Bay of Fires – Grant’s Lagoon

9 – 11 March 2022

We set off from Port Arthur and drove back through Sorell, then on to the East Coast. The day was quite windy and the forecast overnight temperature was only 10° so we were unsure about whether to head to a caravan park and a powered site to be able to use the heater. We stopped for a picnic lunch at Triabunna in the park near the marina. The cold wind had us seriously considering a caravan park. On our way out of Triabunna we came across a book sale in aid of local charities so we stopped and I restocked my supply. I always carry lots of books with me as I like to read while Mick wanders about with the camera, and usually buy them from op-shops, or exchange them in caravan park book swaps.

We continued north and eventually decided that we would drive through St Helens to the Bay of Fires, and look at a couple of campsites for a sheltered spot for the night. We had a look at Grant’s Lagoon and then at Jeanneret Beach. We ended up coming back to Grant’s Lagoon as it seemed to be more sheltered and less crowded – although without access to a beautiful beach like many of the others. This is a free campground so we thought we would stay overnight then decide whether to have a second night. We walked down to the boat ramp to have a look at the lagoon but there were not many birds on the water.

Grant’s Lagoon

The temperature dropped as soon as the sun started to sink so we had a quick and easy dinner, then retreated to the comfort of the camper trailer. Surprisingly the Telstra signal was excellent so we were able to stream some favourite shows before bed.

Even though the night had been very cold, we decided that we would stay at Grant’s Lagoon for a second night. We took another walk down to the lagoon, but there is no walking track around the outside – just a boat ramp, and the track we walked on, down and back. There were plenty of birds around in the bush around the campground so Mick was happy to set up at camp with the camera.

Female Scarlet Robin

Male Scarlet Robin

Around lunch time one of our neighbours brought over a fillet of the fish he had just caught – too much for him, so he was happy to share. We gratefully accepted and enjoyed it as snack with drinks in the evening.

On Friday morning our pack up didn’t take long as we hadn’t used the awning, or unhitched the car. We headed into St Helens to top up with fuel that had risen more than 20c per litre in the previous few days. From there we set off towards Bridport to stay for our last three nights in Tasmania.