TravelStream™ news feed for member lizdavid on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/lizdavid en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sat, 02 May 2009 08:23:27 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lizdavid/2/1240551840/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lizdavid/2/1240551840/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lizdavid/2/1240551840/tpod.html Sat, 02 May 2009 08:23:27 -0400 6 wheels on our wagon or travels in a very, very, small island (with apologies to Bill Bryson)

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Stanley, Tasmania, Australia

Our time in Tasmania was running out quickly as we headed to an area which we had been looking forward to for some time. Towns in Tasmania are small but in the North West, on the edge of the Tarkine Wilderness, they are tiny. Some old mining towns had been completely abandoned and the buildings sold off and moved while others are trying to reinvent themselves through tourism. We based ourselves in an example of the latter,Waratah, to explore the southern edge of the wilderness then in Stanley for the northern part. Waratah turned out to be a delightful community and is a town with one pub (wallaby shanks is their speciality) and a waterfall right in its centre. It was a tin-ming town which started the mining boom in Tasmania and relics of that history can still be seen. The largest gold nugget ever found in Australia also came from here.There is a working 'stamper' (a machine to crush rocks))  on display and with a flick of a switch one can see and hear it work. We did this late in the afternoon on a Sunday and the noise may have awakened the whole town; it certainly gave us a shock. This demonstrated very well how life in the town may have been as, at the peak, there were 12 'stampers' operational in the town centre which ran continuously and were only shut down for 24 hours each week, from midnight on Saturdays till midnight on Sundays, to give the townsfolk some peace and quiet on their day of rest. Cannot imagine how noisy daily life must have been. They were situated in that central location next to the waterfall to make use of hydro-electric power; very early users. From this base we had a day out at Cradle Mountain and walked around the beautiful Dove Lake. We ate our picnic lunch overlooking the lake and then a welcome afternoon tea at Cradle Mountain Lodge after more walking in the area. Another day we drove on a dirt road to Corinna which was a mining town that has been bought by a private organisation and transformed into a tourism centre. The Tarkine Hotel is the centre of activities and the original houses can be rented to stay in while exploring the area by foot or by canoe or 4WD vehicle. There is also a ferry here which enables vehicles to cross the Pieman river; we could not take the caravan as the length limit is only 9 metres. Anyway we had come to take a cruise to the mouth of the Pieman river on a historical old wooden boat, the MV Arcadia 2. What a magical day it turned out to be. The weather was perfect and as the boat  moved slowly along it felt and looked as if we were gliding through black silk. The water is stained a dark colour by tannin from plants in the forests along the banks. The reflections of the magnificent trees in the river were amazing and the best we have ever seen. I don't know what quality in the water makes it so special to observe but it is. Professional photographers would have a field day here and in fact there were some literally doing that while we were there. These mad people had been dropped off at the mouth of the river and left to camp out overnight; rather them than us in these low temperatures. We reached the ocean after about an hour and a half and then had lots of free time to walk on the beach and eat our picnic lunch before returning in the boat to Corinna. What a wild and wonderful place it is and we breathed in  the clean, pure air. If we return we would like to use canoes to leisurely explore the river. Purchasing a kayak is something we have been considering doing, before we return to Tasmania, as there are so many lakes and rivers that can be easily navigated that way. The idea started as I feel that I could see so much more on the water than by foot while David is fishing these beautiful waterways.Many of the banks of the lakes and rivers are inaccessible from the land and it would be good exercise and a relaxing pastime as often we are the only people for miles around. One drawback is that, if I did have one, I am not sure how much use I would get from it as David is now saying it would be good to fish from. Can't win as I was trying to get away from fishing. Maybe 2 is the answer but we do not have room for 2 on the roof as that would obscure our solar panel. We are investigating the possibilities.During this period autumn/winter weather has arrived; we have had to time our trips between the wet days and wrap up well against the cold whatever. Luckily the good days are crisp and clear so the scenery is magnificent. On the bad days we are lucky to see the road let alone the scenery.Having enjoyed the southern edge of the Tarkine we moved north to Stanley on the coast. In the middle of all this wilderness wandering we did a detour for an evening of culture. We had seen ads for the cinema in Devonport screening a live performance of the Australian ballet, via satellite, from the Sydney Opera House; the 3 ballets included 'Firebird' and, as this is David's favourite piece of music, we decided to try to get tickets. We succeeded and it was an excellent evening; one of the other ballets was 'Petrouchka' and that was brilliantly choreographed. 'Firebird' did not disappoint and this  performance of the brand-new, Australian interpretation was modern and exciting. It was weird to see the dancers so clearly and larger than life but great to be able to see facial expressions as well as subtle movements. In a way it was better than being at the ballet itself unless one had front row seats. A real treat.The weather forecast was not good and we wanted to be in a sheltered caravan park with good facilities. The one at Stanley fitted the bill admirably. We had only heard about Stanley because of 'The Nut' but could hardly see it for most of our few days there. Luckilly, the rain stopped and the sun shone one morning so we donned our hiking boots and waterproofs and tramped off to climb 'The Nut'. It was a  short distance up but steeper than we thought and hard work but once on top it was a beautiful walk round with views for miles in all directions. I can best describe 'The Nut' by quoting Matthew Flinders from 1798 who, on sighting it,  remarked;  'A cliffy lump resembling, in form, a Christmas cake'.  The weather prevented us from getting a good photo of it from a distance so here is one I poached.For once, the weather forecast was accurate and we had rain and more rain and wind and storms etc. etc. We had wanted to spend more time in the Tarkine but we did manage one day at the 'Edge of the World' at Arthur River. It is a rugged spot and from this wild coast the next landfall,looking due west, two thirds of the way around the world, would be Argentina. The westerly winds have blown across oceans and bring the cleanest air on the planet. Nearby is Cape Grim,  a  baseline air pollution station run by the  Australian Bureau of Meteorolgy which is one of 24 world-wide air monitoring stations. I cannot remember the exact figures or units but Cape Grim is about 600 'somethings' compared to Melbourne or Sydney being in the hundreds of thousands 'somethings'. Sorry I cannot recall exact details but it is certainly clean air here. On our way back we saw our first Tasmanian Devil in the wild; so exciting as we were leaving in 2 days. It ran across the road in front of us with its very distinctive gait.On our last evening in Tasmania we treated ourselves to dinner at the old Cable Station in Stanley. This was where the first cable link from the Australian mainland arrived in Tasmanina and it now houses a restaurant and B&B. We had heard of their reputation for excellent locally sourced food and they are members of the worldwide 'Slow Food' association. We drove there along the coast road on a wild, wet and windy night but it was definitely worth it. The food was superb and it was like being entertained in someone's home; a big log fire burning and couches to relax on for pre-dinner drinks. The couple who run it do actually live there and it is their living space also. Stanley is so small that there are no taxis but the owners said that they would arrange for someone to drive our vehicle back so that we could enjoy the selection of local wines with our meal. There was only one other couple dining and they were staying in the adjoining cottage and when they left the chef/owner drove us in our vehicle while his partner owner/chef followed in hers. What great personal service. On the journey we saw a fairy penguin running along the path. A great finish to our Tasmanian trip. Typical of our trip experience; great local food and wine with warm hospitality in natural surroundings.The next day we left Tasmania as we arrived; in gales and rain. We really should have left a month earlier from a weather point of view but then what adventures we would have missed. What a great few months we have had with so many new experiences and great memories of this 'Natural State'.
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Miena, Tasmania, Australia

How could we resist the name of Beauty Point? The caravan park had been highly recommended and certainly was in a beautiful location on the west bank of the Tamar river, with huge grassy sites, so we decided to stay for a few days. We toured the area and shopped in Launceston and generally relaxed in the pleasant surroundings.From there we moved to a town called Hadspen just west of Launceston to be closer to the city for our anniversary celebrations. We took a bus into the city for a dinner cruise on  the Tamar River and into Cataract Gorge. The company arranged a taxi home so no driving involved. Just as well as there was excellent Tasmanian sparkling wine. It was very professional with  high quality staff and food but a daylight cruise would mean one could see more of the scenery along the river banks. We had forgotten that now it is autumn the days are shorter so we only had an hour or so of light. Nevertheless we both enjoyed the evening and it was a romantic celebration of our 39th wedding anniversary. Wonder where we will be for our 40th? The next day, on my birthday, the weather was warm and sunny so we decided to visit Woolmers Estate, a National Heritage listed colonial property near the village of Longford. It really gives one an insight into colonial life as it has been authentically preserved by the six generations of the family who lived and farmed here since 1816 till 1994. It stilll contains an array of personal collections and possessions and rooms left just as they had been years ago. There were toys, gramophones, antiques, furniture, artwork, silverware, golf clubs, croquet sets and even vintage cars. We enjoyed a fascinating guided tour of the house and were then free to explore the grounds and outbuildings and gardens. We were told that it is one of the most outstanding examples of 19th century rural and colonial settlements in Australia and it was certaily an interesting visit. One thing that David found even more interesting was the river that ran through the estate. It was beautiful and had good access for fishing with paths along the banks so we decided to investigate. It turns out that it is the Macquarie River which is renowned for trout fishing . The nearby village has a beautiful caravan park on the grassy banks of the river so not far to go to fish. We will definitely return sometime; yet another addition to the 'to do next time' list.I sometimes feel as if we are living in  episodes of  'A River Somewhere'; we discover so many beautiful places that we would otherwise have passed by.David  became a member of the Devonport Fly-fishing Club when he attended the school run by the club in January. One of the benefits of membership is the use, for a small fee, of the club's 'fishing lodge' in Miena in the Central Highlands next to the Great Lake. We had made a booking for 6 nights and set off to wend our way with the caravan up the hills and round the hairpin bends. We arrived safely and set up the caravan in the grounds of the lodge. We were pleasantly surprised as we had heard mixed reports from 'shack' to 'lodge' and it is definitely closer to the latter. We were the only people in residence and immediately lit the wood-burning stove to heat the place through. Note the huge woodpile outside and there was a woodshed also with even more inside. We slept in the caravan but used the lodge facilities to relax in comfort between fishing expeditions. The weather was cold but David was still keen to fish and we drove to see and fish many of the surrounding lakes. Most of the roads were unsealed with some  quite rocky in places and we noticed that we had a slow puncture. We carry 2 spares so swapped one over and still OK with a good spare left. Tasmania, like many parts of Australia, is suffering drought conditions and this is obvious in the low levels of many of the lakes. This photo of a boat launch site at Arthurs Lake gives one an idea of the effects of the drought on the lakes. It is beautiful countryside and the scenery is quite Alpine in places. One short walk took us through plants and trees which had withstood the Ice Age and have their origins in the southern continent of Gondwana.We saw Pencil Pines which are only found in Tasmania but interestingly are of the same family as the giant Sequoia of California and Cushion plants with tiny leaves suited to surviving icy conditions. While we were there the weather gradually cooled down and the forecast was for snow on our last night. Not wanting to drive, with a caravan, down the steep hills in slippery conditions we decided to leave a day earlier than planned. Our last night the temperature was 1 degree and, yes, it did snow after we left so we were pleased  to be back at lower altitudes.It is not our usual preference to be in cold temperatures but it is worth  it to explore such beautiful places. As David recently suggested, there are really only 2 months in which to see Tasmania and feel warm.....or at least not feel cold.
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Deloraine, Tasmania, Australia

The country town of Deloraine was our next base for a few days and what a gem it turned out to be. It is Tasmania's largest inland town and has many faithfully restored Georgian & Victorian buildings. The caravan park is spread out along the grassy banks of the Mersey River which runs right through the centre of the town. We had a spot in the shade of a walnut tree; unfortunately they were not quite ready to pick and eat although the ducks kept trying, unsuccessfully, to eat the windfalls. This park is operated by Apex and the profits go back into the local community. They, together with Rotary and Lions, have built many facilities for locals and tourists to use. There are riverside paths and 2 pedestrian bridges over the river so one can stroll around. The town has all the facilities a traveller needs but is also very arts orientated with art galleries, craft and antique shops, a sculpture trail and also has a very 'involved' community. One of the highlights is the 'Yarns' artwork in silk. This was a community project worked on by 300 people and took 10,000 hours to complete. It comprises 4 panels depicting the history, flora and fauna of the area in the 4 seasons of the year. Each panel measures around 4 X 4 metres so is a very striking and impressive work of art.We were lucky to be there for a concert by Pierre Bensussan, a world-renowned guitarist from France. He was in Australia to appear at the National Folk Festival in Canberra at Easter but has a friend in Deloraine so was persuaded to do a concert in the Little Theatre there. What a treat as he is an amazing artist and performer as well as being technically brilliant on the guitar. Our evening out was made even more special on spotting a Platypus (our first in Tassie) swimming along as we walked, in the moonlight, along the river bank back to our caravan. From our peaceful base we explored the surrounding area; yet more lakes for fishing and 'to stay' next time and beautiful bush-walks. One memorable walk was to Alum Cliffs lookout on a very windy day as David lost his hat; it simply blew away into the distance never to be seen again. On to the north coast to Burnie and an exposed, oceanfront camp at Cooee Point. This is another interesting town full of surprises. It has many buildings in the Art Deco style making a pleasant stroll around town. Our unexpected favourite was  'Creative Paper' to which David accompanied me with reluctance but ended up being impressed by. It is a wonderful success story in this world of 'doom and gloom'; the company was started in 1996 by Darren Simpson whose career started when he joined a training scheme for getting long term unemployed people ready for work and he has been making paper by hand ever since. He is locally born and, at times, had to work on a voluntary basis to keep the place going. Now the company makes paper from such unusual recycled materials as 'roo poo', denim jeans, cotton fabric, plant fibre and the latest; local Spreyton apples. Darren has also involved local artists and the display of life-size papier mache figures is beautiful. We joined a tour with Darren and made a sheet of paper each, complete with watermark. I did an echidna and David a kangaroo. A most interesting visit.Along the coast from Burnie is a town called Penguin; an interesting and attractive seaside place to visit as you may gather from the photos. More photos in the album if you haven't already 'got the picture' of the town's theme.In Tasmania local food producers are never very far away and here we visited  a cheese factory and also a farmers market at nearby Wynyard. One fruit stall had punnets of tiny, fragrant, rose-coloured berries for sale. On enquiring we were informed that they are 'Tazziberries' (Myrtus ugni). We had never heard of them and, apparently, they are native to Chile. They have an excellent flavour being sweet and slightly fragrant. We have not seen them before or since but would love to eat them again. David did not have much luck catching edible-size fish so we visited a local salmon farm, '41degrees south', to purchase some locally hot-smoked salmon; delicious. We also visited a local country butcher/abattoir to buy meat; probably fresh as you may judge if you click on the photo.Our next stop was Latrobe; self proclaimed 'Platypus Capital of the world'. Another attractive, inland country town with a river running through it and, on our evening stroll, we were lucky enough to be able to watch a platypus swimming in the river and follow it for quite some time. I think they are my favourite creatures and it is so thrilling to see one.2 other towns in this area that we enjoyed are Sheffield and Wilmot; Up until the 1980s Sheffield was a typical rural Tasmanian town facing decline until they followed the inspiration of Chemainus, a small saw-milling town on Vancouver Island in Canada. They embarked on a project to paint their district's pioneering history on their walls. Now they are enjoying a surge in tourism and even have an annual 'Mural Fest' when artists compete to have their mural added to the collection. We were there during the festival and voted in 'The People's Choice' but neither of our picks won either that or the official judge's choice. So much for our artistic sides. Maybe we should stick to bush-walking and fishing.Wilmot is another village that is trying to reinvent itself for tourists and has a novelty mail-box trail. Most colourful and great fun. Thay also have the Original Coles Store; apparently owned and run by the father of G J Coles who founded the Coles stores. This notice board outside the store caught our eye; not the usual missing cats or dogs out here in the Tasmanian countryside.What a lot of touristy things we have been doing. We are now ready to get back into the wilderness again; the rivers and forests of the wild west await us. 
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St Helens, Tasmania, Australia

Our next stop was St Helens which is the largest town since we left Hobart; it actually had a choice of 2 supermarkets (one rather small). We stocked up on food and basics, planning to bush-camp out in the Bay of Fires area on the coast near Binalong Bay. The weather forecast gave us second thoughts; rain was forecast for several days so we thought that a stay in town with a cinema and cafes would be preferable. It turned out to be a good choice as the forecast was correct. We based ourselves in an excellent caravan park in St Helens with huge grassy site and did day trips as weather permitted.  The Bay of Fires is a beautiful area but best appreciated in warm, sunny beach weather and, if we return to this area in better weather we would definitely stay there. One day we drove up to the northern tip of the bay to Eddystone point and into Mt William National Park. It is a very remote area and quite wild and windy but beautiful. On one of the rainy days we went to the local cinema. It was a real treat; a very small building housing a delightful cafe and single screening room. The film showing was 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' and, as it was over 3 hours long, we wondered how comfortable the seats  would be.  We need not have worried as it was almost like someone's sitting room with a mis-matched collection of sofas, armchairs and other chairs. We settled in on a big comfy sofa and even though neither of us thought the film much good we were very comfortable. Pity there were no other films showing that we wanted to see.St Helens is a fishing port and we had excellent fish and chips from a harbouside boat. Fresh-off-the-boats seafood to buy also. A very pleasant town to spend some time and a good gateway to the beautiful surrounding areas.From here we drove west and set up in Scottsdale; a one supermarket town and with great little shops and friendly locals. There was a market in a church hall at the weekend and we popped in to see if there was any local produce. There certainly had been but was almost sold out. One stall had a huge bunch of rhubarb left and, on asking the price, was told $1; no wonder there was nothing else left. It was young, fresh and tender; delicious.The countryside between St Helens and Scottsdale is very beautiful and we had many days out in the hills walking to picturesque waterfalls and lakes and visiting local attractions. This area had been a tin-mining centre and one lake was turquoise blue from one of the by-products of the tin-mining(kaolin, I think we were told).Since arriving in Tasmania David had only had one game of golf but a highlight was to come. We had been told by every golfer we had met that a game at Barnbougle Links was a must so a booking was made. The sun shone and it was the warmest day we had had for a while and the course was at its brilliant best. David reckons that it is  the best course he has ever played and, from a spectator's viewpoint, I agree. Not sure I would have enjoyed it as much in my playing days as it is very challenging but it was a wonderful seaside walk and seeing David approach  the challenges of each hole was a pleasure. I even did a bit of scouting and caddying work by walking ahead to see what was around the many dog-legs and give advice. We both had a great day and finished with a well-deserved rest and snack in the clubhouse with its wonderful views. It is a long and hilly course so quite tiring. An interesting village that we heard about locally is Legerwood; The story is that, in 1918, a tree dedication ceremony was held in which 9 trees were planted to honour local soldiers killed in World War 1. In 2001 a report stated that the trees were no longer safe and the community was devastated at the thought of losing the memorial. In 2004 it was suggested that carving the stumps into a likeness of each soldier and also including aspects of their lives would enable the memorials to be retained. A chainsaw carver from Ross, Tasmania was employed by the Legerwood  community to sculpt the masterpieces that remain today. What a great idea.   As usual, we visited some of the local food producers and ,as it is excellent dairy country, the Pyengana cheese factory produces award-winning cheddar cheese. Very tasty.This north-east area has so much to see and we only scratched the surface but we feel it is good to leave things to look forward to on our next trip. So we will continue to head west and set off for Launceston.
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Bicheno, Tasmania, Australia

As we travelled north we decided to stop at the historic town of Swansea; a caravan park on Schouten Beach was a pleasant spot and from there we could walk around the point to town. At this time of year, at dusk, the Short-tailed Shearwaters or Mutton Birds fly in to their burrows and we enjoyed sitting  quietly and watching them. We then had dinner at 'The Ugly Duck Out'; a short walk from the caravan park and recommended by several people we had met. No idea about the name but the food was excellent with local seafood prominent yet again. We also visited the Spiky Bridge built in 1843 by convicts from local fieldstones and with no mortar. It appears that the convicts were put to good use in many infrastructure construction projects. From here it was on to Wineglass Bay and fittingly we sampled some excellent, award-winning,  cool-climate wines at  the small vineyards on the way. Our next stop, the much-photographed Wineglass Bay in Freycinet National Park, is certainly featured in many tourist brochures and we drove there anticipating a wonderful experience. We were not disappointed as it is even more beautiful than all the images we had seen. That feeling may be partly due to the effort involved in getting there. To reach the lookout is a one hour walk which is quite steep but amazing views at the end. Then it is another half hour downhill to the beach in the bay itself. The water looks so blue and inviting but the temperature was such that we only took our boots off to walk along the pure white sands and soothed our aching feet and legs by paddling and our toes definitely felt tingly and refreshed. A picnic lunch on the beach gave us energy to tackle the longer walk back via the Hazards on  the opposite side of the peninsula; about 2 hours. Another long day of walking but what amazing scenery and we collapsed onto the veranadah of the waterfront Freycinet Lodge for a well-deserved afternoon tea.While in this area we camped on beachfront private land which was off the beaten track near Bicheno just north of Freycinet. We had to take it easy trying to make our way through the trees to the camping area but it was worth a few scratches.The bays and beaches all the way up this coast are just gorgeous; white sand and long, sweeping curves  with aqua-coloured ocean. We had been told of this place by a Tasmanian couple we had met who often stay there. The retired couple who own it are happy to make a living this way. David enjoyed the beach fishing for a change and the beach walking was excellent. Wild blackberries were growing around the camp spots so we could pick bowls of fresh blackberrries each day; they were sweet enough to eat just as they were with no cooking. Have to keep up our vitamin C intake now that raspberry season is just about over. One day we visited a lesser-known National Park called Douglas-Apsley, after  the 2 rivers running through it, and again had a great day walking. We walked about an hour up and into a beautiful gorge and then back along the river bed. The latter part of the walk involved a great deal of rock-hopping through and around the beautiful pools and took over  2 hours. The gorge was beautiful but we didn't see much wildlife except a couple 'skinny-dipping' as they had not expected any 'visitors'; most walkers return by the same path they came up as the river bed is quite tricky to negotiate. We all had a good laugh and a chat and it turned out that it was the wife's 50th birthday; what a great way to celebrate.A long weekend was coming up and most decent caravan parks and camping areas were full so we were wondering where to go. Fate intervened when we were chatting to a local from Bicheno who lives in and owns businesses in the town. He is keen to attract travellers like us to stay in Bicheno and is offering free camping on his property. When we saw the property we could not refuse the kind offer; it was on a hill sloping down to the bay and we could see the rocks covered in orange-coloured lichen and the spray coming up from the blow-hole in town and it was only a few steps to the beach; a magical spot. So we decided to stay a little longer in this beautiful area. As we explored the tiny town we saw a harp concert advertised in the local community hall. We went along not expecting too much  but it was a delightful experience. Once a year an internationally renowned harp soloist from Europe, Professor Florence Sitruk, comes here to lead a residential harp school and this concert is the culmination of the course. When we entered the small village hall we were delighted at the site of a stage set with 12 beautifully crafted  individual harps and then heard performances from several of the students. The highlight was the final performance by the professor herself and it was enchanting to sit back and listen to a performer known as 'one of the finest artists in her field' in such an incongruous setting. She has performed with some of the best orchestras in some of the finest music venues in the world and here she was in tiny Bicheno village hall. Life is full of wonderful surprises and we certainly appreciated this one.Another attraction of the area is East Coast Natureworld and what interested us was the Tasmanian Devils. We have not yet seen any in the wild so thought that we cannot leave without seeing them. It turned out to be a bit run down but we liked the atmosphere and spent a couple of relaxing hours wandering around and saw lots of Devils in addition to other animals and birds. The animals were not really caged and could roam around in large enclosures so one could see them well. They make very scary noises a bit like screaming and one can understand how they got the name Devils.  Click on this movie (and then the arrow when it appears) to hear their screaming.  We are still hoping to see one or more in the wild but, if not, we have seen them now. The population is being decimated by a cancer that causes facial tumours and so far nothing has been found to halt its progress so they may not be around for ever. In the last 12 years the population of Devils in Tasmania has halved.We now understand why this beautiful east coast is so popular with locals and tourists with so many amazing bays and beaches. We still have more to come as we head further north to the Bay of Fires; 'The hottest destination on the planet' according to Lonely Planet.
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Orford, Tasmania, Australia

Into unknown territory for us. We left Hobart to head east for the holiday coast despite the lure of the trout fishing still pulling David in the opposite direction. This part of Tasmania is very popular in school summer holidays so we deliberately waited till after mid-February to visit. Still good weather but quieter.Our first stop was between the small towns of Orford and Triabunna and the reason for that was to visit Maria Island. This is in the Spring Bay area which is known for its seaood (as is most of the east coast of Tasmania) so, true to our policy of supporting local business, we had a wood-fired  pizza covered in local seafood for dinner. The next day we booked for the ferry to Maria Island which is a National Park. Maria Island has a fascinating history of convict settlement and later industrialisation; in the 1870s, an Italian entrepreneur obtained a lease to try wine-making and a silk industry; a bustling town grew but the ventures failed. We heard a tale, locally, that he invited politicians to  see his vineyards as he required more government funding and brought them over in the evening so that they could see the vines. The reason he arranged the visit at dusk was so that no one could see that the healthy grape bunches were not growing but tied on. Further ventures, including a cement factory, were no more successful and the population dwindled. The government recognised the potential of the island , both as a historic site and a flora and fauna reserve, and so it is now a National Park.We had been looking forward to this trip since reading about its history and wild beauty. The visit involved a 45 minute trip in a small boat which dropped us off  (with about 10 other passengers) and then picked us up about 7 hours later. There is no food or water available so we both had our backpacks loaded with picnic food and snacks for the day. We were not in a group so could just wander where we wished; everyone went off in different directions. Felt a bit like Robinson Crusoe and man Friday. No traffic, no shops, so peaceful. The 3 main things on our agenda were the painted cliffs, the fossil cliffs and the ruins of the township so we set off walking. The painted cliffs are beautifully coloured and patterned sandstone cliffs bounded by rock pools teeming with marine life. If the water had been warmer we would have been tempted to take our snorkelling gear  but Tasmanian waters are definitely wetsuit territory and not for us. The fossil cliffs on the opposite side of the island  are amazing being full of fossilised shellfish hundreds of millions of years old. The limestone in this area was quarried for a cement-making business but that  failed because of the expense and difficulties of transportation. All day, as we walked around, we saw abundant wildlife including wombats wombling and Cape Barren geese waddling around; no snakes today, thankfully. Lots of interesting birdlife too. We then headed back towards the jetty and the old township to explore while waiting for our ferry back to civilization. It was a long, tiring but amazing day and exceeded our expectations. A Maria Island brochure from the 1890s sums it up well;" 'The Riviera of Australia':  Here may the invalid laze the hours away and, book in hand, become intoxicated with the splendour of the scenery and the sounds of the unceasing sea... Here may the sportsman roam and fill his bag, here may the angler bait his hooks with great results, here may the tourist contemplate the history of the centuries."More eloquent than the tourist brochures of today.If you look at the photo of the 'old fossil' you may gather from the attire that the weather on the day we visited was not 'Riviera-like'From here we headed north to a natural beauty spot which certainly features in many tourist brochures all over the world; Wineglass Bay in Freycinet National Park.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lizdavid/2/1235888580/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lizdavid/2/1235888580/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lizdavid/2/1235888580/tpod.html Sun, 15 Mar 2009 02:31:14 -0400 6 wheels on our wagon or travels in a very, very, small island (with apologies to Bill Bryson)

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Maydena, Tasmania, Australia

From Wayatinah we travelled on a hilly, winding back-road through dense forests to Mount Field National Park. A local had recommended this road, which is not shown on many maps, and it is much more attractive than the main road. We were a bit nervous as people sometimes underestimate the difficulties of towing a big caravan but we were fine and the road was wide enough for us to pass through easily.This journey gave us a taste of the days to come exploring this wonderful, wilderness area. We set up in a beautiful spot surrounded by tall Eucalyptus trees in the Mount Field National Park and this would be our base to explore the area .A river ran behind us and there were wallabies hopping around and brightly coloured green lorikeets in the trees. One wild creature that David did not appreciate was the scorpion that appeared as he was in the toilet cubicle.  There are many walks in the park itself and one included the spectacular Russell Falls. There are Platypus in the river but despite several forays at dusk we never saw one though we did see lots of glow worms at night in the ferny areas along the river banks. There are also trout in the river but there was so much else to do and see that there was no time left to fish. We did drive up a very long, steep and bendy road to an alpine lake where David fished but not for long as the cold temperature got the better of him. I stayed warm, reading in the car after a brief walk. We had a wonderful day out driving to the Gordon Dam and having a picnic lunch on the shore of Lake Pedder. It is so quiet and peaceful driving around this area. We passed hundreds of trees covered in white flowers and also hundreds of bee hives. Putting the two together we guessed that they were Leatherwood trees and the bees were making the Leatherwood honey for which Tasmania is well-known. It has a distinctive 'love it or hate it' flavour and we are definitely in the former category. Another day we drove into and walked in the old-growth forests which contain some of the tallest trees in Tasmania. They are magnificent and there are protests currently going on in the area to save some old-growth trees marked by Forestry Tasmania for logging. We had been reading of these protests almost daily since arriving in Tasmania so it was interesting to see the protesters and their 'camps' among the trees. I wore my T-shirt with a big tree on it in case we came into contact with any 'greenie' protesters but we only came across a handful of people all day and did not engage in any controversial topics of conversation; g'day mate and such greetings sufficed. As we drove through the small village of Maydena near the National Park there was a sign outside a house advertising organic produce so I went in while David parked the car. Lucky that he didn't come in as I had an interesting conversation with the lady grower about the local situation of 'Forestry' against 'Greenies'. Most people in the village work for the 'Forestry' including her own family for generations but she supports the moderate 'greenies' so she has to suffer people calling her a 'greenie slut' (her words) and being excluded from village life. Brave woman and intelligent but I am sure that David would have found it difficult (as I must admit I did initially) to look beyond the tattoos, dreadlocks and piercings. I enjoyed hearing the views of an informed 'greenie' as one tends to hear the extremists  who get all the publicity. The whole issue is so complicated and facts distorted by both sides that, I find, I do not have enough information to take sides. Anyway it was an interesting encounter and her salad veggies were so fresh and tasty as was her homemade blackcurrant syrup. We both fell in love with this area; so wild and deserted with towering trees and peaceful lakes and rivers. After all this communing with nature we spent a few days in Hobart and stayed at a caravan park north of the city. We were on a bay on the river looking across to the Cadbury Australia chocolate factory. Seeing it in the distance each day, how could we resist the temptation to visit so we did and while there  got tempted by the bargains to be had in the factory shop. Still Easter is coming so that is our excuse. From here we will wend our way to the East Coast and its famous islands, bays and beaches.
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Bronte, Tasmania, Australia

We decided to head back to Bronte Lagoon to the 'secret spot' where the fishing school was held expecting to have the place to ourselves. On arrival we found 3 couples in camper vans travelling together on holiday from New SouthWales so we had to share the lagoon. It is a huge lagoon so we were able to find a private spot but close enough to be social. It turned out that they were fisher people too and knew of the place as one couple had also been on the fishing school. They lit a camp fire each night so we joined them some evenings for chats around the fire. We enjoyed their company and sharing the day's fishing or travelling tales.Other nights fishing itself took priority. Well, I have to announce that here was the spot that David caught his first wild rainbow trout all alone and unaided. It was about 1lb 4oz (fishing folk here seem to use old weights still). I will publish some photos of fish and fishing in this blog but may have to limit it in the future as you will probably tire of photos of David fishing in lakes, rivers etc. no matter how beautiful they are (the scenery, I mean). This one was cause for much excitement, you will understand, as David was beginning to wonder if he would ever be successful at fly-fishing. Tasmania is a paradise for anyone keen on fly-fishing as, having purchased an annual licence for a reasonable fee, one can fish just about any lake or river in the state at no extra cost. There are so many beautiful waters to fish as we are to find out. They are scenically beautiful too so good for non-fishers like me to walk and explore or just relax and enjoy the scenery or the sound of birds as I read. Apart from the fishing at Bronte there was abundant wildlife and we saw Eastern spotted quolls each evening in addition to wallabies, possums and wombats and the meadows around the lagoon were bright with wildflowers such as these yellow paper daisies. Having the truck with us this time meant we could explore the area from our base at Bronte. We spent one exceptional day at Lake St Clair which is in a World Heritage listed region and is surrounded by dramatic peaks rising vertically 1000 metres above the magnificent lake. We took a ferry up the lake (this is apparently the highest altitude marine journey in Australia;) and then did a 4 hour walk back through forests by the lake with spectacular views. One thing I did not like was this big tiger snake which was on the path as we approached; they seem to be common in Tasmania at this time of year. Another day we visited the 'Wall in the Wilderness' which is the ongoing project of an amazing sculptor/artist/woodcarver.    It is expected to take over 5 years to complete and will measure 100 metres in length and 3 metres high using 10 different subjects to portray the history of the area. As a visitor one is not allowed to take any photographs so I found a website that had some and this is one of the details from  the 'wall'. If you are interested you can visit www.thewalltasmania.com  which has a few more photos. In addition to the 'wall' other pieces of his work are on display. He also carves 3 dimensional sculptures  from Tasmanian Huon Pine and one was a glove made from a butter-coloured wood and it looked just like chamois leather; I pointed it out to David and he said that it was not wood and just a glove left on the table so went to pick it up; it was wood. That is how realistic his carvings are; a man with exceptional talent.We also explored other lakes in the area and David fished and practised his casting techniques with renewed vigour after his first success. We planned to celebrate Valentine's day with dinner for 2 under the stars but the weather turned cold so we ate our rainbow trout inside with the heater on; not quite so romantic but still tasty and we did go out later for a walk under the stars and the sky was amazing. We think it was the best display of stars we have ever seen apart from an observatory. The sky seemed to be a dome full of stars that came down to meet the lake and the forests all around us; quite magical and all we could do was watch in silence and admiration.That reminds me of a cartoon in the local paper that showed a girl getting dressed up as her boyfriend had promised a night out for just the 2 of them with moonlight and seafood. He arrives in waders with fishing rod in hand. We left Bronte after a wonderful 10 days to head to the South West National park and the World Heritage wilderness areas.On  the way we found a caravan park by a lake that had an outdoor heated swimming pool; the first we had seen or heard of here in Tasmania. It was in a village that had been built to house workers on the hydro-electric scheme and the facilities remained there after the workers left so an enterprising couple bought the pub, store etc. and the sale included the caravan park area with swimming pool. It was a surprise for them but they are now running it well as a caravan park. The place, Wayatinah, was a great success as we enjoyed the pool and David caught 2 good-sized wild brown trout. When we arrived David asked around about the fishing and all the men said they had not had any luck so he was surprised and delighted to catch one the first evening we arrived. After that he was treated with great respect as it is a small community and word spreads fast. Other people going fishing came to ask advice about the best time to fish and whether to use a 'woolly worm' or a 'red tag'; yes fly-fishing has a language all its own and the range of names for the various flies is amazing. No wonder David wants to return next year to the school to learn more. Anyway I had difficulty keeping a straight face when I heard David giving advice though I must admit he is starting to look like a 'real' fly-fisherman and catching fish too. We are not yet sick of trout for dinner but will be having a short break from fishing as we travel away from the lakes.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lizdavid/2/1234345500/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lizdavid/2/1234345500/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lizdavid/2/1234345500/tpod.html Mon, 16 Feb 2009 21:44:37 -0500 6 wheels on our wagon or travels in a very, very, small island (with apologies to Bill Bryson)

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Cockle Creek, Tasmania, Australia

We left the tranquillity of Bruny Island to head for yet more tranquillity in the deep south of Tasmania. Having crossed back on&nbsp; the ferry we had 2 nights in Snug (so aptly named) and drove to Hobart for a day to restock and also went to the cinema. The State Theatre in North Hobart has been converted into a small cinema and we decided to see "Slum Dog Millionaire" as there has been so much hype surrounding it; we both enjoyed it very much. That was our day in the 'big city' and next morning we drove to Tahune to do the famous 'air-walk'. We had heard that, if self-sufficient, one could stay overnight in the area so decided to do that and tow the caravan up; it was rather nerve-racking as it is a long, steep, windy ascent and the last time we attempted such a drive was when we had the breakdown. As it turned out we had no problems and, as the main school holidays had finished, it was quiet and&nbsp; there was lots of space even for our 'big rig'. It is a beautiful area in a National Park and to be able to stay there after other tourists had left at 5pm was amazing; there were only 3 other vehicles staying overnight. We walked down to the river in the early evening light so that David could fish and I sat reading on the opposite bank. I was reading "Hell's Gates"; a story about Alexander Pearce, an infamous convict escapee turned cannibal. It is a fascinating and thought-provoking tale made even more vivid by being read&nbsp; in a thickly forested area such as he would have had to try to penetrate. There was not another person in sight only the sound of the birds and fish rising (always just out of David's reach). So, yet again, no fish for dinner but a beautiful clear starlit night made up for it. While there we did the 'air walk' and also a beautiful walk along the river banks crossing both the Huon and Picton rivers on swing bridges and they certainly did swing. From Tahune we headed further south to a place called Southport near Cockle Creek which is the most southerly settlement in Australia. There is a national park here and it is one end of the 'South Coast Walk' which takes several days. As we have decided that our tent camping days are over, and certainly in the sort of night-time temperatures reached down here, we walked just one end of it. It was about a 5 hours round trip and we took a picnic lunch to eat looking at the southernmost point of Australia, South East Cape. The views were spectacular and it was well worth the effort. Apparently we were closer to Antarctica than Cairns; no wonder the winds are cold down here. I since read that Macquarie Island is technically the southernmost part of Australia but for some reason that doesn't seem to count. To finish off our visits to 'most southerlies' we went to Ida Bay which boasts the most southerly railway in Australia. Very quaint and runs for tourists several times a day through beautiful scenery. It was originally built to transport limestone from the coast for use inland. As we could go no further south we headed back north. On the way we stopped at Dover and had lunch at the Dover Hotel; great views and delicious local fresh seafood and local Huon Valley Honeybrown mushrooms(giant and great for stuffing). Well fed we travelled on to Franklin on the Huon River where the locals are RV friendly and allow campers and caravanners to set up and stay along the river bank in town for up to 4 nights for a nominal fee which goes to a fund to restore the old Palais building in the town. What a great idea as it also brings business to the local shops and cafes. We stayed for one night and ate a seafood dinner at a cafe looking over the river just a short distance from the camping area. David was itching to try his newly-acquired fly-fishing skills so we decided to head back to the Highland Lakes district. Just a footnote about Snug in light of the recent terrible Victorian bush fires. While there we saw a beautiful memorial walk/garden in memory of the&nbsp; people of Snug who died in the Tasmanian bushfires exactly 42 years ago to the day of the recent ones in Victoria. The 1967 Tasmanian fires&nbsp; became known as the <i>Black Tuesday bushfires. They were the most deadly bushfires that Tasmania has ever experienced, leaving 62 people dead, 900 injured and over seven thousand homeless. The fires destroyed 80 bridges, 4800 sections of power lines, 1500 motor vehicles and over 100 other structures. It was estimated that at least 62,000 livestock were destroyed. The total damage amounted to $45,000,000 in 1967 Australian dollar values. These fires wreaked havoc on Snug and 11 people died while 80 of 120 homes were destroyed and the 2 churches and local school. What a fragile country we live in.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lizdavid/2/1232086980/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lizdavid/2/1232086980/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lizdavid/2/1232086980/tpod.html Sat, 31 Jan 2009 01:54:11 -0500 6 wheels on our wagon or travels in a very, very, small island (with apologies to Bill Bryson)

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Bruny Island, Tasmania, Australia

Having left the highlands and lakes behind, we headed back to Hobart and south to a small coastal village called Snug for an overnight stay prior to taking the short ferry ride&nbsp; from Kettering to beautiful Bruny Island. The trip is only about 15 minutes but when the last boat of the day leaves at about 6pm one feels cut off from the world and it is so peaceful. There are not many residents or shops on Bruny but on our arrival we made sure to stop at the cheese factory and oyster farm. There is also a berry farm so we picked strawberries. On our drive down to Hobart we had already stopped at roadside stalls for cherries and apricots.We are making the most of the soft fruit season for as long as we can. Bruny is a small island with the north and south parts joined by a narrow neck with a dirt road and it only takes about an hour to drive from North to South. Our original plan was to spend a few days here and then return to the Tasmanian mainland but we are enjoying the laid-back feel and natural beauty so much that we are still here over 2 weeks later. There is only one caravan park on the island and it is at Adventure Bay in the south&nbsp; opposite a beautiful beach so that David can walk out and fish whenever he feels like it. We have eaten freshly caught flathead and salmon courtesy of David and flounder and squid courtesy of our neighbours(who have the advantage of a boat). There is a general store a short stroll along the beach where we get newspapers and other supplies. We feel like locals now especially after we had some mail delivered care of the store, which also acts as the postal agent. That day several people stopped us and said "Did you get your mail?";&nbsp; it seems the whole area knew before we did and how they knew who we were is a mystery; the dubious joys of living in a small community. One of the first things we did was to take a trip on the Bruny Charters Wildlife cruise which is a 3 hour cruise around the rugged south coast of Bruny. We were so lucky that the weather was perfect with calm seas and we were treated to the sight of over 100 dolphins herding fish and splashing and leaping around; some also followed the boat and were so playful. The scenery was magnificent and we also saw hundreds of seals, sunning themselves on the rocks, and albatross diving for fish and soaring gracefully overhead. It was a magical outing. There are many interesting walks and on one we saw 2 pure white wallabies. I think that this is the only place they are found. We are also enjoying the birdlife including beautiful multicoloured Swift parrots; sorry no photos as they are true to their name. The beach is a favourite haunt for the seabirds; oyster-catchers, albatrosses, Arctic terns and the ubiquitous seagulls. I also saw my first Tiger Snake when I nearly stepped on it on a bush walk; David says he has never seen me jump and run so fast. It wasn't very big but I nearly tripped right over it. Again, apologies for no photo but I wasn't stopping to inspect it. The fairy penguins also nest here and can be seen at dusk but daylight here is till after 9pm at this time of year so we have been too caught up in the tennis to drive to the nesting areas to see them. Maybe before we leave? The island has one pub and even a winery; both are the most southerly in Australia.&nbsp; The wife of the couple who own the vineyard/winery makes the wines and she is a direct descendant of the first settlers on Bruny; makes good wine too. One of the reasons behind our decision to stay here a while was the good TV signal so we have enjoyed watching the Australian Open tennis which we&nbsp; found very exciting this year. Seeing the extremely hot conditions in Melbourne and in fact right across the south-east of Australia, including parts of Tasmania, made us appreciate the cooler temperatures here on Bruny and the cooling sea breezes. We have had perfect temperatures in the 20s with long light evenings. It really is a hidden gem and so full of natural beauty and we have enjoyed a relaxing and laid-back couple of weeks.
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