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........