Stories of the trail…
By foot along the cliffs
A microadventure in the Hobart region.
NO POWER. The energy utility has shut off power for the good part of the day while they replace power poles further along the road. That makes it opportune to resort to the ancient philosophy of Stoicism and apply the dictum of ‘amor fati’, which we can translate as ‘love or acceptance of one’s fate’, our fate being no electricity for the day. It’s an attitude of acceptance that feeds adaptability to changing circumstances and connects with another Stoic value that views problems as solutions, that seeks the good and useful in problems.
So, our problem is lack of electricity for working on the computer. The good and useful is that it offers the alternative of getting out where we don’t need electricity. Unable to do any computer work or use any electrical appliances, including the water pump that brings water from our rainwater tanks to the house (there is no reticulated water supply in this town), we decided to adapt to the situation and the sunny, mild, mid-autumn weather to drive down to Kingston and do the eight kilometre return walk along the Alum Cliffs. Last time they shut off the power we did the Sandy Bay to Mt Nelson Signal Station walk in Hobart, another of the day walks in the urban area that are worth doing if you find yourself with a few hours to spare or in a blackout.
Taroona Beach is one of those sandy enclaves along the Derwent foreshore. It was from here that I would look at the nearby Alum Cliffs rising vertically from the waters, and think that I would have to follow the track along their tops one day. I knew it was not a long nor a tough walk, but sometimes I feel that I have to go take a look at what’s there in some place just to satisfy my curiousity. It’s a feeling that has led to many bush, mountain and urban walks into local histories and geographies.
The cliffs
The Alum Cliffs are high mudstone cliffs along the western side of the Derwent River estuary that link the southern Hobart suburb of Taroona to the town of Kingston Beach. A Kingsborough Council interpretive sign tells us that before the road to the city was built, the walk which the track follows was used as a coastal path. It provides no further details and I’m left wanting to know more. Where did people go, and why? Business in the city, obviously, but what was the journey like?
Geologically, the origin of the Alum cliffs lies in the Permian period of 250 million years ago. An article by Patricia Roberts-Thompson tells their story. She writes that the first recorded reference to the Alum Cliffs was in an admiralty chart of 1847, and that Aboriginal midens can be seen at Bonnett Hill. She writes that the first upgrading of the track was along the section north from Kingston Beach in the 1970s.
The mudstone contains iron pyrites that weathers to produce sulphuric acid. This reacts with the lime clay to produce alum. Patricia Roberts-Thompson article reports no evidence of commercial extraction of the alum. The mineral is used in dyeing, tanning and medicinal products.
It might not be for all walkers, however, for me, a knowledge of the trails I follow adds value to walking them. That includes the geological as well and human history of them, however that knowledge appears scanty when it comes to early Aboriginal and European peoples’ use of the Alum Cliffs trail.
The walk
The walk’s rating is moderate, the track well-made and maintained. If you go on to the Shot Tower the track connects with the road into Hobart. The road and Kingston Beach both have bus services, enabling a one-way walk either way using public transport.
Coming from the Kingston end where there are cafes, public toilets and a popular swimming beach, the track climbs through coastal blue gum forest into a drier, open, silver peppermint eucalypt forest. Bird life among the blue gums is more prolific than along the rest of the track. We stop to listen to the different calls and see a flock of small, red-breasted birds, but knowing little of birdlife we cannot identify them, however on later consulting the Tasmanian Field Guide app I think they may have been scarlet robins.
Moving on, we leave the openess and dryness of the eucalypt forest to enter a shady, closed and sheltered environment where ferns cloak the ground around a small stream. Climbing out of the gully, the track rises to the clifftops with wide views over the Derwent estuary.
We stop and see how the suburbs of the Eastern Shore sprawl along the banks of the Derwent—Hobart is a narrow city that follows the river. Across the wide estuary where the Derwent flows into Storm Bay are the small settlements of South Arm and Opossum Bay. Reaching them involves a lengthy drive along the Eastern Shore, through the suburbs and countryside and across a narrow ismuth that connects to the South Arm peninsula. Friends living in Taroona have taken the shortcut, straight across the wide Derwent in their sea kayaks. Iron Pot light on its rocky little island glows white against the blue of the sea to mark the passage for mariners. Beyond, Storm Bay and the open sea.
We walk on the the Shot Tower, a tall, circular tower where shotgun pellets were made by dropping molten lead from the top, which cooled as it fell, forming spheres. Don’t be put off by the long, steep staircase that descends and climbs out of the gully to reach the Shot Tower. It’s not as formidable as it looks.
The walk is rated as three hours return, however we make the return walk in an hour and ten minutes. Walkers should bring water as there is none along the track.
The Alum Cliffs track is popular with locals for walking their dogs, and with trail runners. It is one of the many short walks of the Hobart area. For those intent on exploring the city’s margins The Alum cliffs track is one of a number of day walks that display the geographic and historic story of the city and its margins.
More on PacificEdge…
A couple biographical pieces…
Tales of Byron Bay-here’s the first of five stories about this coastal town…
Travels in the off-grid-an ebook in chapter form about discovering the off-grid life…
A few reviews…
