On The Road

Day 53 Nubeena Saturday 19th March 2011

One of many sandstone buildings in Oatlands

"Moon worshipers"

Friends, Romans, Countrywomen,

Which is possibly an appropriate greeting for my day today, well the countrywomen bit.... I will explain....

My day started early with the synchronised ringing of two phone alarms, so that I would be ready for the cheese making workshop. Why is it that I can stay up late and sleep outdoors in the swag and wake at 6:00 after tossing and turning and waking 5 or 6 times and feel totally refreshed, or sleep in a bed wake once and feel knackered? Illogical!!

After tiptoeing around to get ready I whispered sweet nothings in Simon's buried ear (blocking out light and sound) and departed for a 2 hour drive to Oatlands. I hadn't realised that we had actually bypassed this quaint town several times until later in the day when we walked about waiting for our ride.

Ilan travelled to Wynyard to attend an auction of one of his properties and dropped Lynne and I at Oatlands on the way.

The cheese making workshop was only one activity on the days agenda. The day organised by Rural Women Association and sponsored by a number of government and support agencies. About 20 women attended and spoke on topics including diversity of rural women's roles, decision making and change, safe/sustainable food, succession planning for family farms, all quite meaty subjects delivered with enthusiasm and humour. Lynne seized the opportunity to network and "market" the Tasman Village concept which will be officially launched in the coming weeks, when land sales open.

The days proceedings were part of a series which attracted some grant money. The cost of $10 included lunch at Casaveens which consisted of a delicious bowl of pumpkin and coriander soup, baguettes and fruit, topped off with fresh scones and coffee back at the hall.

Participation in a couple of surveys made participants eligible for prizes, I won a substantial voucher to Casaveens which I will probably put towards a gift for Simon's birthday next month. Lynne won some gourmet bread and willow basket from the local bakery, with ground flour from the famous Callington mill, restoration completed in 2010. This is the only windmill of its type in the Southern hemisphere.

The cheese making workshop was most interesting, but more of a demonstration than a workshop, nevertheless we got the idea. Cheese making is quite simple and some types are ready for consumption same day like the haloumi we sampled today. Lynne plans to host a workshop at Parsons Bay, something I might assist organise. The presenter Lance and his wife are an interesting couple who pre-retirement managed an million hectare station in Broome. Lance also writes spicy fiction books, we laughed about the woman who rang him to complain she was lacking sleep after reading one of his books til 2:00am, because she didn't want to miss the spicy bits.... Apparently there is a market for this type of book in the outback sold at roadside cafes, hmm a niche market???

While waiting for our ride Lynne and I explored the main street, noting that Oatlands has a wealth of history and worth a more thorough explore.

On the way "home" Ilan suggested we watch the moonrise at Pirate lookout as the full moon was the closest to earth tonight in 18 years and is apparently 14% larger and 30% brighter. Thick clouds and drizzle meant there was no visible moon, however we commiserated with red wine and nibbles after being joined by Simon, Rebecca, Tatiana, Ady and Nick. The bonfire adding to the ambiance.

Now to sleep as I start in my new "manager" role at 08:00.

Cheers Susan

Day 52 Nubeena Friday 18th March 2011

Rocks - Bay of Fires; not so named for the firey look as people commonly think

More rocks

Oyster Bay near Bicheno

Hi Folks,

A big driving day today. We awoke to a mild sunny morning at The Bay of Fires, so called by an early explorer, who while sailing down the coast sighted many camp fires lit by the natives. The area is picturesque and will be worth a return visit.

After breakfasting we packed and headed on our way. We decided to drive down the coast to Bicheno on our way home. The coastal strip is described as Tasmania's Sunshine Coast and it certainly was today. After having coffee we headed inland and through the historic town of Richmond which looked an interesting place worth returning to. We went to Cambridge on the outskirts of Hobart to visit Anaconda for some socks and shirts on special. I also purchased a bit more fishing gear to replace that which was lost in the last couple of weeks.

We then travelled the familiar route towards Nubeena with a quick stop at Sorell for food and fuel. The trip home was uneventful and we were soon catching up with the news from the resort and a shared tea.

We now have our own unit so we have some unpacking and settling in to do. Susan is off early tomorrow to attend a cheese making workshop with Lynne, while I have to learn the mysteries of pool and spa maintenance. It is only 3 days until the experienced people leave so we have to get up to speed quickly.

cheers Simon

Day 51 Bay of Fires Thursday 17th March 2011

Lilydale Falls

Franklin House (no pictures allowed inside!)

Garden view - Franklin House

Sunset at Dora Point

On the beach - Dora Point

Bienvenue,

Tonight the blog is being typed from beside the campfire at the Bay of Fires on the east coast adjacent St Helens. This area is probably the seaside resort area of Tasmania.

First of all yesterdays forgotten item. When we approached Longford I could see hedges and immediately thought boxthorns. However I was wrong they were Hawthorns another remnant of Tasmania's English heritage and climate.

Today started in Lilydale where our swag was surprisingly undewed apart from under the awning where our sweaty breath had condensed. We breakfasted and packed and then took advantage of the showers which were rustic but hot. We then walked up to the two falls adjacent the camp area which were quite pretty we saw no evidence of the rumoured platypuses.

We drove back to Launceston to visit Franklin House circa 1830 and its garden. The house also serves as the headquarters of the Tasmanian National Trust and was the catalyst for its formation in 1960. One donated item that caught my eye was a trunk belonging to Charles II that he left in Jersey in 1650. The garden had a very large oak tree with a carpet of acorns. I had a whimsical thought about picking up a sack full and travelling the country randomly planting them.

We then headed back toward Launceston Central stopping in Meadow Vale for Susan to visit the bank and to have a midday snack. I then decided to drive in to central lanceston for a quick look never a good idea with the trailer on especially when they don't sign post dead end streets!

It was then onto Saint Helens a trip of around 180km. From there we headed to the Bay of Fires where we are now camped. There was enough time for a short walk on the edge of the estuary before the cooking of tea and lighting of camp fire.

We are currently being circled by bands of marauding possums sort of like the Indians and the wagon train in the old west.

Speaking of Indians it might be time to get out the poppadoms because there has been just a hint of an Indian summer. Now after having researched what an Indian Summer is I now realise that using the term here is totally inappropriate. There is always something to learn.

Anyway the cold is setting in, the fire has died and it's time to hit the swag.

Cheers Simon

Day 50 Lilydale Wednesday 16th March 2011

Pumphouse Bay Caravan Park; Arthurs Lake

Brikenden Village

Brikenden Church

Stained glass

The cook house - Ohh what a kitchen

Conkers to you...

A feast for 2!

Relaxing while the fish is cooking

Hi,

Day 50! It is hard to believe we are up to 50 already.

We awoke to a red dawn at Arthur's Lake. We breakfasted leisurely until dark grey clouds appeared spurring frantic activity to make our kit safe which we did and then the clouds disappeared. Although we were only there overnight and this morning we had several conversations with our neighbours. This camping ground is one of those friendly ones where people want to talk. We will have to return there. Plus the Lake is said to be the premiere brown trout fishing in Lake in Tassy.

After departing we headed off of the central highlands down the steep windy road to the plains at Poatina. Poatina is a little town built in the middle of nowhere to support the power station. All the buildings are built of exactly the same construction in the 60's I guess.

We arrived at Longford and wandered the main street pausing for a coffee and an internet catch up. We had no reception last night which i must say is the exception as the Telstra coverage has been very good.

We travelled to Brickenden which is a World Heritage listed farm and house and garden. The property was settled in the 1820's and farmed with convict labour.
The gardens were English style and I had another flashback to youthful days in England what with all the oak trees but here were trees with conkers! Horse chestnuts! For those of you not of Northern Hemisphere origin an explanation can be found HERE It was a pleasant afternoon strolling around the gardens.

Towards the end I was assailed by a pleasant man from the Presbyterian Inland Mission founded by John Flynn. His brief is to visit rural areas to provide support for farmers. I obviously need to shave and change my clothes more often as I must look more like a yokel then a tourist. With respect to calling them yokels there are all sorts of eccentricities in this world. Two people sitting at a picnic table in a parking bay in the dark typing on their laptops fuelled by extensions cords from an inverter in their vehicle are probably a bit odd as well!

From Longford we drove through Launceston another town which leads me to think no town planners were ever transported to Port Arthur. It is more poorly laid than Hobart.

From there it was on to Lilydale to the free camp where this blog is being typed. Well almost free. To get the key to the shower and laundry you have to pay $50 deposit from which is deducted $6 for each day. Apparently the washing machine has been stolen so the laundry is not much.

For tea we baked our two trout in foil on top of our gas stove hotplate. Very nice. There are three other parties staying here and they have long since gone to bed.

Cheers Simon

Day 49 Arthur's Lake Tuesday 16th March 2011

Morning mist at Lake Burbury

Nelson Falls

View from nature walk lookout

Hi Folks,

It’s about 910pm and we are sitting by the campfire in the Pumphouse Campground at Arthurs Lake. The wood was left by the last people in residence so we thought we would use it. This park is in the Camps 5 book mainly because it is $4 per night per person. Apparently it’s very popular and can be hard to get into peak season.

The day started at Lake Burbury. We toodled down to try our luck with the trout. I managed to loose a nice Helin Flatfish lure and as we were about to leave for camp I realised that my Swiss Army knife had fallen from its belt pouch. Not a great start to the day. We scoured the long gravel and rock banks for about 20 minutes until eventually Susan spotted it. Phew! Big relief.

We breakfasted leisurely and were among the last to leave at after 10, which allowed the dew to dry off the swag. We took the road towards Lake St Clair pausing to stop at the signposted attractions. Nelson Falls then a Nature walk up to a lookout with great views of Mount Franklin and the Franklin River followed by the last stop a “wilderness walk” along the banks of the Franklin and Surprise Rivers. Along the path of the latter a large Beech Myrtle tree had fallen and a section had been cut out to allow a clear path. The cutting was very fresh in fact the foliage on the tree was still in good condition. I took the opportunity to grab a wedge that had been left on the ground for future use and also to cut a section of straight branch for conversion into a walking stick at a later date.

At the lookout we paused to chat to a female cyclist who we first noticed on the drive to Cradle Mountain and who stayed at the Discovery Park. We later saw her at Queenstown and she was also at Lake Burbury last night. She has been riding around Tassie for three weeks and has three days to get back to Hobart.

We arrived at Lake StClair at around three and had afternoon tea and a visit to the visitor centre when I once again resisted the urge to buy nice winter jacket. It was then back on the road towards Hobart turning off at Bronte along the Marlborough Highway towards Miena. The word highway was a misnomer. It was a dirt road in average condition. We were soon at Arthurs Lake and after some initial confusion we finally located the camp ground. It’s a nice spot.

The highlight of the evening was our neighbour popping over and giving us two reasonable sized freshly caught brown trout which are now in our fridge. Something to pop in the camp oven!

Time to hop in the swag for some shut eye. Night folks.

Cheers Simon

Day 48 Lake Burbury Monday 14th March 2011

Dusk at Lake Burbury

The intrepid fisherman

"Chillin"" and "watchin"

Hello!

This evening we are camped on the shores of Lake Burbury for the princely sum of $5. For your money you get toilets with paper but no lights, a shelter hut with no lights and broken BBQ's and a playground plus the opportunity to share a large paddock with about 20 other tightwads in luxury motor homes.

We arose this morning about 815 and after a slow start, during which I unsuccessfully advanced the case for staying longer at Cradle Mountain commenced packing at around 940. The sky was cloudless which was a blessing since the canvas was quite damp from dew on the outside and our exhalation on the inside and we had to wait for it to dry. We eventually left around 12 and popped into the visitor centre for refreshments and a snack and to decide which way we were going which is a good thing to do before you hit the highway. Susan would like to see some of the open gardens which are mostly clustered around Launceston. We decided to travel there in the opposite direction for reasons I can't quite remember. We drove SW through Roseberry and Queenstown where we paused to top up the fuel and visit the IGA. We left Queenstown about 330 intending to stop overnight at Lake StClair. However we came across this spot which did have a tick in the Camps 5 book and decided this would do for the night. The Lake is one for the hydro scheme and looks reasonably full. After tea and a set up of the swag we toodled down to the waters edge so I could pit my wits against the wily trout.

I tied on a 25 year old Celta (an ancient French lure)and after several casts to my shock hooked a trout which promptly jumped out of the water and threw the hook. The jumping indicated it was probably a rainbow pity it was half decent size. Speaking of which the legal length in this dam is a miniscule 200mm!

That was the only excitement of note apart from when I jagged Susan's finger with a hook when we were trying to untangle them in the lure box. Submerged branches claimed the Celta plus a Flopy (another l type of lure) so all in all the fish are well in front.

Today was a rare cloudless warm sunny day. We may yet be wearing turbans! It's a swag night tonight and I shall be hopping into the sarcophagus shortly. It's 945 and Susan is already in there taking the chill off.

The pictures for today will be added tomorrow. Susan's computer is flat so there will be a slight delay. Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.

Cheers Simon

Day 47 Cradle Mountain Sunday 13th March 2011

Twin Peaks. The LHS one was where the climbers were spotted on top. We walked along the base of these and down through a cleft in the scarp at the left. You can just see a couple of tracks.

Rangers emergency hut

Fagus beech. Australias only native deciduous tree.

Link to Deciduous Beech information

Fireplace in the camp kitchen

General view in the kitchen

Hi all,

Big day for the old people today. We decided to do the Dove Lake upper circuit rated as medium, which for us is getting on towards hard.

The day started off unusually sunny a change in the usual pattern. We started the walk at around 1030. The first section was easy on the lower track. We then climbed up towards Lake Wilks an ascent of about 100 metres. After a short horizontal walk along the edge of the lake we had a fairly testing ascent of another 180 metres until we intersected with the face track, which is the main track along the Cradle Mountain plateau. We then descended around 150 metres as we walked around the rim to Mount Hanson.

The weather was becoming progressively more windy with heavier clouds crossing the sky. We stopped to examine the Rangers Hut which can be used for emergency shelter. We climbed again around 80 metres and reached Mount Hanson and enjoyed the views although we were actually lower than the high point of the walk. The descent began and we were hanging on to a chain for dear life. It was steep! but probably no more than 40 metres in length.

After the chain we were on the exposed ridge and the wind picked up to such a degree we were getting buffeted and in danger of being blown over. I estimated it was around 80km/h. We then had to do another ascent albeit a small one which was certainly testing in the conditions. However we battled on and were soon descending down towards the car park in warm sheltered sunny conditions.

We were passed by 2 walkers and I enquired if they were the people I had seen right at the top of Little Horn the craggy peak above the face track. Yes it was them they had done 3 peaks on the day. In summary it was an enjoyable and testing walk that certainly illustrated the changeability of conditions on the mountain. Total walk time 5.5 hours and distance 8km.

We adjourned to the visitor centre for a coffee and hot chocolate before returning to camp for tea. We have decided to move on tomorrow in the general direction of Mount Field near Hobart though the finer details are still being worked out.

The weather closed in a bit tonight and it is noticeably colder so a good time to move on.

cheers Simon

About half way up.

View from the face track. Ignore the narrator. We did not have to climb the rear peak it was actually the one just to the right.