Sunrise Surprise

What a weekend and its not even half way!

My week was pretty tame with some homework getting done and I finally bought some Tim Tams! As told by my landlord I had to do the Tim Tam Slam. basically you nibble at both ends and then suck up hot chocolate through them. They don't really act as a straw but instead will melt the chocolate centre and wafers into gooey goodness.

2 for $4 means I get Double Chocolate and Dark Chocolate Mint to try

I believe on that shopping expedition home I came back to find a tree full of (well 4) large yellow tailed black cockatoos. One of them was making noise for at least 10 minutes while the others just sat there before they all flew off.

Just as big in real life

Later in the week I was informed by email that on Friday there would be a Geo Barrel. I think that since I have one geography class I got the email, as I don't recall signing up for their club. I also heard through Nya about a sunrise walk to the top of Mount Wellington, which overlooks Hobart, taking place Saturday morning through the bush-walking club. Since I hadn't been up there it sounded great...except for the fact we were meeting at 4am...

Anyway, I invited along Nya, Sam and a new German exchange student to check out the barrel on Friday. Basically all the different schools have these cheap alcohol BBQ get-togethers and although none of us are in geology I don't think it mattered. Its just a chance to meet some new students.

There were some canned drinks along with a weird punch concoction and then a small BBQ with crispy overcooked sausages aka snags and veggie-burgers. A game (drinking obviously) called boat race was played between the post-grads and first, second, and third years. It must have been a bit of an upset to watch the first years win!

We also learned that most of the post-grads studying geology were either Canadian or Australian, hence Sam and I got to talk Canadian to some others (aka hockey not "ice" hockey as said by Australians, and about the pending election).

Since I was surviving on about 2 hours sleep from the night before, I head home around 8:30pm while the others went to a bar located in a house (I'm kinda curious about this) before heading home a couple hours later. Unfortunately although I was in bed by 9:30pm, I had a sleepless night finally calling it quits at 2:50am. I couldn't believe I was functioning and getting ready to go climb into the wilderness on no sleep.

There were 10 of us all together meeting at the University at 4am and ready to go hiking. Luckily for Nya, the girl I caught a ride with stopped to pick her up, as I spotted her power-walking a little late to the pickup point. It was about a half hour drive to the parking lot at the springs (about 2/3 already up the mountain) and still pitch black. As Sam, Nya and I didn't have any torches or head lamps the club let us borrow theirs and then we were off....up the black and rocky path for the hour and a half hike. It was a pretty steep climb, and not having hiking boots, a little tiring on the feet. We made good time though and stopped a couple of times along the way to watch the horizon lightening.

Hobart city under a star

Lightening sky

Nearly to the top, that pillar marks our destination

Finally almost at the top, we bundled up preparing for the strong wind at the mountain top and waiting a bit as we were still early.  The barren mountain top was sooooo windy and very powerful but the view was absolutely amazing!

Still early, with beautiful colours in the sky

From the very top, the lookout booth visible to the left

Pink clouds and the end of the Derwent River

With wind-chapped hands we huddled with our cameras out documenting the day...after all, even though the sight was awesome and definitely worth getting up for (or rather staying up for) and hiking in the night to, I don't think I'll be doing that again.

Heading back, the pinnacle thing which is actually a tv/radio transmitter off to the left

Really rocky mountain top nearby

The sun finally rising...it was actually bright red

Goodbye 1200+ meter mountain top

Goodbye sunrise

Can you spot the rest of the group? We were really lagging...

From a bit further down the hill

The three of us, now wide awake and giddy, kept on pulling out our cameras like obsessed tourists, all the way back down the hill. After a pit stop at the washrooms we drove on down to our hiking leader's flat, where she was serving up some pancakes. It was really nice to chat with other members, and in the end the three of us all payed the $10 club registration fee so that we would be able to join in other walks and get all the information.

So if anyone should find themselves in Tassie, I would highly recommend taking in Mount Wellington, especially at sunrise. I'll let you pass on the walking bit though as 4am is a bit much for anyone!

Not too surprising, after being dropped back off at Uni around 9:30am, I head home and crashed, adding 2 more hours of sleep to my tired body. Something tells me I should sleep well tonight!

Mount Wellington from Sandy Bay later that same day

These are taken a couple blocks from Uni...it rained later too!