By Lakshmi:

Who?  Anyone who is visiting Tasmania must plan a trip to this landmark destination.

What? Mount Wellington, a mountain cradling the city of Hobart at its foothills.

How? Mount Wellington is located about 20 minutes away from Hobart and two and a half hours away from Launceston.  We were staying with family in Devonport and rented a car in Launceston for our drive to Hobart and beyond.

Why?  Growing up a cricket fanatic, Hobart was a familiar city from the many matches we had watched on TV.  And during breaks in the game, one would be given a peek at some of the city landmarks and Mount Wellington was frequently shown.  So, when a visit to Tasmania materialized, a trip to this landmark was a must do.  We chose to visit in August when the weather was quite chilly.  As we made our way from Hobart along the 13 mile winding road to the pinnacle of Mount Wellington, we passed some spectacularly beautiful vistas.  The juxtaposition of verdant green with rocks that are millions of years old with snow sprinkled on its tops presented a spectacular visual gift.

Once we reached the top of the 4,000 feet summit, we had to do the unthinkable….disembark from our car in a gust of some of the most fierce winds we had ever experienced.  Trying to walk to the observation deck was a balancing act, not enabled by our squinted eyes, hair blowing across our faces and feeling brutally cold, despite being warmly dressed.  But once we got to the deck, what greeted us below ranks up there as one of the most beautiful visual treats.  We stood there (more like balanced ourselves up there) and saw Hobart and the Tasman peninsula stretched out.

It was not till we returned that we realized that we literally had taken the easiest pathway up to the top.  Apparently, Mt Wellington is the finishing line for the annual ‘Point to Pinnacle’ Fun Run and the same route can be walked as well.  In hindsight, I am very grateful that this was an after the fact discovery…or I would have had to wait for my husband trying to take this on as one of his physical endurance challenges!

To learn more about visiting Mount Wellington, click here:

http://www.discovertasmania.com/activities__and__attractions/popular_attractions/mount_wellington