Ribbed with its striking Organ Pipes cliffs, kunanyi/Mt Wellington (1271m) towers over Hobart like a benevolent overlord. The view from the top stretches over Hobart and much of the state's south, and the slopes are laced with walking trails. Mountain bikers come for the North South Track, descending from the Springs to Glenorchy, while you can also coast down the sealed summit road on a bike with Mt Wellington Descent. The Hobart Shuttle Bus Company also runs daily two-hour tours to the summit.
Hacked out of the mountainside during the Great Depression, the summit road winds up from Fern Tree through thick temperate forest, opening out to lunar rockscapes near the summit. If you don’t have wheels, local buses 448 (weekdays) and 449 (weekends and weekday evenings) stop halfway up the hill at Fern Tree, from where it’s a five- to six-hour return walk to the top via Fern Glade Track, Radfords Track, Pinnacle Track and then the steep Zig Zag Track. The Organ Pipes walk from the Chalet (en route to the summit) is a flat track below these dolerite cliffs.
Download a series of walking and mountain biking maps and brochures at www.wellingtonpark.org.au/maps, or pick up the detailed Wellington Park Recreation Map ($11.95) from the visitor information centre or Service Tasmania.
