water’s edge and I could see Dominican Gulls on the rocks and the occasional Pied Cormorant. Around 15 minutes after leaving the bus I reached the Rosny Point curve where the land left Kangaroo Bay and moved around to edge the Derwent River.  A few minutes later, a Trail sign indicated the Tasman Bridge was 1.7 kilometres further on. I was thankful for the Trail because the narrow rocky shore was strewn with sharp broken oyster shells; later on I watched a family of Pied Oyster Catchers preening and resting – obviously they had eaten their fill.

A few days ago I posted the story that the ‘navy had come to town’. The photo below looks across the River from a place between Rosny Point and Montagu Bay and shows the grey green HMAS Arunta to the left of the orange Aurora Australis Antarctic icebreaker. Oh, and by the way, I discovered the Commander of this naval ship was once responsible for the HMAS Derwent.

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Close to 10am, I reached the Derwent River corner of Montagu Bay.  Harsh sounds filled the air; very vocal wattle birds and the growling of power brakes used by large trucks on the Tasman Bridge. From here, I had the choice to walk 200 metres up to the Rosny Hill Lookout. However, I continued on towards the heart of Montagu Bay past a clutter of upturned dinghies partly hidden in the bushes by the shore. By 10.05am, I was out of the forest and soon passing Langdon’s Welding shop on the left with workers out repairing some boats. By the Trail, I noted a large nectarine tree filled with the start of new fruit and made a mental note to walk this way in December when the fruit should be ripe.

At Montagu Bay I was stopped by an elegant contemporary public sculpture (unknown artist) which I did not know existed.  Well worth a visit. This was the Memorial to those who lost their lives when the Tasman Bridge crashed in 1975. Have a look at the photo below.

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The idea is that you look through these circles to pin point the part of the bridge which collapsed.  An information board provided additional information on this tragedy.

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The view across the Derwent from Montagu Bay was magnificent.

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Public Toilets are located near the Montagu Bay Reserve parkland area. This area is one of many that are child friendly with kids play equipment for free use.

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300 metres along the Clarence Foreshore Trail after passing huge old pine trees, massive gums with fanciful ‘painted’ bark trunks, then the Montagu Bay Primary School on the right, I reached the Tasman Bridge which I walked beneath to continue towards Rose Bay. The time was 10.20am.

Buses for walking the Derwent – Rosny to Geilston Bay and back to Rosny or Hobart

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The website for Metro Tasmania is http://www.metrotas.com.au. When you get onto the bus you should ask for a DayRover bus fare so that you can get one ticket to be used on and off buses throughout the day.

Getting to Rosny Point

Only bus number 670 travels from Hobart city to Rosny Point but this only occurs late in the afternoon.  Therefore, from the city centre bus mall in Elizabeth St, Hobart take any bus travelling to the Eastlands Shopping Centre bus mall, Rosny Park. Please be aware not every bus that travels over the Tasman Bridge to the eastern shore of the Derwent River comes through the Eastlands Shopping Centre bus mall, but most of them do.  Consider buses numbered 605, 606, 608, 613, 614, 615, 620, 625, 638, 640, 642, 643, 644, 646, 648, 650, 652, 660, or 662. However, I recommend you always ask the driver for confirmation.

From the Eastlands Shopping Centre you have two choices to reach Rosny Point; bus number 670 (Rosny Park to Hobart City) or 675 (Rosny Park to Rosny Park Loop).

Once in the Rosny Point area, get off either at bus stop 20 or 21. Then take the road that travels down to the water from between these two bus stops. Continue walking along the road and eventually it clearly changes to the Clarence Foreshore Trail. This Trail is sometimes marked with a sign naming it. At other times the un-signposted bitumen or concrete pathway, with a broken white line marked down the length, indicates to walkers and cyclists to keep to the left hand side of the path. The Clarence Foreshore Trail continues along the Derwent River in various styles until Geilston Bay, and includes some road walking without the pathway. Along the way it is possible to stop the walk and access various buses.

Leaving from Montagu Bay if you wish

Both the 670 and 675 travel through the suburb of Montagu Bay so, having rounded the Rosny Point and arrived at Montagu Bay, it is possible to catch a bus either back to the Eastlands Shopping Centre, or to Hobart city.

Leaving from Rose Bay if you wish

Once you have left Montagu Bay and walked under the Tasman Bridge, you are in the area of Rose Bay.  To access a bus you would need to walk along the Clarence Foreshore Trail for some distance (perhaps 20 minutes) then walk up and away from the Derwent River until you reached the East Derwent Highway which runs somewhat parallel to the River. To bus back to Hobart, you should cross this Highway and wait at a bus stop on that higher side.

Leaving from Lindisfarne if you wish

Continuing onto Lindisfarne and its Bay, four buses regularly pass along the East Derwent Highway. In addition, two buses travel down the main street of Lindisfarne’s village (Lincoln St).

Departing from Geilston Bay

At Geilston Bay there are no buses at the wharf. Two choices: to walk up to Derwent Avenue through the suburban streets south of the Bay and find a bus stop along this road or, as I did, walk for 8 minutes to the East Derwent Highway along De Bomford Lane. Cross the road when you reach the Highway. Wait at bus stop 14 located left from De Bomford Lane on the Highway. If you do not cross the road you will end at the outer Greater Hobart Area suburb of Risdon Vale.

Kangaroo and Bellerive Bluffs on Stage 4 of my walk along the Derwent River

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After lunch, I walked up to the road (Victoria Esplanade), turned left and proceeded to walk around a new headland, Kangaroo Bluff. The photo below looks south along Bellerive Beach to Second Bluff.

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Continuing the walk and a little way ahead at Gunning St, on the right hand side of the road, a sign indicated the Kangaroo Bluff Historic Site could be reached uphill in a couple of hundred metres. I didn’t take this route rather I continued on the Trail around the Bluff until I reached Bellerive Bluff, the official finishing point for my walk on Stage 4 along the Derwent River. Before reaching Bellerive Bluff, I watched the tomato red coloured Aurora Australis, the Australian Antarctic Division’s research and resupply flagship, manoeuvring around the Derwent Harbour.

Once I arrived at Bellerive Bluff, an information sign reminded me that Charles Darwin, the eminent English naturalist, visited when the Beagle sailed into Hobart in 1836. The sign is particularly informative because it includes a map showing exactly the path Darwin walked on the eastern shore, some of which I have walked during Stage 4. Apparently some of the geological research and findings he made here on the eastern shore of the Derwent River, laid the grounds for the development of the significant theory of continental drifts. This information reminded me that it does not matter in which little pocket of the world you live, some important global story will come from it.

The next, 5th leg of the walk will start opposite Bellerive Bluff at Rosny Point, on a day yet to be determined.  The dark treed headland in the photo below is Rosny Point at the foot of the low Rosny Hill (the ever present Mount Wellington is visible in the distance).

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From Bellerive Bluff further walking is required to access bus routes and return to the Hobart city centre (although I walked home nearby). The Clarence Foreshore Trail continues along the edge of Kangaroo Bay from Bellerive Bluff. This pleasant walk leads to the Bellerive Ferry dock, a Fish and Chip Bar, and the Waterfront Hotel all overlooking the calm Kangaroo Bay with its marina full of yachts.

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Continuing past the Hotel onto the Boardwalk (which stages wonderful open-air festivals throughout the year such as the Seafarers Festival, the Jazz Festival, and the Fruit Wine Festival) there are two choices: to continue along the edge of Kangaroo Bay and past the Bellerive Yacht Club, or to walk up to the street and access the shops and restaurants of Bellerive Village. On the road (Cambridge Road) after the Yacht Club, after the shops finish and not far from the intersection lights, the sign for bus stop number 8 is planted on the edge. From here a bus can be hailed (please do not expect a bus to stop if you do not hold out your arm and indicate, even though you may be standing at the bus stop).  A timetable of bus services is posted on the bus stand.

Once on the bus, you should feel satisfied (and so lucky) that you exercised your body, cleansed your mind, and experienced the beauty of a portion of the Derwent River and its immediate environment. At the end of every walk I treasure where I have been during the day, and I am always excited thinking about the unknowns of the next stage, and looking forward to it.

Walking Howrah and Bellerive Beaches on Stage 4 of my walk along the Derwent River

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On arrival on Howrah Beach, I chose not to deviate to the Shoreline Shopping Centre, having no desire for shopping and because the fresh air and walking experience was such a joy. The long Howrah Beach was almost deserted, however occasionally happy dogs and mostly happy owners were enjoying themselves; I am never sure who is taking who for a walk.  I was fascinated by the man who declared he was deaf and then told me his dog was deaf, yet they both seemed to communicate well and understand each other.

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The photo above shows the stretch ahead of me as I started along Howrah Beach. The photo below shows the Beach when I had walked half its length.

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The sky gathered clouds, and the onshore breeze cooled the air as I walked. Before long I reached Second Bluff at the end of the Howrah Beach, and walked up and along the gravel pathway around this headland. At both the southern and northern ends of Second Bluff it is easily possible to walk off towards roads and, in the distance, to reach the main connecting route, Clarence Street, along which buses run regularly.

While walking around this Bluff, I passed some large Australian native Leptospermum trees in full flower; their snow-white petals presented a spectacular display.  Off and on I noticed bright bursts of fleshy native pigface acting as ground cover, with its purple-pink flowers made brilliant by the sunlight. I was afforded spectacular views back to Howrah, Tranmere, Droughty Hill, across the opening of Ralph’s Bay, and of Gellibrand Point and Fort Hill on the South Arm peninsula.

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Once I reached the Bellerive Beach stairs, I descended and took my walk towards the northern end of the Beach over a kilometre away.

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From time to time tall white poles with red tops are positioned along the beach to indicate walkways to the Clarence Foreshore Trail behind the dunes and then the roads and suburban houses of Bellerive.

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Bellerive Beach is much frequented by fitness fanatics, walkers, joggers, kids, families, individuals, and dogs on leads with owners.  The clean sand, the tide moving the Derwent up and down the beach, and the startling prominence of Mount Wellington are always welcome.

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Near the far end of the Bellerive Beach, a massive structure looms above a row of tall pine trees. This is Blundstone Arena, once known as the Bellerive Cricket Ground. This sportsground, as a national venue for international and local cricket games in the summer, also hosts major AFL (Australian Rules Football) and state level games during the winter months. Between Blundstone Arena and the beach are public toilets along the edge of the Clarence Foreshore Trail.

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Further on and next to the Trail, an outdoor adult gym inspires beach visitors and picnickers to push and pull and otherwise move their bodies.  From here you can see a blue and white painted building standing prominently.

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This is Bellerive Beach’s Fish Bar where fresh fish and other seafood is battered or crumbed and cooked while patrons wait. Dining in or taking away are the two options; the weather and wind generally controls whether I take a fresh cooked meal and sit on the edge of the beach with friends. I live in Bellerive and so I know very well this Beach and all the delights which it offers.

On this walk as usual, I brought my own packed lunch so I passed the Fish Bar and sat towards the end of the beach, and munched and contemplated the leisurely activity of others. A simple pleasure amidst the flighty flashing of hungry squawking silver gulls, all expecting to be fed.

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Walking around Howrah Point to Little Howrah Beach on Stage 4 of my walk along the Derwent River

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This is not a walk I would recommend to others.

After leaving the main Clarence Foreshore Trail and for a while, I seemed to be walking on private property in someone’s garden; however there were clear markings that others had walked this way before. I realised people would not own all the land they mowed and that the Foreshore here would be public land.

Six minutes into this walk, the only way forward was to clamber down onto the rocks and, like a happy goat, wander up and down and up and down to continue.  Initially I rocked and rolled on large moving pebbles (ankle twisters) and from then on I was more observant about where each footstep was placed than looking at the scenery.

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Another five minutes later I was surprised to look up at a house with a flag pole on which flew the Tasmanian State flag. It is not often this flag is seen except on Government House and near our State Parliament building.

Continuing along, I enjoyed the colour of endless rocks with their bright lichens in every shade of yellow through to burnt orange. In places, the lichens almost ‘inflamed’ the rocks. Fabulous!

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Fences and gateways often barred entry to the homes perched above the rocks. A woman mowing her lawn waved to me.  Only idiots or friends would walk where I did.  To be fair, a lot of the rock walking was easy and a pleasant experience. However, since it took around 50 minutes for me to walk around Howrah Point to Little Howrah Beach, you can imagine that towards the end of the time and when I could see the main Howrah Beach in the distance, I did not want to retrace my steps. The difficulties were yet to come. If I had stayed on the main Clarence Foreshore Trail, perhaps I needed only to have walked for 15 minutes to reach the first beach for the day.

Within metres of reaching Little Howrah Beach, the Derwent River’s water reached the inaccessible bank. The few rocks above the water level were smooth and slippery with green water plants. Overhanging the bank were spiky branches from dead bushes.  Need I say more? This was not a safe place to walk. But I did continue and quite soon I sloshed up at the open ground adjacent to Little Howrah Beach.

Walking through Tranmere to the start of Howrah Point on Stage 4 of my walk along the Derwent River

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As I walked back towards the city, the Clarence Foreshore Trail started as a concreted pathway for cyclists and pedestrians, then stopped and started as a formal walkway; sometimes I walked on the road and sometimes on the grassy verge.  Car traffic was almost non-existent. At bus stop 30 there were seats to enjoy the view, and a shelter offered protection from the weather. The air was perfumed with the smell of cypress trees expressing their oils as the early morning sun heated their branches. Magpie birds warbled musically from the trees. I spotted the occasional Pied Oyster Catcher, Cormorants holding their breath and diving deep for fish, and a single speed boat whizzing up the River in the distance. Very few people around.

When the track dipped down as a gravel pathway edging the Derwent River, the mowed lawns of the back yards of houses edged this walkway. Green. Peaceful. And without fences, I could appreciate the large picture windows installed in many houses, for the view of the Derwent Harbour and further beyond. Groves of Casuarina trees barely whispered in the slightest of breezes. Stands of almighty gum trees occasionally blocked the sun. Plump yellow beaked Dominican Gulls rested on sunny rocks above the moving water. Pairs of plovers hoping to protect their babies screamed overhead. A tourist sight-seeing aeroplane droned along the river. Walkers with their smiling happy Labradors, German Shepherds, Shitsus and all manner of other canines greeted me.

This was easy strolling but I was always edgy and watchful for any cyclists that might wish to share the pathway.

I saw evidence of Landcare – new trees have been planted, staked and surrounded with protective plastic. Occasionally I noticed public tracks from this Trail that went back up the hill to Tranmere Road, giving walkers the option of where they walked as they continued along the River. Occasionally I came across public seats where you could, if you wished, rest and enjoy the magnificent views. Swings and slides could be used by kids at the small Anulka Park.

Around 50 minutes after leaving the bus, I arrived at a sign which provided a list of plant species in Clarence, and which offered information about weeds and escaping exotics and the dangers these pose to our native vegetation. At this point, the Trail curved uphill and this is the way any future walker should go.  The alternative is comparatively difficult and dangerous.  However, I did not know this at the time and I decided to stay low and hug the Derwent River edge. I was about to walk around Howrah Point.

My route for Stage 4 walking along the Derwent River

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Yesterday’s route took me from Tranmere to Bellerive on the Derwent River’s eastern shore of the Greater Hobart Area.

  1. I caught the Number 615 bus to Camelot Park and got off at bus stop 31 in Tranmere just before 9am. The bus continued onto it final stop 31, while I crossed the road to look down on the rocky foreshore, before striding out along the concreted Clarence Foreshore Trail (CFT) back towards the city.

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  1. When I reached bus stop 29, public toilets were located next to the Trail. I continued along the Trail to the left on a gravel path separating the rocks and water from the back yards of houses lining the river. Fifty odd minutes after leaving the bus, and after passing Punch’s Reef and Anulka Park, I arrived at a significant curve in the Trail. At that point it seemed to be returning up to the roadway for continuation on a concreted pathway next to Tranmere Road.
  2. Instead I walked on northwards, next to the river on a grassy terrace but was eventually forced down onto the rocks of Howrah Point. Fifty minutes later I arrived at the southern end of Little Howrah Beach where I sat and ate some of my lunch. I would not recommend followers take this route because when the tide is in, some rocks will be impassable. At other times some uncovered rocks will be slippery with moss. In addition, there are overhanging prickly bushes which will scratch if you follow this way. I suspect staying on the Clarence Foreshore Trail would have taken half an hour or more off my walk.

The photo below shows the tranquillity of Little Howrah Beach.

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  1. Half way along the road next to the Little Howrah Beach is bus stop 21. Close by are public toilets.
  2. It took 6 minutes to walk the length of this short beach, a minute to walk over a tiny rocky shoreline, and then 30 minutes to walk the long Howrah Beach. The photo below shows the Howrah Beach. Second Bluff is the treed area at the end of the beach.

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  1. From Howrah Beach, I walked up and around the Second Bluff headland on a well-marked path (the rocks below would be impossible to walk around) and arrived at the start of the Bellerive Beach approximately a quarter of an hour later. The leisurely stroll along Bellerive Beach took about 30 minutes. The photo below was clicked looking back along Bellerive Beach after my walk was completed.

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Near this end of the beach a large football and cricket ground is evident through the trees.  Between this ground and the beach you will find public toilets.

  1. I took the stairs at the northern end of Bellerive Beach up onto Victoria Esplanade, turned left and followed the road around Kangaroo Bluff to Bellerive Bluff where this fourth stage of my walk along the Derwent finished.

This Bluff marks the point where the small Kangaroo Bay opens off tto the east of the Derwent River. Northwards across the water I could see Rosny Point which will be the starting point for the next leg of this journey.

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On the other side of the river, the city centre featured prominently below Mount Wellington.

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A number 608 bus runs through this part of Bellerive and continues onto Hobart. Alternatively, if you continue walking along the edge of Kangaroo Bay, then through the Bellerive Village onto Cambridge Road, buses can be hailed to stop at Bus Stop 8 for travel into Hobart city.

How much of the Derwent River have I walked?

I strolled very slowly for almost five hours. If followers choose to stay on the Clarence Foreshore Trail and are not as engaged as I was in making notes and taking photographs, I believe this walk will take a comfortable 3 and a half hours including snack breaks. In total, I probably walked about 10 kilometres because of the convoluted nature of the Howrah Point rocks and other non-Clarence Foreshore Trail pathways which I followed from time to time.  In relation to meeting my goal to walk the 249 kilometre length of the Derwent River, I gained another 4 kms; the total distance covered so far is now 19.5 kilometres.

Stage 3 Continuing the Derwent River walk 20 September 2014 Posting 5 of 6

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Leaving the Derwent River edge, I walked up the concrete path to Vaughan Court in Tranmere, turned left, walked until I reached the T junction with Oceana Drive, turned left and then followed the suburban footpath back in the direction of the original bus stop.  From the bottom of the concrete path until I reached that bus stop, it took approximately 15 minutes.

I turned left down into Tranmere Road. Three minutes later, when I reached Pindos Drive, a No Through road, I turned left and followed it to the end and arrived at midday. This road ending named Tranmere Point, is marked by Pindos Park, an area with children’s play equipment, seats to admire the views, and places to enjoy a family picnic. Locals were walking and cycling.

I looked southwards and could see that Pindos Park was another possible starting place for a walk to Trywork Point. The soft grassy track between the houses and the River was wide and clear and continues around until a connection is made with the track to the gate at the beginning of the small pebble beach.

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This photograph is taken from the Pindos Park area. The trees on the hill in the distance are the forest of Casuarina trees I referred to in an earlier posting.  I walked though those trees in order to reach the other side and then down to Trywork Point. What I am now suggesting is the walk to Trywork Point starts here at Tranmere Point and the track visible in this photograph can be followed eventually down onto the rocky shore and then around the bays and small headlands. In this way, walking on private land can be avoided.

Once I turned away from this southwards direction to continue my walk northwards, I was blown around the Pindos Park headland with its markers indicating underwater pipes,

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and continued on following the River into the sun. I could see the suburbs of Howrah and Bellerive with their golden sandy beaches in the far distance.

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Ten minutes later I reached the official start of the Clarence Foreshore Trail, a cemented path for both cyclists and pedestrians. By 12.15 I reached bus stop 32, and five minutes later I arrived at bus stop 31. However I was beginning to plod because my feet were sore so I waited for a few minutes by the rocky foreshore of Tranmere in the glaring sun amidst a stiff wind, for the 12.23 pm bus which was scheduled to return to Hobart. It came on time, and when I hopped on and sat down I realised that I had not stopped or sat since the bus trip to Tranmere 3 hours earlier in the morning. During my walk, I hadn’t stop to have a morning tea snack – hadn’t felt the need. Was enjoying the scenery and the weather too much to consider food. Lost in all the gorgeous moments of the day.

I left the bus at the Shoreline shopping plaza for a toilet stop and a chance to buy a newspaper and a few groceries.

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Note that in this photograph taken outside the Shoreline Plaza, there is a distant hill in the centre background. That’s the hill with the Casuarina trees through which I walked on the way to Trywork Point.

The Shoreline was very convenient. Then I jumped on a later bus heading towards Hobart.