Up to Mount Wellington Again!

Manda writes:

The last time we were up in Mount Wellington, it was extremely windy and cold. So much so that what little time we'd spent up there, we took shelter in an indoor lookout centre. We could hear the wind howling outside; it was so loud that we were half expecting the roof to be ripped off at any moment. As we struggled back towards the car park, I found it difficult to breathe against the force of the wind. I also wished that I had a pair of ear-muffs (hell, I didn't even own a pair when they were fashionable in the 80's!) - that's how windy and cold it got.

This happened two days ago...

Today, it was a totally different story. As we drove up the winding road, all the trees looked radient, shining in the sun against a vivid blue backdrop. As we drove higher up, it felt cooler but we still had blue skies.

By the time we reached the top, we could see a covering of snow. The snow had settled at this high altitude which was great news for us visitors. Some were having snow-ball fights, others building snow men. Some who had never seen snow before, were picking it up curiously and posing for photos to mark the occasion. Others were just happy to take in the views and capture this on some kind of medium for souvenir purposes. We fell into this last category and here are the photos ...

Snow at the top of Mt Wellington, Hobart in the distance, some 1300 metres below.

This time around, we could actually see Hobart and make out where the landmarks are. From this height and these weather conditions, it was possible to see all the way to Bruny Island. We could even spot our campsite on the peninsula.

Once we had enjoyed all the magnificent views, we headed back down the mountain. We drove over to Battery Point and Wrest's Point to take a look at the harbour. The water was icy cold but this didn't stop a black shaggy dog running into the water and retrieving a frisbee. I felt a shudder as I watched him shake off the water on the beach. And I thought dogs were supposed to be intelligent animals?

Hobart Harbour.