Preamble:
The catalyst for this trip stemmed from the desire to attend the 2016 Ulysses Club annual AGM being held this year in Launceston Tasmania from 29/2/16 to 6/3/16.
As Gail & I have attended the last three AGM's together in the Motor-home and it has been 51 years almost to the day since we first came to Hobart on a short term assignment with IBM in January 1965, followed by a 3 year relocation assignment to Hobart in August 1967 this seemed to be the perfect opportunity to revisit the island.
We plan to be away from home for 7 weeks in total, the majority of that time touring Tasmania prior to the week of the AGM in Launceston.
.
We departed Hallidays Point at 9:30am on Wednesday 20th January 2016
Travelled via Pacific Hwy, M1, M2 and M7 to Mittagong turnoff, then via Fitzroy Falls, Kangaroo Valley to Cambewarra.
Stayed overnight in the motorhome at C & C's, dropped Velvet off to stay with them while we are away.
Thursday 21st January.
Departed Cambewarra at 8:15am, travelled via Kangaroo Valley, Exeter and Sally's Corner to the Hume Highway. Travelling south towards Melbourne we stopped briefly off the highway at Gunning for a lunch break and stretch. Gunning is a delightful old town that appears to be be still thriving despite the fact the it has been by-passed by the Hume freeway for some years now.
Another stop in Albury briefly then pressed on to a rest area know as "Old Coach Road" which is on the Hume Freeway just north of Seymour area. Overnight here.
Friday 22nd January.
Got back on the road about 9:00am, then via the Metropolitan and Western ring roads to Princes Freeway and on to Torquay where we arrived about 11:00am. A visit to Rivers to buy a new pair of sandals for Gail to replace a pair which broke yesterday.
Parked the Winnebago in Claire's driveway. Went for a walk through Torquay, visited the Uniting Church Opshop looking for an ice bucket with a lid.
Saturday 23rd January.
This morning Claire, Gail & I went for a lovely long walk along the walkway adjacent to a creek towards Zealy Point. The wind was very blustery so we decided on the creek walk as a means of keeping out of the wind to some extent. During the afternoon we had a visit from Peter and Caroline then Gary and Sandy. We had a lovely time with them catching up on all their latest news.
Sunday 24th January.
Gail's birthday today. Left Torquay about 9:30am, travelled via the Princes Freeway, Western Ring road and Metropolitan Ring road to Preston. Glenice took Gail (and I) out to a nice little cafe for Gail's birthday. They had sweet scones jam and cream with melted white chocolate. I had a home-made beef, cheese and bacon pie with salad and a savoury scone. Everything was lovely.
I was able to park the Winnebago in Glenice's drive as her front fence had conveniently been knocked down recently and not yet repaired.
Monday 25th January.
We were up at 4:30am, left Preston at 5:00am for the trip down to Station Pier at Port Melbourne. The boarding process went without undue delay and we were actually the first vehicle to board the Spirit Of Tasmania. Our reserved "Ocean Recliner" seats, located at the aft end of the vessel gave us a panoramic view looking backwards for the trip down Port Phillip Bay and then across Bass Straight. The 10 hour trip was quite smooth with only a relatively small swell.
Upon disembarking with no hassles we collected our extra gas cylinder then proceeded the short distance to East Devenport to our friends Aafje & Adrian Mol's house at 2 Highfield Rd. Ambleside.
They live within 10 minutes drive of the Ferry terminal which was very convenient.
We had dinner with them then retired to the Winnebago which was parked outside their home.
Tuesday 26th January. (Australia Day)
Today we were taken on a "Cook's Tour" of the north by Aafje and Adrian in their Mini Cooper Cabrolet. As it was a nice day the roof was down for most of the day.
Our first stop was Railton (the Topiary Town). The extent and ingenuity of the topiaries is quite amazing. There were shapes and sizes ranging from full size elephants, a race horse complete with jockey, a draught horse with cart and driver and a range of smaller objects still in the development stage but quite identifiable.
Next stop was Sheffield (the Mural town), where we again parked and walked around the township photographing the murals, some of which had incredible detail. At Sheffield we detoured a short distance out of town where we had a panoramic view of Mount Roland which is quite spectacular as it rises abruptly from the surrounding flat country side. While parked here on the edge of a quite narrow road, Adrian served morning coffee and cake which he had prepared earlier. The girls stayed in the cramped back seat with the convertible roof down to have their cuppa as there really wasn't room for us all to stand on the side of the narrow road. Gail and I found it quite amusing that we stopped in this particular spot for morning tea, however the panoramic view of Mount Roland was the obvious reason for our hosts choice.
We then continued on passing through huge roadside cultivated fields of poppies which we found interesting. Apparently according to Adrian these poppies are grown and cultivated under extreme security measures to protect them from theft.
Tasmania and particularly this area are one of the very few places in the world where they are grown in the open specifically for opium and other opiates. We observed both helicopters and small aircraft circling from time to time. They take continuous photographic evidence which is digitally compared with previous footage to determine any small change in the crops which would indicate unauthorized harvesting. They are also on the lookout for any suspicious activity. We were told that this aerial surveillance also takes place at night with the use of helicopters and infrared technology.
It has been a big earner for the state, which grows up to 50 per cent of the planet’s legal opiates — from which morphine, codeine and thebaine can be extracted — that relieve the pain of humans throughout the world in the form of medicines such as OxyContin and Nurofen Plus.
Warning signs are required by law to be displayed on all roadside paddocks to deter would-be drug experimenters from picking poppy heads and brewing the ill-gotten plants into a tea.
We then moved on to Barrington Dam where an international standard rowing course is permanently set up. Then on to Forth, where we drove up to the lookout for a panoramic view of the Forth Valley. We returned home about 4:30pm, had a rest then took them out for dinner at the Shearwater Resort.
Wednesday 27th January.
We departed Ambleside loaded up with home grown vegetables. Stopped briefly in Latrobe to fill a gas bottle then continued on to Exeter where we did some supermarket shopping at IGA, and filled the 10 litre jerry can with unleaded petrol for the generator. A short drive to Paper Beach on the banks of the Tamar River where there is a free camping site adjacent to the river.
Tasmania appears to have a very liberal attitude towards free camping and are actively encouraging tourists. Rather than simply a 24 hour limit we have noticed most with at least a 48 hour and others with a 7 day maximum stay period. This particular spot will be our overnight camp for tonight. It is still quite early as we have traveled only 80 km today and we are the first arrivals at this very picturesque spot.
Gail took the opportunity and cooked the fresh plums and rhubarb and also made a zucchini slice, utilizing the veggies we had received from Aafje. A nice walk along the beach beside the Tamar River including a "sit and soak up" the tranquility on a couple of outdoor furniture seats kindly placed on our walk presumably by nearby residents rounded out a lazy day.
Thursday 28th January.
There were about 5 other campers at this spot by 7:00 pm last night, all well behaved and a quiet night. We moved off around 9:00am, followed the river through Deviot then crossed the Batman Bridge and continued on to Georgetown. On route we passed by the now defunct Comalco site at Bell Bay. Georgetown is a pleasant small town with a nice feel about it.
We parked in a central parking area, went for a walk and bought some lunch from the bakery which we had back at the Winnebago.
From George Town we traveled a further 10 km north to the ocean and the small settlement of Low Head specifically to visit the Low Head Pilot Station and Maritime museum. Situated at the mouth of the Tamar River in northern Tasmania, is the oldest group of pilot buildings in Australia. While it was the first station to operate it is the third oldest pilot service after the private operations of Sydney and Hobart. The pilot service dates from 1805, and the first building on the site was probably in 1806. The pilot service still operates from this site today.
The first European settlers to arrive in the Tamar Valley came with Lieutenant Colonel William Paterson in November 1804. They landed and set up camp at Outer Cove (now George Town).
The Tamar River is a dangerous estuary with a complicated navigation channel which has always required the help of pilots.
The oldest building on the site is Pilots’ Row. It was a terrace of four apartments, each with four rooms, to house the pilots and their families. It dates from 1835 and as the station grew other buildings were added. These include the Coxwain’s Cottage (1847), Boat Crew Cottages (1859, 1860, 1861, 1962), the School House (1866), Pilot’s Cottage (1917), Church, Octagonal Chart Room, Workshop and Boat Shed.
Admission charge to the Maritime museum was only $4 concession, which considering the extent
of exhibits and interest provided we found to be most reasonable. Gail & I thoroughly enjoyed this visit, spending several hours browsing through the multitude of theme rooms
Our next destination was Bridport and after a drive through inspection we pressed on towards some free camp sites located about 35 km north east of Bridport. These sites were all along a badly corrugated gravel road and after negotiating about 7 km's we decided to turn back when we realized there was still 8 km to go.
Back to Bridport then south east to Scottsdale where we arrived just as it started to rain.
Northeast Park is located on the edge of town offering free camping for self contained vehicles.
It proved to be a very popular spot, however we were able to locate a level spot on the firm grass. There are toilets, a hot shower, town water and a series of solid shelter sheds which are extremely popular with the "whiz bang" backpackers as shelter from the rain. The park surrounds a series of small lakes linked by a number of nature walks and a boardwalk through a wetlands section.
Friday 29th January.
It rained quite consistently during the night which I am sure will be greatly appreciated by the locals as they have had very little rain and everything is looking quite dry. We can only hope that some of this rain also fell in the North West of the state where there are bush fires still burning out of control. We walked back into town up a quite steep hill specifically to visit the town laundry.
Normally we would do our own washing and drying, however due to the inclement weather drying time would have been near impossible.
A wool shop adjacent to the laundromat helped fill in the time while the washing and drying took place. After returning to Northeast Park and we went for a walk through the wetland area and generally followed the walking tracks throughout the park.
A BBQ on the free electric barbecues for lunch and as it was now raining again we watched a movie on TV during the late afternoon.
Saturday 30th January.
After topping up water tanks and a general tidy up with the Winnebago we departed around 11:00 am. Following the Tasman Highway we veered off the highway after passing through Weldborough to visit the Blue Tiers.
The Blue Tier plateau in Tasmania's north east is an exposed sub-alpine plateau 600 metres above sea level, with a rich mining history and magnificent natural heritage. There are a range of walks in the area from a short 400m circuit to a 10.5 km walk one way to Weldborough for the more adventurous.
One of the lesser known walks is the Blue Tier Giant or 'Big Tree' walk. The walk descends through huge eucalyptus, musk, myrtle, mosses and ferns to the majesty of the Blue Tier Giant, the widest living tree in Australia. This massive Eucalyptus has a girth measuring an amazing 19.4 metres. After parking at the quarry we started walking downhill towards the Blue Tier Giant track. This was a well formed road which we could possibly have driven the Winnebago down with caution.
After a near 2 km walk along this forestry road we reached the start of the actual walking track to the giant tree. The sign said "Allow two hours for the walk", however as we had already walked quite a distance and the weather had become quite threatening we wisely decided to head back up the long incline to the comfort of the Winnebago. Weather permitting we may return as we intend to stay in the nearby St.Helens area for a couple of days.
Continuing on towards St.Helens we stopped for a Devonshire tea at a quaint little shop at Pyengana. The scones were HUGE so this looks like an early dinner treat. They also sold diesel at 112.9 cents/litre which is about 11 cents cheaper than we have seen to date in Tasmania.
Moved on to St.Helens, visited the Information Centre then decided on the free camping area at the Recreation & Sports ground. Still raining but no worries with the roads etc. to date.
Sunday 31st January.
Continuous rain throughout the night but we are snug and safe at our chosen overnight camp.
We popped back into St Helens where we did a big of grocery and fresh fruit shopping. We then proceeded north east out towards Binalong Bay and The Bay Of Fires.
The Bay Of Fires & Binalong Bay.
Turning the corner on the road from St Helens into Binalong Bay, the sight is simply jaw-dropping: the turquoise-coloured ocean breaks onto a breathtakingly white beach fringed with huge boulders draped with iconic orange lichen.
The Bay of Fires has been luring holiday makers for decades. Named by ‘Lonely Planet’ in 2009 as the world’s hottest travel destination, the Bay of Fires is an absolute must to be included in any Tasmanian holiday itinerary.
A turn off into the Mount Pearson State Reserve, then a short distance to our selected campsite at Cozy Corner on the Bay Of Fires.
We chose a great campsite right on the top of a small sand hill with easy access to the beach overlooking the ocean and the huge lichen covered boulders.
The sound of the crashing waves along the pure white sands and the huge boulders is simply stunning.
Monday 1st February.
Reluctantly we decided to move on as we still have a fair bit to see on the East coast before we are due in Hobart this Friday.
As the weather has improved significantly today we decided to back track the 30 or so kilometres to visit the St Columba Falls near Pyengana within the Blue Tiers are. The effort was certainly justified as the walk through the giant ferns from the parking area was only surpassed by the magnificence of the falls themselves. The recent heavy rain in the north east of Tasmania made for the most spectacular amount of water flowing over the 90 metre high drop. The St Columba falls are considered to be the highest drop in all of Tasmania. We spent a considerable amount of time just gazing at the huge volume of water cascading down several routes of the falls. On our way back to join the Tasman highway we stopped briefly at the "Pub In The Paddock" to see Prescilla the beer drinking pig. She happily guzzles down a stubby or two offered by anyone who cares to purchase one from the pub.
Back to St Helens where we topped up with water then continued south via Scamander a small village, then onto Chain Of Lagoons where we settled on a campsite at Lagoon Beach.
Tuesday 2nd February.
A short distance after passing through Bicheno we left the Tasman Highway and detoured the 31 km's to Coles Bay. The weather has improved dramatically with temperature today in the mid 20's. We were not over impressed with Coles Bay, consequently pressed on back to t he highway then south to Swansea. There was a very large historic brick building originally opened in the 1800's as a general store and still trading as a general store incorporating an IGA store.
This is pretty much the shopping centre for Swansea aside from one or two other small shops.
We chose to stay tonight a little further on at Mayfield Beach Conservation area with a great to the campsite close to the beach and amenities. Evidence of the recent wet weather and local flooding is quite noticeable along the beach with large amounts of debris deposited from the campsite. We went for a long walk along the beach and found a hidden gem in the form of a triple arch brick and stone bridge spanning a natural water course leading to the beach.
Wednesday 3rd February.
We were up and on the move relatively early this morning as we have lot to fit into our proposed travel agenda for today.
Travelled via Triabunna, Orford and Buckland then turned off the Tasman Highway once more a few kilometres before Sorell. 14 km's to Richmond where we parked and spent a most enjoyable two hours exploring. First was the St.John The Baptist Roman Catholic Church, built in 1836 set high on a hill overlooking the historic Richmond bridge (1825). Both of these structures were built by convict labour and today are still in perfect condition. We also visited the cemetery which naturally has a mix of very old headstones dating back to the mid 1800's as well as the more modern section.
Then on in to Sorell, a walk around town, refueled then onto the Arthur Highway towards Port Arthur. En-route we visited Devils Kitchen, Tasman Arch and Tessellated Pavement at Eaglehawk Neck.
A further 10 km to Taranna where we are staying overnight in the RV camp section of Taranna Cottages for $10 for the night. This is our first paying overnight stop since leaving home two weeks ago.
No comments:
Post a Comment