12th Young Geotechnical Professionals Conference – Field Trip Guide

This field guide serves as background notes for the post conference excursion. This is an opportunity to have a break from the lecture room, enjoy some Tasmanian scenery, get some exercise and test your field skills. Almost all of the walking will be downhill but be careful as the tracks are steep and uneven!

The impressive mountain behind Hobart is known as kunanyi by the indigenous people who have lived in Tasmania for more than 40 000 years. It has more recently been named Mount Wellington by the British after Arthur Wellesley, aka the Duke of Wellington, who they credit for defeating Napolean Boneparte in 1815. Most recently the Tasmanian Government has officially recognised the original name and a duel naming policy now applies.

Today this mountain is a popular tourist destination and a recreational park for walkers, mountain bikers, rock climbers, etc. Currently, there are plans for a cable car and new visitor centre to be built on the mountain; something that has the community divided. For us as geotechs it also has some impressive rock formations and mass wasting features to savour. Furthermore, there is a history of landslides that pose a threat to users of the park and settlements at the base of the mountain.

The view from the lookout on the summit is impressive on a good day and I am hoping it will be today. At 1270 m elevation, the summit can also be a hostile environment for visitors, with snow falls and blizzard conditions known to occur regardless of season. Today’s walk, subject to weather, will take us from the summit down walking tracks to the Chalet, where we will meet the bus. On the attached field map (Figure 1) we will follow the South Wellington Track from the Summit, then branch onto the Zig Zag Track down to the intersection with the Pinnacle and Organ Pipes tracks. Here we turn right onto the Pinnacle Track and walk about 100m till we meet the 2014 rock fall boulder. After this stop we backtrack to the last intersection and the follow the Organ Pipes Track all the way to the Chalet. It is not a long distance and not a race. One needs to exercise care along the path and I would encourage you to note the changes in the landscape as you descend. There will be stops at a number of locations along the way so please do not overtake the designated leader! Please also respect other users of the track.