Tasmania Holiday – 2019 Day 5
Ian SchulzHobart to Lake St Clair
Good Morning!
We again woke to another amazing breakfast at our Hobart BnB. Spoilt with poached pears in a ginger syrup, followed by fresh waffles with stewed strawberries and lemon cream. Orange juice and coffee, one-word Yummo!!!
New Norfolk
After saying goodbye to our delightful hosts we pushed on to New Norfolk which was established in 1803 after a large number of folk moved from Norfolk Island to this new settlement hence the name. By the 1860’s it became known for the growing and processing of hops before sending off to the breweries. Today it is a quaint and quiet little town. A lovely spot for a pit stop and a picnic in the park we discovered.
Salmon Ponds
Next stop for us was the Salmon ponds which can be found at the end of a tree-lined drive which was in full autumn splendour and a sea of golden leaves. The ponds ranged from hatchlings to fully grown rainbow trout along with many other different varieties. They have also been many sightings of platypus on the grounds we, however, were not so lucky no matter how hard we searched.
Mt Field National Park, Russell and Horseshoe Falls
Next stop was Mt Field National Park which was free to enter upon sighting our valid parks pass. Once doing this we stretched our legs by doing the two closest and therefore most popular circuits.
The first is Russell falls which tumble 40 metres over 2 tiers and is an easy 25-minute return walk. The path is sealed level and flat suitable for all and is lined with tree ferns the entire way.
Past this is Horseshoe Falls which is a further 10 to 15 mins further on, but is a steep gradient and consists of 200 steps. So not the ideal track for everyone. All up this stop took us around an hour before grabbing a much-needed coffee in the cafe.
Onward to Pumphouse Point
Now finally the last leg of our trip which took just on 2 hours and past some remote areas. We travelled through forestry pine plantations and the Tarraleah Hydro Electricity station which was an enormous and impressive operation that seemed to stretch for miles. Before finally reaching our last destination of the day being the Pumphouse Point boutique hotel in the remote Lake St Claire National Park. Upon entering the gates we came face to face with the most adorable little wombat which quickly scurried away. So much so all I got to photograph was his or her rear end. Never mind I was hopeful to see more over the coming days. We also saw small wallabies grazing on the lawns as we neared the reception.
During check in we were made at home with a glass of Devils Corner Sparkling Cuvee and a warm fire. After being given information about the hotel we bundled our belongings and ourselves into a buggy to our room. We had booked the panorama room which just happened to be the hotel’s premier room. All we knew is that it looked good and we thought one splurge was worth it, the view and location looked amazing and it did not disappoint. So lucky us, we had the most amazing view of the pumphouse which we could see from our bed, and also the largest room in the complex. Even though we were in the shoreline accommodation and not in the pump house itself we still felt we had hit the jackpot.
We were above the dining room so easy access for meals and no windblown walks across the jetty for us.
Dinner then off to bed
After quickly freshening up we made our way to dinner in the communal dining hall. We were seated with 2 couples who started as strangers and by the time finished entree had become friends. Dinner comprised of 3 courses consisting of Mushroom Soup with Thyme and Parmesan flatbread for entre, followed by Lamb Shanks in a tomato/olive sauce with sweet potato mash, muslin salad, cold cuts of ham and mustard onion jam. Finished with poached pear, candied lime, meringue and double cream. This was all accompanied by any beverage your heart desires which all works on an honesty system. AMAZING !!!!! After a coffee and a quick game of chinese checkers, our bellies full we rolled into bed with a ridiculously big smile on our faces. Night ☺