A couple of weeks ago, a colleague of mine mentioned she was planning on going hiking with some friends out to "The Needles" somewhere out near Mt. Field (90 minutes from Hobart) and asked if I wanted to join. Now if anyone knows anything about me, they know I am always up for exploring some place new and the word "hike" simply lights up my day. I just happened to mention to another colleague that we planned to do the hike so if he was interested, he could join in on the day.
I decided to do a little research and the hike seemed interesting. We left Hobart around 10am and made our way past Mount Field National Park to The Possum Shed Café for a light breakfast where we met up with some more friends. This café is a little gem – serving up really good coffee, a delicious (and gigantic) spinach and ricotta roll – with a view of the river. Word is that it’s a great spot for platypus viewing. We had a beautiful blue-sky day and unfortunately didn’t see any platypus but I was just pleased with the weather that we were going to get on the hike. Sitting outside on the deck just watching the river flow by and hear the birds chirping whilst eating was a treat in itself. We hung out at the café waiting for the rest of the crew almost for an hour.
At about noon we got to the trail head (look for the "Highest Point on Gordon River" sign) where we bumped into our other colleague which was amazing as we landed up being a group of 8 on this trail. The Needles Track is well marked and quite a quick hike. Make no mistake it’s not easy as it’s all up vertical – there are no real flat sections but the views from up top are fantastic going out North and West.
Like with most hikes with a good amount of vertical, the view simply kept getting better the higher we got. It took about an hour to get to the top and a little less than back down on the return. Being a good fun group made the hike even better and I'm glad I could share the experience with my colleagues. The trail itself is pretty straight forward – no scree, no boulders, just some solid vertical. The rock formations were really cool. Make sure you have some snacks to recuperate some of the lost energy on the way up and as with any hike carry plenty of water, sunscreen and a hat. This understated hike is one that doesn’t disappoint at all. Of course, if you're doing this trail during summer, you would even have the chance to stop at Mount Field and take in some of the beautiful waterfalls in the park on the way back.
The Needles (Credit: Adi Munshi)
At the Tasmanian Travel and Information Centre, we like to share our personal experiences with visitors and hence made a stop at the Welcome Swallow in New Norfolk (in the hope that we can recommend a stop there). What a beautiful venue with greenery all over and great beverages to complement. This was our last stop before returning to Hobart and a fantastic way to end the day. For more travel and hiking stories, feel free to reach out to our team of Travel Advisors via email at bookings@hobarttravelcentre.com.au or via phone on 03 6238 4222.
Adi Munshi - Manager
Tasmanian Travel & Information Centre
