Tasmania

Tasmania

Spirit of Tasmania  16/12/12

We have to be at the Port of Melbourne to catch the ferry “Spirit Of Tasmania” at about 5pm. The morning was spent preparing for the voyage, and Craig and Braydon got haircuts. We organised a late checkout which enabled us to stay on site till the afternoon. It is a bleak day today with a max. temperature of about 20deg. The ferry was due to leave at 7.30pm & boarding started 2&1/2hrs prior. We travelled the short distance of 16km & arrived at the Port of Melbourne at about 5.15pm. Then we had to wait a while after going through a couple of security check points. They only started actually loading at about 6.30pm. Once on board we went to our four berth porthole cabin; because you don’t disembark in Tasmania until 6.30am many people get a cabin & sleep for the journey. We then went & had a lovely dinner at the The Captains Table. This was one time when we were happy with daylight savings as we enjoyed the views while eating, & then through our porthole once we returned to our room. After having showers we put the kids to bed & then followed shortly after ourselves.

Cradle Mountain  17/12/12

We had a reasonable night sleep on the ferry considering it was moving around a fair bit. The kids seemed to sleep ok with Aaron only waking up once. We got woken up at 5.50am to say it is time to wake up and be ready at our vehicles at 6.30am. It was nice to see Devonport through our porthole. It was pretty fast getting off the ferry, and then we went to the quarantine station to be inspected for fruit and vegetables as you are not allowed to take any into Tasmania. We declared our fruit and veg and then headed to Maccas for breakfast. Right next door to Maccas was the Visitor Information Centre where we got our info on Tassie & bought a National Parks Pass for $60. The lady suggested that since the weather was so good we should head up to Cradle Mountain as it rains there for 300 days a year. We decided it sounded a good idea so we headed up to the mountain. The countryside is such a contrast to what we have seen in the last 8 months, with lush green grass everywhere. It was like we were in a different country. We could tell it is a slower pace over here which was a nice change coming from Melbourne. We had morning tea at Lake Barrington which has an international rowing course & is surrounded by rainforests & mountains. After more of the same of this lovely scenery we arrived at midday at the Cradle Mountain Tourist Park which cost $39 a night & is right at the entrance to the Cradle Mountain – Lake St Clair National Park. Unfortunately there were only 10 powered sites and all of them were taken so we are going to be in for a cold night in this alpine environment without the heater. The max. temperature was 14deg and it should get down to 4deg tonight. After setting up camp & having lunch we went across the road to the Visitor Centre to plan what walks we were going to do tomorrow. We decided we had time to do one short walk to the Pencil Pines which is only a 20min circuit but you go past a beautiful waterfall and lush mossy forest. Once back at the caravan park we headed over to the lovely camp kitchen where there are 2 big fireplaces and a nice area for the kids to play in the warmth. We travelled 105km today.

18/12/12

After a cold night without the heater, but toasty warm with all our winter gear on, we went down to the Visitor Centre to board the free shuttle bus to take us to Dove Lake so we could do the 6km walk around the lake. The day was cold and overcast so we were all rugged up with our rain gear on. It was a very pleasant and interesting walk with varied terrain, but very lush and picturesque. The highlight was seeing Cradle Mountain when the clouds lifted high enough to see it, and the magnificent waterfalls. We were very lucky that there was only some light drizzle for about 30 seconds for the 3 hour walk.  It was nice to hop back on the shuttle bus to take us back to the car. In the afternoon we had a look through the Ranger Station & Interpretation Centre, and then did the pretty Enchanted Walk (20min circuit). On our return to the car park we were lucky enough to see 2 Wombats walking through the National Park. They must have been very used to people as we could get up to a few metres away from them and they were not worried. On the drive back to the van we saw another one on the side of the road.

Launceston  19/12/12

We left Cradle Mountain at 10am and headed down the mountain back through Sheffield and then we had morning tea in the nice little town of Railton which is full of Topiary trees in all various shapes and sizes. We then called into the Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm to sample their produce. Then we continued down the highway to Launceston & arrived at 1.30pm at the Treasure Island Caravan Park which cost $37 a night. After we did the washing we headed into town to stock up on groceries. It has rained most of today but it is a lot warmer than up in the mountains. We travelled 151km today.

20/12/12

This morning we went to the Cataract Gorge Reserve which is a magnificent area of bushland just 15mins walk from the city centre. We went for a couple of walks to lookouts with beautiful views of the gorge, & then crossed the river on the swinging suspension bridge to the other side of the gorge which had lovely gardens & quite a few peacocks, & then had morning tea. You can also choose to cross the gorge via the world’s longest single span chairlift. There is also a very popular open air swimming pool. After returning to the caravan for lunch we went to City Park where we had a look around at the beautiful gardens & the boys had a play in the park. We also had a look at the antics of the Japanese Macaque Monkeys. Then we had a drive around the city & the outskirts for a look around.  

Hobart  21/12/12

We left Launceston at 9.30am & headed to Hobart where we are booked into the Treasure Island Caravan Park. After having morning tea at Campbell Town we arrived at 1.15pm & it cost $37 a night. It is a nice caravan park right on the river. There are heaps of ducks here that Braydon had fun feeding. We took it easy for the rest of the day. We travelled 186km today.  

22/12/12

Today we went into the City. We first of all went to the Salamanca Markets & were impressed with the quality of everything there. They are held every Saturday & have the reputation as being Australia’s best outdoor markets. There was some excellent busking talent also. We then went & checked out the waterfront area. Then we went into the CBD to have a look around & did some last minute Christmas shopping.

23/12/12

Today we took it fairly easy. After doing the washing we went for a ride on our bikes to a local park where the boys had a good play. Braydon also had a play on a BMX track near the caravan park. He did a really great job with only one stack, but got straight back on his bike again. He has gained a lot of confidence. 

24/12/12

Today we went down to the Waterfront again. There was a cruise boat docked, & also a ship in the Sea Shepherd fleet called the Sam Simon. They are waiting for the Japanese to start their whale hunting in the Southern Ocean & then will harass them to save as many whales as possible. We both went for a tour through the ship. We have been looking for somewhere to go for lunch on Christmas Day but we haven’t found anything under $130 a head. Just in time we have finally found something that is a more realistic price; it is a harbour cruise with a 2 course meal. With that organised we had a special pre-Christmas Day lunch at Mures. This is a well- known seafood restaurant. On the way home we did some grocery shopping for tomorrow. In the early evening Santa came into the caravan park on a firetruck with its sirens & lights going & handed out lollies to the kids.

25/12/12  Christmas Day

Well it is Christmas Day & Santa found our 2 boys last night. After opening their presents from Santa & having breakfast we went to church at a local Anglican church. It was a little different to what we are used to but it was great to celebrate the real reason for the season. After organizing a yummy morning tea we opened up our presents. We had to rush this a bit because we only had 1/2hr before we had to leave to be at the wharf for our cruise. We all loved our presents & were thoroughly spoilt. 

The cruise was a 3hr cruise on the “Lady Jane” which they run daily; today was similar to one of their usual days except that it was 1/2hr longer. The boat was very old looking & we both hoped it was seaworthy. The cruise took us all around the harbour & up & down the Derwent River, & lunch was a scrumptious roast meal with 3 different meat selections, & dessert was a yummy pavlova or plum pudding. Wine & Fruit Juice were also included in the price. We were wondering how they good do all this for $45 an adult (the kids were free even though they both got a meal) when 3/4 of the way through the journey we found out.

 The captain took us into a little bay that he doesn’t normally go to & ran aground because he couldn’t get it in reverse. We heard “brace yourselves, brace yourselves” & then felt a slight bump. There mustn’t have been any damage as we just continued on. Fortunately he got it into reverse to dock. All in all it was a great way to celebrate Christmas Day lunch. In the afternoon we had a little rest & then had tea. Craig had Prawns & Dianne, Braydon & Aaron had chicken & chips. Then it was time to catch up & talk to our families. While we missed not spending Christmas with our families we had a nice day. 

26/12/12

The kids spent the day playing with their Christmas presents & we all had a nice & relaxed day.

27/12/12

We headed up to Mt Wellington which was only about a 25km drive from the caravan park. It was a nice drive up the mountain to the top where the observation platform is. It was very windy & freezing cold at 10deg as it is 1270m above sea level. It was 20deg down the bottom, & they say it drops 10deg once you reach the top. It is often covered in snow. Luckily enough it was a fine day so we got a great view over Hobart and the surrounding area. On the way home we went the scenic way and had a better look around the city, and then got some groceries.

28/12/12

We went down to the Waterfront again this morning to have a look at the boats coming in from the Sydney to Hobart yacht race. Wild Oats 11 the winner had already arrived so we were able to go right up to the boat and have a look at it. While we were there we could see Ragamuffin in the distance coming in, so we stuck around and watched it cross the finish line and dock. We were amazed that there were not more people around to see it finish as we could get right down on the pontoon that it came in on. We then went to the Tasmanian Taste Festival and had a look around before heading up into the city. We both got our eyes tested & fortunately we were both given the all clear, although it was suggested that Craig might want to buy some cheap glasses for reading. 

 

29/12/12

This morning the kids played with their toys & we did the washing. After lunch we walked over to MONA which is the Museum of Old & New Art. It is located next to our caravan park, & today they had markets on. We had a good look around the markets and watched an excellent jazz band play while lounging on beanbags on a lovely grassed area. We didn’t go into the art museum as it is apparently not suitable for children.

30/12/12

We headed to the Mount Field National Park today to see the popular Russell Falls. It took us about 40mins to arrive at the Rangers Station where the walk leaves from. It was an easy 15min picturesque walk along the path to the beautiful falls. We then continued along the track about 15mins to the next falls called the Horseshoe Falls. We then decided to continue about 20mins to the Tall Trees Walk before walking back to the Rangers Station where we had lunch. 

We hopped in the car and drove up the mountain to the alpine area of the national park. The temperature dropped considerably to 10deg. but it was a beautiful drive on the 16km dirt road. On the way home we called in to visit the Salmon Ponds but they were closing in 1/2hr so we wouldn’t have had enough time to look around. We bought some groceries on the way home.

31/12/12

We took it easy today & had a nice relaxing day. We didn’t see the New Year in; we were in bed by10pm.

01/01/13  Happy New Year

Today we went to the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens which were established in 1818 (the second oldest in Australia) & cover 14 hectares. There were many beautiful gardens. The highlight for us were the Japanese Gardens, the Subantarctic Plant House (which was very cold inside) & the Lily Ponds. We also saw Pete’s Vegie Patch which was made famous by the popular ABC Gardening Australia presenter Peter Cundall. After this we went for a drive south-east of Hobart to Opossum Bay, which had good views back to Hobart. It was a nice scenic drive. We had lunch at a really nice Bakery Café at Lauderdale & then returned to our caravan park up the east side of the Derwent River.

02/01/13

Today we went back to the Waterfront to see all the Yachts in from the Sydney to Hobart race. It was great to see so many in the one spot. Then we drove south of Hobart to Kingston. We had lunch a little further south at Blackmans Bay. 

03/01/13

This morning we did the washing & then after lunch we went to the Cadbury factory which is only about 5mins from our caravan park. We received a block of chocolate each on arrival except for Aaron who got 3 white chocolate freddos instead. We then had a hot chocolate that consisted of generous scoops of white, milk & dark chocolate. It was delicious. Then we went to the talk where they explain the process of how Cadbury chocolates are made. After this we went grocery shopping.

04/01/13  Ian, Kerryn, Lily & Max Rossow arrive

It was an exciting day today as the Rossow family came to visit us. They arrived around lunchtime & we went to the airport to meet them. Braydon was very excited to see his friends again, as were we. They have been on holidays from Brisbane & have travelled down to Melbourne in their Campervan, & then they flew from there over to visit us. After the Rossows picked up their luggage & hire car we all drove back to the caravan park where the Rossows are staying in one of the cabins. We had lunch together & then spent the afternoon catching up on news, & the kids had a ball playing together. We finished the day off with a barbeque. It was a really hot day today & the temperature reached a record 41.7 degrees. Unfortunately this started some very serious bushfires. We could see a lot of smoke when we drove out to the airport, & there is a fire somewhere behind us & we have some ash falling around us. The fire department & volunteers are doing it tough at the moment.   

05/01/13

Today we all went into the city & first of all went to the Salamanca Markets. Because they were so good we didn’t mind seeing them again. We then took the Rossows down to the Waterfront area to have a look around, & we all went to Mures for another tasty lunch. In the afternoon we had another relaxing time together at the caravan park & were lucky enough to see some dolphins only a hundred metres from us. There are quite a number of out of control fires around the State; the worst one being on the Arthur Highway near Dunalley. There have been huge evacuations & many homes have been lost in the area, particularly in Dunalley. It isn’t as hot today but very windy which would be making life tough for the firefighters.   

06/01/13

We were originally planning on going to Port Arthur today or tomorrow but the road there is closed because of the fires. Even if they get the fires under control in the next 24hrs or so the area has been totally devastated & they have no services such as power. So instead we went to Bruny Island. We caught the vehicular ferry from Kettering which took about 15mins to cross. We had a lovely day exploring this beautiful Island with its lovely beaches & scenery. We travelled from North Bruny across The Neck to South Bruny & had morning tea at Alonnah which is a pretty beach, & the kids played on the playground. Then we continued on down to the bottom of the Island to Cape Bruny Lighthouse which provided magnificent views of the area. After having a nice picnic lunch we then drove to the eastern side of the Island to have a look at Captain Cook’s Landing Place. On the drive back to the ferry we went to Truganini Lookout on The Neck, & walked up approx. 160 steps to be rewarded with stunning views of both sides of the Island. When we got back to Hobart we went to Hogs Breath for tea – a bit of a tradition for our 2 families. Sadly many fires still remain out of control.  

07/01/13

Today we went to Hastings Caves which was about 1&1/2hrs away. We had morning tea at a picnic area near the Huon River & then carried onto the Caves. They were busier than normal because of all the people such as us who were going to go to Port Arthur but changed their plans because of the fires. It was a 5km drive from the Visitor Centre to the caves carpark & then a 5min walk to the cave entrance where we were met by our guide. It was quite cool in the caves but most of us had a jumper on. The Caves are one of the world’s great dolomite caves & had 500 steps. The kids did really well to manage all these. After this we had a picnic lunch in the grounds of the Visitor Centre, & then went for a swim in the naturally-heated thermal pool. The temperature was great & we had a nice time swimming. Most of the fires around the State are under control, & the one out towards Port Arthur is still going strong but is contained.   

 

08/01/13  The Rossows Leave

The Rossows plane doesn’t leave until mid-afternoon so we went for a drive up to Mt Wellington. It was cold & windy again & got down to 10deg again. We picked up Subway for lunch near the airport & Ian got the hire car back in time & in one piece. Their flight was delayed by a couple of hours so we stayed with them for a little while, but then we had to go as Aaron was booked into get his 18 month immunisation. It was a sad goodbye & we felt very privileged that they came to visit us – what special friends. Aaron was pretty good with getting his needle & only cried for about 15secs. Our little boy now weighs 13.7kg. We were talking to a lady today that was staying in their caravan in our caravan park who had gone out to Port Arthur for the day with her husband the day the fires started (the 4^th), & had been trapped out there until this morning when they were allowed to come back via a police convoy that left the area at 2am. They only had their car & the clothes they were wearing, but they said the locals were fantastic even though they had their own worries & losses.   

09/01/13

Today we went back into the CBD to pick up a replacement Credit Card for Craig that we had ordered. While in there, we joined the Apple Revolution & bought an iPad mini & an iPhone. Then we went up to Mt Wellington again because there was a chance that if it was raining up there today it would turn to snow. Braydon was very excited about the possibility but we told him it was unlikely. Imagine our surprise when we saw little snowflakes when we reached the top – it was 3 degrees up there, & yet 5 days ago it was 41.7 degrees.

10/01/13

We spent the day today packing up & cleaning up ready to leave tomorrow. Dianne did the washing while Craig washed the car & caravan. As a treat we went to a dine in Pizza Hut for lunch (a reminder of the good ol’ days), & then we did the grocery shopping. When we leave we will head west firstly as there are still some fires on the east coast. There was a serious fire in the north-west of the state, but it is under control now.

Lake St Clair  11/01/13

It was finally time to leave Hobart, so we left at 9.30am & headed to Lake St Clair. On the way we stopped at The Wall in the Wilderness, which is a 100m span wall sculptured by an artist out of Huon Pine which depicts the rural life & history of the region. It is a work in progress & it was amazing how life- like his carvings were. Unfortunately we weren’t allowed to take photos for copyright reasons. When we arrived at Lake St Clair we first of all went & had a look at the Visitor Information Centre. Lake St Clair is part of the Cradle Mountain National Park & is the deepest lake in Australia. The Lake St Clair Lodge Campground on the shores of the lake was full but the Manager let us set up camp in an area that they have for emergencies, which was really just a car park area for day use visitors. It cost $25 for this unpowered site. We arrived at about 4pm & by the time we set up it was too late to do any of the lakes walks, so we just went down to the viewing deck & jetty of the lake. We travelled 200km today.

Strahan  12/01/13

We decided to pack up & leave the car & caravan at the main car park so we didn’t have to rush the walk, as we had to leave the campground by 10am. We did the Watersmeet walk (45mins. return) & Platypus Bay circuit (extra 15mins.). Part of the walk was through eucalypt & then rainforest, & towards the end we walked back along the beach of Cynthia Bay. It was a very pleasant easy walk. When we got back to the caravan we had morning tea & then drove to Nelson Falls. 

It was a beautiful short walk (700m each way) through rainforest, & the falls were very picturesque. We then continued on through Queenstown, a mining town, & on to Strahan, which is a fishing port set on a quiet bay of Macquarie Harbour. It is a very popular place for tourists & is the gateway to the Gordon River where you can cruise through Tasmania’s Wilderness World Heritage Area. We were unable to get into the local caravan park as it was full, so we drove 15km out of town to Macquarie Heads Campground (Camps No. 177) which was a lovely spot right on the coast. We arrived at about 4pm & had a lovely grassy area, & it cost $6 for the night. We travelled 152km today.

Rosebery  13/01/13

We left the campground at 9.45am & went into the town centre of Strahan to have a look around. In the main street were an attractive terrace of nineteenth-century buildings which are now used as pubs, shops & cafes. After having morning tea we then headed through Zeehan to Rosebery, which is another mining town, where we had lunch. The landscape yesterday & today was very mountainous with spectacular rivers & forests, & the roads were very steep & windy. In fact we were constantly going from one National Park or Regional Reserve to the next. 

The area is known as the Western Wilderness & much of it is inaccessible. The weather has been overcast with many showers but it hasn’t stopped us from doing the things we wanted to do. We booked into the Rosebery Cabin & Tourist Park, arriving at 1.30pm, which cost $30 for the night. After setting up we left at 2pm to go to the Montezuma Falls. They are the highest falls in Tasmania & it was a 9.6km return walk through rainforest. The track was easy walking as it was gently graded, but it was very muddy as it had been raining, & it was still spitting a little so we all had our raincoats on. Braydon’s track pants quickly became filthy from all the mud & Dianne’s jeans didn’t fare much better. Craig had ¾ length shorts on so he was okay, but all our shoes were filthy & wet. We finally reached the viewing platform at the foot of the falls which towered 104m above us.

 They were beautiful & well worth the effort. We also walked across a swing bridge that spans the gorge to link this walking track with a 4WD access track. It took us 3.5hrs to do the walk & we were all exhausted when we got back – except of course Aaron who still gets a free ride in the backpack (all 13.7kg of him – poor Craig). Braydon continues to impress us with his endurance on bushwalks. We had takeaway for tea as it was 6pm by the time we got back to town. We travelled 93km today.

Wynyard  14/01/13

We left Rosebery at 9.15am & drove a short distance behind the caravan park to have a look at Stitt River Falls. It was only 100m to walk there to see these small falls, & was worth having a quick look as they were so close to our caravan park. We then travelled through many Forest Reserves to Hellyer Gorge where we had lunch & then went on a short rainforest walk (15mins.) that followed the river for a little while & then meandered its way back to the picnic area. It was a fine day today which was a nice change. We continued on to Wynyard which is on the coast, & booked into the Beach Retreat Tourist Park, arriving at 1.45pm. It was a nice little caravan park right on the ocean front & cost $46 for the night. After setting up we did the washing & then went to the Information Centre. The man we spoke to was excellent & very informative. We then did the grocery shopping. We travelled 122km today.

Stanley  15/01/13

We left Wynyard at 9.30am & headed firstly to Table Cape Lookout, a plateau 180m high, where we had excellent views of the coastline & surrounding area to the east. It was a beautiful fine day today. After a short drive to have a look at the Table Cape Lighthouse, we continued on to Boat Harbour Beach via a scenic coastal drive. Boat Harbour Beach was an absolutely beautiful bay with crystal clear turquoise water where we had morning tea. We then travelled on to Sisters Beach which was nice, but not as nice as Boat Harbour Beach. 

We carried on to Stanley & arrived at the Stanley Cabin & Tourist Park at 12.30pm which cost $42 a night. After lunch & a rest we went to the prominent rock known as the “The Nut”, which is an ancient Volcanic Lava Lake (millions of years ago it was an active volcano). We went up via The Nut Chairlift which is just over 500m in length & climbs a height of 150m. Braydon loved it & we had great views on the way up. Once at the top we had 360 degree views over the coastline & the whole area, & they were absolutely fantastic. 

We walked around The Nut where we had different vantage points, & we saw a few Tasmanian Pademelons (a bit like a small kangaroo). We could see a fire still smoldering in the distance that had caused considerable concern for a few days. It started about a week or so ago (a few days after the fires in the south-east started), & while it was contained, they were still apparently water bombing it from the air. We decided to walk down The Nut instead of catching the chairlift – it was a very steep descent. Then we went for a drive around the town. We had a great day today & travelled 90km.

16/01/13

It was another beautiful day today. We decided to drive to the north-west coast today which is known as the “Edge of the World”. We first of all went to Tarkine Forest Adventures at Dismal Swamp which is well known for its huge 110m slide. Dismal Swamp is a 640 hectare sinkhole & while we had no doubt it would have been nice to see, it would have cost $50 & Braydon was too young for the slide, so we decided it was too expensive. We continued on to Green Point on the coast where we had morning tea. We then carried on to Arthur River which is a popular spot to cruise along the river, particularly for nature lovers. After this we headed a little further south on a dirt track, & then started heading back up to Stanley. We stopped at Sumac Lookout for lunch which had great views of the Arthur River. The area we have been in today is known as the Tarkine, which is Australia’s greatest expanse of cool temperate rainforest, & the second largest in the world. When we got back to Stanley we went for a drive to have a look at the Highfield Historic Site which is one of the most architecturally significant farm settlements in Australia that is largely preserved intact.

Beaconsfield  17/01/13

We left Stanley at 10am & travelled back the way we had come to Wynyard, then along the coast road through the town of Burnie & on to Penguin where we had morning tea. Then we continued through the Tamar Valley into Beaconsfield where we had a late lunch. After lunch we went to the Beaconsfield Mine & Heritage Centre. This was of course put on the map in 2006 when there was a rock fall with 3 miners trapped, & the subsequent successful rescue of 2 of them after 2 weeks trapped in a cage. The mine is no longer operational. They used to mine for Gold, & the Heritage Centre gave an insight into the mines history & the drama of 2006. It was a massive rescue attempt & was amazing reading. One of the most touching things we read was of the son of one of the trapped miners who went up to the Health & Safety Officer of the mine & asked him to get his dad out. We stayed the night for free at the local Showgrounds (Camps No. 263) & arrived at about 4.45pm. We travelled 215km today.

St Helens  18/01/13

We left Beaconsfield at 9.30am & headed to St Helens on the east coast. We first of all crossed the Tamar River on the impressive Batman Bridge which was built in the 1960’s & at the time was the first cable-stayed bridge built in Australia. We then travelled through George Town & on to Low Head to see the Lighthouse. We had morning tea in the lovely beachside town of Bridport where we were amazed at how big the local caravan park was. We carried on & had lunch in the little country town of Derby, & arrived in St Helens at about 2.45pm. We booked into the Big 4 St Helens Holiday Park which cost $41 a night. After setting up & having afternoon tea we went into the town centre to have a look around & went to the Information Centre. We travelled 234km today.

19/01/13

Today we took it fairly easy. We had a special lunch today – Craig finally bought a curried scallop pie & the rest of us had a plain meat pie. In the afternoon we went for a drive & saw a wood chopping competition & then saw some fishermen weighing in their catch which was 2 big sharks. When we got back Braydon & Aaron had a play on the jumping pillow.

20/01/13

We had a lovely day today exploring the beaches north of St Helens. First stop was Binalong Bay with beautiful clear turquoise water. We had heard you would think you were at the Whitsundays, & they weren’t wrong. We sat on the beach for a little while & the kids had a great time playing in the sand. Then we had an early picnic lunch here overlooking the bay. We were fascinated by the brilliant orange colour of the rocks from the lichen. We then continued further north along the renowned Bay of Fires & explored all the little beaches.

 The Bay of Fires was named by an early explorer because of the fires that were started by Aborigines along the shore. There are heaps of free beautiful camping spots along the beaches & it is already very busy because of the Australia Day long weekend coming up. We travelled up to the end of this road to The Gardens which was beautiful as well. After this we had a look at Ansons Bay & then went to the Eddystone Lighthouse & had afternoon tea. There were some Abalone divers at the Point that were waiting for a truck to transport their haul for the day. 
The truck driver pays $45 a kilo & then they sell them to the Chinese for $65 a kilo.

While we were down at the boat ramp looking at 2 huge stingrays, one of the divers came down & gave Craig an abalone. He is looking forward to cooking it up tonight. We then walked up to the Lighthouse & decided it was probably the nicest one we have seen so far. When we got back to the caravan Craig cooked up his abalone & quite enjoyed it, while the boys had a play on the jumping pillow again.

Coles Bay  21/01/13

We left St Helens at 9.30am & travelled south to Coles Bay. As we got closer to Coles Bay we could see where some of the serious fires had been in this area. We arrived at the Big 4 Iluka on Freycinet Holiday Park at 11am which cost $40 a night. After having lunch & doing the washing we drove around Coles Bay & into the Freycinet National Park to the Cape Tourville Lighthouse, & went on a short 15min circuit walk on a boardwalk around the tops of the cliffs below the lighthouse. The views were magnificent. There are lots of pretty little bays & beaches around. We travelled 113km today.

22/01/13

We went to Wineglass Bay today. It is only a 1hr return walk to the Wineglass Bay Lookout, but another 2hrs return to the Beach. We had great views over Wineglass Bay & the surrounding area from the lookout, & then continued down to the beach which has the reputation of being one of the best beaches in the world. On reaching the bottom we were rewarded with crystal clear waters & white sandy beaches. After sharing our lunch with a very tame wallaby that ate out of our hands, it was time to tackle the steep walk back. We had a little rest when we got back, & then went for a walk down to Muirs Beach which is across the road from the caravan park & watched the activity on the water.

Port Arthur  23/01/13

We left Coles Bay at 9.30am & headed towards Port Arthur on the Tasman Peninsula. We stopped for morning tea at Triabunna & also bought some groceries. After travelling through Sorell & getting fuel, it was a very sad drive as we were travelling through the area where the terrible fires were. The countryside was burnt both sides of the highway for many, many kilometres & as far as the eye could see. While we saw many homes that were lost, there were some that were still standing & yet the area all around them was burnt. It was particularly sad to drive through Dunalley where the fires hit the worst. Again we saw many homes that were lost, but suddenly you would see one that survived even though the houses on either side were lost – such is the nature of fire. We drove through Eaglehawk Neck & had a yummy lunch at the Tasman Blowhole from a mobile catering van. Someone had highly recommended the Scallops & chips. We weren’t disappointed & we also had a delicious Berry, cream & icecream dessert. The Blowhole was also great to see, & then we also saw the Tasman Arch & Devils Kitchen in this same area, all formed over the years on this part of dramatic coastline. We arrived at the Port Arthur Holiday Park at 5.30pm & it cost $33 a night. The lady in the office said the fires had come within 6km of the caravan park & all their guests had been evacuated by ferry back to Hobart. She showed me a photo of all the smoke in the park. We travelled 248km today.        

24/01/13  

Today we woke up to light rain so we thought we were going to be in for a very wet day looking around the World Heritage Port Arthur Historic Site. By the time we arrived at the site the drizzle  had stopped, so we headed in and bought our tickets. Port Arthur was much more than a prison. It was a complete community – home to military personnel & free settlers. It is just over 40 hectares with over 30 historic buildings & ruins plus gardens & grounds to explore. We joined an introductory 40min guided tour of the site to explain the history of the place, which was very interesting and informative. 

We then went on a boat cruise around the bay where we saw the “Isle of the Dead” where they buried all the bodies on a very small island, and the “Point Puer Boys Prison” which was a larger Island where they sent any children from the age of 10 that had been convicted of crimes. During the day we saw a series of short plays that focused on different people’s lives as they experienced and lived back in the convict days. We ended up spending the whole day looking around at all the different buildings and learning much about the place. We particularly loved looking through the Commandant’s House. We left the site at 6pm after a big day of walking.

Cambridge  25/01/13   

We left Port Arthur at 8.45am which is an earlier departure as we have got the car booked in at Hobart for its 40km service. We had to do the depressing drive through all the burnt bushland and homes again, with work crews still cutting down trees that are going to fall on the road that have been burnt out. We arrived at 10.20am at the Barilla Holiday Park at Cambridge which cost $40 for the night. We quickly set up & then Craig  continued driving the short distance into Hobart for the 11am car service, while Dianne & the boys stayed in the caravan. Craig made it just in time. He filled in time doing some shopping and looking around Hobart again while the car was being worked on. It was strange being without the family for 5 hours as it was probably the longest we have been apart for the whole year. The car was finished at 4pm so he drove back to the van. Di and the boys had a nice day playing & catching up on some work. We travelled 82km today.

Devonport  26/01/13  Australia Day

We left at 9am this morning & firstly headed a short distance to the historic town of Richmond. It is Tasmania’s finest Georgian village & pre-dates the penal settlement at Port Arthur. We went to the Old Hobart Town Historical Model Village which depicted Hobart as it was in the 1820’s. We also went & saw the historical Richmond Bridge which is the oldest bridge in Australia, built in 1823. We then continued travelling onto Devonport. We stopped for lunch at Campbell Town & had an Aussie lunch of Meat Pies. We arrived in Devonport at 2.15pm at the Abel Tasman Caravan Park which cost $32 for the night. We also paid an extra $10 to stay here for most of the day tomorrow because our ferry doesn’t leave until 9pm. We travelled 269km today.

Spirit of Tasmania  27/01/13

We took it fairly easy today. In the morning we did the washing & grocery shopping. Then in the afternoon we went for a drive around Devonport, & saw the Lighthouse & Lookout at Mersey Bluff. We then cleaned the caravan, packed for the overnight ferry ride, hooked on the caravan & went & had fish & chips on the banks of the Mersey River to watch our ferry arrive from Melbourne. It was due to arrive at 6pm but was 20mins late. After eating our fish & chips we went & lined up for the ferry at 6.30pm. 

The caravan park was only 1km from the ferry, & the fish & chip shop in between the two, so it was a very short drive to the ferry. We went through the same security checks & then drove onto the ferry by about 8.15pm. After checking out our room we went outside to watch the ferry turn around & leave the Mersey River. We were quite close to the front of the ship & Braydon got a couple of waves from the captain. Both boys got a terrible fright when the horn sounded even though the captain signalled to us at the last minute to cover our ears– we knew it was going to happen but it was still very loud. We then went back to our cabin & put the boys to bed, & then followed ourselves shortly after. Let’s hope it is a smooth crossing.