November 2026 - Mortimer Bay, Sandford

First, you'll be wondering "what happened to the September walk?". Well, due to a combination of absences, other engagements and illnesses, that walk had to be cancelled. So a month later, Caroline rallied the group to an easy scenic walk around Mortimer Bay near Sandford. With perfect weather, who could resist?

The eager walkers today were Maryanne, Bob, Gaz, Kat, Philip, Wayne, Gerwyn, Summa, Fin, Angie and Caroline herself. Everyone met at the car park at the edge of Gorringes Beach .

The path to the north through Mortimer Bay Coastal Reserve takes you through lovely coastal bushland which on this warm sunny day offered some welcome shade.

This is such a pretty coastline, you can enjoy the crystal clear waters of the Derwent and the vistas across to the western shore.

There are options for walking along the beach as well.

The group walked (and talked) for an hour before stopping for fortifying snacks on the beach. Shade was a bit hard to come by here.

Then it was a stroll back to the vehicles.

We travelled to Angie Sue's resturant in Lauderdale for more chats over a very nice lunch. It was a beautiful day for a walk with good company. Thanks to Kat, Fin and Bob for the fab photos.

Aug 2026 - Knocklofty Summit Loop

This walk was a return to an old favourite for some of us. The Summit Loop on Knocklofty, just on the fringe of West Hobart, is easy to access, fairly short, and a beaut mini escape from the city. We struck it lucky with the weather today - sunny and mild, with the occasional breeze. Our walkers were Di, Angie, Fin, Kat, Philip, Lyn and Bob.

We met at the picnic table near the carpark at the top of Forest Road, and set off at 10am. The first half of the route features a steady uphill fire trail, which is a good test of one's cardiovascular fitness. We stopped (talking) a few times to observe birds - green rosella, forest raven, wren, fantail - and to admire kunanyi in the near distance.

It is a relief to the legs to reach the plateau at the top and cross over the Knocklofty Summit.

From here the trail is compacted and dry, and weaves through open bushland.

There is an active Friends of Knocklofty group which helps the Council's parks team to look after this place, and they are doing a great job keeping the weeds under control. We didn't see any wallabies today, sadly. We stopped at the comfy bench a little way down for water and some nibbles. Then it was onwards and downwards on the gently meandering trail. More birds were heard - wattlebird.

The walk took about an hour and a half, and we reconvened just down the hill at the Pigeon Hole Cafe for lunch and coffee. The meals were yummy and generous (just look at Kat's toastie!).

What a lovely outing with our mates.

July 2026 - Wielangta Tramway Trail

Did you know: Wielangta is a local Aboriginal name meaning ‘tall trees’. This walk is described on the Rail Trails of Australia website as: "following the route of a former logging tram line through patches of rainforest and a lush sub-tropical environment. There are patches of rainforest and it’s generally a lush environment even in mid-summer.

...The Wielangta forest is part of remnant glacial refugia forest and contains blue gum eucalypt forest and pockets of cool temperate rainforest. It is a key habitat of rare and threatened species, including the Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle, swift parrot, Wielangta stag beetle, spotted-tail quoll and eastern barred bandicoot. A rare orchid (Genoplesium nudum) has also been discovered in the forest. The forest forms part of the South-east Tasmania Important Bird Area, identified as such by Bird-life International because of its importance in the conservation of a range of woodland birds".

Philip was our organiser today, suggesting that we start from the Wielangta Forest Picnic Area at the southern end of the trail where there is a shelter, picnic tables and toilet.

Directions: From Arthur Highway, turn left just before Copping on to C335 for 4.7km. Continue Bream Creek Rd C336 for 1.5km. Turn left on to Wielangta Forest Rd for 12km to reach Picnic Area on right. Entering 'Wielangta Forest Walk Picnic Area' into Google Maps will get you straight there.

So nine of us gathered at the southern rest area, on a beautiful sunny winter's day - Di, David, Graham, Angie, Janet, Gary, Caroline and Lyn. We found that the dirt road from Kellevie was damp from recent rains and a bit slippery, but we had no mishaps on the road. Arriving for a 10.30am start, we rugged up and set off.

Spot the difference!

It was a pleasant walk, with views of the river emerging now and then.

There were a few splodgy sections, and a couple of creek crossings which involved rock hopping, but most of the trail was firm underfoot.

At the northern end of the trail, we stopped for snacks. Here we were amazed at the inscription on a grave - it was for a child who died in 1919, apparently a victim of an explosion, and the plaque noted that he had 15 siblings(!). The walk back was mostly uphill (see map). There was a minor leech event, with Janet being the unlucky one this time.

You can do a loop back via the road but it's nicer just to retrace your steps back to the picnic area for lunch, or have it by the river. It's around 9km return, 3 hours. Notes for next time: consider doing it from the northern end. That way the walk is mostly uphill to the lunch spot, then mostly downhill on the way back.

June 2026 - Calvert's Lagoon

It was a beautiful sunny cold winter day and 13 folk showed up for this walk, organised this month by Angie with thanks to Warren for some helpful local knowledge. Participants were: Angie, Gerwyn, Wayne, Warren, Caroline, Fin and friend Jane, Prem, Philip, Bob, Gary, Summa and Graham. The plan basically followed walk #14 as described in Hobart’s Best Bush, Coast and City Walks.

We met up at 10.30 at the Goat Beach car park at the end of Calverts Lagoon Road. After some initial back-tracking, we found the track and set off anti-clockwise around the Lagoon.

Expansive views, samphire underfoot, wallaby and devil poo, and distant birds to admire.

Gary and Bob decided to take a short-cut across the Lagoon, but unfortunately they missed the track to the Beach.

The track led us through some delightful scrub with banksias and other flowering bushes, and crossed the Calverts Lagoon Road on the way to the Beach, where we stopped for a group photo.

We stopped for morning snacks at the south end of Calverts Beach below the Goat Bluff cliffs. And watched the surfers ride the incoming waves.

Fin, Jane, Prem and Graham decided to climb Goat Bluff and enjoyed the views.

While the rest of us walked back along Calverts and Goat Beach to the carpark, where we met up with Bob just before 1pm.

Then off to Angie Sues restaurant in Lauderdale for a smashing lunch.

May 2026 - Clarence Coastal Trail to Roches Beach

Gerwyn, with some assistance from Fin, organised this one. We had been watching the weather coming in earlier in the week with some doubt, but Thursday foretold Friday’s fair weather and so we gave the go-ahead. We were ten today: Gerwyn, Wayne, Di, David, Fin, Caroline, Graham, Dorothy, Angie and Maryanne. We met at 10.30am at the carpark at the very southern end of Seven Mile Beach and took the coastal track to Roches Beach. For the first part of the trail we stayed low on the rocks alongside the beach, led by Caroline who knew this path.

We then climbed up to join the main path.

It was a short path, and well-trodden, with plenty of fellow walkers and their dogs to say hello (hello, hello) to.

Some pics — including a well-made stone bridge, some small magpie-lark like birds (pee wees?), water for walkers and dogs near an unusual (to us) house, some curious (to us) ant nests, and an incontrovertibly beautiful sky!

We took our snacks with a bit of a squeeze around the picnic table at Roches Beach.

Then headed back via the bush track.

All up, we walked about 8 kms, and took about 2 hours (including our snack stop). Probably more talkin’ than walkin’ – but jeez it was good to be out!

There was an animated debate about the best place for coffee/lunch, and at last we set off up Surf Rd to find a recommended new cafe. Success! We found Tidal Cafe, a converted container near the plant nursery on Surf Road.

We were lucky to have arrived before the 2 pm closing that we hadn’t known about. Good coffee, beautiful pastries (no joy for our coeliac walker-talker), plenty of seating, and a nice cruisy, outdoorsy, push-bikie, walkie, talkie vibe. The track notes start at Roches Beach, but we seemed to manage it without walking backwards: Clarence Coastal Trail - Roches Beach to Seven Mile Beach Track | Greater Hobart Trails