The Pipeline Track from the Waterworks Reserve in South Hobart to Fern Tree, nestled in the foothills of kunanyi/Mount Wellington, is a pleasant 3.5 kilometre walk.

The past is ever present on this walk, with many nineteenth-century stone constructions and interpretation boards providing detailed information about the many points of interest. The track follows the pipeline that has brought water to Hobart since 1861. There is evidence along the track of early settlement and of changing construction techniques for bringing water to Hobart.

The first point of interest is Gentle Annie Falls, where a viewing platform affords spectacular views over the city and its environs. Five hundred metres further along from Gentle Annie Falls, is McDermott’s Farm, which was occupied from the late 1880s. The Black Tuesday bushfires of 1967 destroyed most of the farm buildings, but the remnants of the farm can still be seen in the clearings, which have expansive views down the valley and up to the mountain.

The Sluice House at Halls Saddle is the next point of interest. Built in 1862, it is a perfect Georgian gem in the middle of the bush. Halls Saddle is about a kilometre from Fern Tree. The track then passes through Longhill Gully Heritage Site, a wet gully traversed by two imposing aqueducts, constructed of dressed sandstone, completed in 1881. Stone steps follow the contours of the gully, helping walkers make the descent and ascent safely.

We started our return via the Longhill Gully Heritage Site, where two substantial stone columns tower over the vegetation. They are the remaining piers, built in 1862, to carry wooden troughing for Hobart’s new mountain water supply across Longhill Creek. The wood has long gone, with only the stone piers remaining. The return journey was downhill all the way, retracing our steps back into the modern world.