A Mountain hike, the mountain flowers and the lessons on time that were revealed.
The Disappearing Tarn, Mt Wellington, Hobart, Tasmania.
The Disappearing Tarn leaving from The Springs; according to my Mt Wellington Map, it is a 4-hour return hike. The signage on the trail head notes 3 hours return. Our hike time was just under 3 hours, with a short lunch break. Neither time provided was wrong, each is a matter of ability, conditions and pace, as is so much in life. Things are less likely to be inaccurate but more a matter of perspective, experience and interpretation.
The drive up Mt Wellington is narrow and deteriorating. The Council closely manages it. Snow and other weather events close the road. As Spring comes to a close and we head into Summer, I don't expect to face a road closure today, but as a Tasmanian (almost ten years here now), I know to check. The website lists the road as open, so off we head.
We each have the day off from work, but it is still a school day, so we keep up the daycare for our youngest to take a parent's date day. Hiking is how we got to know each other, and returning to it is returning to us.
Locals know this flower as the 'Keep Tassie Wild' flower. A sticker seen on many local cars.
As we arrive at the mountain's base we see the gate closed across the road. A tour company van is parked by and waiting. The car in front is talking to an official looking person. They turn around and park. Just before coming over to us she starts talking on her walkie-talkie. She comes over to tell us the morning clearing and maintenance are finished, and we are now allowed up. They open the gate, and we drive up, taking in the clear road ahead of us as the first car through.
We park at The Springs only to notice there is an hour parking limit here now. So we utilise the toilets and park slightly further up at the Old Hotel site, which takes us closer to the start of our trailhead. We get out of the car and take in the cool air with its dampness and freshness. We hike up the wet rock stairs to the trail signs. We had planned to hike The Zig Zag track only there is signage to state it is closed for maintenance. Based on the time we have today, we decide to hike to the Disappearing Tarn. Our last hike in this area was the Organ Pipes and we hadn’t hiked to the Tarn from Springs before, only from the base up.
This is one of my favourite local flowers. A unique and oddly beautiful flower.
There has only been a little rain lately, so we didn't expect to see much if any, water in the Tarn. The Disappearing Tarn is named so as it only fills for short periods after heavy rainfall. Nonetheless, it is beautiful to see and imagine these trees in the rocky crevasse mostly underwater.
We find a suitable rock to sit on for lunch while we take in the tranquillity.
Here time is without pressure.
Here, where there is room for plans to change.
As we spent our first two years together hiking all over Tasmania, we hiked in rain, sleet, light snow, sun and fog until we had to stop and safely wait for the fog to pass, knowing the land is unforgiving; a wrong step is dangerous. So you surrender. You wait, you turn back, you don't go.
You aren't in control here. And I don't think we ever are.
Yet, in the daily grind of it all, we seem to think there is control, so we fight it. We get angry, we try to rush, and get anxious. I do all of this under the self-imposed pressures of parenthood. I want to let go like I can here and don't know why it is so hard in the everyday grind.
After our sandwich, we turned away from the disappeared Tarn and began the hike out.
The weather is clear and we can see the coastline of Shipstern's Bluff. There is vibrant life in front of us every step of the hike. The Spring flowers are all in bloom and birds' chorus grows in volume over the mornings hike.
Here are the two books I have used for identifying these three beautiful flowers:
IT TAKES SOME TIME Oh, the missteps, the regrets things I could have done better, words I could have said kinder. What a learning path this whole life is. My whole heart is always the best to give, to know I gave my all, is the comfort I'm most fulfilled to recall. It sure takes some time, to get it right, know and hold… we are trying together. We misstep together, we win together, get up together, get stuck, hit some ruts, only to get up again, try some more, find the awe. It takes some time, each timing is unique, a learning journey we're all here to drink. It sure takes some time, to realise we don't get it right, or wrong. I can let go and be, here with me.
