Tag Archives: Rose Bay

Kunanyi

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Mount Wellington was a prominent feature in the lives of the Moomairremener people for thousands of years before white settlement of Van Diemens Land, later to be renamed Tasmania.  The indigenous names include Kunanyi, Unghbanyahletta and Poorawetter. I understand that the Palawa (which seems to be a collective term for all Tasmanian aborigines – perhaps a blog reader might be able to supply further information?) who are the surviving descendants of the original indigenous Tasmanians, tend to prefer the former name – Kunanyi.

A couple of years ago, the Tasmanian government introduced a dual naming approach to a number of geographical features around Tasmania, and these included the mountain which towers over the Greater Hobart Area and the Derwent River. The then Premier Lara Giddings remarked ‘Dual naming is about recognising the Aboriginal community’s rightful status as the first inhabitants of this land and celebrating their living culture, traditions and language’.

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Photo taken from Bellerive Bluff on Stage 4 of my walk along the Derwent River.

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Photo taken between Rose Bay and Lindisfarne on Stage 5 of my walk.

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Photo taken from Old Beach on Stage 7 of my walk.

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Photo taken from Green Point on Stage 8 of my walk.

I am including a posting specifically about ‘the mountain’ as locals refer to it, because it has been a significant marker on my trek from the mouth to the mouth of the Derwent River via the Bridgewater Bridge, and I am about to lose sight of it.  From Granton, as I walk west along the River and then northwards, the mountain will no longer be in view.

Current official information about walking tracks, facilities, weather related precautions and other details associated with the mountain can be read at http://www.wellingtonpark.org.au/  Note that you can download maps from this site.

Pushing on to the Tasman Bridge

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Leaving the delightful Cornelian Bay boatsheds behind, I followed the gravel track almost until I reached the Botanical Gardens at which time I walked up a slight rise and joined the concreted bike and pedestrian track that extends from Hobart to Claremont.  I could have walked from Cornelian Bay entirely on that pathway but it is not located as close to the waters of the Derwent River as the very smooth and wide gravel track.

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I enjoyed looking back to see markers of where I had walked such as the white oil tanks at Selfs Point

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and across the Derwent River to Lindisfarne and Rose Bay which were tramped in an earlier stage of my walk along the Derwent River.

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The atmosphere on the track was gentle with the breeze softening through the casuarina trees. The sound of road traffic somewhere above me was audible but did not intrude in such a way that the sound of the water lapping onto the shore could not be appreciated.

Gradually, the Tasman Bridge seemed to be growing larger the closer that I walked towards it.

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The photos below show the bottom entrance to the Botanical Gardens.

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The bike path crossed to the left over the disused railway line opposite the entry to the Botanical Gardens at Pavilion Point. I followed that way at 3.15pm in order not to stay on the main road with mainstream vehicular traffic and no footpath.

I could have followed the tracks of fishermen through the grasses and scrubby trees to the foreshore and then walked through a weedy parkland and past the Mercantile Collegiate Rowing Club building. I did not take this route because it looked like the length of it was fenced off and I doubted I would be able to get back onto the road or path near the Bridge. My feet were sore and I was aiming to reach Hobart – I did not want to retrace my steps, and therefore I took the easy way out and stayed on the road.  However, once I reached the Rowing Club building I could see that an exit would have been easy because there was no fence or gate on the other side of the building.  It seems that the foreshore would have been easily walkable.

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Until I reached the Tasman Bridge I walked on the edge of a road and shared this with cyclists, a jogger and the occasional van and car.  At 3.30pm I reached the Tasman Bridge and rejoined the bike path.

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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.

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

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’.