4th Week - Wednesday - Burnie

Moving day and first stop was Deloraine.  We walked the main street where they have sculptures on both sides of the street.  There are 13 aluminium sculptures and they were quite interesting to look at while breaking up the trip.  We drove through Railton which is the town of topiary.  It has over 150 character topiary around the town including a train, lion, horse, alpaca, tassie devil.  We didn't actually stop but saw all of the ones in the main street.  The train looked really good.  Next stop was Sheffield which is famous for its murals.  Some of the shops and buildings in the main street have murals painted on.  Each year they have a mural painting competition where the entrants have to paint their interpretation of something, this year being a poem called Reflections of Time.  We were lucky enough to arrive while the artist were painting.  They have until next Saturday lunch time to finish and then they are judged with the winner announced.   This occurs in Mural Park.  There are 9 contestants in the park, so there are their murals together with all of last years entries and the winning mural for each year since the competition began in 2005.  It was amazing (and also amazing that nothing had been vandalised over the years!).   Lunched sitting in a park in Sheffield looking at Mt. Roland in the distance.  Back in the car and drove to Burnie which is so much larger than we expected.  Here for a couple of nights so will explore tomorrow.

Deloraine street sculpture

Sheffield Mural Festival

4th Week - Tuesday - Launceston

Set off this morning in search of the free Tiger Bus that does tours of the city.  We found a car park near the home of the Tassie Hawks as there is a bus stop there.  Managed to catch the bus but the sound system wasn't loud enough so you couldn't hear the information and the bus driver thought he was in the Grand Prix so everything rushed by.  Very disappointing.  Back where we started we came across the Queen Victoria Museum so went in and spent just over an hour there.  At least the museum made the trip into Launceston worthwhile.  

4th Week - Sunday / Monday - Longford

We just sat around the van and tried to relax but there was kids and balls everywhere.  The group next to us had 6 vans, 7 cars, a marquee and 5 kids on 5 sites so there was nowhere for the kids to play but on our site.  Ian ended up parking the car outside the park away from the football, tennis ball and bikes.    Thankfully about half went home on Monday including the group next to us so much quieter now.

I am going to start charging for information about the kayak.  I will be a millionaire by the time we get home.  We both took the kayak out with 2 groups watching us set off.  We hadn't gone far when there was a malfunction with the rudder so back we go, get out (with a different 4 watching us).  Ian fixed the rudder and we set off again with a few people watching on the riverbank.  We rounded a bend to find a fishing boat (not tinnie, one with a cabin) in the middle of the river.  Should we go to the left or right of it.  The boat ramp was to the left and there was a car and trailer there but we didn't know if they had just put it in or were taking it out.  As we got closer the guy on the bank yelled out asking if we could get the boat.  There was a rope tied to the front of it.  So we paddled by it, Ian grabbed the rope and handed it to me.  Unfortunately the rope was caught on the side so instead of towing it behind us we had to pull it next to us and I had to keep pushing the boat away from us and towards the boat ramp while Ian paddled.   Threw the rope to the guy who thanked us and said he hadn't felt like going for a swim to retrieve it.  His son had been holding the boat while he got the car and trailer but accidentally let go.    Good deed for the day over we continued on with an uneventful paddle.  Back on shore the people in the vans opposite us moved their chairs so they had a good view of the kayak going back on the car.

Kayaking at Longford

3rd Week - Saturday - Launceston

As everything was closed yesterday we headed back to Launceston this morning.  Walked around the main CBD and into a few shops.  Saw signs for the free Tiger Tourist Bus.  This does a loop around the city and also along the river.  Found a sign pointing to the Tiger Bus - 2 minutes, headed in the direction the sign pointed until came to another sign Tiger Bus - 2 minutes which pointed up the connecting street, headed up the next street until we came to another sign Tiger  Bus - 2 minutes up the connecting street finding us back in the mall where we had started from, be it one block away.  We had nearly done a complete block.  Ian said the bus was the same as the Tasmanian Tiger.  No longer existing.  Gave up on the bus and headed for the car.  2 blocks away, while now not looking for it, we found the bus stop for the Tiger Bus.  Doesn't run on weekends!  May come back on Tuesday to do it.  Think we have now covered all we wanted to see here so will just sit around until Easter is over.

3rd Week - Friday - Cataract Gorge Reserve

Even though it is Good Friday and we knew Launceston would be closed we decided to go to Cataract Gorge Reserve which is walking distance from the CBD of Launceston.  Being a public holiday we didn't have to pay for parking so that was a bonus.  We elected to do the basin walk first which involves going over the Alexandra suspension bridge and then up steps to the Alexandra lookout which looks back over the suspension bridge, gorge, picnic area, swimming pool and chair lift.  We passed the restaurant and headed to the band rotunda and then on to the Cataract walk.    You walk along side the river entering the gorge so have the huge cliff face to distract you as you walk along.  After about 1km you come to Kings Bridge which leads you then into Launceston or to another walk called zig zag track.  This is again about 1 km in length and takes you back to the reserve but you go up, up and still up and over the top of the mountain ending back at the chairlift.  We set off on this one.  I got halfway up and decided that was far enough so Ian continued climbing up.  I meanwhile went back down crossed Kings Bridge again and back along the Cataract walk.  (so technically I walked further than Ian this time). We met back at the start of the chairlift and travelled over the gorge and then back again taking the view in from a different angle of high above the gorge.  Very tiring time but a must see if in the area.  We had thought about doing the Gorge Cruise but am glad we didn't as it only travelled up a third of the way towards the gorge before having to turn around as the water is too shallow and very rocky.   We drove into Launceston and strolled around the main block and down the mall.  Managed to see a few old buildings before grabbing a late lunch and heading back to the van via a different route passing through the towns of Carrick and Hadspen.   While on the zig zag walk we got talking to a couple who were flying to Melbourne that night and was then catching a train to Bendigo to go to the model trains.  Small world isn't it.

Cataract Gorge views

Cataract Gorge views

Cataract Gorge views

Cataract Gorge views

Cataract Gorge views from chairlift

 

Cataract Gorge views from chairlift

 

That's Ian in the circle (top of the photo)

3rd Week - Thursday - Longford

Packed up and as we only had a short distance to travel didn't get away until 10.  Someone had already arrived and was starting to set up as we left.    Arrived at Longford and walked the main street before having a coffee.  Killed enough time so went to the park and set up.  The park is packed.  Dogs, kids, bikes everywhere.  We are once again next to a river so Ian went for a paddle.

3rd Week - Wednesday - Ross

Packed up this morning.  First stop Campbell Town.  Walked up and down the main street for a look.  The information brochures say there is a convict walk here.  We were looking for a sign pointing out the walk.  Turns out it is a row of bricks along the main street.  Each brick has the name of a convict, their age, their offence and how long they were sentenced.  Not exactly what I was expecting but quite interesting.   Back in the car and off to Ross to set up and have lunch.  Our American friends had told us to have a scallop pie from the bakery here so Ian did.  Mine was a boring meat pie.  Both were nice.  After lunch we set off and walked to the convict female factory site.  There is one original building still standing and information boards where other buildings were.  We picked up a historic walk brochure and wound our way around the town.  We visited the original burial ground, 3 churches, town hall, original stables for military garrison horses and the barracks.  We ended at the Ross Bridge which was built by convict labour.  The buildings were well kept and very impressive.  Back to the van and as we are next to a river Ian went for a paddle.

Old Garrison stable

3rd Week - Tuesday -Bicheno

Off to Douglas-Apsley National Park to do the Aspley River Waterhole and Gorge Walk.  This walk is meant to take 2 - 3 hours.  Set off on a well formed track but it soon got narrower and rockier but we made it to the waterhole.  Very pretty.  We then could not see any signs as to where we were meant to go.  Ian had read that you crossed the river so we found what looked like a row of rocks across the river and proceeded to cross the river.  Managed this quite well (I'm sure a few of you were waiting for one of us to fall in) and climbed up the bank to find the sign pointing the direction of the walk.  Off we go.  The path got worse, narrower and rockier and in some places you were scrambling up rocks.  We had only gone less than 1 km with another 2.5 to go (and then return) but I had had enough.  Ian climbed a bit further up and came back to say it got worse.  Back down we go.  Got back to the river and started to cross back.  Unfortunately the shape of the rocks made it harder to get a footing going back so ended up with wet feet.  Thought that was a better idea than falling in.  Back on the car park side of the river we took off our socks and shoes, put them in the sun and watched the river for awhile.  It was a lovely view and very peaceful.  After talking to two girls from the UK we then walked back to the car.  Spent a lazy afternoon at the van.

Waterhole on Aspley river

3rd Week - Monday - Wineglass Bay

Managed to arrive at the walks car park in Freycinet National Park at 9.30 and it was only about 1/3 full.  Parked and set off on the walk to Wineglass Bay lookout.  The path is one way and well made but with the amount of traffic on it would need to be.  Thank goodness there were seats and rocks to sit on as the path went up and up and up! There were quite a few places to stop and take in the view back over Coles Bay and the mountains.  It probably took us twice as long to get up as everyone else but I made it and the view was brilliant.   We probably sat there for 20 minutes drinking in the view of Wineglass Bay.  You now have a choice of returning to the car park or talking the track down to the beach, another 1.5 hours.  Ian chose to go down the beach while I returned to the car.  I figured if I dawdled down and sat on a few chairs to admire the views he wouldn't be too far behind me.  Only trouble was there was only one area to sit and look at the view, which I did.  The path down went through the boulders and trees so blocked the view.   I sat in the car and waited for him.  The car park is now full.  As soon as a car pulled out another car was there to take its place.  Ian returned and said there was no way I would have got back up from the beach.  He said I would have turned back after 100 meters knowing I would have to climb back up.   Back to the van for a quiet afternoon.

Karen resting on way up to lookout

Wineglass bay

Wineglass bay beach

3rd Week - Sunday - Freycinet National Park - Swansea

Packed lunch and set off to Freycinet National Park.  Stopped at Devil's Corner Winery as they have a lookout over the area.   Back in the car and head for Cape Tourville.  There is a walk up to the lighthouse.  You are walking along the coastline with the mountains in the background.  You can also see the inlet into Wineglass Bay and the beach.  The view is absolutely amazing.  Back to the car and drove to the walks car park to find it full.  There would have been 100 to 120 cars.  There was nowhere for us to fit.    We drove down to Coles Bay which is a little village on the side of the National Park.  Had a stroll down to the waters edge and then decided as we couldn't park in the National Park we would go to Swansea instead.  Arrived there at lunch time so parked on the foreshore watching the waves role in with the mountains in the background.  Hunger taken care of we strolled around the town and out onto the jetty and sat to take the view in.   Back in the car and back to Bicheno.  We have decided to stay a couple more nights and will try the National Park again tomorrow to do the walk down to Wineglass Bay.  The lady in the caravan park office told us that people were complaining that they couldn't get a park to do the walks Saturday either.

Wineglass bay lookout

Swansea

 

2nd week - Saturday - Bicheno

Well it was wet all day yesterday and rained on and off during the night but we woke to sunshine peeking through the clouds. Packed up and set off for Bicheno.  Drove straight through as we had already been to the tourist sites without the van.  Set up and had lunch before setting off on a walk.  Passed the main street with about 4 shops, one being IGA.  Walked down to the foreshore where there is a 3km walk (one way) along the shoreline.  We passed Governor Island Marine Reserve, The Gulch and The Blowhole.  It was a very enjoyable walk.  The wind was quite strong and this made the waves huge.  I can see how people can get knocked off rocks by the waves.  The force of the waves were incredible.   I have been asked what causes the orange/red colouring on the rocks.  It is lichen, which is a type of algae or moss.  

2nd week - Friday - St Helens

Well the forecast rain has arrived and is coming down steadily.  Luckily we have visited the places on our list.  Will spend the day lazing around before we move on tomorrow.

2nd week - Thursday - St Helens

Today we went to Mount Pearson State Reserve.  We went to The Gardens, which is the southern starting point of The Bay of Fires.  In 2009 Lonely Planet listed it as the world's hottest tourists destination.  This area is known for its white sandy beaches and the rocks with the orange/red colouring.  The sand squeaked when we walked on it.  While driving through the reserve we came across Grants Lagoon which seemed like an ideal place for the kayak.  Unfortunately as we still had places to visit, and I didn't want to visit them wet, we didn't go for a paddle.  Our tour today ended with a visit to Binalong Bay.   Once again the whole area is lovely.

After lunch we went for a stroll down the main street of St Helens.  

The clouds are starting to build up, the forecast is for rain tonight and tomorrow but then clears up again on Saturday.

2nd week - Wednesday - St Helens

Set off this morning and travelled in the beautiful ferns.  They were huge and magnificent.  Only trouble is that this means hills and bends, lots of bends.   We travelled for an hour - the whole time I was chanting (silently in my head) no trucks, no trucks and it just about worked.  Probably with 5 minutes to go on the bends a truck came towards us.   We only had 1 car come up behind us and we never caught up with anyone.  Coming towards us was 3 combi vans, 6 caravans, 4 motor homes, 5 motor bikes, 30 cars, one with a boat.  I stopped counting about 21km from town when the hills and bends ended.    In that 1 hour we travelled 54 km!  We arrived at the caravan park (which is in Penelope Street) and went to the site we were told, to find people well and truly settled in.  Back to the office to be told to pick any site so we picked one only to find it was too uneven.  We drove onto the next site.  While Ian was driving into our site a jayco dove pulled up a few sites away and started to back in.  We had our van disconnected and then fully set up and the jayco was still trying to back in.  They have finally placed it on their site at a slightly different angle to everyone else.  Ian said they could have pushed it to straitened it.  After lunch we went on a tourist loop going to Scamander, Falmouth, Four Mile Creek, Chain of Lagoons, St Marys and return.  We first travelled along the eastern coast before returning over the hills on the windy road.

2nd Week - Tuesday - Mount William National Park

Today we took a picnic lunch and spent the day at Mount William National Park.  We visited Musselroe Bay, Ansons Bay, Policemans Point and Eddystone Point (most easterly point of the state) where there is a lighthouse.  There are also some buildings there but the area has been given back to the original land owners and the buildings are now falling into disrepair.  It was a strange national park in that there are villages in different bays.  Anywhere between 20 to 50 houses which are obviously holiday homes or fishing shacks.  This is the first time we have seen permanent dwellings in a National Park.  We met a couple from North Carolina.  This is their third visit to Tasmania as they love the area.  This trip they are also going to Hotham and Bright.  We kept running into them at each tourist point.  There really isn't that much to say.  We saw forester kangaroos, wallabies, and an echidna together with beautiful beaches.  Below are a few pictures of the area.

2nd week - Monday- Branxholm

Packed up and set off.  We drove to Bridport but didn't see anything we wanted to stop for.  Next stop Scottsdale where we went to the Information Centre and were told which waterfall had water running and which didn't.  Wandered up and down the street but because of the public holiday not much was open.  Drove to Branxholm where we are spending 2 nights.  It is $20 a night for power, toilet and shower, although hot water is $1 for 4 minutes.  The IGA Supermarket takes the money for the park and they also sell petrol/diesel.  Set the van up, had lunch then drove to Legerwood to see the memorial tree carvings.  Very well done and were carved by the same gentleman who carved the ones at George Town.  The trees were planted in 1918 and chainsaw carved in 2004 commemorating local WWI heroes, Gallipoli and the Anzacs. 

 

There are 4 circuit drives around the area and we chose to do the one that went to the waterfalls.  We went through towns Ringarooma, Pyengana, Derby and drove up Mt Victoria.  The road was dirt and is just over 1 lane wide and is has blind bends so you have no idea if something is coming the other way.  When you meet someone you have to pull as far off the road as you can, close your eyes and pass each other.  At least I was.  At the top of the mountain you couldn't see anything but cloud.  We drove past the first 2 waterfalls as we had been told they had no or very little water until we came to St Columba Falls.  You had to walk 600 metres downhill to the bottom of the falls.  Walking down I was thinking you have to go back up.  The falls were quite impressive.  They are 90 metres high (which are one of the highest in Tassie) and have 42000 litres per minute falling over.  In winter it can get up to as much as 200,000 litres per minute.  It was a lovely walk through the trees and ferns although I was huffing and puffing on the way up.  
 
 

  

We next passed the Pub in the Paddock which is a pub that has been licensed since 1880 and is one of Tassie's oldest country pubs.  They also have a beer swilling pig that lives out back.

Back to the van where there are 2 other vans, 4 tents and 3 combi vans parked with us.  I haven't actually seen another woman yet.

2nd week Sunday - Low Head

This morning was spent doing household chores as we wanted to be around for the fog horn at noon.  Drove up to the lighthouse and there were about 20 people there.  The lady that was going to set the horn off was going around telling people to stand as far away as possible and when it starts if you feel comfortable then move closer.  It hoots 3 times then waits 1 minute and hoots 3 times and continues like that for 10 minutes and then gets turned off.  We had brought ear plugs so sat on the wall behind the shed where the fog horn sits facing the ocean.  It was still loud with the ear plugs.  We walked around to the front of the shed so the horn was facing us.  When it went off it vibrated through you.  Left before the 10 minutes were up and headed back to the van.  In the afternoon we stocked up on groceries and just put the feet up.

Sat Night - Low Head Penguin Tour

We were told to be at the Penguin tour at 8.15.  Arrived at 8 to find we were the last there.  We split into 2 groups of about 12 (we had 3 kids in ours) and went down to the beach.  The Penguins are around 33 cm high and weigh about 1 kg.  We were told to stand still and the Penguins would come close to us. Of course the eldest kid (about 6/7) can't stand still.  The Penguins got to the shoreline but didn't come up the beach so we walked back up to the bushes where the nests are.  The tour guide had an orange light which does not disturb the birds.  He shone it on the nest and 2 baby penguins were sitting there.  Of course the kid runs up to them and they disappeared back into the nest.  The guide tried hard to get the kid to stand still but the parents weren't any help (not mentioning nationalities).  We spent just over an hour wandering the sand dunes and beach and saw about 12 birds and was within 2 feet of them.  One bird walked over the guide's helper's foot.  It was a good night and we were lucky to see the birds we did as it is the end of the breeding season and there are only about 5 nests left.  Would recommend this tour.  Nowhere near as sophisticated as Phillip Island but nowhere near the numbers or cost of Phillip Island.  

We had changed into long pants and took a jumper with us as we thought it would be cool by the beach at night.  Didn't even need the jumpers.  It was a very pleasant evening.

No photos today, as Penguins have no eyelids, there was no flash photography allowed.  The light could blind them.  

 

Saturday - George Town - Low Head

Drove to the Low Head Lighthouse and had a wander around.  It has the only operational "G" type diaphone in the world (whatever the hell that means).  It was first used in 1929 to warn sailors they were nearing Low Head and abandoned in 1973 because of technical advances in navigation.  In 2000 a group of volunteers restored the fog horn and in 2001 it was heard again.  It currently sounds every Sunday at noon and is described in the brochures as "the magnificent roar of a thousand elephants".    Hopefully we will hear it tomorrow.

Next stop was the Low Head Pilot Station Museum.  There are 13 rooms with information and exhibits about whaling, deep sea diving, navigation, shipwrecks, semaphore and morse code and relics from the numerous wrecks of the area.   Over an hour later we headed back to van for lunch.  

The afternoon was spent at the Bass & Flinders Centre.   This has a replica of the Norfolk which was the ship that Bass & Flinders sailed when finding out if Tasmania was an island or attached to the mainland.   There are about 10 different types of boats there together with nautical memorabilia.  You can even walk on the replica of the Norfolk.  The side railing is so low I felt uncomfortable walking near the edge.  I have no idea how all the sailors never went over the edge.  The stairs down to the inside were far to narrow for me to attempt, although Ian went down for a look.  I must say all the staff at any of the places we have been to have been extremely helpful and knowledgeable.  

Back to the van to update the blog and have a bite to eat before heading out this evening to see the penguins.