No View From the Top

One thing that I absolutely love about Tasmania is the weather. The other day  (Monday) was 30'C and brilliantly sunny. The next day (Tuesday) was foggy and damp, apparently reaching 19'C. I love it! Unfortunately for you, however, the fog meant that there was zero view from the signal station lookout. On the flipside, the atmospheric quality of some of the photographs is fantastic.

This was Tuesday on Mount Nelson:

This was taken from about the same place the last photo in yesterday's post. 

The fog is so thick I can't even see to the other side of the oval.

YUM.

The tiny little lookout with an amazing view... of fog.

A view of the Signalman's cottage from  inside the lookout. Check out the reflection of my hand!

This was taken by John Beattie, c. 1890.  Click on it to open it in another window and read the text. I apologize in advance for how blurry it is.

Hmm... I don't know what these were used for, but check out the detailing on the ceiling and walls. I love it!

 Pictures of some of the flags that would have been used at this signal station. 

Under the eaves of the lookout. Such lovely details. 

Usually you would see Hobart.  Today it is just fog. Lovely, atmospheric fog!

A plaque on the outside of the lookout.  Click it to enlarge.

By the time I walked home the fog was starting to lift. The trees on the far side of the oval are actually visible here!

I think I can safely say that the fog and low visibility didn't ruin my photoshoot - it just dramatically changed it from what it was meant to be! Stay around for Attempt Two: Will We Finally See the View? Tomorrow, I'll be sharing a little history and maybe some photos of the Signalman's cottage (now a restaurant).

Walk with Me: Mount Nelson Bush Reserve

I do not know why I decided to go for a walk in 30'C heat yesterday, except that I wanted photos. Why did I want photos? So I could show you what surrounds me on the hill that I live on... Mount Nelson.

 

Let's go walking!

Shade in sight! Can you see the water? Hint: it's brown, not blue.

 This is random.

Evidence of bushfires, happily not recent.

 

Evidence of recent rain.

 Enticing, but I don't think I'll walk down here today.

I'm standing in the same place as I did for the above photo, but I've turned 90' to the left.

 Mount Wellington through the trees.

Same shot as above, only I've zoomed in for you. You can just see the lookout on top - the little square lump.

 I love the angles in this shot. The sun is so bright!

 

 Huh? I don't remember seeing this before.

 Oh... I'm out behind Tasmanian Polytechnic...

 ...which has its own sweet view of Mount Wellington.

A Grevillea, I believe? Does anyone know if I am right?

The entrance to the Tasmanian Polytechnic.

 

Judging by the amount of tyre tracks in the reserve, I feel safe in venturing a guess that these by-laws are largely ignored.

Back to where we started. I really need a drink of water!

Mount Nelson: The Hill I Live On

Earthquakes have epicentres.

People have bellybuttons.

Possums have homes in hollow trees. Some of these trees I can see from my loungeroom window.

Here are some of the trees that are possum homes.

I love where I'm living at the moment. At an elevation of approximately 300m, Mount Nelson is high enough to get snow, and on hot days the cool breezes come mid afternoon. If I walk just a little way I have a magnificent view over Hobart and the Tasman Peninsula, which I will show you later this week.

Just a hint of the view that you'll be seeing soon!

Mount Nelson has a tavern, a local shop, the Signal Station Restaurant (my photos in few days!), a B&B, a firestation, a medical centre, a pharmacy, a sports oval and playground (with public toilets), a primary school and Tasmanian Polytechnic (formerly Hobart College). There is no petrol station. There are buses only once a hour. On the weekend there are practically no buses at all. If I catch the bus it takes me twenty minutes to half an hour to get to the centre of Hobart. About a third of the trip goes down "the bends" - a stretch of road buses were never meant to travel. One day soon I'll take you along with me.

Here's a bus trying to prove me wrong... they really aren't very frequent!

There are walking tracks all over Mount Nelson, which is surrounded by bush reserves. One reserve is dedicated to the most well-known Tasmanian Aborigine: Truganini. There is a small memorial to the Aborigines near the Signal Station, which I will show you in a few days.

Hmm, I don't think there are any possums up here.

This week is all about Mount Nelson. Tomorrow, I'm taking you on a walk around the bush reserve near my house, so there will be lots of photos for you.

If there is anything you would like to know about Mount Nelson that hasn't been mentioned leave a comment!

What do I know?

I was born in Tasmania, the little dot that floats in the Southern Ocean below Australia. I've lived here my whole life - yes, all twenty three years of it!

The local church, Bicheno. One week it is Anglican, the other week it's Catholic. All services are presided over by the same person. Welcome to Tassie!

This morning I realised something. I do not know Tassie very well at all. Sure, I've been to Port Arthur, Wineglass Bay and Mount Wellington. I've read novels and poems by other Tasmanians who were actually thinking about Tasmania and what it meant to them. I've written essays that look at aspects of Tasmania, but they are oh so superficial and have too many big words and no pictures.

The south end of Wineglass Bay - you won't see a picture like this in a tourist brochure!

What does Tasmania - my home, my birthplace - mean to me? I don't really know, except that I love it.

I plan on finding out.

Why don't you join me?