By Lyn McGaurr

If you’re an avid adventurer, you might think climbing a mountain so close to a capital city is like working a trapeze with a safety net.

Alternatively, if you class yourself as a chardonnay tourist (and we have some great chardonnays, I’m not denying that), you might suspect nothing beats a view of Mount Wellington over the rim of a Salamanca wine glass.

Take my word for it, you’d both be wrong. Mt Wellington is astonishing precisely because its drama is so accessible. This is egalitarian nature writ large – wilderness democracy, equal-access altitude, a status-free peak between a shimmering city and the farthest reaches of our rugged southwest.

You can drive up the mountain in 20 minutes from Hobart, yet Wellington Park is bigger than either Mount Field or Freycinet National Park. Even if you never get out of your car, the views of our southern waterways will dazzle you. Short walks can take you to rock ledges that jut into thin air, or boulder fields created by the ancient shattering of the dolerite cliffs that tower behind them.

The more adventurous you are, the more Mount Wellington delivers. Free-wheel all the way to the bottom with Island Cycle Tours, abseil the massive Organ Pipes, or take the challenging walk to Collins Bonnet for 360 degree views that put the entire island at your feet.

Some of the best times on the mountain are following snowfalls. If you’ve never seen snow before, this is the way to do it – just hop in your car and head for the hills. You’ll be amongst the white stuff in minutes – especially cool if you’ve just spent the morning cruising in winter sunshine on the Derwent.

Every two years, Tasmanians celebrate their love of Mount Wellington with a festival that links communities and visitors with the history and culture of the mountain through art, music and film.