Spirit of Tasmania

 28 - 29 January 2025

Our time in Tasmania had finally come to an end and it was time to return to the mainland. We spent the last couple of days sorting, tidying and packing, and finished with a quiet night at home with the girls. We planned to leave fairly early so that we could do some sight-seeing along the way from Hobart to Devonport.

We finished packing the car, said our final goodbyes and were ready to leave just after 9:00am. We had about 8 hours to get to Devonport so made our first stop not far away at Gould's Lagoon. This is a great birdwatching spot that we have been to a number of times, but it wasn't as productive as we had hoped.

From there we travelled north along the Midland Highway and turned off into Oatlands. Pectoral sandpipers had been reported at Lake Dulverton so we drove around the lake to the spot where they should have been. It was cold and windy, but Mick found them and took a few photos before retreating to the warmth of the car. It was getting close to lunch time so we drove to a picnic spot and ate in the car. It was just too miserable to be outside.

Our next stop was Liffey Falls. Again Mick was hoping to do some birding so we drove up through Campbell Town, and then turned off to travel through Cressy and Liffey then on to the falls. We were surprised at the number of people who were there on such a cold, windy day and a little disappointed - it's never easy getting photos of birds when there's heaps of people about. We walked to the Tall Tree and a bit beyond, but didn't walk down to the falls.

We left Liffey Falls and drove through Quamby Brook to Deloraine. We had planned to visit the Tasmanian Arboretum at Eugenana near Devonport but realised we wouldn't have time. We stopped at Elizabeth Town for afternoon tea then made our way to East Devonport. We didn't want to be at the boat too early so we killed a bit more time down on the beach.

We timed our arrival at the Spirit of Tasmania perfectly - we checked in, went through the security check and were directed straight to the ship. We only had to wait a few minutes before we were able to drive on, once again to one of the bottom two vehicle decks. Expertly directed in the small space, we were soon on our way up to our cabin, before retiring the bar for a drink or two.

A farewell drink

We ate the dinner we had brought with us and settled in for the night. We'd had a big day so were both quite tired. We always expect it to be rougher than it turns out to be and this crossing of Bass Strait was no exception.

We arrived at Geelong terminal and we were soon on our way to Bendigo to collect the camper trailer - but first we had another spot of birding to do.

Return to Tasmania

4 – 5 April 2023

We left Little Desert ahead of schedule and drove back through Nhill, then the GPS took us along a number of “C” roads towards St Arnaud where we stopped for a coffee and to pick up some bread rolls to have later in the day. Meals are available on the Spirit of Tasmania but we decided to have a pub lunch along the way, then salad rolls for dinner onboard.

We made it into Bendigo on schedule and settled the trailer into the storage facility we have used a number of times. On a recommendation we headed to a nearby hotel for a very good lunch, at seniors prices. Our timing was perfect and we had time to stop again in Daylesford for a look around. We’ve stopped there before, but always on a weekend when it has been crazy busy, so it was nice to be there mid-week when it was just moderately busy.

From Daylesford it was on to the Corio Bay terminal to board the Spirit of Tasmania for our overnight sail to Tasmania. Once onboard we headed up to the bar for a couple of drinks before settling into our cabin to have our bread rolls for dinner and to watch an episode we’d downloaded from a streaming service.

We always check the forecast and it looked like we would have a very smooth crossing this time – and it was indeed. I think it was the smoothest we have ever had – at times you couldn’t even feel the gentle rocking of the boat. We were lucky to have our car in Deck 5 so we were among the first off at Devonport in the morning. We decided to go somewhere for a nice breakfast and as luck would have it, we would be at House of Anvers at about the time they opened.

                                                  Who doesn't like ice cream for beakfast?

Anvers is best known for their chocolates but they do a great breakfast too – eggs benedict for Mick and apple crumble French toast for me, as well as a hot chocolate! Absolutely delicious and very filling. Back on the road and we drove straight through to Hobart where we would spend the next few months with our daughters.

Return to the Mainland

11 -12 February 2023

We booked to return to the mainland from Tasmania on the late sailing – 11:30pm. Not an ideal time, but it allowed us to spend our last day in Hobart with the girls, and get packed up at a fairly leisurely pace. We calculated our travel times and set off after 4:00pm. We decided that dinner in Deloraine would work out well time wise, so we headed to the pub where we have eaten several times before. After a nice meal, we continued on to Devonport, arriving at 9:00pm, which was when check-in was due to start.

Waiting to board in Devonport

We joined the queue and were through check-in and quarantine fairly smoothly, but then we had a very long wait to board. We sat in the queue watching almost every other vehicle drive line off before it was finally our turn. Once onboard, we went straight to our cabin as it was well after 10:00pm by then.

The Bass Strait forecast suggested we may have a bit of a rough night, but it wasn’t as bad as we expected. The late sailing time means arriving late too – which makes for a nice slow start to the morning. We had a light breakfast and waited to disembark. The reward for the long wait to get on was that we were on the first deck to be called to get off.

Getting out of Geelong was painless compared to the nightmare that was Melbourne and we were soon on our way to Bendigo to collect the camper trailer from storage.

The Final Leg – Maldon to Geelong

2 – 3 December 2022

We found our cabin in the caravan park at Maldon and to say we were underwhelmed would be a big overstatement. It was old, tired and not particularly clean in some parts. It was, however, adequate for our overnighter before sailing to Tasmania.

We had booked a night sail so we had the whole day to fill in. Unfortunately the time had been changed from 9:30pm to 11:30pm so that day would be a very long one! We started by going into Maldon for a look around and to have morning tea. Maldon retains many of its original buildings from when the town was established at the height of the Victorian gold rush. Many businesses don’t open until 10:30 or 11:00am giving us an indication that this is a town very reliant on weekend tourism. We browsed the town and considered the route we would take to Geelong.

Our next stop was Castlemaine, about 20 kilometres away. Castlemaine is bigger and was a much busier place so we parked in a back street and wandered around the main street. We did some Christmas shopping and found an art exhibition in the very nice visitor information centre before adjourning to a bakery for lunch.

From Castlemaine we set off for Daylesford – a drive of about 40 kilometres. We knew this place would be even busier as we had visited on a previous trip. We didn’t stay long – just a quick walk up the street to browse in a couple of op shops. From there we headed the short distance down the road to Sailor’s Falls. This is a nice spot with a walk down lots of stairs to the falls themselves. Unfortunately the promised loop walk to the spring was closed. It was a really hot day so we weren’t keen on too much walking anyway.

Next stop was Creswick, another 30 kilometre drive. This is a nice small town where we had ice creams followed by a walk up and down the main street. We called in to the Visitor Information Centre to try to find somewhere to spend some time but the place we chose was absolutely full of young people enjoying the swimming area with much gusto. Definitely not what we were hoping for so we made our way to Ballarat, another 20 kilometres away.

Ballarat is a major city and we knew it had a large botanic gardens and lake so that was where we headed. Along the way we found the cheapest fuel we had seen for a very long time – under $2.00 per litre for diesel and more than 25c per litre cheaper than we had seen up the road a bit. Of course we filled up as we didn’t expect to see that sort of price again for a while, if ever.

We spent some time having a look around the botanic gardens, including the glass house with its beautiful array of flowering plants. With time still to spare we took the car to a nearby carwash then returned to the Botanic Gardens to consider our next move. We decided that the best thing to do would be to hang around in the gardens for a bit longer then have dinner in Ballarat before driving to Geelong.

We used a popular review website to choose a pub for dinner and were very pleased with our choice. The Grapes is a small “local” pub which had a really nice, friendly feel. The menu contained lots of variety – without the heavy reliance on deep fried food so often found in pubs. Unusually for a pub, table service was provided and there was not a single gaming machine within cooee of the dining room. The service was great and the meals fantastic. We would happily dine there again.

We used Google Maps to determine what time we should leave Ballarat and we were finished dinner and ready to leave shortly ahead of time. We set off for the new Spirit of Tasmania departure point in Geelong. We have always found the drive into and through Melbourne to be very stressful so we were hoping the new port would prove easier.

Coming in from Ballarat the GPS took us around the outskirts of the city and there was hardly any traffic. Even on a Saturday evening we were expecting more. The directions were easy to follow and we arrived just after check-in had commenced. After a very long day we were glad to have the end finally in sight. The bonus for us was that the weather forecast was for a very smooth crossing. We were on board in time for a nightcap before settling into our cabin which was right at the pointy end of the boat. Because of the location we were not permitted to have the blinds open with the lights on to watch our progress across the bay but the late night departure meant we were asleep before too long anyway.

Spirit of Tasmania

 9 - 10 December 2021

We left Mount Gambier and crossed into Victoria, ready for the long drive into Melbourne. We found a park in Hamiltion for lunch which we at in the car - partly because of the really cold wind that was blowing. From there we made a toilet stop before we reached Ballarat. Once we were on the motorway it was non-stop into Melbourne - with only a short detour thanks to the GPS sending us in the wrong direction. One day we will get to drive through Melbourne without getting lost.

We had booked a night sail on the Spirit of Tasmania and the current border restrictions meant we had to stay overnight in South Australia and then travel directly to the Spirit of Tasmania without any stop-overs. All on-board facilities (bars, restaurant, shop etc) were closed and travellers were required to remain in cabins at all times. We packed some drinks and some food for our evening meal as well as some muesli bars for breakfast. We also packed a DVD to watch and scrabble cards to help pass the time. 

We arrived at Station Pier about 1/2 hour after check-in had begun and had our border passes checked, our biosecurity quarantine check, then were issued our cabin cards. We then drove on-board and were in our cabin in just a few minutes. It was clear from the slow trickle of cars which we could see from our window that there weren't many passengers compared to previous trips. 

Onboard, we were provided with a "care pack" as well and were grateful for this extra that we hadn't expected - chocolate, cereal and milk, fruit, snack bar, chips and water. The sea was relatively calm and we both slept well throughout the night. In the morning we used the special door tag to summon a member of staff to arrange a coffee. We were pleased with the prompt and friendly service.

We disembarked quickly and had our Covid checks - Tas-E-Travel passes scanned and temperature checks, as well as some questions about how we had travelled to Melbourne and we were on our way.

Bound for Sydney

Hobart to Melbourne

8 March 2019

After eleven wonderful weeks in Hobart, it was finally time to return home. Leaving Tassie is always bittersweet, glad to be heading home but sad to be leaving family behind. This time was especially so as we were leaving both daughters and their partners after being with then just about every day. After cramming all our gear into the car we set off for a leisurely drive to Devonport to catch the Spirit of Tasmania for a night sail to Melbourne. We stopped for a picnic lunch by the lake in Oatlands, and for a look in the antique shops in Campbell Town before arriving in Devonport a little earlier than we had planned. As we drove over the bridge we noticed that cars seemed to be boarding somewhat earlier than anticipated so we drove down and boarded with very little waiting. It’s so much easier in Devonport than Melbourne, not least because you don’t have the traffic and motorways to negotiate.

A favourite TV show of ours, Rosehaven, is filmed in this office in Oatlands.

Bruthen

9 March 2019

The night crossing was calm enough to allow a reasonable night’s sleep but we had to be up early for disembarkation. Once again we had ended up parked on the lowest vehicle deck, right in the corner so we were almost the last vehicle off. There is nothing you can do about that except exercise patience. The staff directing you how to get in and out of these tight spaces are marvellous. Eventually we were on the motorway bound for the storage yard to pick up the camper trailer, with a detour to Sunbury for breakfast. We had planned to head straight for Sydney up the Hume Motorway, but made a very last-minute decision (minutes before picking up the camper) to instead go towards the lower Snowy Mountains. We realised it was the start of a long weekend in Victoria, ACT and Tasmania, so tried calling a couple of caravan parks looking for a powered site. We were out of luck at a few places we tried, but finally received a positive response at Bruthen. This small community caravan park is just out of town, and on the river (although there wasn’t much water when we stayed). It was a friendly place and perfect for an overnighter.

Juvenile Crimson Rosella moulting into adult plumage.

Crimson Rosella

While talking to my sister on the phone we made another spur-of-the-moment decision to have a very long day so we could join Bronwyn and John on the NSW south coast where they had been camped for a couple of days. The following morning we stopped at Orbost to do some grocery shopping, then at Cann River for coffee. It’s a nice drive through to New South Wales towards the coast.

Merry Beach

10 March 2019

After a couple of stops for lunch and some more groceries, we arrived at Merry Beach, a little way from Bateman’s Bay, to find a caravan park chock-a-block full for the long weekend. It seems that this is a regular spot for families and groups from Canberra on this particular long weekend. Bronwyn and John had a lovely spot right on the beach but we were not so lucky. We spent most of our time enjoying the view from their campsite. The beach was beautiful but there were far too many people for my liking. We had a couple of nights before we had to be in Sydney but decided that this was not the place to spend them. After a few phone calls we secured a spot for the next two nights at Kiama – close enough to Sydney for the final leg of this part of our trip home.

I spied this Grey Goshawk on the way back to the highway.

Kiama

11 – 12 March 2019

We set off for Kiama and stopped at the markets at Ulladulla. We didn’t buy anything at the markets but we did buy some fish for dinner at the local fish shop nearby. We arrived at Kiama fairly early and were pleasantly surprised to see that the caravan park was nowhere near full. The caravan park we chose was a little way out of town, right on the beach and huge. The areas closest to the beach were taken up with a variety of cabins but we didn’t mind the short walk to the water from our site as the park was very spacious with lots of trees and great facilities. We ventured into town for some shopping and also to have a look at the famous Kiama Blowhole. As expected there were heaps of tourists doing the same.

Our stay in Kiama was really just to kill some time until our scheduled visit to Sydney to have some work done on the camper trailer. We had booked it in at the Cub factory to have a faulty zipper replaced and also to have an external 240v power point installed near the kitchen. Cub had estimated they might need the camper trailer for up to two weeks so we spent some time while in Kiama, considering our options and booking some accommodation out of the city. We planned to spend a couple of nights with family and friends in the city and the rest of our time as far away as possible. We decided the Blue Mountains would be a good starting point.

We tackled the drive into Sydney and dropped the camper trailer off at Cub in North Rocks before making our way to Lake Parramatta for lunch. It was a really hot day so we retreated to an air conditioned cinema and shopping centre before making our way to a friend’s place for an overnight stay.

The Last Leg - Queenscliff to Tasmania

Queenscliff
12 - 14 December 2018

Rain was forecast, but from the afternoon so we were able to get packed up with the canvas dry. The last thing we wanted when storing the trailer was to have wet canvas which would be very stinky and mouldy by the time we returned in a couple of months time. We left Werribbee and tackled the freeways to get the camper trailer to a storage facility on the outskirts of Melbourne. The sky remained clear all the way there and for the rest of our journey back down the Belleraine Peninsular to a cabin in a caravan park at Queenscliff.

Our decision to get a cabin was based on the weather forecast and it was the right one. The rain started shortly after our arrival and continued throughout the two days we were there. We had to completely repack the car to accommodate the fridge and various other bits and pieces we had taken out of the trailer for our time in Tasmania. It wasn't much fun doing it in the rain, but it would have been way worse if we had the trailer with us still. We had hoped to do some exploring in the area as we hadn't been there before, but the weather was against us.

We were booked onto the Spirit of Tasmania for a night sail so were grateful we were able to get a later checkout enabling us to have an early lunch before heading into Geelong to kill some time. After an afternoon at the movies -and a parking ticket - we set off for Melbourne earlier than planned due to a severe weather warning.

We could see the storm ahead as we drove along the motorway, but had no idea just how bad it was until we were right in it. Being on the motorway there was no way we could pull over, so with white knuckles and a knot in my stomach, we drove on. Turning off the motorway to make our way to Station Pier lead us to the scariest moments as we found ourselves in the middle of a traffic jam caused by rising water across the intersection ahead and no way around it. Vehicles were driving through it in all directions, some were turning around and a few were stuck in the middle. We opted to drive through as we didn't know where else to go and other high clearance vehicles were getting through. Holding my breath I drove on and around the corner, sticking to the highest point in the middle of the road. More water over the road, but not as bad, saw us crawling along with the rest of the traffic. We were very relieved to arrive at our destination and the queue to check in to the Spirit of Tasmania.

Some of the heaviest rain we had ever experienced at the worst possible time.

Safely onboard at last! You have no idea how welcome these drinks were.

By the time we had boarded, the storm had all but passed and we enjoyed a couple of well-earned relaxing drinks before dinner. The overnight Bass Strait Crossing was not as calm as we hoped, but calmer than we had expected. Arriving in Devonport we had breakfast and met up with daughter Jo and drove the final leg to Hobart where we were to spend about 10 weeks.

Heading Home - Victoria

Devonport to Melbourne

29 January - 30 January

After just over 7 weeks, it was finally time to leave Tasmania. We had enjoyed Christmas and New Year there and the school holidays were over so it was time to head home. We booked a day sailing on the Spirit of Tasmania, and again had a very calm crossing of Bass Strait. There are various entertainments onboard and we took part in the afternoon trivia competition.

The Spirit slips out of Devonport.

I saw plenty of Short-tailed Shearwaters on the crossing but no Albatross this time.

On arrival in Melbourne we were off the boat quickly and made our way to a motel in the suburbs for an overnight stop before heading to Bendigo to collect the camper trailer. 

Bright

30 January - 1 February

The forecast was for temperatures in the thirties so we scrapped our plans to stay in Bendigo and decided we would drive up to collect the camper trailer and then head to the coast. When we arrived in Bendigo we stopped at a shopping centre for coffee and supplies and checked the weather forecast - a must when camping. The forecast for the coast was for rain so we made a last minute change of plans and decided to head for the high country. While the days would still be hot, the nights would be cool and there would be no rain - much better.

We drove across Victoria, with the temperature reaching 39° and finally arrived in Bright, a medium sized town in a beautiful location. We chose a caravan park on the river and settled in as the temperature started to drop to a much more pleasant level.

In the morning we set off to drive up to Mount Buffalo. As expected the road is winding but is an easy drive. On arrival at the top, near the old chalet, there is an extensive visitor area with a number of lookouts, picnic areas and toilets. Interpretive information is also provided. We spent some time marvelling at the fantastic view of the Snowy Mountains, including Australia's highest peak - Mount Kosciuszko. There area also a number of walks so we went part way along the Underground River track to Haunted Gorge Lookout. There is a camping area further along the road at Lake Catani, but we didn't go that far.

I thinks there's a comma and exclamation mark missing from this sign.

Marbled Xenica butterfly 

The lookout at Mount Buffalo

Yellow-faced Honeyeater

Male Satin Flycatcher at Eurobin Falls.

On the way back down the mountain we stopped at the Eurobin Falls Track. As it was getting close to lunch time we only walked as far as the Ladies Bath Falls. This is a really pretty spot and there were some people swimming there.

The water looked clear and inviting.

Ladies Bath Falls. One of the prettiest little falls I've seen.

Back in Bright we explored the town and walked a short way along the river walk. Bright is a popular spot for cyclists and we saw many on the roads, including making their way up and down Mount Buffalo - serious stuff! A town map shows a number of options for walking along the river as well as a popular spot to swim. We might just return to Bright one day.

Bairnsdale

1 - 3 February

The drive from Bright takes you through the Victorian High country, along excellent, but steep and windy, roads. Again the views are marvellous, and there are a number of places you can stop to take in the views and take photos. It was very cold, as you would expect. We drove through Mount Hotham, a popular ski resort and stopped for lunch at Dinner Plain. From there we drove on to Omeo, where we stopped at the Visitor Information Centre. Not sure where we would end up, we looked at a couple of small towns along the way and finally settled on Bairnsdale. Again we chose a caravan park on the river, and although it was very nice, it was nowhere near as nice as Bright.

High country.

Drive by shooting.

There are thousands of hectares of dead Snow Gums in Victoria's high country.

Sadly, fires have killed many thousands of hectares of snow gums in the high country of NSW and Victoria. This destruction will become much more common as climate change gets worse. Young trees can be seen replacing the dead ones but it takes generations to replace old growth forests. Mick.

Bairnsdale is a major centre so had all the services expected. It also has a morass! We had never been to one before so it was top of the list for birdwatching spots to try. A morass is an area of muddy or boggy ground, basically a swamp and Macleod Morass didn't disappoint. An extensive wetland with a system of tracks it is home to many bird species. Unfortunately it is also used for duck hunting and we could only imagine how many natives are killed "by accident" during the season.

Spotless Crake. It was impossible to get close to these wary little birds.

We spent quite some time there walking along the tracks. The only disappointment was the boardwalk leading to one of the bird hides. It started off okay but soon became overgrown, with grasses and reeds growing between the boards, to higher than head height. We had to fight our way through. When we finally reached the hide, it was unkempt and in very poor condition, Because the surrounding grasses and reeds were so tall, you couldn't see the water. While we would recommend a visit for birdwatchers, we would suggest not bothering with the boardwalk unless council has done some serious maintenance.

Eurasian Coot

Three amigos. Juvenile Nankeen Night Herons.

Time for some grub! Striated Pardalote.

Purple Swamphen

Fresh out of the nest. This Superb Fairywren chick was unconcerned by my presence. Not so the parents.

After spending some time exploring the town, including the op-shops of course, we returned to Macleod Morass later in the afternoon so Mick could take some more photos.

Lakes Entrance

3 - 5 February

We left Bairnsdale for Lakes Entrance and a couple of days with friends. Because we didn't really have far to go and we didn't want to arrive too early we left late and detoured via Metung. We found the park at Shaving Point and had a good look around at this beautiful spot. Metung is a very popular holiday spot and we could see why. We took our time there and had lunch in the park before resuming our journey to Lakes Entrance.

Bloody tourist!

A calm and clear day at Metung.

There are lots of waterside walks around the village

Lots of Black Swans call the estuary home.

We found a parking spot in town and set about exploring the shops - op-shops to be precise! After killing time in town we made our way to Ruth and Boyd's. Boyd was out fishing and returned with a nice catch of flathead which he cooked up for dinner. There's nothing quite like fresh fish.

Relaxing on Ruth and Boyd's verandah.

On Saturday morning we set off for Lake Tyers. The GPS did it's best and suggested the journey would take an hour which didn't seem right. We were right and she was wrong - again. A few minutes down the road we saw the turnoff and we were there shortly after. We wandered around for a bit, across the dunes to look at the sea and along the edge of the lake. From there we headed to another spot Boyd had suggested - Cherry Tree. It's a nice spot for a picnic and is popular for fishing. We walked a little way along the track which follows the creek and then headed back into Lakes Entrance for coffee.

View from the lookout at Lakes'

Back in town, following coffee, we walked across the pedestrian bridge to the ocean beach. Again, another really beautiful spot. Back across the bridge we had a picnic lunch in the park, and then set off for Buchan, which is back towards the high country.

View from the pedestrian bridge.

We found our way to Buchan Caves Reserve which is a very nice looking place. It was really hot - in the mid-thirties - so we stopped for an ice cream and a look around. You can do cave tours but we chose not to. There is a camping area which looked to be quite nice - one to keep on the list for future reference.

Back to Lakes Entrance, we stopped for a swim at Eastern Beach before heading home to Ruth and Boyd's. After a nice nice breakfast out on Sunday morning we had a look around the markets and packed up ready to hit the road again.

Mallacoota

5 - 6 February

We stopped for lunch in Cann River and made our way to Mallacoota. This is another lovely seaside village which is a favourite fishing and holiday spot. This is obvious when you check into the council caravan park and see the size of the park - over 600 sites, and heaps of boats around. While Mick was having a look at the bush near our waterfront site, he heard a strange growling noise and found the culprit sitting up in the tree nearby. Later this koala walked right by our camp on its way to another tree. It's a special treat to see one up so close.

Our koala neighbour.

The beach in front of our overnight camp.

Wonga Pigeon

Crested Tern

Pelicans and Coots

Despite the overcast conditions and occasional light spits of rain, we had a walk on the beach. I was drawn to a group of surfers making the most of the reasonable beach break. I got a couple of decent shots of one guy who looked like he was having great fun. On the beach there were a few terns around to practice on. The usual variety of birds around the camp; White-browed Scrubwrens, Eastern Yellow Robin, Brown Thornbill, and Wonga Pigeon. Mick

In the morning we went down to the other end of the caravan park, and the boat ramp. The weather wasn't great so we didn't spend long before heading off towards New South Wales.