Adventure Bay - Bruny Island

 25 - 28 February 2022

After almost three months staying with our daughters in Hobart we felt it was time to pack up and head off in the trailer for our last couple of weeks in Tassie. Bruny Island is another on our growing list of favourite spots so we looked for the best weather and booked three nights at the caravan park.

The drive from Hobart to the car ferry at Kettering only takes about 45 minutes so we did our final pack up and left home after 11. We didn't need to stop along the way and arrived at the ferry terminal at around midday. We ate our packed sandwiches in the car while we watched one ferry load up - but not everyone could fit on. Fortunately it was only a short wait until the other ferry arrived and we boarded for the short trip across the D'Entrecasteaux Channel.

The only caravan park is situated across from the beach at Adventure Bay. Although we were further away from the road separating the park from the beach we could still hear the waves. We had a good bit of setting up, sorting and repacking to do so it took a while before we were ready head for a long walk along the beach. There had been forecast rain but the sky remained clear and the temperature was warmer than expected - until nightfall anyway.

We decided that a drive to explore North Bruny was in order so we headed off straight after breakfast on Saturday morning. Most of the accommodation and camping is on South Bruny so we hadn't really explored the north on previous visits. Along the way we did stop at a spot on Great Bay where the birdwatching is usually good, before continuing in to Dennes Point.

Dennes Point looks out across the channel towards Tinderbox and South Arm. It's a lovely, sleepy little spot so we spent some time walking on the beach, enjoying the views and taking photos. From there we continued along the coast to the Bruny Island Quarantine Station.

The Quarantine Station has an interesting history, starting life as a colonial property, then becoming a quarantine station for overseas arrivals to protect Tasmania from infectious diseases. At the beginning of World War I it was used for the internment of German nationals who just happened to be on a vessel which was in the vicinity. It was also used to quarantine soldiers returning from the war, at the height of the Spanish Flu epidemic. More recently it was used as a plant quarantine station. There are a number of buildings to visit, each with interpretive information, as well as points of interest within the grounds. We didn't spend as long there as we might have as it was quite late in the morning when we arrived. We will probably schedule a longer visit some time in the future.

We returned home to the caravan park in time for lunch and had a quiet afternoon before taking a long walk all the way to the northern end of the beach. The weather continued in typical Tasmanian style - clear, cloudy, hot, cold, windy, still - but we didn't get any rain until the night.

On Sunday morning we started with a walk along the creek at the back of the caravan park, and then onto the beach for the long walk to the southern end. Later in the morning we drove up into the forest behind Adventure Bay to the Mavista Nature Walk. This walk is an easy half hour or so, through rainforest along a small creek. There is also a picnic area at the start of the track with picnic tables and a shelter, but no toilets.

After lunch we headed off to visit the Cape Bruny Lighhouse. It's a steep walk up the hill to the lighthouse but the views of this rugged coastline are fabulous, as expected. You can take part in a guided tour and climb to the top, but we were happy to look around outside - especially as Mick had spotted a bird to photograph. There is also a small museum back at the car park, housed in one of the lighthouse keepers' cottages. I poked around in there while Mick continued to chase birds. The weather wasn't great, with some light drizzle making photography a bit difficult.

From the lighthouse we decided to drive down to Cloudy Bay but the light rain persisted so we didn't spend much time there this time. There were the usual assortment of beach birds including Sooty Oystercatchers, as one lone surfer.

After three days on Bruny, we decided that we would go down to Southport for a couple of days as the weather forecast suggested clear skies – but this is Tasmania and anything can happen. We drove to the ferry and there was some light rain coming across the channel while we waited.

Once back on the “mainland” we headed towards Margate, then turned off to travel through Sandfly before joining the highway that would take us through the Huon Valley to Southport.

Scamander

 2 - 5 February 2022

Scamander is another Tassie favourite place. There's an inlet, beach and easy access to one of the east coast's tourist hot spots - Bay of Fires. After taking the scenic route from Cradle Mountain and then stopping for lunch in Campbell Town, we back-tracked about 10km to take the road through Fingal and St Marys to the coast. Again we travelled through farmlands and mountains before reaching the coast at Scamander. We had not booked accommodation so we explored our options and ended up at the place we have stayed at a number of times.

Pelican Sands is right on the inlet and allows direct access to the beach - and the numerous birds that hang out there. The views are fabulous and the location is convenient so we booked in for 2 nights. After a long drive (by Tassie standards anyway) we settled in for a relaxing afternoon which included a walk on the beach. 

On Wednesday Mick headed out early with the camera and I joined him later in the morning. The inlet is currently open to the sea but has been completely closed off in the last few years. There is a bridge that can only be accessed at low tide otherwise you have to wade through sometimes very deep water. This time with the low tide we barely got our feet wet. The weather was looking good, and with the promise of a few more great days we extended our 2 nights to three. 

We treated ourselves to dinner at the onsite restaurant - Fast Freddy's serves fantastic and authentic Italian meals at reasonable prices. They were quiet busy but the food and service was great. We had dined here before and we expecting the same quality as before and we were not disappointed. Freddy's gets great reviews, and deservedly so.

On Friday morning we set off to drive to St Helens, about 20 minutes north of Scamander. Our timing wasn't right for morning tea or lunch so we decided to keep going on to Binalong Bay. Binalong Bay is at the southern end of the Bay of Fires and boasts stunning beaches and scenery. We stopped at the first stretch of beach we came to and went for a walk on the sand. We then took the walking track which went out past the boat ramps and Skelton Bay, towards the point. We took lots of photos and stopped for an ice cream on the way back to the car. We headed back to Scamander for lunch and another relaxing afternoon by the beach.

On Saturday morning we finally set off to return to Hobart, making a stop at Triabunna for fish and chips for lunch. The fish van at the marina is another very popular spot and there were lots of people with the same idea - enjoying lunch by the water. 

Cradle Mountain

30 January - 2 February 2022

Cradle Mountain has been a favourite since we first visited in 2004 so we were keen to add a few days again this year. The price of accommodation has skyrocketed, but we were fortunate to get a special mid-week deal on a cabin at the caravan park. While not as flash as the other accommodation we have stayed in there, it was perfectly adequate for our needs, and still in a nice bushy setting. The decision not to take the camper trailer was easy - the weather at Cradle can be very unpredictable and very cold, even in the middle of summer. 

We like to take different travel routes when we can so this time we decided on a drive through the highlands. Leaving Hobart we travelled up the Midlands Highway then stopped for a coffee and a look at the lake at Oatlands. From there we turned off towards Interlaken. This was a very beautiful drive but we were surprised at the amount of traffic. We made a quick stop at Interlaken to check the map against what the GPS was trying to get us to do. The GPS said right, but my gut and the map said left, so left it was. If we had followed the GPS we would have gone all the way back to the highway!

By going left we continued through the mountain and forest, passing farmlands and lakes, to join the Highland Lakes Road. We continued on to Miena where we stopped for lunch at the hotel. This is a popular spot, with a very large group arriving just after we had ordered. The service and food was good and we certainly enjoyed the view of Great Lake while we ate. From there it was on through Deloraine, then Sheffield and on to Cradle Mountain.

The day was still mild and sunny when we arrived so we settled in and went for a walk around the caravan park and surrounds. We decided to leave the National Park walks until the next day. 

On Monday morning the forecast was again for a sunny day, with temperatures in the low 20's - quite hot for this part of Tasmania. After much deliberation we decided that we would tackle a walk we hadn't done before - Crater Lake Circuit. The description of this walk is almost identical to Dove Lake Circuit which we have walked a number of times - 2-3 hours and moderate sounded fine to us. We knew it would probably take us longer than the estimate as we stop often to take in the scenery and to photograph birds, so we packed snacks, lunch and wet weather gear - we know things can change very quickly in the mountains.

We stopped in at the visitor centre to obtain our bus tickets - free with your National Parks Pass - and waited for the bus to Dove Lake. New rules are in place and private vehicles cannot travel up to Dove Lake at all, and can only travel to Ronny Creek and Waldheim outside of the bus operating hours, unless with a bus escort. 

The bus drivers provide some commentary on the trip from the visitor centre to Dove Lake and stop at the Interpretation Centre and Ranger Station, Snake Hill and Ronny Creek to set down and pick up passengers. We arrived at Dove Lake and set off on our walk just after 9:30am. Crater Lakes Circuit starts from The Boatshed on Dove Lake and then continues on to Lake Lilla. We have done this part of the walk a couple of times, in both directions and it is a very pleasant walk. That's where the easy stuff ends - from there it was a bit of a climb up to Wombat Pool. We have been that far before too and I remember struggling up all the stairs - I am older and no fitter so again I struggled. 

This walk had been my idea so I couldn't bail out and just had to keep going. Just when we thought we were almost at the top, there were more stairs! We were using hiking poles and stopping frequently but we still found it very hard going. Fortunately we weren't the only ones finding it a bit hard and were encouraged on by other walkers. At one stage the "track" ascended over a large rock, at which point Mick suggesed I make the call to continue or go back. I chose to continue. When we finally made it to the junction point where you can continue on to Marion's Lookout and the Overland Track or go back down to Ronny Creek, we were rewarded with the most magnificent views of Dove Lake, Lake Lilla and Wombat Pool. So many people were, like us, having an extended break at the lookout - getting ready for the next part of their walk.  

After a good rest we continued along the edge of Crater Lake and made our way to The Boatshed where we stopped for lunch and marvelled at the thought of bringing a boat all the way up there. The walk from there was mostly downhill and went through some very pretty forest with a waterfall and  creek with beautiful clear water where Mick refilled our water bottle. This is part of the Overland Track and we passed quite a few serious hikers setting off on this 6 day trek. I guess we can say we have walked the Overland Track - just the beginning and also a small section at the end at Lake St Clair. 

Once we reached the junction where the boardwalk continued on to Ronny Creek, Dove Lake or Waldheim, we chose the shortest route back and headed for Ronny Creek. This meant we didn't complete the full circuit but we were exhausted. We had previously walked from Ronny Creek to Dove Lake so didn't feel like we were missing out. The stair climbing (up and down) on this walk had been a struggle for both of us - it was hot and we were exhausted. It is so much harder than Dove Lake Circuit but after a good rest we both agreed it had been worth the effort.

The following morning we decided to walk the Dove Lake Circuit. It was another beautiful day with little chance of rain, but we did take raincoats just in case. This walk is the most popular in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, and is on most visitors' "must do" list. The description of a "moderate" grade is accurate - there are a few uphill sections, some stairs and some rough surfaces, but most of it is on smooth track with some boardwalk sections. There are a number of places to stop and enjoy the view, including a couple of sandy beaches. Most people complete the track, as suggested by National Parks, in a clockwise direction. By doing this the first point of interest is Glacier Rock and the last is The Boatshed - both provide great photo opportunities. 

We usually stay at Cradle Mountain for three nights to give us two full days in the hope that at least one will provide suitable walking conditions so we were very fortunate to get two almost perfect days - just a bit hotter than we would have liked. Hotter, except for our final night when the temperature had  dropped to 2° when we woke at about 7:00am. We took our time to pack up as we were still uncertain about whether we would return to Hobart of go somewhere else. We decided to take a scenic route to Campbell Town, check the weather, and then decide.

Leaving Cradle Mountain we drove through Miena, then turned towards Sheffield, the way we had come in, but this time we took the road to Liena. This windy road has some fabulous views as it passes close to Mount Roland. Eventually we made it to Mole Creek, then back on the highway to Campbell Town.

We stopped for lunch and checked the weather - we had noticed strong winds had been forecast so were pleased to see that the recorded winds were much lower than expected. We decided to head for Scamander and see what accommodation we could get for a couple of nights.