Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Chilled Out at Mount Wellington Lookout Point, Hobart

Some of the great cities favored by both locals and visitors possess two distinct characteristics - next to the sea and with a hill as a backdrop.  Hobart is a city with this feature.

We ended our second day in Hobart on 28 March by visiting Mount Wellington. Mt. Wellington has since been renamed Kunanyi which means mountain in the native aborigine language.

It took us just under half an hour to drive from our hotel in Hobart to Mt. Wellington Lookout Point. The lookout point perched at 1,271 m above sea level is ideal for a superb view of the entire city of Hobart. Even as we drove uphill along the winding road, we were presented with occasional glimpses of the spectacular views.

It was fortunate that we went prepared for the cold weather at the summit. At the Lookout Point, its 8-10 degrees lower than the temperature in Hobart. The chill is made worse by the strong wind at the summit area. Fortunately, the indoor viewing gallery provides relief when the cold becomes unbearable.

Indoor viewing gallery.
Kangaroo is undeterred by the chilling weather.
The 130 m high broadcasting tower perched atop the mountain is a structural wonder as much as an eyesore to some. This is a structure built to withstand the harshest environment and the strongest wind! But some distractors called it "the tampon in the sky" because of the white sheathing around the top part of the tower. Architects and engineers must always remember that their work can never be fully appreciated by all!

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