- Duration
- 1 day, ~110 km by car (≈ 6 h 52 min: moving and stop time only)
- Who it suits
- With kids
- Transport
- drive
- Start
- kunanyi/Mt Wellington pinnacle
- Finish
- Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary
- Pace
- relaxed pace
- Best time
- A clear morning: get to the summit before the midday cloud. Pinnacle Road is closed for maintenance 16 to 19 November 2026, and in winter it shuts for snow and ice; check hobartcity.com.au
- Budget per adult
- The mountain and Richmond are free; Female Factory A$35, child A$20, family A$90 (tour included); Bonorong A$37, child A$22, family A$105Prices as of: July 2026; transport and zoo prices October 2026
Getting there
Go by car. The mountain road and Bonorong make one driving day.
Stops in order
The text version of the route: stops, time at each and the legs between them. Times are estimates, without queues, traffic or swims.
1. kunanyi/Mt Wellington pinnacle~45 min at the stop
A sealed road climbs 1,271 m above Hobart: a glassed-in lookout, boardwalks over the moon-like plateau: and possible snow any month.
Worth knowing: The palawa name kunanyi officially sits alongside Mount Wellington. The summit road was built in the 1930s as a Depression-era relief work.
Tip: It's about 10 degrees colder up top than in town: jackets for the kids, even in summer.
Open on the map ↗↓ drive · 15 min · 10 km
2. The Springs~30 min at the stop
The halfway clearing on the mountain: picnic tables, short forest trails and a coffee cart overlooking the city.
Tip: If the summit is closed by cloud or snow, The Springs is the fallback view that's almost always open.
Open on the map ↗↓ drive · 15 min · 10 km
3. Cascades Female Factory~1 h 15 min at the stop
A UNESCO site at the mountain's foot where thousands of convict women served time; entry includes the Convict Women's Tour. Daily 9:30am–4:30pm.
Worth knowing: The factory ran from 1828 to 1856 on damp swampy ground, and overcrowding and disease killed many women and babies. Three of the original five yards survive, the only female factory in Australia with remains like these.
Tip: Under-7s go free; the stories are heavy: better with school-age kids than toddlers.
Open on the map ↗↓ drive · 30 min · 28 km
4. Richmond & the 1823–25 bridge~1 h 30 min at the stop
A Georgian village on the Coal River: the convict bridge begun in 1823 is Australia's oldest still in use; a hedge maze and lolly shop sit nearby.
Worth knowing: Convicts built the bridge from 1823 to 1825, hauling sandstone in hand carts. In 1832 the harsh flogger George Grover fell asleep drunk on it and was pushed off; nobody was ever convicted.
Tip: Lunch is on the way, at Coal River Farm in Cambridge: every day 9:00 to 17:00, kitchen until 16:00. The best bridge angle is from the south bank lawn, where kids feed the ducks.
Open on the map ↗↓ drive · 22 min · 19 km
5. Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary~1 h 30 min at the stop
A rescue sanctuary: Tasmanian devils, wombats and free-roaming kangaroos you can hand-feed.
Worth knowing: Bonorong is a rescue sanctuary at Brighton with a wildlife hospital. The ticket funds care for injured animals.
Tip: Open daily 9 am to 5 pm, no booking needed for general admission. Free keeper talks at 10:00, 11:30, 1:30 and 3:30: time your arrival for the next one. Under-6s free.
Open on the map ↗
Before you go
- Route times are estimates: walking, driving and a sensible pause at each stop. Add queues, traffic and swims yourself.
- Prices, timetables and trail status change. Check the venue's official site and the state transport app before you go.
- On beaches, swim only between the red and yellow flags. Use sun protection even when it is cloudy.