kunanyi / Mount Wellington

kunanyi rises 1,271 metres directly behind Hobart, close enough that the city sits in its shadow and the summit is often in cloud while the waterfront is clear. A sealed road, built as a Depression-era work scheme, climbs to a lookout and enclosed shelter at the top, with views over the Derwent estuary, the Tasman Peninsula and, on the clearest days, far into the southwest wilderness. Below the summit, the Organ Pipes are a wall of dolerite columns formed by cooling magma some 175 million years ago, used by climbers and skirted by a walking track. Snow falls on the summit in any month, and the temperature difference from the city is often ten degrees.

Highlights

• The summit lookout - Hobart, the Derwent and the peninsulas laid out below.
• The Organ Pipes - a wall of dolerite columns below the summit.
• The snow - falls possible in any month, sometimes closing the road.
• The walking tracks - routes from the city and the Springs to the top.

When to go

November to April for the mildest conditions; the summit is exposed and can be snowbound or fog-covered in any season, and the road closes in ice or snow. Clear mornings give the best views. Sunrise and sunset draw crowds.

Practical notes

Cloud covers the summit frequently, sometimes for days, and there is no refund for a white view. Temperatures at the top can be well below the city's, and visitors regularly arrive in shorts. The road closes without much notice in snow.

Nearby

Hobart is twenty minutes below; the Huon Valley lies south.

Key facts