Locals and visitors urged to explore restored Hobart mountain trail

Published on 18 March 2024

The City of Hobart is urging locals and visitors to rediscover one of Tasmania’s finest short walks and help celebrate the restoration of the 100-year-old Zig Zag Track on kunanyi / Mt Wellington.

“Anyone who sets foot on the newly restored Zig Zag Track will be struck by the attention to detail in the fine stonework, all the way from where the trail leaves the Pinnacle Track to where it hits the mountain top,” Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said.

“This short but challenging walk starts at 960 m above sea level and zig zags its way to the top of kunanyi / Mt Wellington, opening up vistas of the River Derwent and out into Storm Bay.

“It traverses subalpine and alpine country, has incredible views of the towering rock pillars of the Organ Pipes, and is without doubt one of the best and most beautiful short walks in Tasmania, if not Australia.

“Tasmania’s east coast has its iconic Wineglass Bay walk, Hobart has the Zig Zag Track.”

The restoration project was undertaken over three summers and used local stone and gravel.

The detailed track work was carried out by the City’s ‘trackies’ as well as specialist track builders from local Tasmanian firms.

The project has been completed in time for this year’s kunanyi Mountain Run, which, now in its third year, attracts competitors from interstate and overseas and will be held from 22-24 March.

“The Zig Zag track is one of the favourites of Hobart’s trail running community and we’re super stoked to able to enjoy it for our epic events and every day running again,” said the run’s director Lincoln Quilliam (pictured).

“Having travelled the world running trails, I can safely say the rock work on the Zig Zag Track is world class.”

City of Hobart Sustainability in Infrastructure Chair Bill Harvey said the success of the kunanyi Mountain Run event shows how sensitive investment in mountain infrastructure can lead to positive outcomes not just for local businesses, but state tourism and the local community.

“Trails like the Zig Zag Track on kunanyi/Mt Wellington and the love Hobartians have for our mountain are the bedrock on which the kunanyi Mountain Run organisers have built this terrific event,” Cr Harvey said.

“Last year the kunanyi / Mountain Run attracted almost 900 entrants and more than a quarter of them were interstate or international runners keen to test themselves on Hobart’s great network of tracks and trails.

“This three-day trail running and mountain culture event injected over $1.8 million into the Tasmanian economy, and more than half of the interstate and international competitors travelled beyond Hobart and deeper into Tasmania.

“It was a huge and spectacular event that brought lovers of the mountain together and the City of Hobart is proud to sponsor this event again this year.”

Finalisation of the Zig Zag Track Restoration Project completes seven years of major trackwork by the City of Hobart on kunanyi / Mt Wellington that has seen the restoration of the Pinnacle Track, the Organ Pipes Track and the Zig Zag Track.