Tasmania

Devonport

Devonport was our base in Tasmania - eldest daughter Julia lives there with her fiance Josh, and they have a spare bedroom just for us. We arrived just after 7:00am and enjoyed catching up with them over breakfast. After a rest day, we set off with Julia on Monday morning for a day out - visiting op-shops in Devonport, East Devonport, Ulverstone and Latrobe.

Scamander

15 - 17 December 2015

Lesser-crested terns at Scamander.

For our first excursion away from Devonport we decided on the East Coast. This is a very popular holiday destination, and with school holidays just around the corner, we thought it might be hard to get accommodation in the coming weeks. We chose Scamander because we found a place to stay, right on the beach, that looked nice.

Our accommodation was on the left behind the sandy beach.

The grass area in front of our room.

We left Devonport along the Bass Highway towards Deloraine, then through Longford, where we stopped for lunch. It was then onto the Midland Highway, and a turn-off onto the Main Esk Road before arriving at Scamander.

We were lucky to experience some beautiful weather.

The unfortunately named Red-necked stint.

Little terns are breeding on the beach.

Red-capped plovers have small chicks and keep a weary eye on passers-by.

The accommodation we chose was self-contained, but small, with the best uninterrupted views to the beach. A small supermarket in Scamander was sufficient to get supplies for dinner. In the morning we set off to St Helens - where I ran into the husband of a former work colleague in the Visitor Information Centre! Such a small world.

I had to stop at St Helens to capture this perfectly calm harbour view.

We drove out to the Bay of Fires - one of the most spectacular parts of this magnificent coastline. We made several stops to walk on the beach, and to take lots of photos. After driving all the way up to The Gardens we headed back to Binalong Bay for coffee then back to St Helens for lunch and some more shopping. There are two op-shops, as well as two supermarkets and other shops.

Bay of Fires.

Bay of Fires.

Bay of Fires scenery is stunning.

Binalong Bay.

We walked on the beach in the afternoon and again in the morning before setting off for Bicheno.


Bicheno

17 - 19 December 2015

We stayed at Diamond Island Resort in Bicheno in 2004 and enjoyed our short visit so decided to go there again. We booked a self-contained unit and arrived too early to check in. After coffee in town we drove out to Freycinet National Park which is only 40km away. We enjoyed a picnic lunch at Ranger Creek, just near the park visitor centre. We picked up a map and some information about a possible bird watching spot.

More stunning scenery at Coles Bay in Freycinet National Park.

Diamond Island Resort has private beach access - and is a great place to see penguins. Each evening these cute little birds march up from the beach and head off into their nesting spots nearby. We gathered with other visitors at about 9.30pm and watched the passing parade. It was a very special sight.

Looking over to Diamond Island from our balcony. The Penguin viewing platform is centre of the shot.

The small floodlight is not strong enough to get a good shot of the Little penguins.

In the morning we walked over to Diamond Island. You can only do this at low tide, so we had checked the tide times first. We didn't stay long, and didn't see any penguins although there were tracks in the sand. We really didn't want to disturb them so stayed away from the burrows.

Black-faced cormorant.

Hooded plover.

Sooty oystercatchers.

A Lesser-crested tern loses its crab dinner temporarily.

Lesser-crested tern.

Next we drove back down to Freycinet National Park, and decided to start with a visit to the Wineglass Bay Lookout. We have completed this somewhat challenging walk before and it is well worth the effort - but the car park was almost full when we arrived and we didn't fancy getting caught up in crowds so we moved on to Cape Tourville instead. This is a really easy short walk, with terrific views, around the lighthouse.

The famous Wineglass Bay can be seen in the distance.

Forest Raven. I'm making an effort to sort out Crows and Ravens on this trip.

On the way back towards the main road we stopped at Sleepy Bay. Again there is a very easy short walk, and then a longer extension track that takes you down to the beach. Although there were lots of stairs, some steep sections, and it was loose underfoot, it was actually a relatively easy walk. The beach at the end was sufficient reward for the effort.

Sleepy Bay.

An optical illusion at Sleepy Bay.

We drove into Coles Bay for lunch at the pub, then out to the Friendly Beaches. Again we found ourselves entranced by a wonderful view. The sea was such a bright blue, and the sand so white it appeared quite tropical - but don't be fooled, it might be summer, but in Tasmania the water is still icy cold.

Even with a stiff sea breeze the water remains crystal clear at Friendly Beaches.

Looking down on the long stretch of pure white sand.

Our last morning at Bicheno and from our balcony, Dolphins could be seen showing off in the distance.

After four days with fantastic weather we headed home to Devonport the long way - via St Helens, Scottsdale and Launceston. This drive took us through farming and forest land. It's a beautiful drive but windy most of the way to Launceston. We found a nice picnic area by the river in Derby. Although it was in the town. there were a number of families camped there - and children were swimming in the river. It was a sunny day, but I'm sure the river would have been icy cold. We were very fortunate that our visit to the east coast coincided with some great weather - warm and clear, but Tasmania (and much of Victoria and South Australia) was experiencing a heatwave as we drove home - it was 32 degrees when we stopped for fuel and still in the high 20's when we reached our destination.


Corinna - The Tarkine

30 December 2015 - 1 January 2016

For our next excursion we headed west - to the wild west coast. We had stayed at Corinna on a previous visit to Tassie so decided it would be a nice place to see in the New Year. We headed off from Devonport along the Bass Highway, and turned onto the Murchison just past Burnie. We made a stop at Hellyer Gorge - another spot we have stopped at before. We made it into Waratah for a picnic lunch by the waterfall, then on to Corinna. Even though it is less than 100km from Waratah to Corinna, the drive takes about 2 hours. The road is mostly unsealed, windy and narrow in parts but it does go through some beautiful countryside - if you don't count those places that have been logged and mined. It beggars belief that this amazing part of the state is still subject to state sanctioned environmental vandalism. Environmental groups are fighting to save the Tarkine while big business seeks to destroy it. (End of rant)

A Striated Fieldwren taken on the way to Corinna.

We arrived at Corinna and checked into our cottage. The old town is now a tourist village, with new cottages built to mimic the few remaining original ones. They have done a good job. Our cottage (and most) had a small rear veranda which backed onto the forest. This was the perfect spot to sit and enjoy the warm (perhaps hot) weather and the peaceful atmosphere. We also sampled the atmosphere on the hotel veranda for Happy Hour. With great views over the river, this was also a pleasant spot to sit and enjoy.

Scrubtit taken from our deck.

A Tasmanian Thornbill also taken from the back deck.

We aimed to have a relaxing time, but did venture out for a couple of walks. The Huon Pine Walk is an easy and short boardwalk along the river, through remnant forest that escaped the loggers. It seems the trees along this stretch of river were mis-shapen due to floods and so were not considered commercially viable - and so were saved.

Once the boardwalk ended the going got a bit rough.

Very popular with Tassie apiarists, Leatherwood was flowering all around.

Beyond the Huon Pine Walk is the longer and more difficult Savage River Walk. We did walk for about 10 minutes along this path which is steep in parts, unstable underfoot, has stairs and is narrow. This one is probably for the more serious bushwalker.

As a treat for New Year's Eve we went for dinner at the hotel restaurant. Bookings are essential and the menu is small - but the food was great.

The Tarkine Hotel in the background.

While in Corinna visitors have the opportunity to take one of the two available boat tours but we didn't do that this time. We had previously been on the one which goes up to Lover's Falls. It was a great way to get to see more of the area.

The tour boat Arcadia 2.

From the Fatman Barge.

On departing Corinna, to travel south it was necessary to cross the river via the Fatman Barge. The cost is $25 per regular vehicle. The hours are limited so it is best to check before travelling into the area.


Strahan

1-3 January 2016

Leaving Corinna we crossed the Pieman River via the Fatman Barge (the only way if you are going south) and drove towards Zeehan. This part of the road is an easier drive than the way into Corinna via Waratah. Being New Year's Day we were unsure whether we would find anything open in Zeehan, and were pleasantly surprised to find a cafe just as we came into town. After morning tea we drove on to Strahan.

We arrived before lunch so took a stroll around the town, calling into a few shops - as a tourist town, just about everything was open. We then headed up to People's Park for a picnic lunch. There is a nice walk up to Hogarth Falls that we have been on a few times, but we didn't this time.

We headed out to our accommodation on the off-chance we could check in early and were pleased to find we could. Our little (very basic and very tired) cabin had the most magnificent view towards Macquarie Harbour - but that was about all to recommend it. Fortunately the weather was beautiful so we were able to enjoy some outside time - until the wind started.

It was New Years day so time to celebrate.

Buttongrass seed heads wave in the breeze.

Leptospermum (teatree) was flowering all through the heath.

The little cabin sailing on a sea of Buttongrass heath.

The location and views compensate for the shortcomings of the accommodation. Note the blurry, wind blown bushes.

There was nobody at the next cabin so I got this shot from the deck.

The cabin had very large windows so we were still able to enjoy the view without going outside, but it did make for some difficulty finding and photographing birds. Unfortunately the wind persisted throughout the next day, but we still ventured out to a couple of likely spots out near the airport.

Striated Fieldwren are quite common but still hard to see in the dense heath.

Male Southern Emu-wren.

Female Southern Emu-wren.

The wind finally stopped the morning we were leaving! We stayed as long as we could in the hope of getting some good photos, then set off towards Queenstown. It's a bit longer going that way, but we had plenty of time. We hadn't been to Queenstown for some time, so decided a visit was in order. It is so disheartening seeing the way the landscape has been affected by years of mining and logging. There is some sign of rehabilitation, but it will take many generations and a very determined effort.

Beautiful Firetail on the last morning.

We found a busy cafe and had a coffee before heading back towards Zeehan, then north towards Burnie. We stopped at Tullah for lunch. Like many places in Tassie, this is a former accommodation village for workers in the mine and hydro construction. The lodge is right on the lake with great views. It was a perfect spot to enjoy a nice meal. We also investigated the accommodation but found the rooms, although nicely renovated, didn't have lake views or outside seating areas. They were after all originally built as quarters in a time when the surrounding views weren't as important.

Back on the road and through Burnie to home. This time we took the Ridgley Highway instead of the Murchison. Not as pretty, it was an easier and quicker drive through mostly pine plantations.


Tasmanian Arboretum - Eugenana (near Devonport)

6 January

A Platypus surfaces and eyes me suspiciously.

The sky was blue and the day was warm so we decided on a visit to the Tasmanian Arboretum. Only a 20 minute drive away from our Devonport base, it's becoming a favourite spot. On arrival we paid our $5 per person entry fee into the honesty box, and made our way to the pond. Even though it was the middle of the day, we spotted at least three playtpus, one quite close to the bank. We then strolled over to the New Zealand section and spent quite a bit of time in a "very birdy" spot.

When we last visited in March 2015, I noticed that a particular section of the creek was favoured by drinking and bathing birds. We sat there quietly for at least 30 minutes and watched a variety of birds come in. In the greatest numbers were Black-headed Honeyeaters but also present were Grey Fantails, Green Rosellas, Superb Fairywrens,  Yellow-throated Honeyeaters, Grey Shrike Thrush and the introduced European Goldfinch. I hope to return for a longer session before we leave, it's a great spot! Mick.

The endemic Green Rosella.

A sub-adult Yellow-throated Honeyeater is another Tasmanian endemic species.

The endemic Black-headed Honeyeater. Juvenile.

Black-headed Honeyeater, adult.

We stopped for lunch at the small, volunteer run cafe. The menu is very limited (toasted sandwiches, savoury muffins and scones) but the food is good. They also have the best home-made (on-site) ice-creams. It was worth visiting just for the maple and walnut, and rum and raisin. Maybe next time I'll try the Leatherwood honey.

Cradle Mountain

9 January 2016

Julia, Josh and assorted family and friends were leaving to complete the Overland Track – a six day hike through the mountains from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair, so Mick and I volunteered as drivers. We left early in the morning with Julia, Josh and their friend Nick bound for the visitor centre at Cradle Mountain. We met up with members of Josh’s family and a friend at 9.00am and they organised their paperwork. During the peak season (1 October - 31 May) hikers must register and pay, and can only complete the walk from Cradle Mountain. At other times, there is no need to register and pay, and you can leave walk in either direction.

One last look back before beginning the steep climb up to the ridge.

Laden with over 20 kilos each in their packs, we boarded the bus with the trekkers, to take us to Dove Lake. This is not the official start of the Overland Track, but an alternative, slightly easier first day, with an overnight at Scott Kilvert hut, then onto the track itself. Mick and I walked with the group as far as the fork in the Dove Lake track, just beyond Glacier Rock. They had a beautiful day to start their hike, but conditions during the week could be very different.

We walked back down to the Dove Lake carpark, and up onto the Lake Lilla Walk, and then down towards Ronny Creek. This walk does have some uphill sections, but is fairly easy with the last part on boardwalk across the buttongrass plain. We saw a wombat and an echidna, despite the warm, clear day. Ronny Creek is the official starting point for the Overland Track.

Tasmanian Native Hen.

This young Wombat was encountered near Ronny Creek.

Crescent Honeyeaters were calling for most of our walk but were difficult to see.

Back at the road we waited only a few minutes for the shuttle bus. Visitors are discouraged from driving up to Dove Lake so a shuttle bus operates throughout the day. When you arrive at the visitor centre, you can obtain a bus ticket by showing your Parks Pass. Buses leave about every 10 - 15 minutes in peak season. You can get on an off at a number of points and walk from one stop to the next along boardwalks and well-made walking tracks.

After a late lunch at the café, we headed for home via Sheffield.

Strathgordon – South West National Park

12 – 15 January 2016

We have been to lots of beautiful places in Tasmania, and have revisited favourites but our next destination was a new one. Strathgordon is in the South West National Park, and is described as a wilderness. We left home early, and drove via Deloraine and the Highland Lakes. We stopped for coffee in Bothwell and then made our way to Mount FieldNational Park for a picnic lunch.

A yellow Wattlebird was also having lunch in the picnic area.

From Mount Field we drove through Maydena – the last township – and on to Strathgordon. The road is windy, but not narrow as I had expected. Pedder Wilderness Lodge at Strathgordon is the old Hydro workers accommodation which has been opened up for tourists. There is no town, so no facilities except for the lodge which serves drinks and meals, and sells fuel. The view is magnificent from the restaurant, bar and lounge. We were fortunate that we had struck some great weather – warm and clear for our first day there.

Lake Pedder.

We didn't have much of a view from our cabin but the bar boasts a fabulous outlook.

We explored the site and Mick chased some birds during the afternoon. We made dinner in our self-contained accommodation and ventured down to the bar for a “sundowner”. Such a nice way to end the day.

Lake Pedder from a nearby lookout.

On Wednesday morning we set off for the Gordon Dam – a short drive with more stunning views. Once we arrived at the dam wall, we were surprised to see a group setting up to abseil! Mick walked down the (approximately) 200 stairs to the top of the wall but my fear of heights kicked in and I bailed out before I even started. We spent a bit of time there enjoying the view and taking photos before heading back to the lodge. The forecast temperature was 29 ° so a restful afternoon was in order. The hot wind made it very unpleasant outside.

The Gordon Dam.

While there we witnessed this man abseiling down the dam wall.

There were lots of Tree Martins in the area.

In the evening we again enjoyed a drink in the bar as we watched the clouds gathering. Later, the rain began and continued on and off throughout the night and the next day. Unfortunately, the breaks between showers were only minutes in length, so there was no opportunity to go out for a walk. We did take a drive back down to the dam, but didn’t stay long in the blustery conditions.

A Tasmanian Scrubwren.

We left on Friday morning and made a stop at Mount Field National Park, for coffee in the nice café there. We had been out of phone and internet range while out at Strathgordon so there were a number of messages waiting for me. Julia had messaged to let us know that due to an injury (thankfully not serious), some of their Overland Track party had returned to Dove Lake, but she, Josh and Nick had continued on and had finished the walk ahead of schedule. They had picked up the car left by the others at Lake St Clair, and were already home in Devonport. We decided we might as well go up and stay at Derwent Bridge anyway, even though we were no longer required to provide transport.

Derwent Bridge

15 - 16 January 2016

We detoured via New Norfolk where we wandered around the shops. This is the place to go if you are after antiques – there are a number of antique shops a wide range of wares. We picnicked in the park and then drove towards Derwent Bridge. We stopped for afternoon smoko at Tarraleah – another old hydro town, now a tourist village.

On to Derwent Bridge and, after checking into the hotel, we visited the Wall in the Wilderness. This work in progress wood sculpture is amazing. The sculptor has left sections in various stages of completion so that visitors can get a true appreciation of the work involved. When complete the wall will measure 100 metres. We thought it was well worth the $12 per person entry fee.

In the afternoon I photographed this Echidna near the front of the pub. It's picking up some prickles as it feeds.

A young Spotted Pardalote near our room.

We enjoyed a hearty meal at the pub – in front of the open fire. Summer in Tasmania has many surprises! In the morning we drove the short distance up to Lake St Clair and walked the Watersmeet and Platypus Bay circuit, before lunch at the café then home to Devonport via Bronte Park and the Highland Lakes.

Lots of flowering Banksias along the walk

Bottlebrush were also in bloom

Stanley

23 - 24 January 2016

Julia and Josh were able to get time off work so we headed off for a family weekend away in Stanley, on the north coast. During the week, up to 100 bushfires blazed across Tasmania and the smoke had been clearly visible in Devonport. As we drove west along the Bass Highway, the air cleared, but the smoke was thick again when we reached Burnie, and persisted on and off throughout the weekend. We stopped in Wynyard to browse the two op-shops, as well as the splendid second-hand shop. We made our way to our beachside accommodation and settled in. Breathing the smoke, and the strong winds made it almost impossible to enjoy much outside time.

Smoke haze over Devonport

Smoke haze over Burnie

Sunset on West Inlet.

Yellow throated Honeyeater.

Brown Thornbill.

Little Wattlebird.

On Saturday morning we drove the few kilometres into the village and explored the many small shops - art,  craft, photography, produce and cafes were all well represented. We picked up some goodies for later in the day and had a coffee before heading back to our cottage. Mick and I did venture out across the road to have a look at East Inlet  (we were staying at West Inlet). It seemed more sheltered and less windy.

On Sunday morning we set off for home, stopping at Rocky Cape for markets (great potted herbs but not much else of interest to us) and the huge and well known, Penguin Markets which are well worth a visit for the amazing variety of wares.


Ross

25 - 26 January 2016

For our last week in Tasmania we decided on Bruny Island, with an overnight stop in Ross on the way there. We left the highway at Westbury and zig-zagged our way through a number of small towns which we would otherwise have missed, visiting op-shops and antiques shops along the way. We had a picnic lunch in Longford before making our way (finally) to Ross. After checking in to our accommodation, we wandered through the village visiting craft, antiques and old wares shops. We finished the day with dinner at the pub.


Bruny Island

26 - 29 January 2016

We set off early and drove south from Ross, with Bruny Island our final destination. On our way to Hobart we took a short detour to Gould's Lagoon in the hope of spotting some birds. This is freshwater wetland on the Derwent Estuary at Granton. We travelled on through Hobart and then to Kettering, stopping for a picnic lunch on the waterfront at Snug.

The Bruny Island Ferry runs to a timetable - except when it doesn't. Last time we travelled on a holiday weekend we found they weren't following the published timetable so we expected the same this time as it was Australia Day. We paid our $38 (usually $33 but extra for the public holiday) and asked about the next ferry departure time. The timetable said 1:30pm and this was confirmed. As it was only 12:10pm we had a bit of a wait so we parked the car in the queue and went into the cafe to order some food. While we were waiting there was a bit of a whisper go around about a change in time for the next ferry. I went outside and asked one of the ferry staff and he confirmed that they would start loading in a few minutes for a 12:30pm departure. Great for us as we didn't have much of a wait. Cafe staff happily made our order a take-away.

Yellow Wattlebird. This Tassie endemic proved hard to photograph.

Superb Fairy-wrens, Green Rosellas, Dusky Robins and this Olive Whistler were seen around our cabin.

The trip across the D'Entrecasteaux Channel takes about 15 minutes, the drive to Adventure Bay about 40. We found our accommodation and settled in for the afternoon. The weather for our stay on Bruny was not great so we didn't do as much as we had hoped. Bruny is becoming a bit of a "foodie" place. You can get local oysters, cheese, chocolate, wine, whiskey and a variety of other treats. We settled for cheese, chutney and fudge. Yum!

The Neck.

We did venture out to The Neck and climbed to the lookout which gives views across North and South Bruny. The many stairs were quite easy to climb - but our legs reminded us of our exertion for a few days after. We also checked out a couple of camps sites for future reference, as well as the Cape Bruny Lighthouse. Once again we enjoyed a lovely lunch at the pub - Hotel Bruny.

A shining Flycatcher seen in the National Park.

Cape Bruny near the Lighthouse.

Seals in the D'Entrecasteaux Channel.

We left Bruny Island and headed north, stopping at Oatlands for lunch. Many of the small towns are by-passed by the highway, but are well worth the short detours to visit. Most have a number of historic (often convict built) buildings or bridges, as well as some interesting shops. Driving through the midlands we passed through some ferocious storms which caused flooding in Launceston and on the east coast. Sadly, they did not reach the areas that were still experiencing devestating bushfires.

Back home to Devonport and time to get ready for our departure for our journey home, on Sunday.