Coles Bay, Freycinet National Park and some inland touring......

We found our home in the only caravan park in the area and while Bill set us up I headed off to the laundry.  Soon after the washing basket was empty and we went for a walk down to the little beach in front of the Coles Bay Caravan Park.  It was beautiful and as the sun was still shining there were a few kids in the water.  Too cold for us but they were loving it.

We continued our walk around the bay loving the views of The Hazards across the water.  The little harbour at the jetty and boat ramp was another pretty sight.  We checked out the tiny general store and then walked home through the streets from there.  A real mix of very big houses and some very little holiday shacks.  

The next day we drove into Freycinet NP and our first stop was the ranger station to find out what was where.  With our mud map in hand we drove straight up to Cape Tourville and found not only the lighthouse here but an amazing boardwalk taking you around the headland.

From here the views of the entrance to Wineglass Bay and the mountain range were truly spectacular.  We stayed and just enjoyed these views for ages before following the track across to the lookout on the other side overlooking Bluestone Bay and the Friendly Beaches in the distance.

A few steps took you up to the lighthouse but from here the view was hidden by the trees.  We were soon back on the boardwalk in awe once more.  It was a beautiful sunny day and the colour of the water just stunning.

Back in the car we made our way to Sleepy Bay and walked down the track to the tiny beach at the bottom.  Again, spectacular views along the way and unusual rock formations at the bottom.  It was a long walk back to the car though.

Our next stop was just a few metres from the ranger station and we popped out onto Richardsons beach where the view of The Hazards was indeed spectacular.  

Needing a break in the sightseeing we went home for lunch and then headed out again this time to Moulting Lagoon where Bill was hoping to see some birds.  Once more the tide was out and there was nothing other than Gulls and Lapwings so we moved on.

A little further along the lagoon we came to a spot called Pelican Bay but again nothing to be seen so we gave up and headed over to have a look at The Friendly Beaches.  Another beautiful beach though totally different to everything we had seen in the morning.  

That night we had dinner at the little bistro and really enjoyed the Trevalla but were not too impressed by the size and prices of their drinks.  Very little, and like most things in this tiny tourist town, very expensive.  We had been warned not to buy fuel here and at 20 cents a litre dearer than elsewhere we didn't.  Still we enjoyed the natural beauty of this gorgeous little place and leave with wonderful memories.

The next morning it was time to leave and continue our run up the east coast.  We stopped at Bicheno, firstly to grab some groceries and secondly to have a look at this pretty little town.  

Named after James Bicheno, the British Colonial Secretary for Van Diemens Land 1843 to 1851 this tiny town is primarily a fishing port and a popular beach resort.  Once used as a whaling port Bicheno was proclaimed a township in 1855.

We walked around the foreshore and were impressed by this wonderful memorial to the Merchant Navy which was unveiled in 2003.

Back on the road again we made our way to our next stop at Chain of Lagoons where we found a great site at Lagoon Beach campground.  This great campground had plenty of big sites available and we chose a nice flat site and were soon enjoying lunch at our new address.

After lunch we had a quick look at the beach and the lagoon but soon after were in the car and making our way up to St Marys.  To reach this little town you must cross the mountains via St Marys Pass or Elephant Pass.  These are two of Tasmania's more extreme roads, very winding and very narrow, with signs stating that if you are a long vehicle you must sound your horn as you approach certain bends.  I was very happy that we had left the van safely at camp and we were just in the car.

We drove up Elephant Pass (completed in 1888) and I discovered it was not nearly as bad as I had been led to believe and we returned later that afternoon via St Marys Pass.  This road across to the east coast was built by convicts between 1843 and 1846.  These roads would be a challenge to build today so how they were constructed back then without machinery is truly beyond me.

St Marys itself was a sleepy little town at the junction of the Tasman Hwy and the Esk Hwy.  The most prominent building in the little town is the impressive St Marys Hotel built in 1916.  It stands at the junction and represents a much more prosperous time.  There were once over 50 dairies in the district and two cheese factories in the town.  Now it's all about the natural attractions of St Patrick's Head (no we didn't climb it)' forest reserves and waterfalls.

We had a coffee in the cute little Purple Possum Cafe and just had to try the famous Rhubarb Cake.  It was delicious and apparently even gets a mention in The Lonely Planet Guidebook.  Soon after we made our way back towards home stopping along the way to admire the view of the long white beach at Four Mile Creek.

The next morning we drove back up Elephant Pass through St Marys and we stopped for a short break at Cornwall to have a look at the Coalminers Heritage Wall.  This monument, stands in a small park in this tiny town with a big history, remembering the miners who hand-tunnelled a coal mine beneath the Mount Nicholas Range many years ago.

Our next stop was deeper into the Fingal Valley at Evercreech Forest Reserve where we had come to see the 'White Knights'.  Said to be Australia's tallest white gums this group of trees stands at about 90 metres and they are just magnificent to see and stand among.  A walk track leads you through the forest and soon you have climbed high enough to be able to see the tops of these amazing trees.

Back at ground level I spent time in the sun beside the river while Bill wandered through the pockets of rain forest to see the beautiful Evercreech Falls.  

After lunch we drove through the forests to Mathinna Forest Reserve and we walked in to see Mathinna Falls.  An easy walk amid the bush brings you to the beautiful cascades which are made up of four waterfalls each cascading more than 17 metres.  Not sure the pictures do them justice but they were lovely to see.

Soon after we were on our way home and this time made our way down Elephant Pass which I found a little scarier than the trip up but maybe it was just that there was a few more cars passing us.  Back at home we settled in for a quiet night and checked the map to see where to move on to next.  We had enjoyed our couple of days here but there was more of the east coast to explore.

until next time........

Buckland - hidden treasures

We left Hobart the next morning and breathed a sigh of relief as we left the traffic behind us once more.  Our first stop was at Richmond where we enjoyed a wander around this lovely old historic town. 

Nestled in the heart of The Coal River Valley it was established as an important military staging post and convict station linking Hobart with Port Arthur.  Famous for its Georgian architecture and it's Heritage listed buildings we could understand why the streets were full of tourists.  

Richmond's most famous landmark is the lovely old bridge crossing the Coal River.  Built between 1823-1825 it is Australia's oldest bridge still in use.  

One of Bills ancestors had been born here so we checked the local cemeteries to see if there was any sign but some of the old headstones are so worn you are unable to see the words at all anymore.  The tilting headstones in the churchyard are a bit of a concern though.

We left Richmond, still not sure where we might end up, we had a quick look at the free camp in Sorell and decided it looked a little suburban so continued on along the Tasman Hwy to the tiny township of Buckland.

Here you can camp for free behind Ye Olde Buckland Inn and so we decided to call it a day here and look at what to do next.  With Easter in three days the options were (a) stay and sit here for 5 days and avoid the holiday madness or (b) move on tomorrow and hope to beat the crowds. 

Leaving the van at Buckland that afternoon we drove on a bit further to Orford and Triabunna to check out the camps there and found them already full so made our decision to stay put in Buckland and do day trips from there.

Of course we had a look around Triabunna while we were there and discovered that it was originally established as a garrison town for the penal settlement on Maria Island.  We loved the little harbour and on seeing the ferry come in decided that a trip across to the island would be one of our day trips and booked our tickets for the next morning.

Back at home we discovered a few extra campers had come in to the large flat area behind the pub so we had neighbours for the night.  Most of them were backpackers in Bongo Vans but all were quiet so no problem.  While the camp is free, there is the expectation that you will call into the pub and buy a drink or two.  Not really much to ask but over the week we only saw about 3 other couple do this.  Of course we enjoyed our 'beer and bubbles' each night.  These lovely little Thornbills visited us each afternoon as we enjoyed the sunshine.

So where is Buckland?  It's about 61 km from Hobart on the Tasman Hwy.  Once a busy timber mill town the area was settled in 1820 and was originally known as Prosser Plains.  Today it is best known for the historic church of St John the Baptist.  This lovely old church was built by convicts in 1846 and was constructed as a replica of the church at Cookham Dean in Sussex.  It has a famous 14th Century stained glass window but the church was closed and we were unable to see this.  

Today it is more a village than a township and with just the old inn and a roadhouse you would think no one would know it existed.  A spotlessly clean toilet, a lovely park, playground and bar-b-que sees people popping in all day but I'm sure they never look at what else is there.   Some of the old buildings have been maintained and are used as accommodation, B and B's or self contained allowing visitors to enjoy the gentle pace of this tiny rural town.  

The next morning we left early to return to Triabunna for our trip to Maria Island.  We stopped to have a look at Orford on the way and immediately fell in love with this classic Tasmanian fishing village located at the mouth of the Prosser River.  The drive in is only the start of the beautiful scenery that greets you as you arrive at the bridge.  

Stopping at Raspins Beach there is a lovely view across Mercury Passage towards Maria Island and soon after we were on the ferry and on our way.

Maria Island is a little bit of paradise just off the coast of Triabunna.  It is a mix of World Heritage listed, convict buildings and beautiful natural landscapes and protected wildlife.  On our arrival we walked up to the Commissariat Store, the oldest building on the island, now the ranger information centre and picked up a map and planned our next few hours here.

We walked across the bridge to Darlington Probation Station which is part of the 11 Australian Convict Sites World Heritage Property.  Some of these 14 convict buildings are now used as bunkhouse accommodation and others are set up as museums but all are kept in good condition and it is easy to imagine life here in a much harsher time.

From here we did the Reservoir walk which took us through the white gum forest to the convict built reservoir.  We ate our picnic lunch here but other than a friendly little Robin birds were few and far between.  We continued on this loop walk and came to the old brick works where the track split and so here Bill went off on the Fossil Cliff trail and I returned to explore the Probation Station a little more.  The only animal we both found on the island were Wombats.  We saw plenty of Cape Barren geese, some water birds but not the Forty Spotted Pardelotes we had hoped to find or the Tasmanian Devils which are meant to be very easy to spot here.  

On the way back to the jetty to catch the ferry home it was this boat ramp that caught our eye.  Not much use when the tide is out eh!  It was two weary travellers who made their way home a little later.  

The next morning we drove back to Sorell to do some shopping and we stopped to have a look at the wetlands here.  Once again not a bird in sight so we checked the old cemetery next door before returning home to enjoy some time out under the awning.

On Saturday morning we headed off early and made our way inland to Oatlands.  This is one of Tasmania's oldest settlements with more than 150 sandstone buildings.  This makes it the largest collection in any Australian town.  The intact Georgian townscape, mostly convict built in the early 1800's, shows a complete representation of the architecture, design and heritage of early European settlement in Australia.

Many of these buildings now operate as Cafes or shops and we picked up a self guided walk leaflet at the history centre and enjoyed learning about each building as we walked.

The most noticeable building is of course The Callington Mill which was built in 1837 and still operates today.  The Lincolnshire tower mill is the only operating mill of it's type in the Southern Hemisphere.  And of course there was a gift shop but this one actually sells the flour and grains produced by this mill.

We stopped to look at Lake Dulverton, a lovely lake and wetlands on the edge of town but once again with not too much water being available any birds were far too far away to see, other than the usual array of ducks, geese and swans who thought you were going to feed them the moment the car stopped.  We didn't but took a walk to see the quirky Topiary figures beside the lake instead.

On Sunday we decided that we had enough travelling and so just chilled out at home in the morning and in the afternoon drove just 4 km to look at the Tasmanian Bushland Garden.  We had passed the sign each time we went along the road and thought we should stop and have a look.  It was at this point we discovered that sometimes the tiniest places have hidden treasures.  This was one of these.

This lovely garden, once an old quarry, is now lovingly cared for by volunteers.  There are picnic tables, barbecues, quirky sculptures, waterfalls and three walks which take you through a variety of natural flora.  This 'Block Head Family' sculpture was just one of the highlights in the garden.

The view from the top, over the Buckland Valley, is well worth the steep climb and we enjoyed exploring this unexpected little surprise.  Back at home we had some surprise visitors as these Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoos spent a couple of hours in the old pine trees across the road.  

That night we had our 'last drinks' at the pub and got ready to move on the next morning.  We figured that at least some of the Easter crowds would go home on Monday so we hoped to move in where they had left.

Time for us to make our way up the East Coast now and the washing basket was bulging.  Let's hope we can find a home.

until next time........

Hanging out in Hobart.......

As most of you will have gathered by now we love being out and exploring the more remote and smaller places around the country.  The big cities are great when you need them but life is so much more simple in the country.  And so with this thought in mind here we were heading for Hobart where we were going to spend the next few days.

Our home for this next adventure was the Hobart Showgrounds at Glenorchy a few km out of the city.  We arrived about an hour or so after we left the ferry and negotiated the traffic to arrive about 3.00 pm.  The Showgrounds seemed to have vans, motor homes, camper trailers and tents everywhere with no real rhyme nor reason as to where they parked.  We asked at the office about availability and they said just pick a spot and then come back to tell them where we were and pay.  We did and that was home for the next four days.

The next morning we were greeted by this lovely rainbow in front of a very cloudy Mt Wellington.  We braved the cold and caught the bus to town to have a look at the famous Salamanca Markets.  They were huge, people everywhere and a huge cruise ship in port as well added to the crowd.  Still lots to see and we enjoyed ourselves there.

We had a quick look in town but having been to Hobart before we didn't hang around and were soon back on the bus heading home.  

Later in the afternoon we drove to Goulds Lagoon to see what we could find.  Set right in the middle of the suburban sprawl this conservation park had more seagulls and coots than anything exotic but this chap captured Bills attention for a short while.  Leaving here we drove back home and settled in for a quiet night.

The next morning we woke and got the surprise of our lives when we opened the door.  Cars everywhere and a huge market taking place almost on our doorstep.  Apparently the Showgrounds are home to a huge Sunday market each week and people come from everywhere to attend.  

We decided to get out while we could and our touring today took us up to Mt Wellington.  An incredible drive up to the top but once there we found the entire summit in cloud.  We could barely see anything a few feet in front of us let alone the view from the top.  A shame but as we had been up last time we visited we weren't too devastated.

We drove down a little bit to the Saddle car park and from here were able to see a lovely view looking over the Derwent River and we could even see the Showgrounds.

Returning back down the mountain we detoured to Waterworks Reserve and enjoyed our lunch in this lovely park with its two reservoirs and nice walk tracks.  These waterworks reservoirs were first constructed in the1860s to capture the flow from creeks and rivers rising on the higher slopes of Mt Wellington.

The next morning we made our way to the Botanic Gardens and enjoyed a few hours in the gardens.    Said to be the second oldest botanical gardens in Australia they are very different to Melbourne but lovely just the same.  This gorgeous little Eastern Rosella was happy to pose for Bill.

We drove from here to Peter Murrell Reserve where Bill was hoping to find the forty spotted Pardelotes. We enjoyed a walk around the lake through the bush and found lots of birds but not the elusive forty spotted.  They are becoming rare so not an easy ask these days.

From here we drove up to Mt Nelson Signal Station and had lunch with the best view in town.  What was once the signal masters house is now a lovely little cafe on top of the hill and on a beautiful sunny day like it was there was no better place to be.  Built in 1811, this signal station was the first constructed in Tasmania.  Now it houses a number artefacts giving visitors an a fascinating insight into the history of the early colony.

After lunch we set off on for a walk on The Truganini Track and stopped to look at the monument to this most famous aboriginal lady in Tasmania.  The walk became very steep so I called it a day and returned to the top as Bill continued on for a bit longer.  Soon after he appeared too and it was time to head home once more.

Before heading home we stopped at the shops to stock up the cupboard and fridge as we were leaving the next day to begin our journey north to the East Coast of Tasmania.  We are not sure yet how far to go as we only have three days until Easter and we're sure most places will be busy.  For now it's a work in progress.

until next time......