Tag Archives: Geilston Bay

Shag Bay industrial history

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In earlier posts I directed your attention to the online magazine Tasmanian Geographic .  The latest issue contains a well-researched and lengthy article, ‘Early Recycling at Shag Bay’, on the early industrial history of late 19th and early 20th century of Shag Bay.  Thanks to authors, John and Maria Grist, I now understand more about what I saw as I walked past the detritus scattered around this Bay. I strongly recommend accessing their article for its historical photographs and the fascinating content. Thanks John and Maria – much appreciated.

My long term blog followers may recall the name of Shag Bay but unless you know this part of the Derwent River, its location will remain a puzzle.  Shag Bay is a small inlet on the eastern shore between Geilston Bay and Risdon, and is mostly easily accessible on a dirt track from the Geilston suburb end. My posts from walking around Shag Bay include:  From Geilston Bay to Risdon on Stage 6 of my walk along the Derwent River yesterday ; Reaching Shag Bay as I walked along the Derwent River; The Shag Bay and Bedlam Walls area covers much loved and used aboriginal land of the Moomairremener people ; and Along the northern side of Shag Bay and onwards along the Derwent River.

To help you to remember Shag Bay, here are a few photos I took way back very early in my trek from the mouth the source of the Derwent River.

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Nature is cheaper than therapy

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A Californian fiction writer M.P. Zarrella offered the opinion ‘nature is cheaper than therapy’.  Since then, her point of view has spawned posters, cushion covers, and T shirts such as:

Nature cheaper than therapy  and tshirt nature its cheaper than therapy

The use of this comment spread until people couldn’t help themselves …

facebook cheaper than therapy and Beer is cheaper than therapy

Thinking about whether nature is cheaper (with the inference of ‘better’ than therapy), I have been inspired to trawl through my walking-the-derwent photos.

Here are a few favourite natural scenes clicked during Stages 1-6 of my walks along the eastern shore of the Derwent River.  Most of these images spent time as my computer screen background where they lifted my spirits daily.

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Iron Pot off the southern end of South Arm peninsula

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Driftwood beach shack on Pot Bay Beach, South Arm peninsula

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Mount Wellington across the Derwent River from South Arm Beach

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Looking northwards into the gigantic Derwent Harbour from Gellibrand Point at the northern end of the South Arm peninsula.

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Looking uphill from Trywork Point

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Lichen on rocks at Tranmere Point

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Little Howrah Beach

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Looking southwards along Bellerive Beach

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The suburb of Sandy Bay across the Derwent River through the casuarina trees from Rosny Point

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Tranquil Geilston Bay looking toward Mount Wellington

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Bedlam Walls Point

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Shag Bay

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Native flowers in the East Risdon State Reserve

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Tommys Bight

Whenever the weather is deteriorating outside my window, by looking at these photographs from the first 6 of 14 walking stages, I ‘revisit’ the various locations and feel most uplifted. No therapy needed here.

My first walking story video

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Thanks to Lara Van Raay, Producer with ABC Open for southern Tasmania, I completed a 3 hour workshop devoted to editing a series of brief video shots that I collected during the week. When long-term blog followers look at my final video story, they may recognise the location. I covered this area in stage 5 of my walk along the Derwent River, when I walked from Rosny Point to Geilston Bay.

This video can be seen at https://vimeo.com/122073284 or

https://open.abc.net.au/explore/14ov5vx

I used VideoPad by NCH Software (http://www.nchsoftware.com/videopad/) for sequencing and editing the video clips. This is freely downloadable. I found it easy to use initially and even easier after taking time to watch some of the excellent and simple online tutorials.

Once the video was complete I uploaded it onto Vimeo (which, unlike You Tube, isn’t a site with advertisements). From Vimeo, I have added the video story to ABC Open’s projects ‘where you will find me’ category (refer https://open.abc.net.au/explore/14ov5vx).  If you are Australian and write stories or make video stories, you can find a place to upload them onto the ABC Open site; it is one way of sharing experiences around our country.

This is my first attempt at story creation in video and I recognise both my filming and editing are very rough around the edges.  Nevertheless, everyone has to start somewhere. During the coming winter months when I cannot continue my walking in the centre of Tasmania because of miserable weather conditions, I may use the opportunity to work on story lines with locations closer to home.

Happy viewing!

On the long and winding road through the Tinderbox area.

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The morning had hardly begun when, a little after 9am, I started walking southwards along the Tinderbox Road, knowing that most of the way would not be and could not be directly next to the Derwent River.

In this area, with the exception of the occasional house surrounded closely by bush (I did imagine most of these households placed their trust against bushfires/wildfires in hope and household insurance), there is no way for easy access to the cliff edges, and there is no track along the top.  I did not think it worth the risk to walk alone in an isolated bush area a long way from a road or houses. I have no doubt it is possible to walk more closely to the Derwent River, but doing so would  not be a smart idea.

No track, pavement or pathway exists beside the two lane Tinderbox Road. Throughout the day I walked on the road when no traffic was in sight or within hearing and I stepped along the verges (where there were any) when traffic was approaching.  Thankfully, there were very few cars and sometimes 10 or 15 minutes would elapse without a vehicle on the road.

The most disturbing vision for the day was a fresh road kill; the glistening innards of a young native animal, a Common Ring Tailed Possum, spread across the road and barely connected to the main body. These possums normally go out for their hunting during the evening and this fellow must have been racing home to bed when struck by a car racing down the road.  The image of a ring tailed possum below was created by Greg Hughes of arrowfire.deviantart.com at http://www.deviantart.com/art/Ringtail-Possum-344619937.

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On the upside, I was delighted to have a close encounter with a group of 6 large native Green Rosella birds. My good fortune to see these grand birds at close quarters occurred because the noise of two vehicles crossing paths from the two different directions made the birds comfortable and they did not hear my scrunching sounds as I walked on the roadside gravel. I stopped mid step as soon as I saw these heavy birds. During my walk from Geilston Bay to Risdon, I had the privilege of seeing a couple of these birds close by (read the posting From Risdon to Tommy’s Bight via Porters Bay and finally to the bus stop).  Anywhere on the web, photographs of Green Rosellas can be found easily, however they all emphasise the lime green yellow throats as the main colour. In my experience, their deep green camouflaging backs defines their character.

So … what were the birds doing as I watched them (one was employed only a metre away)? They were snacking on ripe blackberries and loving every moment of it.  Inadvertently I moved a foot and the grating sound surprised them.  The small pack of large Green Rosellas rose from the bushes and, in a flash of blue edged tails, were gone. What a thrill to see them: such private birds. Later a local dismissed my excitement. ‘They are everywhere here, and they try and get my blackberries before me as I work along the canes picking them’, she said.

Leaving home last Friday towards the start of Stage 7 of my walk along the Derwent

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From my house early morning, I could see a mirror sheen across the Derwent River. This promised a great day for walking and so I was eager to get going.  Unfortunately the bus service to the area I was starting from departs only every couple of hours. Eventually I caught the Metro bus 694 when it passed through the Eastlands Shopping Centre bus mall at 9.13am.

The bus passed through upper Lindisfarne as it headed along the East Derwent Highway. When I looked left across the Derwent River, my view of the top of the mountain was cut off by a thick resting white cloud. The roads were calm. People were at work and kids at school. When we passed Geilston Bay I could the water was serenely flat. By this point, I was the only passenger on the bus and felt luxuriously chauffeured.  We detoured for a scenic view through the upper Geilston Bay residential area, then back to the highway.  As we travelled onwards, I noted the start of the trail to Bedlam Walls which I had walked previously, then the electricity pylons and fire trails marking the East Risdon State Reserve. The Willows Tavern loomed on the left and on the right hand side of the highway I glimpsed the starkness of the barb wired fencing of the state Prison.

At the roundabout (where I wanted to go left) the bus turned right to travel through the suburb of Risdon Vale.  Lots of small weatherboard houses and lawns with a few bushes rather than complex luscious gardens. ‘Donut’ burnout tyre marks on the intersections of roads. Rooves needing paint.  Neat and tidy. Streets prettily named after plants: Spinifex, Sycamore, Lindon (although Lindon Park had no Lindon trees), Poplar, Heather, Banksia, Kerria, Hawthorn, Marlock, Gardenia, Lantana and Holly.

Side view of the mountain: I marvelled at the speed with which clouds were being pushed across the top of the mountain southwards.

At 9.39 I was off the bus just before the junction of Saundersons Road, Risdon with the East Derwent Highway.  This is on the southern side of Risdon Cove. Around the corner of the road in the photo below, I could look over the railing in the direction of the Derwent River.

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I walked to that distant railing and realised that walking on the road would be very dangerous with traffic speeding on the narrow lanes.  I legged it over the railing and walked on the River side. The photo below is one of my first views.  Note the pair of black swans.

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No longer did I have Mount Wellington as my standard backdrop across the water. In the photos above, the elevated section on the other side of the Derwent River (above the Bowen Bridge) is the Mount Faulkner Conservation Area.

The Shag Bay and Bedlam Walls area covers much loved and used aboriginal land of the Moomairremener people

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Various websites have indicated that the tract of land between Geilston Bay and Risdon Cove contains a great deal of evidence of land and river use by the original land owners.

Previously I acknowledged the traditional owners of the land along the Derwent River that I have been walking across. This land, before European settlement, belonged to the Moomairremener people however the early international settlers failed to understand that the local inhabitants had established government practices and legal systems, and worked with the land and sea to ensure an ongoing food supply. Unfortunately the characteristics which made the indigenous people civilised were different to those characteristics which made the settlers civilised. Because of their major cultural differences, both groups of people couldn’t grasp the positive values of each other. Each failed to learn from the other so that neither came to an understanding that the difference between them did not make one group better or worse.  As the new settlers encroached on aboriginal land and hunting grounds without understanding the value and significance of what they were doing and attacked aboriginal people, inevitably the Moomairremener people attacked in return.

Bedlam Walls Point’s aboriginal cave, middens and quarry were the main features of aboriginal occupation that I expected to access during my walk. Regrettably I did not find the cave or the middens but I did see, at a distance, the quarry.  Another walk is needed to take more time to access these additional sites.

All the above are in easy walking distance of the site (Risdon Cove) at which, according to one story, an Aboriginal band hunting kangaroos was mistaken by whites for attackers and massacred (http://fieldnotestasmania.blogspot.com.au/2009/11/bedlam-walls-walk.html). According to http://www.australianhistorymysteries.info/pdfs/StudiesAHM-1.pdf “On 3 May 1804 there was a violent clash between a group of British settlers and a large party of Aboriginal people at Risdon Cove, near Hobart in Tasmania (then known as Van Diemen’s Land). Different writers and historians have given varying accounts of what happened then.”  In my view, neither option expressed on this website does any credit to the early settlers.

I cannot help thinking about the ongoing contemporary parallels where governments provoke fear by urging our populations to be vigilant against others who dress or look different. I cannot see this is a helpful way to learn to understand the benefits that different people can bring to all our lives.

Bird song on the track along the Derwent River

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A glorious soundscape within a fresh and embracing landscape was my reward for Stage 6 walking along the Derwent River.

As I left the bus and began to walk along the marked gravel pathway nearby, a sulphur crested cockatoo screeched overhead. It was easy to enjoy the sunlit stand of poplar trees then Peppermint gum trees and other vegetation surrounding me.  Geilston Creek, with its paddling ducks, wound its way towards Geilston Bay on my right.

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The further I walked the more bird song I heard and the more native birds showed their colours. First I noticed a pair of pardalotes, then Jenny Wren and her mate the divine Blue Wren both collecting a meal of insects from the path ahead. To my left were sports ovals and tennis courts. 10 minutes after leaving the bus I reached a new walking bridge over the creek near the edge of Geilston Bay, garlanded by large flowering wattle trees at the entrance.

Once over the bridge I turned left onto a road, with a series of dinghy lockers visible on the other side of the creek, then a couple of minutes later the Bay was clear on my left and the last houses before the bush started were located up on the right. The track to Shag Bay started 15 minutes after I left the bus. Despite no breeze I felt the cold air hard on my face. But the air was deliciously clean, the environment pristine after the rain overnight, and the tranquillity of the vistas was sublime.

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The official sign in the photo above, which was located at the beginning of the track, includes a map showing the way to Shag Bay and on to Bedlam Walls. I trekked gently uphill parallel to Geilston Bay on an undulating gravel track and around me all manner of birds sang, whistled, chirped and squawked. An ornithologist would be able to identify those sounds, but mostly I needed to rely on seeing these feathered friends of the bush.  The sounds were inspiringly musical. It was a feast for the ears. I spotted a Black Faced Cuckoo Shrike.

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The photo above show where I had walked from: it looks down the track with Geilston Bay on the right.

Along the way, unofficial tracks led down to the water.  On this walk I had hoped to locate the known aboriginal cave but alas, I was unlucky.  I suspect one of those tracks would have led to it, and so I will return another day for further exploration. Previous research had indicated that our Parks and Wildlife Service government department no longer can afford the upkeep and safety practices that are associated with this cave, and that somewhere there are stairs to descend to the cave and a locked gate to prevent entry. Other bloggers have indicated this gate is easily climbed if you are prepared to take the responsibility to accept all risks. As yet I have no idea if Trespassers Prosecuted signs are in place for that location. A clear photo of the cave is available at: http://tastrails.com/shag-bay-heritage-walk/tastrails_shagbay_bedlamwalls/

At 10.05am I reached a split path and took the left hand route. The occasional gum tree was surrounded by open grassland containing frequent clumps of one of our native plants the Diplarrena Moraea, spiked with their white blooms. Tree roots slithered across the path creating a tripping hazard, so I walked slowly in order to absorb the views. At a second split in the path, again I took the left hand track.  This meandered downhill on slippery gravel under old Casuarina trees to the water’s edge. At 10.10am I stood on the rocky shore at Bedlam Walls Point.

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From the foreshore at Bedlam Walls Point, I looked across the Derwent River northwards to the industrial business ‘Nystar’ which edges part of the western shore of the river; a large zinc and lead smelting and alloying operation.

The photo below is also taken from Bedlam Walls Point and looks southwards. The headland on the left is the Lime Kiln Point marking the other entrance into Geilston Bay. Further afield the Tasman Bridge spans the Derwent River.

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Before I left the Point, I watched a few pieces of river traffic: cormorants diving for their fish dinners, the MONA catamaran, fishing boats, and the sailing yachts.

Generally tranquillity reigned. Then for a while, I walked the rocky edge back into Geilston Bay a little then retraced my steps again to walk around the Point and along the Derwent River edge hoping to find the cave.  Once it was obvious success with this search wasn’t likely, I clambered up the hill. By 10.25am, I was standing on top of a cliff on a little used unofficial track. I continued to walk along northwards and up the gentle hill with the intention of rejoining the official track. Before then, however, I came across an infrequently used 4 wheel drive ‘road’ and followed this instead. The main path was only 20 or so metres further inland. By continuing on the ‘road’ I walked closer to the River and found the experience very pleasant.  There were no other people, and no signs of native animals. Only beautiful bird song.

From Geilston Bay to Risdon on Stage 6 of my walk along the Derwent River yesterday

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Yesterday’s walk was a sensationally wonderful experience. Over a few posts I will colour in the rich fabric of the day, much of it in clean fresh smelling bushland (such as that at Tommy’s Bight in the photo below).

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To start with, I caught Metro bus 694 destined for Risdon Vale and Glenorchy (scheduled from the Hobart city bus mall at 9.03) on the eastern shore and travelled to bus stop 14 on the East Derwent Highway at Geilston Bay. Thankfully the Clarence City Council has erected a sign marking the start of the walk.

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From the bus stop, I walked along the edge of Geilston Bay then northwards around Bedlam Walls Point to Shag Bay and onwards to the top of the Bedlam Walls, where I was rewarded with panoramas across the Derwent River. My northwards walk continued into and across the East Risdon State Reserve before descending into the suburb of Risdon. I turned south and walked on the edge of the Derwent River to Porters Bay where I took my lunch break before continuing south to Tommy’s Bight.

Eventually I retraced my steps back to Risdon and continued along the water’s edge to the junction of Saunderson’s Road with the East Derwent Highway. The return bus stop for a 694 bus, which arrived at 2.35pm (with not another one due for two hours), was on the Highway across from Risdon and adjacent to the land and water marking the Risdon Cove area.

I was away from home for approximately 6 and ¼ hours, and walked a total of around 12 kms winding over many tracks and retracing parts of my walk.

Previously I had walked 23 kms of the length of the Derwent River.  Yesterday I added 3 kms which brings the new tally to 26 kms.

Stage 6 of my walk along the Derwent River tomorrow – Tuesday

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In preparing to walk from Geilston Bay north to Risdon Cove looking at natural and historical features along the way, I expect to make good use of initial research. Apparently I should see considerable evidence of past European and Aboriginal settlements and use of the land. Currently, there are no settlements along this edge of the Derwent River until the tiny suburb of Risdon is reached.

Birds between Geilston and Shag Bay

An obvious bird lover has blogged extensively on Tasmanian birds and, in particular, has walked part of the distance I will cover tomorrow.

More detailed information with glorious photos is available at http://tassiebirds.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/shag-bay-bluewings-more.html however, in summary; I should see a wide range of native birds if fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time and with my eyes open.

Silvereyes, Black-headed Honeyeaters, Yellow-throated Honey eaters, Grey Currawongs, Blue-wing parrots, Yellow Wattlebirds, Brown Quails, Australasian Pipits, Dusky Woodswallows, Pied Cormorants, White-breasted Sea Eagles, Spotted Pardalotes, Dusky Robins, Black-face Cuckoo Shrikes, Grey Butcherbirds, Green Rosellas, New Holland Honeyeaters, Crescent Honeyeaters, and Brown Thornbills.  Phew!  What a collection!  I can identify some of these birds but not all. Therefore, I will be poring through my bird books later today to give me a better chance of seeing more and knowing what I am seeing.

Name of Shag Bay

Now is a good time to consider the name Shag Bay, the first Bay I will reach after Geilston Bay.  I cannot discover who gave the name, when, or why. In the absence of any information I have a theory. The common European bird Phalacrocorax aristotelis known familiarly as a Shag, is a species of cormorant. Cormorant birds are commonly seen fishing along our Derwent River. In fact, Tasmania has 4 species of cormorants with a vagrant fifth flying in from time to time. It seems very reasonable to imagine that the first Europeans, coming into what is now Shag Bay, repeatedly saw many cormorants fishing and so the name was easily applied.

Australia has developed a useful colloquialism: “like a shag on a rock”. This means abandoned and alone.  The Australian National Dictionary Centre explains “Any isolated person can be described as, or feel like, a shag on a rock – for example, a political leader with few supporters, or a person without friends at a party.”

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.

The pleasures of people along the Derwent River

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The people that I see and meet during my walks along the Derwent River always give me unexpected value.  My experience last Friday walking from Rosny Point to Geilston Bay was no exception.  People of all ages, sizes and racial backgrounds enjoyed being out and about.

There were joggers, runners, walkers, dogs leading their owners, a mother and father wrestling their son on the grass all laughing loudly and not a mobile phone or other communication device in sight, a man with a hand reel trying to catch fish from the rocks, cyclists who surprised me when they came up behind me and passed speedily and silently, the excited father and son who had seen a wallaby in the trees, a line of twelve senior men cycling without wearing lycra, five young mums in lycra with five new-baby laden prams in a row, kids skateboarding along the Trail, and families meandering to fill in the end of the school holidays. There was a man rowing a dinghy somewhere, a paddler in his kayak, and a boat motoring with trailing fish lines held by a family of three all wearing their life jackets.  Some I chatted with, for some it was a nod of ‘hello’, and for others we exchanged a wave and a friendly smile. I find that until around midday most people expect to and enjoy acknowledging others, then in the afternoon for some unexplained reason the experience changes and people are more reserved; perhaps the weight of the day has started to drag on them.

Two specialities of my walk last Friday were:

  • Along our public reserves and walkways, dog walkers can collect a black plastic bag so that when their Big Dog or Little Missie does a poop, the owner can collect the droppings from the path into the bag and add it to the garbage bins further along. The common sight is to see owners swinging a bag of excrement as they continue their walk. But on Friday I watched an innovative practice – and not one that is likely to catch on (hopefully not).  A man was walking along and he was emptying his plastic bag. Inside his bag was a mix of dirt and straw.  After the dog had pooped on the path, he poured a little of this mix over the droppings to cover.
  • A woman doing interval training by walking and running along the path stopped to talk to me about the dolphins she had seen. Her eyes sparkled. Apparently 6 dolphins were playing around the boats in Kangaroo Bay (located between Bellerive Bluff and Rosny Point). Where I had left the bus to start the walk, trees obliterated my view of the Bay at the point where the dolphins would have been. I was pleased the dolphins felt safe to be there and sorry to have missed seeing them.  This event reminded me that years ago, after I met an internet dating partner for the first time at Bellerive’s Waterfront Hotel, we walked along the edge of Kangaroo Bay and watched a small pod of dolphins swimming and enjoying themselves. It says something about me that I enjoyed that experience more than the date.

The photo below shows one of the many dogs that enjoyed their morning walk last Friday.

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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.

Walking the Derwent from Rosny Point to Geilston Bay – Stage 5 October 10th

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A maximum temperature of 20 degrees but with a 70% chance of rain was Friday’s weather forecast.  However, I was so desperate to get out and walk another stage that I decided to brave whatever today would throw at me. I am delighted to record that only sunshine between partly clouded skies and the occasional warm breeze greeted me for the 4 and ¼ hours I was away from home.

First up, I was the only passenger to catch the 9.15am Metro bus number 675 to Rosny Point from the Eastlands Shopping Centre at Rosny (Note: this bus started at Eastlands and not from Hobart. Refer to my next posting to understand the range of bussing options for today’s walk).  Soon after passing Rosny College, the tennis courts and Bowling Club on the left in Bastick Street, I got off at bus stop number 21. I walked down Seabird Lane; this road angled down off Bastick Street between bus stops 20 and 21 and went along closer to the water of Kangaroo Bay. Seabird Lane leads into a continuing Clarence Foreshore Trail that passes along close to the River through the five suburbs: Rosny, Montagu Bay, Rose Bay, Lindisfarne and Geilston Bay. Later postings will detail how the quality of this path changes from one where a person in a wheelchair could comfortably navigate the Trail to other sections where a mountain bike would be more useful. I will also provide information about the challenges of lack of directions on and off the Trail from time to time.

Walking Time

The walking time between the point of Rosny Point and the point where the Derwent River meets the entrance to Geilston Bay is approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes. However, if you decide to take this walk, then in order to get to the starting point by bus from Eastlands and leave the Geilston Bay area by bus, the total walking time will be around 3 and ½ hours.

Walking distance

Today I walked approximately 12 kilometres, but this distance covered only 3.5 kms of the River length. Previously I had covered 19.5 kms of the length. Now I have achieved a total of 23 kms of the Derwent River.

Favourite photo

The photo below is my favourite from today’s walk. I clicked it while sitting eating my lunch on the wharf at Geilston Bay. The water reflections on the bow of the yachts on the left were sparkling, and the blue mountain provided a rich and colourful contrast in the background. Experiencing Geilston Bay for the first time was a treat. The starting point for Stage 6 of my walk along the Derwent River will begin here, so I look forward to seeing the place in the early morning light next time.

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The five suburbs to be walked through in Stage 5 of my walk along the Derwent River

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From Rosny Point to Geilston Bay, I will walk as close to the edge of the Derwent River as possible.

In so doing I will pass through five suburbs: Rosny, Montagu Bay, Rose Bay, Lindisfarne and Geilston Bay. Most were settled early in the existence of Hobart Town. In 1793, Lieutenant Hayes sailed up the River naming it and many points of interest. It was only a decade later the first settlement was made and in 1804 the final site for Hobart was established on the western shore opposite Bellerive and Rosny. Possibly Geilston Bay was named in the 1810s, Rosny in the 1820s, Montagu Bay in the late 1820s. Lindisfarne was named a century after the first settlement in 1903.

Rosny

The starting point for the 5th Stage of my walk along the eastern shore of the Derwent River will be Rosny Point. The suburb of Rosny, within the City of Clarence, is located on a narrow peninsula which juts out from the eastern shore at Rosny Point and climbs the rising slopes of Rosny Hill to the public Rosny Point Lookout.

According to one of my favourite information sources Wikipedia, Rosny was named by Walter Angus Bethune, the holder of the original grant of land on Rosny Point, after his ancestor the Duc de Maximilien de Bethune Sully of Rosny-sur-Seine  (a town situated slightly north west of Paris in France).  Bethune, a Scottish merchant, first arrived in Van Diemen’s Land in 1820 and was a significant player in the early development of Hobart and sheep farming. His descendants have played important roles in Tasmanian history.

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Chateau de Rosny was painted by French artist Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot in 1840

Montagu Bay

This suburb was named after ‘mad’ judge Algernon Montagu, who in the early 19th century lived in Hobart Town before purchasing a property ‘Rosny’ in the Montagu Bay area of the eastern shore of the Derwent River. This small suburb sits on the river edge next to Rosny Point/Rosny and contains the Clarence Aquatic Centre and Montagu Bay Primary School. The Tasman Highway travels over a northern corner section of this suburb, leading to the Tasman Bridge which links the eastern Shore to Hobart and beyond on the western shore.

Rose Bay

The suburb of Rose Bay sits on the river edge next to Montagu Bay.

Rose Bay High School has a permanent camera facing across the Tasman Bridge over the Derwent River towards the centre of Hobart and with the back drop of Mount Wellington. Normally the site operates 24 hours of the day and night. The site is located at http://ozforecast.com.au/cgi-bin/weatherstation.cgi?station=11233&animate=6. Currently the site is being rebuilt, however I recommend you follow the progress and when re-established, save the site as a Favourite. Then you can see what the weather is like over Hobart and how gorgeous it can be to look at regardless of the weather in daylight and with the city lights sparkling at night.

Lindisfarne

While the exact origins of naming our Lindisfarne suburb remain unclear, the main thought is that from 1892 the suburb was known as Beltana. Then it was renamed Lindisfarne in 1903 after Lindisfarne a tidal Island (Holy Island) in Northumberland, a region in the far north east of England. The easternmost part of the middle of the suburb, where the Beltana Bowls Club and the Beltana Hotel are located, is still locally known as Beltana.

It has been suggested this suburb took its name from Lindisferne House, a property built in the 1820s near the suburb of Rosny. From the Clarence City Council website at http://www.ccc.tas.gov.au/page.aspx?u=1601 “Lindisfarne is thought to have been named by Hezekiah Harrison, a free settler, who was granted land in the area in 1823. Harrison had lived just a few miles from Lindisfarne Island, on the Northumbrian coast. Known as the ‘Holy Island’, Lindisfarne was the base from which St Aidan worked to spread the Christian faith through the north of England in the eighth century AD. However, it is unclear whether the area was named by Harrison or the next owner, Thomas George Gregson, a prominent free settler who purchased much of the land between Risdon and Rosny. Gregson grew up in Lowlynn, very close to Lindisfarne Island in England.”

Geilston Bay

Apparently the inlet of Geilston Bay was named after Colonel Andrew Geils who was appointed Commander of the settlement of Hobart in 1812. Colonel Geils lived on a property in Geilston Bay which he called ‘Geilston Park’.