30th December 2010 to 9th January 2011

30th December 2010

The caravan park was almost constantly full over the Christmas period and is remaining so for the New Year, and unfortunately they have let squealing kids in also, so the noise level has risen. Despite being the middle of summer the weather is still more like winter with night time temperatures below 10 degrees and day time temperatures struggling to hit 20 degrees by late afternoon just in time to drop off dramatically for night time.

31st December 2010

We took a chance on the weather living up to predicted expectations and heading for Port Arthur region again to check out the other highlights in that area that allow dogs. We turned off down Pirate Bay Drive at Eaglehawk Neck for the view over Pirate Bay and then continued down to the car park at the Tessellated Pavement, but as there was no toilet available we drove on to the Blowhole where this facility was available.

The blow hole was not actually doing very well in the blowing department as the tide was low, but was an interesting feature. On the way back we detoured to the Tasman Arch and Devils Kitchen. The Arch is an impressive sight but the Devils Kitchen doesn’t offer a view of anything special, only the ocean in the small but deep inlet.

We returned to the Tessellated Pavement but stopped at the ‘Dog Line’ for a photo of the statue and find out the history. The narrow neck was guarded by line of 19 savage dogs, all anchored by chains that just stopped them getting to each other but close enough to stop escaping convicts from getting past.

At the Tessellated Pavement we went down the steps for a close-up of the way the salt crystals have eaten into the rock to cause lines in three very specific directions, producing the tile like appearance. We had lunch in the car park and then drove on past Port Arthur to Remarkable Cave which is actually a tunnel from the ocean to a deep depression in the ground which has about 100 or so steps down to a viewing platform which allowed a view through the tunnel to the ocean.

The weather had been good up to this point but waited for us to get to the bottom of the steps and then decided to rain, but fortunately only a very brief shower. We actually did this spot on the 2000 trip and were just as impressed now as we were then. We backtracked to the loop road from Port Arthur and headed through Nubeena and turned off to Saltwater River and the historic coal mine and convict settlement.

We didn’t have time to see all of it as it is spread out with walks of over an hour to visit various different parts but we spent a good half hour going through the ruins in the closest area. We rejoined the loop road which joins the main road alongside the Tasmanian Devil Centre. We visited there on the 2000 trip so gave it a miss this time but is worth a look if you are the area. As we travelled back towards the Eaglehawk Neck we stopped at the Federation Chocolate Factory, for obvious reasons, which produce some interesting varieties, including sugar free options. We then continued our homeward journey but again deviated into Marion Bay which is currently hosting a head banging music festival for the New Year, but our intension was a visit to Bream Creek Vineyards to but a bottle of their excellent Pinot Noir, but they were closed or do not have cellar facilities. Either way the gate was well and truly locked off. So we again continued the journey home but as we passed through Dunally we deviated to see the unimpressive monument to Able Tasman who first discovered this island for the Dutch whilst looking for Australia, which apparently was too small to see on the way past. The curvature of the Earth gets you every time. We then continued once more with only one more stop at Eastlands shopping centre followed by a quick trip up to Rosny lookout for the views from that side of the river. We did eventually get home despite the deviations.

3rd January 2011

We had promised ourselves that we would drive into Hobart to get photos of a few things that we had seen on occasions as we passed through, and as the weather was fine headed into town. On the way there we noticed that the top of Mt Wellington was looking very clear, so we passed through Hobart and up the mountain first for a final look at the magnificent views and fresh flora. Unlike our previous visit it was not close to freezing point with only a gentle breeze, and the downward views were nowhere near as hazy as last time. We spent longer up there than last time and took a short walk towards the organ pipe area. When we came down we turned right rather than left taking us further from Hobart and found the Fern Tree Tavern and stopped and bought lunch, after which we crossed the road and walked for about 15 minutes each way to Silver Falls.

These were quite small but pleasant falls that and were, and possibly still are, part of the Hobart water supply. We then drove down the road beside the Tavern which soon changed into a dirt road and finally emerged near the roundabout on the Huon Highway near Kingston. From here we drove back into Hobart calling in to the Harbour and booked a cruise/adventure ride around the bottom of Bruny Island and then parked by the University Rose Garden on the Domain.

We walked through the gardens and around the University building to photo some artwork we saw a few weeks ago but it had been removed and turned into a construction site. We crossed back to the Domain and walked up to the Cenotaph for the views out over the river. We then headed home.

4th January 2011

We drove down to Harbour for the cruise which took us to the North Bruny Island landing area where the Ferry docks and then went by bus to Adventure Bay where we had stayed a while ago, and boarded the smaller boat for the trip around the bottom tip of the Island and into the Southern Ocean.

We followed the coast for stops at some of the more remarkable pieces of coastline, including the Breathing Cliff (rather like a blowhole where the compressed air as the water enters the hole in the cliff face blows the water back out as the ocean level drops after each wave) and the Totem Pole rock formation and then visited some islands that were littered with male fur seals.

Apparently the females and young all live and bred north of Tasmania.

On the way back we were joined by the largest pod of Dolphins that the boat crew have ever seen in many years of doing this trip. There were literally hundreds of them with many jumping out of the water simultaneously, but getting photos whilst travelling reasonably fast with a 1.5 metre swell was not easy, especially as you don’t know where they will appear next.

There were also albatross and shearwaters in flocks like they had never seen before, so we had picked the right day for our trip. We had lunch on the South Island, which included wine with some local cheese and fudge tasting. The wine was not good, so IconWines is off our favourites list. We drove back to the landing area and rejoined the Cruise boat back to Hobart and then drove round to say our goodbyes to Stu and Be as we leave for the journey up the East coast in two days time. On our return to the caravan park we found our neighbour Doug fast asleep in his director chair with Foxy happily lying on his lap. Over the weeks that we have been in New Norfolk he has become a great friend of Foxy to the point that he gets a visit from Foxy at every opportunity. It has been good for us as well, as each time we have left her at home we know she will have someone keeping an eye on her.

6th January 2011

Finally, we left New Norfolk and the Hobart area and started our journey up the east coast with the first stopping point being Triabunna. The journey there was hilly in places and with the extra load of the caravan the squeal noise we thought we were rid of reappeared, but at different RPM and volume (not so loud). After setting up the annex, etc we took a walk to the marina, visitor centre and small shopping strip and discovered that yet another boat trip to Maria Island is ridiculously expensive and when you get there you have to walk everywhere. That is okay but one point of interest requires a seven hour walk there and back, and unless you run some of that trip, and don’t stop to look at anything, you will miss the ferry back. The other point of interest that did interest us is the Painted Cliffs that are sandstone strata, coloured by the effects of rain soaking through the cliffs that have to be seen from the beach which therefore has to be when the tide is out. This means finding out the low tide time that coincides with the afternoon sun on the cliff face, apparently the best viewing time, and being able to book the ferry for an appropriate day to do this trip. It is obviously better to camp on the Island to have the time to do all this but we can’t as they don’t allow dogs, and it costs way too much for a few photos. The township is on the estuary of a small creek running into the Prosser Bay, but is not a particularly attractive outlook with only a narrow channel through stony outcrops. It may look better with a high tide.

7th January 2011

Barry attacked the squeal by cleaning the filter in the gas injection unit and also altering its mounting method.

8th January 2011

We took a drive through the town to look at a few areas along the coast but both roads ended with a just a jetty or a locked gate to keep you out so we headed for Orford, a small place that we drove through on the way to Triabunna. Orford was much larger than we thought, residentially, but we only found one shop. The shop is tucked away behind the modern looking hotel on the corner as you come over the bridge across the Prosser River.

We drove on to Buckland to get a photo of the Old Buckland Hotel and then came back to Orford to explore a few of the beaches along the coast line. The last one was quite a way out of town and offered the option of returning via an alternate route, which we took, and then turned off up the small mountain to Three Thumbs Lookout which potentially offered 180 degree views, but much of it was wooded so you only got to see through small windows. On the way back into Triabunna we noticed the tide was in which improved the appearance greatly.

9th January 2011

As the weather was predicted to be sunny we decided to drive up to Swansea despite the sky starting to cloud over but were willing to take our chances. The cloud cleared and it was a pleasant day. There is little on offer in Triabunna but on the way to Swansea there are several gravel roads that take you down to small beaches, some of which had interesting rocky outcrops with a coating of orange lichen. Almost opposite the first beach turn off to Spiky Beach is a remarkable Spiky Bridge, giving the name to the beach. It is a very unusual stone bridge as the stonework is somewhat different, but more amazing is the array of large stones mounted in the mortar capping.

Apparently the reason for this is not known, but it does acts as a barrier to stop people, or cattle, falling over the low bridge wall and also stops idiots kids walking on the walls, although I don’t know if that happened in those days and especially as it is about 10 kilometres from any form of civilisation.

Swansea is smaller than we anticipated but has an inviting entry to the town with a park alongside a small river leading to the beach. 

 Here we found a black breasted Doterall which had a young chick.  When we approached the chick it put on a distraction display making itself look injured, but walks away when you try to check it out and successfully lured us away from the chick.

We followed the river road rather than the main road, along the beach front to the end of the road at the headland.

Here we took the walk along the low cliff top around the headland until it ran out on the town side. When we arrived back at the car we had our packed lunch before driving into town where we did a small amount of shopping. It appears that there are only IGA stores on the east coast and the 2 that we have used so far leave a lot to be desired, especially in the vegie area. It also means that there will not be a Coles or Woolworth sponsored garages to get an 8 cents reduction of fuel. We drove slightly north of the town to the old Bark Mill and museum, which has been restored but not actually working. The museum part nothing special but the Bark Mill is interesting.

Apparently the bark is stripped and ground to a powder to extract the tannin and sent for use in tanneries. There is a cafe using the Bark Mill to entice you in. The beach immediately in front of the town is quite pleasant but a beach slightly north seems to collect some black rubbish so that the beach looks like it is covered in coal dust, and stinks like rotting kippers. On the return trip to Triabunna we called into a couple more beaches, one of which has free camping but not suitable for our size caravan, but great for camper trailers and tents. It has a toilet block but no water or power available anywhere so you have to rely on your own generator, or solar panels, and bring a heap of water if you intend staying long. Three weeks is supposed to be the maximum length stay but some look like they have been there much longer, although there is supposedly a caretaker on site.

We noticed a sign as we pulled into the entrance saying ‘Three Arch Bridge’ which we assumed to be a rock formation, but when we walked to it found it was a bridge under the main road. Like most bridges in Tasmania, it was obviously convict built, and like Spiky bridge was unusual in design, with 3 narrow arches for the water to pass through. They are both on the same road so may have been the same building crew despite the different designs. When we arrived back in Triabunna we drove to the end of the shopping strip to the war memorial for a few photos to finish the day off. Two days of car use including some healthy hills and we are now totally confident that we have cured our noise problem, except for the odd squeak, whimper and panting from the fluffy package on the back seat. She prefers to travel on the passengers lap but we insist that she uses her safety harness which happens to be attached to the back seat.