Category: Travel

Cradle Mountain to Stanley

We woke to a break in the weather and saw a glimmer of hope in being able to make it out to Dove Lake to photograph Cradle Mountain itself and the boathouse.

Dove Lake

So we quickly ate breakfast, packed the car, checked out and made our way to the information centre where we showed our parks pass and queued for the courtesy bus.  Only buses are allowed out to Dove Lake between the hours of 8 am to 5 pm as the roads are narrow and the parking is limited.
Once on the bus, it makes four stops in all, the rangers station, Snake Hill, Ronny Creek, and finally Dove Lake. 

Once off the bus, we made haste along the tracks.  Those doing the overland track or the longer hikes, one must register and sign in and out for safety reasons.  We however only did the short path to and from the lake which was about 25 minutes return. 

We hurried along making some stops along the way and taking time to admire the scenery.  There were bursts of sunshine and some light mist.  Finally reaching the boathouse, we lingered a little to take some photos before starting our return.   Our pace quickened as rain descended over the mountains. We managed to jump straight into a bus just as the heavens opened.

Back at the information centre, we warmed ourselves with a hot mug of coffee each and a blueberry muffin.

Next stop Stanley

We winded our way across the state in a westerly direction taking in some magic scenery, passing through Camdale and into the small coastal town of Wynyard.  The views on our way up and from Table Cape where glorious. After a Short break, we headed back down for a spot of lunch and a much-needed toilet break. Then back on the highway and onto Stanley which is a delightful little fishing town and the ex-whaling station made famous by the Nut. 

The Nut is Tassie’s very own Ullaru one could say.  You can walk to the top of the nut, but it is steep in parts,  reasonable fitness is required.  Alternatively, on a good day, you can take the chair lift if okay with heights.  The Nut stands out like a beacon, miles before you reach it.  On entering the town, we took the time to do a quick tour taking in the sights and quaint architecture.  All of which spoke of a bygone era, with such charm and appeal.  

We checked into our Bnb before heading to the local pub for dinner.   Tummies full we made our way back to our inn for a nightcap and bed.

Strahan to Cradle Mountain 

Up early and on the road headed to Cradle Mountain which all up was a pleasant 2.5-hour journey.

We stopped ever so briefly in Zeehan at the IGA for some supplies before pressing on.  Next stop was the small town of Roseberry for some much-needed fuel to warm us up.  A toasted sandwich and a mug of hot chocolate did just the trick as it was bitterly cold outside and still drizzling with rain.  The Roseberry cafe was very welcoming and made for a great pit stop.  

Once fed and warm we raced back to the car and on the road again.  To keep things interesting we played I spy, one of our favourite road trip games. We became very creative as the scenery did not change significantly for some time, haha!

A rainy, windy, snow-covered Cradle Mountain

As we made our approach into cradle mountain and the Lake St Clair national park we were greeted again by rain, wind and evidence of snowfall during the night which still had not fully melted.  Given the weather was not improving and we were too early to check in to our accommodation we stopped into the Cradle Mountain Wilderness Gallery to take in some fantastic art and photography exhibits by the late landscape masters Olegas Truchannas and Peter Dombrovskis whos photo known as the  “The Bend”,  Franklin River spoke to so many people and so loudly that the damming of the Franklin came to an abrupt halt and saw it claimed as world heritage.

He may have perished in the wilderness doing what he did and loved best, but his works live on and continue to tell a remarkable story to inspire future generations and photographers alike.

Wildlife and waterfalls

Back out in the cold and in the car we drove further into the park spying wallabies grazing on fresh green shoots.  We drove as far as the rangers station stopping to photograph the cascade falls next to Peppers lodge.  These falls were fast and furious. With rain falling 300 days of the year it’s no wonder.

We ducked into the market located nearby for a sweet treat only to walk outside coming face to face with a wombat.  Well, I don’t know who got more of a surprise him or us.  He quickly scurried off, with us and some other passers-by closely following.  When he pulled up around the back of the shop on a grassy paddock to feed we stood and ogled in awe.  Wombats would have to be one of the cutest marsupials on the planet.  Little kegs on legs but so adorable you want to give them a big cuddle.

Leaving him, we headed to our accommodation to check in.   Having arrived at the cabin we unpacked, started the fire, and relaxed as visibility outside was low. We headed to dinner at Hellyer’s restaurant for three share plates. The perfect meal before relaxing in our spa with a glass of red,  then retiring for the night.

Leaving Lake St Clair, driving to Strahan

32+knot winds howling all night made for a restless nights sleep.  Autumn is here, but Winter is fast approaching.  As we sat and ate breakfast the first signs of snow started to fall.  Cueing us to keep moving to ensure we did not get snowed-in. 

Onward to Strahan via Queenstown

After checking out from the Pumphouse, we cautiously made our way along the icy roads towards the ex-mining town known as Queenstown.  On approaching Queenstown, you can’t help but compare the landscape to other parts of Tasmania or to the very scenic town with the same name in New Zealand.  This town is a stark contrast to the lush and beautiful countryside which surrounds it and is more like a Lunar landscape that has been raped and pillaged over years and years of mining iron, copper and other minerals.  The townsfolk or residents seem to be somewhat quirky as they take to gardening in rather an unusual way.  
We stopped briefly but not long as the weather was bleak and we had places to be. 

Strahan

So we pushed on to Strahan which I recall as a vibrant sea and river port.  The main trades here are timber and fishing, evident by the few timber mills in operation and fishing boats bobbing all around.  Huon pine is the primary timber sourced in this area and was due to a large number being felled in this area and further up the river when they dammed the Gordon.  Due to the Huon pines natural oils, the logs float and over time made their way downstream.  So to this day, they are still fishing logs out of the Gordon River to mill. 

Hooning on Dune Buggies

Strahan is the starting point for the famous Gordon River cruise or the West Coast Wilderness Railway steam train.  
We, however, didn’t partake in either this time around but both are very interesting in their own right.  Today we had come to town for a rush of adrenaline with ATV Adventure tours.  A fun 1.5 hours of dune buggy heaven through Henty Dunes. The ATV’s were excellent fun, and we would highly recommend going out with Ian at ATV Adventure Tours.  He was a great bloke and highly experienced.  We bounced around and darted up and down the dunes, giggling and shrieking with delight.

Back to Strahan Village

Back to Strahan on dusk to grab a hamburger made with love by Molly at the local takeaway, then back to Strahan Village to enjoy a night in.  Strahan was once a thriving little town, I must admit I was surprised at how quiet it has become.  Not sure if it was due to the off-peak season or because it’s another little town slowly fading. I hope not.

Exploring Lake St Clair and The Wall In The Wilderness

Pumphouse Point History

A little history about the pumphouse before breakfast.  The Pumphouse was built in 1940 as part of Tasmania’s first hydro-electricity station.  It stands 5 stories tall at the end of a 274-metre flume that protrudes out into Australia’s deepest lake at 160-metres, Lake St Clair in the Cradle Valley.  The state-of-the-art facility pumped water from Lake St Clair into the nearby St Clair Lagoon before being fed to the Tarraleah Power Station.  The Pumping station was decommissioned in the early ’90s and placed on Tassie’s Heritage register.  In 2004 the current owner was successful in securing the lease and after 10 years of hard work the doors once again swung open on the 1^st January 2015 for people to come and enjoy.  There are 18 rooms on offer, so you really do feel at times that you have the place to yourself.

Breakfast and the Pumphouse lounge

Breakfast this morning was again in the communal dining hall and consisted of hot and cold morsels to enjoy.  Everything you would be wanting for breakfast and local delights from around Tasmania.  After our daily bread, we took the walk out to the pumphouse which all guests are able to enjoy the lounge area that overlooks the water.  Once across we warmed ourselves by the fire as the weather has been a mixture of showers and what seems to be the roaring 40’s wind.  So layers are definitely required as you never know what the day holds as it is quite changeable as we have noticed.

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The Wall In The Wilderness

Another must visit in the area is “The Wall In The Wilderness” which has been a labour of love by artist Greg Duncan.  The story depicted on the wall is a commemoration of those men and women both past and present that helped shape Tasmania’s central highland.  The wall consists of 3 metre high panels that have been tirelessly carved spanning 100 metres in total in two 50 metre corridors.  Some of the carvings are so realistic it is hard to believe they are made of wood and not leather for instance.  You have to resist the urge to reach out and touch them to assure yourself it is not how it seems.  Unfortunately but understandably no photography is allowed within the confines of the building.  Stopping and checking out this marvel when in the area is something I would recommend.

Lake St Clair Lodge

Just a little further up the road from our digs is Lake St Clair Lodge and visitors centre which is a hive of activity and the finishing point for those who have walked the overland track which is 65-80 kilometres and takes approximately 6-7 days to walk, attracting over 8000+ hikers per year.

Back for the night

Now back to the pumphouse and to our room for a spot of lunch and some relaxing as it is starting to blow a gale. I’ve settled in for the evening now but my other half has been silly enough to brave the weather in the hope of securing another shot of the Pumphouse from another angle.  He’ll no doubt come back with something magic and I’ll be envious but warm.

Hobart 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 ☺

Tasman Peninsula to Hobart

Last day at our little shack on Norfolk Bay in Taranna.  It has been good, and while it was a little rough around the edges, it has provided us shelter and is in a great central location to all the must-sees and dos in the area.  So with breakfast done, bags and car packed, there are a few last minute things to see before heading north.   These include the Tasman Arch, Devils Kitchen and Blowhole, all situated around the small fishing town known as Doo Town. 

Doo Town

I love the quirkiness of this town whereby the locals all try to out ‘doo’ themselves, especially when it comes to naming their respective dwellings.  Just Doo it,  Doo drop it, Xanadoo, She’ll Doo and Dr Doolittle just to name a few.  You get the gist and it is fun just to drive around reading out the various names.

Tasman Arch, Devil’s Kitchen, and The Blowhole

As you come into Doo town you turn right to go up to the Tasman Arch which is just literally a stone’s throw from your car park.  No real walking required at all to appreciate this.  Devil’s Kitchen is at the other end of the carpark and is a short 2-minute walk with 3 viewing platforms to admire from varying angles.  You can also take a stroll out to the headland to look at the coastline.

If you keep going straight ahead when entering Doo town you will come into a car park on your right from here it is again a short and easy walk to view the blowhole from 3 platforms placed around the perimeter.  Another short walk out to the headland shows you views of the coastline back to Pirate’s Bay and Devil’s Kitchen.  We enjoyed our morning coffee and a lemon slice from the food van situated in the car park before heading to Richmond.

Richmond

Richmond was absolutely buzzing we didn’t know if this was normal or because of the fact it was a public holiday but people were out enjoying the beautiful weather.  Blue skies and a lovely 23 degrees, why wouldn’t you want to be out and about.  We drove through town and decided to perch ourselves on the river bank where Australia’s oldest stone arch bridge spans the Coal River.  Here we enjoyed a picnic lunch before exploring the town which has over 45 heritage listed buildings.  We explored antique stores, art galleries and treated ourselves to some of the award-winning Coal Farm ice-cream which was very creamy and delicious. Pistachio and Strawberry were the 2 flavours we shared.

On to Hobart

After a couple of hours, we pushed onto to Hobart and checked into our BnB for the night in the suburb of Howrah just 10-15 minutes from the Hobart CBD, depending on traffic.  Our hosts were lovely and the room was very comfortable and well appointed.  After checking in we still had time for one more thing, which given the day was clear, we decided we would drive up Mt Wellington to enjoy the hilltop view. 

Mt Wellington

We started the climb out of the CBD and through the rainforest up to the windswept subalpine landscape.  Like the song goes…..I’m on top of the world looking down on creation.  WOW, what a view, you can see for miles and no wonder when your perched 1271 metres above sea level.  Definitely worth the drive up which can be hairy at times give the road is not very wide, but well worth it.  Always have some layers in the car because it can be chilly at the top.  Click, click, click and brrrr time to leave.  Feeling peckish, what to have for dinner???

Dinner

Well, dinner we decided Italian might be the ticket, a quick Google and ta-da we are sitting down in De Angelos in Battery Point enjoying some pasta and red wine.  Devine and so friendly, the owner was on hand and couldn’t be any nicer.  Given the restraint was fully booked and a steady stream of takeaway customers were coming and going we knew we were on a winner.  Happy little vegemites, it’s back to our room and time for the blanket show.

Today we arose early to get a good start to the day. We hit the road and headed south a short 10km trip from our little shack to The Port Arthur Historic Site.

Port Arthur

Founded in 1830, The Port Arthur Historic Site, was used as a penal settlement until 1877. During this period over 12,500 convicts served time on the 100 acre site, situated on a shore at the southern end of the Tasman Peninsula.

We decided it best to arrive early to beat the easter long weekend crowds, getting a car park just metres from the site entry. We skipped the guided walking tour, and the 20 minute boat ride that was included in the quite reasonable entry fee, making our way around the gardens and ruins at a relaxed pace in around 3 and a half hours. There are a couple of cafe’s onsite, one in the visitor centre, and one in the asylum building, providing snacks, cold drinks and coffee.

Overall it was a good way to fill the morning.  Upon entry we were given a playing card each, each matching a convict or other Port Arthur resident. A novel way to get people to understand life in the penal colony. Our cards were both convicts, sentenced to spend nine months locked below decks of a 19th century sailing ship and then a further 7 years to life for offences that today would see them slapped on the wrist and sent on their way.

Libby: A baker who horded bread

Ian: A man convicted of stealing razors

Tasman Island Cruise

Upon leaving the ruins, we made our way, a short 2 minute drive to Pennicott Wilderness Journeys, where we hopped aboard an 800 horsepower speed boat to check out the Tasman Peninsula from a slightly different perspective.  300m high Dolerite cliffs, blowholes, caves, lighthouses, and varied wildlife including, seals, eagles, albatross’, and osprey. The tour lasted around 3 hours, and thankfully didn’t end the same way it did for Gilligan and the Skipper.

Maingon Bay Lookout and Remarkable Cave

With daylight still to be enjoyed, we did what we do best, we drove until we saw something of interest, this time we happened to find a road that lead to the Remarkable cave and Maingon Bay lookout, a picturesque location with a path leading down 115 step to a viewing platform at the bottom, looking through Remarkable cave out to the ocean.  Due to the light of the sun fading fast, it was only a quick stop, unfortunately unable to get down to the beach to explore the cave further.

As light faded, we headed back to our accommodation, the little beach shack in Tarrana.

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After the usual start to a holiday, flight, touchdown, hire car, travel snacks, and wine, the adventure has begun.

Hobart Airport to the Tasman Peninsula

After landing at Hobart airport and picking up our hire car, our next stop was the town of Sorell for a quick supply shop. Cheese, biscuits, wine and a few groceries to keep us sustained for the coming days. We quickly made our way out of town along the Arthur Highway, taking in the scenery on the way to Eagle Hawk Neck.

The Tessellated Pavement

Just metres before Eagle Hawk Neck, we reached The Tessellated Pavement. One word: Impressive. The Tessellated Pavement is a stretch of flat sedimentary rock along the northern end of Pirates Bay Beach. This sedimentary rock has, over thousands of years, cracked into regular rectangular shapes resembling laid tiles.

We spent a little over an hour here, taking in the beautiful scenery while waiting for the sun to drop, hoping for a spectacular sunset that unfortunately never eventuated, however, we did manage to walk away with several good photos from the area.

While a bit of a tourist hot spot, with a steady procession of people coming and going this is a definite must see when travelling through this area.

Onward to Tarrana

Having had our fill of the Tessellated pavement, we finally made our way to our accomodation for the night.