adventure island

Hobart may be small in size but it’s big on high-energy action

WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY GABI MOCATTA

Get on your bike for a spot

of day touring

Imagine living in a city where you can go for a mountain walk to the snow line on a winter morning, then go sea kayaking in the afternoon. Where a mountain bike ride is a great way to spend an extended lunch hour and you can always skip work for an afternoon surf. No wonder Tasmania’s capital, Hobart, is a hotbed of outdoor adventure.

On a broad harbour where the Derwent River spills into the sea, Hobart is surrounded by mountains, water and forest. Adventure lies on the doorstep, starting with 1,271m Mount Wellington, just 22km from city to summit and glorious in any season. In spring it’s wattle-scented, in summer the waratahs are crimson, autumn is cool and misty, and winter can deliver bright sunny days with a blanket of snow. Wellington Park is Hobart’s playground, criss-crossed by hundreds of walking and bike tracks.

Mount Wellington makes a
cool
welcome
The best intro is the Mount Wellington Descent, a lightning-fast mountain bike ride from summit to sea that’s bound to get your adrenaline pumping. The descent costs AU$75 with Island Cycle Tours. At the mountain’s base is Glenorchy Mountain Bike Park – great for challenging jumps and cross-country tracks. Rent bikes at Bike Hire Tasmania, from AU$25 per day, or bring your own bike and hit the trails with a map of Mount Wellington, available from friendly bike shops like Cyclingo.

For those who prefer to go slow and admire the views, a walk on the mountain is a great experience – just remember your winter woollies! Mount Wellington Walks will tailor your experience, anything from gentle strolling to hard-core hiking. Outside of Hobart, check out breathtaking Waterfall Bay on the Tasman Peninsula, winding your way atop the highest cliffs in the Southern Hemisphere. It’s a classic hike, ranging from two to six hours, depending on the route taken. Alternatively, explore the Southern Ranges and spend an afternoon climbing Hartz Peak, which can take up to four hours. There are also walks for all fitness levels at Mount Field National Park, the closest park to Hobart, just over an hour’s drive away. The Tarn Shelf walk takes you into the Tasmanian alpine – and you can still be home for dinner. Maps and helpful advice are available from the Map Centre.

High rises on the
Tasman Peninsula
Climbers love Tasmania’s sea and mountain cliffs. Climb and abseil overlooking Hobart on the Organ Pipes of Mount Wellington. These 100m dolerite rock columns make tough climbing, not for the faint-hearted. Those with less experience but a desire for vertiginous thrills should call Aardvark Adventures about their exhilarating day trip to Gordon Dam (from AU$180 per person), two hours’ drive into the World Heritage Wilderness Area southwest of Hobart. Welcome to the world’s highest commercial abseil: a stomach-churning 140m descent of the concrete swathe of the dam wall.

Watery adventures also abound in the twisted tracery of land and sea. Hobart is perfect for sea kayaking, and the hub is Kettering, just to the south of Hobart. Here, Roaring 40s Ocean Kayaking can kit you out with a rental kayak and instruction, as well as guide you for a few hours or a few days. For short paddles, the beautiful D’Entrecasteaux Channel is ideal, or you can head out on a week-long Bathurst Harbour trip: a wilderness kayaking experience in Tasmania’s far southwest. For a quick sea trip, Blackaby’s Sea Kayaks and Tours offer sunset tours around the Hobart docks, from AU$50 per person, including a tasty fish and chips dinner.

Of course, the docks are also the destination of one of the most challenging blue water yacht races: the annual Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. Landlubbers can experience the excitement when the boats arrive in a shower of champagne, just before New Year. Otherwise, get out onto the water on a tall ship yourself: the historic square-rigger Lady Nelson chases the wind across the harbour on 90-minute cruises (adult AU$15, child AU$5). Passengers can even ‘man’ the sails. Bay Charters offer both day sailing and racing tours on Sydney Hobart veteran
Surfing at Shipstern Bluff is not for
chickens Photo: Stuart Gibsonboat, Mirabooka. If you prefer your waterborne adventures mechanised, try the eco-cruises run by Bruny Island Charters. These three-hour rides skirt the wild coastline of South Bruny Island, providing close encounters with seals, dolphins and albatross – and the coastline, since skipper Rob Pennicott loves to get his passengers’ blood pumping! Tours run 1 October to 31 May (adult AU$95, child AU$50, family AU$280).

Hold onto your heart with Bruny
Island Charters
If wave-riding is more your style, you definitely won’t feel left out. This far south, the swells roll in almost uninterrupted from South America, and Tasmania is a magnet for surfers and sailboarders. Close to Hobart, you’ll always find wetsuited bodies at Clifton Beach, while Cloudy Bay, on the southern end of Bruny Island, is an unmissable surfie hangout. Pirates Bay and Roaring Beach on the Tasman Peninsula make a great day out from Hobart, and if you’re gutsy and experienced, you’ll love the mountainous breaks of Shipstern Bluff.

We have to warn you, Hobart can be addictive. The walking tracks are longer than the highways, you can be on a river for 10 days without seeing another soul (the Franklin) and Australia’s most spectacular rock climb (the Totem Pole) beckons. Come to Hobart for a taste and chances are, you’ll be back for a feast.

Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge

When not behind the wheel, Mark
Webber loves the challenges of
Bruny Island
The most exciting place to be this November is Tasmania, where you can watch some of the world’s best athletes cycling, rafting, kayaking and running their way around the island in the name of charity.

The Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge, an adventure race set up by the Australian Formula One racer himself, will see competitors in teams of four race their way from Cradle Mountain in central Tasmania to the finish line in Hobart.

This gruelling physical and mental challenge, on 17–23 November, will cover more than 450km, passing through some of Tasmania’s wilderness icons, including the highland terrain of Cradle Mountain, part of the World Heritage Area, and Freycinet National Park, which includes the spectacular Wineglass Bay (the exact route won’t be known ’til 24 hours before the race so competitors have no prior knowledge of the course).

“We’ve got some amazing talent lined up this year,” says Mark Webber. “Including some specialist adventure racers like Guy Andrews and Richard Ussher (current world champ). They’re the real benchmark for adventure racing, so it’s going to be fantastic to see how that battle unfolds.” Also confirmed are retired swimming legend Michael Klim, pole vaulter Tatiana Grigorieva and rock star Johnny Diesel.

You can come and see as much of the action as possible, or you can try tackling some of the challenges Webber, Ussher and co. had to endure, once the competitors pass through. The adventure companies Island Cycle Tours, Roaring 40s Ocean Kayaking and Freycinet Adventures will be able to help you out.

After watching the athletes, contemplate their strength and tenacity over some of the fine food and wine that the island is famous for. Then make sure you’re at the finish line at Salamanca Wharf on November 23 to cheer the competitors
Like father, like son, Phil
and Torben Madsen show
their mountain-bikes
who’s boss home and help them celebrate, The Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge is a fundraiser for charity – this year the chosen charities are Save the Tassie DevilAppeal and the Leukaemia Foundation.

- Craig Tansley

Phil Madsen and son Torben

For two of Hobart’s top mountain-bikers, Tasmania’s capital rules. “I love the jumps at the Glenorchy Mountain Bike Park,” enthuses Torben, who’s shaping up to be a great Australian bike racer. Dad Phil enjoys night rides on “Mount Wellie”. “The luge’ track is one of my favourites for speedy descents,” he says.

Jill Course

A triathlete and adventure racer, Jill’s about as fit as you can get. In her spare time you’ll find her running, kayaking, climbing or biking. “Hobart is just the perfect spot if you love the outdoors,” she says. “Where else in Australia can you run up to the snowline before breakfast?”

Golden Rules for the Wilderness:

Melting moments on top of the world

• See Parks & Wildlife Service Tasmania for tips on national parks.
• Make sure your maps are current.
• Check the weather with the Bureau of Meteorology before heading out.
• Be prepared for sunburn or snow flurries on any day of the year. Always bring windproof and waterproof clothing, dress in layers and avoid heavy cotton.
• Wear good, worn-in hiking shoes.
• Let someone know where you’re going and when you’re due back before you leave.
• Always bring enough food and water – better too much than too little!
• For longer expeditions, carry an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon. Only to be used in serious emergencies in the bush – response is Helicopter Search and Rescue.
• Finally, listen to the experts! Don’t be sstubborn and ignore the advice given by the Parks & Wildlife Service.

FIND IT:

Island Cycle Tours
204 New Town Rd, New Town, tel: 1800 064 726 within Australia
Glenorchy Mountain Bike Park
Tolosa St, Glenorchy
Bike Hire Tasmania
109 Elizabeth St, Hobart, tel: +61 (3) 6234 4166
Cyclingo
466 Macquarie St, Hobart, tel: +61 (3) 6224 6533
Mount Wellington Walks
tel: +61 439 551 197
Map Centre
100 Elizabeth St, Hobart, tel: +61 (3) 6231 9043
Aardvark Adventures
fax: + 61 (3) 6273 7799
Roaring 40s Ocean Kayaking
Oyster Cove Marina, Ferry Rd, Kettering, tel: +61 (3) 6267 5000
Blackaby’s Sea Kayaks and Tours
tel: +61 418 124 072
Lady Nelson
Elizabeth St Pier, Hobart, tel: +61 (3) 6234 3348
Bay Charters
Maryville Esplanade, Sandy Bay, tel: +61 (3) 6224 2477
Bruny Island Charters
915 Adventure Bay Rd, Bruny Island, tel: +61 (3) 6293 1465
Parks & Wildlife Service Tasmania
tel: 1300 135 513 within Australia

Gabi Mocatta says:
This was a story close to my heart. After eight years enjoying the Tasmanian outdoors from Hobart, I just can’t tear myself away. Trail running, biking and kayaking are my thing. When there’s time, I pack the rucksack and scroggin and go bush. My next adventure is a 1,200km biking trip in Chilean Patagonia – Tassie is a great training ground!