I recently did two walks which had been recommended to me by visitors to the TTIC. These were the Truganini Track, Hobart, and the Pelverata Falls Track, Pelverata.
Truganini Track
The Truganini Track is a 2.1km steep climb from Cartwright Reserve on Sandy Bay Road up to the Mount Nelson Signal Station, some 352m above sea level. You start by walking through a dark, sheltered gully of wet sclerophyll forest, alongside a small creek teaming with birdlife, where the track can be quite wet and slippery. The steps are plentiful, and the path is steep, but as you ascend to the upper reaches of the Cartwright Creek Gully, the forest opens out to a dry sclerophyll forest where the views are sensational.
Continuing up, the steps are more challenging, and I took plenty of rest stops to enjoy the views. Just before reaching the signal station is the memorial dedicated to Truganini and the Tasmanian Indigenous people and their descendants. A simple yet moving acknowledgement of the indigenous people who occupied this land before we arrived. Here you can rest on the newly installed benches and soak in the view through the trees.
A short stroll to the top and you are rewarded with spectacular unimpeded views from the signal station. One might even indulge in a cup of coffee and a slice of cake to celebrate your achievement in the signal station café.
Taking less than two hours, this hike is a great way to stretch your legs and see Hobart and the surroundings from a different angle.
Pelverata Falls
The Pelverata Falls Track was a completely different experience to the Truganini Track as the path was a gentler incline for most of the way. A 2.5 to 3 hours return track of medium grade in the Snug Tiers Nature Recreation Area. I am amazed that the Pelverata Falls is one of the tallest waterfalls in Tasmania, plunging 114m at the head of the gorge.
Approximately 30 minutes from Cygnet, the car park for the falls is at the end of a dirt road. Heading up from the car you walk through a muddy track before joining an old road which takes you up to a disused farm gate. Here you turn tight and take the path through a lovely expanse of old trees and tall grasses. Dipping in and out of gullies, the sound of the water comes and goes, but I also noticed a distinct lack of birdlife. The silence was remarkable.
After about 45 mins, the path transitions from a dirt track to hand-sized rocks and becomes harder to navigate, but you are rewarded with an incredible view across the forested valley to some farmland in the distance behind.
Scrambling up and then down, I felt I was never going to make it until suddenly I turned the corner and there were the falls in all their glistening glory, cascading down the monolithic rock face and racing to the creek below. A timber platform gives you a secure vantage point to view the falls and Slippery Falls can be seen across the valley. I stood in awe.
Turning back to retrace my steps to the car, the sun is streaming through the trees, and I wonder where else I would rather be?
Jennifer Barrington - Travel Advisor
Tasmanian Travel & Information Centre
