Kunanyi is the indigenous name for Mount Wellington which at 1,271 m (4,170 ft) towers over Hobart, Tasmania. It is Hobart's biggest attraction.
As you can see, the views of Hobart and the surrounding area are pretty spectacular.
If you are prepared and in reasonable shape, you can hike the trails up to the pinnacle of Mount Wellington, however, that is not necessary. Pinnacle Road takes you right to the top and it's only 8 km (5 miles) from Hobart.
Be sure to dress warmly. On average, temperatures at the top are 10.5 C (50.9°F) less than in Hobart. The mean annual maximum temperature is 7.3 C (45.14°F) and the mean annual minimum is 1.1 C (33.98°F.) The wind makes it feel much colder!
Park your car and take the wooden walkways to the various viewing platforms.
Beautiful!
Tasmania’s strongest recorded wind gusts of 174km/hr (108 m/hr) were made at the pinnacle. Luckily, there is an excellent visitor center to escape the cold and wind.
Inside the visitor center: Tourism is the largest part of the Tasmanian economy and they have built some excellent infrastructure.
At the top, it's mostly rock and tundra vegetation.
Amazing!
Heading away from the visitor center, you can see the communications tower which consists of a 67-metre-tall reinforced concrete base topped by a 64-meter-tall steel superstructure that supports an elevator and 3 antennas.
It's one of two towers typically visible from the surrounding area.
The clouds started to pass through and we decided to leave. Getting into the van, we headed back back down Pinnacle Road.
At the pinnacle, there are no trees. As you descend, the scrub brush and then trees reappear.
The road is paved all of the way.
There is one really big bend that lets you see the road far ahead.
From nearby Lenah Valley, the view of Mount Wellington. Today, you can see both towers. At other times, they are obscured by rain or snow.
Snow can fall in any season but seldom stays. This was a larger than normal snowfall from September.
Notice on the left, you can see Mount Wellington's dolerite pillars, some as tall a 120 m (almost 400 ft).
Pinnacle Road is closed at any sign of inclement weather. On my last chance to visit, it was closed at the Springs picnic area. Until next time.
References
Wellington Park
Pinnacle (geology)
Wellington Park Weather
Images
Photos taken with my Canon SX620 HS on kunanyi/Mount Wellington, Tasmania.
[//]:# (!pinmapple -42.895964 lat 147.236504 long kunanyi/Mount Wellington d3scr)