On our 10th day in Tasmania we headed straight to the Salamanca Market which was only a short 2 minute walk from our accommodation. My wife and I love visiting markets as we often find that they are a good place to sample a variety of local products. We were also on the lookout for some souvenirs as reminders of a holiday well spent in Tasmania.
After browsing a few stalls we had already purchased a t-shirt, some homemade biscuits and a preserved fruit roll. My daughter loved the fruit roll and it kept her happy in her pram as we walked through the market. Our next stop was Silver Hill Bratwurst for a garlic and herb based pork Bratwurst on a locally baked hot dog roll. It was delicious! We originally intended to share one but ended up having one each, they were too good!
We continued through the markets before my wife spotted a stall that sold personalised coffee mugs, Bagdad Pottery. Anyone who knows me knows that I love coffee and whenever I travel somewhere I always return with a coffee mug from that location. The mugs at Bagdad Pottery were perfect for this and I was very happy to have found a mug I could take home as a souvenir from Tasmania.
A short distance away from the pottery stall was a stall that sold fresh coffee, Kasperle Haus. They had the most amazing looking donuts on display and also sold waffles and ice-cream. I had to sample a coffee and donut and boy am I glad I did. They were both fantastic!
After an hour or so we had made our way to the end of the markets, having walked past half of the stalls. We made another great food/drink discovery, Gillespie’s Ginger Beer, which was quite different to other ginger beers we have tasted but we really enjoyed it. By this stage it was almost lunch time and the queues for all the food stalls were starting to grow. So we decided to head back up the markets in search for some lunch while looking at the stalls we missed on the way down.
As we were making our way back up the markets the clouds which had been hovering over Mt Wellington were starting to pass. We could see that fresh snow had fallen on the summit and the weather forecast suggested that there would be more snow flurries on the mountain throughout the day. Being from Queensland it was exciting for us to see snow on an Australian mountain, and in an Australian capital city no less.
It wasn’t long before I spotted the perfect place for lunch, Flamecake. They were selling wood fired Flammkuchen (German Pizza), fresh to order. I’d never had a Flammkuchen before but if I ever see them for sale again I will definitely be purchasing some, it’s delicious! We all enjoyed a bite before heading back to our hotel for an afternoon rest. Well everyone except me of course. As is always the case I had other plans for the afternoon rather than sleeping.
I’d read about another waterfall within short walking distance of a car park in Mount Wellington National Park, O’Grady’s Falls. It’s accessible from the Bracken Lane Fire Trail which is directly off Pinnacle Road, the road that leads to the summit of Mount Wellington. From our hotel it was a short 15-minute drive to the start of the walk.
Hobart to Bracken Lane Fire Trail.
The walk initially takes you down the fire trail and through the forest for about 5 minutes or so before reaching an intersection with the O’Grady’s Falls track. There are views from here across the surrounding countryside and the outer suburbs of the wider Hobart area. The city really is surrounded by amazing country.
As I turned left and followed the O’Grady’s Falls track I was immediately confronted with stellar views of Mount Wellington and the organ pipes. Snow gums twisted and gnarled up the mountain before being abruptly cut-off by towers of dolerite rock. Fresh snow was continuing to fall on the summit while it lightly drizzled where I was standing. The darkness of the rain clouds and the softness of the afternoon light combined to create an eerie looking scene. It was an ominous, yet beautiful landscape.
After a short while I veered left towards the forest again and within minutes I was standing on the bridge directly in front of O’Grady’s falls. It was a much larger waterfall than Myrtle Gully Falls or Secret Falls and it was flowing very rapidly. I took some time to explore the area around the waterfall before heading back the way I came.
In total it had taken me approximately 20 minutes to walk to O’Grady’s Falls, another short excursion from the centre of Hobart to a place seemingly a world away. It was at this point that I was starting to think that Hobart might be a good place to live. Then again I tend to think that about any place I really enjoy visiting.
As I made my way back to the car the light was starting to fade very quickly. I had started this walk quite late in the day and the rain was growing heavier as the temperature also notably dropped. Thankfully I didn’t have far to travel so I lingered a bit on my way back, often turning around to look at Mount Wellington and the organ pipes.
On my way back to the hotel I was a little saddened to think that our trip was rapidly coming to an end. Fortunately I still had one major walk left, Mount Amos in Freycient national park, tomorrow’s adventure!