Week 5 Sun 18 Mar - Sat 24 Mar

Week 5 Sun 18 Mar – Sat 24 Mar

Penguin – 18 Mar 

We arrived at 6.00 am in Devonport and offloaded by 6.30 am and cleared Quarantine by about 7.00 am.  Fuelled up we headed along the Bass Highway to Penguin.  By the time we got there we were starving and the only shop open on a sleepy Sunday was the Bakery.  So coffee and pastie later we felt a little more alive.  We took the usual photos of the Penguin (you have to do it), then walk to the free camp on the hill.  A lovely spot, but small and only enough room for about 4 vans.  We parked up and went for a walk along the esplanade.    We had intended to drive to Stanley but after not getting a great night sleep on the boat recliners, we decided to book into the Penguin Caravan Park – a pleasant spot right on the beach. 

All settled, we took a walk into town and did some shopping for fruit and vegetables (since quarantine do not allow any of these into Tasmania – we had to eat everything).  After lunch I took a swim, the day was pleasant and warm but a cool breeze was blowing.  Surprisingly the water wasn’t too cold as long as you always kept moving.  It was very refreshing and a nice way to while away the afternoon.

A lazy afternoon pursued, drink in hand watching the ocean waves roll in and out – very mesmerizing.

Stanley – 19 – 22 Mar

After a lovely bacon and egg breakfast we hitched up and headed for Burnie.  We decided to do some grocery shopping while we had a biggish town to get some supplies, and after a generous helping hand by a local to find a carpark we parked up and walked back into town from the Makers Centre (a brand new information and artists space- of which the carpark was still being built).

Shopping achieved and alcohol acquired we had a quick tour of the Makers Centre and then headed for Stanley.

Us being us – we saw a sign for Table Lighthouse and lookout, just past Wynyard.  Not sure what the car park would be like, we slowly drove up the hill to the Lookout along a very windy narrow road, but very picturesque.  As suspected, the car park was not exactly designed for caravans, but we were lucky only one other car was there so could negotiate the turnaround before any others arrived.  Off to the Lighthouse, while Tony walked between the two, I was talking with the Lighthouse tour guide as Tony clicked away.  We decided to do the 15 min tour and was rewarded by some lovely insights and information, particularly as the tour guide was an ex lighthouse keeper himself and around 70 in age – very fit and a lovely chap.  We were his last tour for the day and had plenty of time to take as many pictures as possible.

Finally we headed for Stanley and finally arrived about 4.30pm.   We could either free camp or caravan park.  We decided to Caravan park for the facilities and power and to keep out of the wind which was now gusting rather strongly.

Tuesday we walk to town and then onto the Nut track, a zigzag track that goes straight up, but when up at the top the views are amazing.  We did the circuit, all of 2kms and then headed down for an ice cream at the Nut Café.    Stanley is such a lovely town and has extremely well preserved old buildings and very photogenic – so as you could imagine, both of us went snap happy.

Home for lunch and then off to another lookout just out of town.  Unfortunately, while travelling out the emergency services went flying past and as we approached saw that a car had rolled off the road and the person was being attended to in the paddock – very nasty and unbelievable how it happened.  It brings things into perspective about cars and the dangers that can happen. 

Back into town we detoured up the hill to the Highfield Historic House, where we got some great shots of cows and scenery before coming down the hill to the wharf.  The wind has been blowing and gusting all day and both of us have now had our share of this for one day, so home to enjoy a lovely drink (indoors) out of the wind.

Wednesday woke to blustering wind that was gusting and drizzling rain and it has now got very cold.  We decided to stay another night to see if the rain would clear and did the washing and generally a bit of a cleanup of brochures (which we have started to drastically accumulate along our travels).  The rain seemed to clear a bit and the sun came out in places, so we drove to a place called Dip Falls and the Big Tree not that far from Stanley.  The drive was a lovely forest drive and very picturesque as you passed by farms with lots of Friesian cows.  The falls were flowing nicely and very pretty.  We made the trip down the 400 odd steps to the bottom and got some great shots of the water rushing over the odd hexagonal shaped stones – an unusual feature.  Next stop the Big Tree.  This tree has a humungous 16 metre diameter base which is over 400 years old, a lovely piece of history.  Again, not wanting to come home the same way we took the detour via Black river picnic area of which half way along you have to ford the Black river.  It was flowing nicely and about shin deep – so across we went ending up at Forest to get back on the road to Stanley.  A lovely forest dirt road drive that was quite a pleasant detour.

Thursday regardless of any rain, we are off to the Tarkine Forest area down to Arthur River.  Woke up to windy blustery and rainy conditions – yeh!  But off we set for Smithton, a nice little town – much bigger than Stanley – so took the opportunity to go shopping at Woolworths before we got going.

Next we were off to Dismall Swamp, a sinkhole forest – which has a slide you can do to the bottom of the forest.  We elected to do the boardwalk walk - $20 each to get in (and worth the money).  It was still raining and blustery showers keep coming across – but we were lucky for about hour and a half no rain while we did all the boardwalks.  It is such an unusual and interesting place that it holds its own beauty.  Many photos later we made it back up the escarpment just before another downpour.  From here we headed to Marrawah – famous for its surfing beaches.  We parked up at the beach and had a cold curried chicken pie, pear, grapes and a vanilla shake (I know for such a cold day – an eclectic choice for lunch). The view along the beach back to Woolnorth (Cape Grim) was eerie as the surf pounded in on the beach.  More interesting was the amazing view of the wind turbine farm that you could see plainly from our standpoint – boldly circling with the wind as it streamed in off the Southern Ocean. 

Last stop Arthur River to the “End of the World”.  Not sure why they call it this, but I could imagine why – as pieces of driftwood and deadwood are piled and scattered along the rocks and beach.  Enormous trees have washed up and lie lifeless now in foaming ocean and river currents.  The ocean here was wild and it is untouched – the dunes just go on forever – an amazing hostile place with a beauty that just keeps drawing you in each time you look out.

As it was getting late – homeward bound we started and decided to take a detour via Marrawah on a dirt road to West Montagu through Jims Plains.  Basically it is just a forestry and farming area – not one house in site just cows and farming equipment. Very desolute and isolating but again beautiful in its own way.  Once we hit the bitumen we decided to drive to Woolnorth for a bit to get a better view of the wind turbine farm.  Found a dirt track and went to the end were we got fairly close – but then you come to gates (all private property).  You cannot actually get to Woolnorth (Cape Grim) by driving – you only get so far. The only way to get right to the Cape is to do the Tour (didn’t ask the price!).  It is all owned by the Van Diemens Land Pastoral Company – so private property all the way.

Unfortunately, the weather was against us – but we could have stayed here for another couple of days.

Roseberry – 23 Mar

Friday morning woke to bitterly cold wind and absolutely freezing temperatures.  Even the locals were complaining it was cold – so didn’t feel so bad.  As the day went on we discovered that the temperature was the coldest March day for over 10 years – we have snow on the mountains.   We were supposed to be going to Cradle Mountain today but instead changed the itinerary and are heading straight to Strahan, via Roseberry overnight.  Yet again the rain was howling with the wind – horizontal with wind gusts over 90kms an hour – horrible.

We took the shortcut at Wynyard to a place called Volla – a nice dirt road but fine for the van – but a little dirty by the time we hit bitumen again.  Oh well, the rain will eventually clean it off. Now on the Murchison Highway we hit Hellyer Gorge by lunch.  What a road, windy, narrow and wet.  Cup of tea we headed off for the 15 mins walk on the Hellyer River through the gorge – beautiful and the water gushing down the river.  We found another 30 min bush walk and headed in – wow, wow, wow!!!  We have never seen such a pristine rainforest – there was moss everywhere, fungi in all colours and shapes and the river raging down beside the walk.  So many things to see and take pictures of – definitely worth the 30 walk in.  

As we headed up the gorge the other side and along the ridge – the driving rain commenced and then turned to hail and ice, so much so that there was an inch of ice of the wind screen wipers.  For over half an hour this driving sleet like ice keep coming down.  Not that much fun to drive in!  Stopped at Tullah for a break and the sun came out for a couple of minutes – we both soaked it up while it lasted.  Then it was the climb over Murchison Mountain to Roseberry – again hail and ice all the way up and half way down.

Checked into the caravan park – small but nice and in between rain and ice falling walked into town to see what Takeaways there were.  Just next to the park is a waterfall - Stitt Falls and wow is the water raging over this small fall.  Lots of water pouring down the mountains and there is snow on the mountains, down to about 750m and it is still falling.  The temperature is getting colder and for the first time we have put the reverse cycle heater on in the van to keep warm.  Even Tony has been feeling the cold today – so it must be cold!!  Staying indoors as it is still showering ice every time the rain falls. Brrrrr!!

Strahan – 24 Mar

We woke to snow on the mountain and a brisk morning. Eventually getting away by midday, we headed for Zeehan.  What an odd town and not a sole in sight.  Many of the shops have closed down and there is only the Museum and a coffee shop really to speak of, apart from the IGA (which now seems to be everything).  Coffee and sausage roll later we made our way to Strahan.