"No matter where you go, there you are."

TASMANIA (Part Four)

Tuesday 20^th March:

We spent a quiet morning around the van, drying the dive gear and giving the van a spring clean. At lunchtime we drove down the coast to Swansea to have a look at some the town’s galleries. We had some lunch overlooking Great Oyster Bay then headed back to Bicheno. We stopped at the Coombend Winery for a tasting on the way home.

Wednesday 21^st March:

Leaving Bicheno today and heading back to Hobart. The day was perfect for the run down along the coast road. We had spectacular views along the way and arrived at Bill and June’s place early afternoon. Once settled we drove in to Glenorchy Shopping Centre to stock up on groceries.

Thursday 22^nd March:

The Pajero went in for its 30,000km service this morning. We borrowed Bill’s car to drop it off and we also dropped off Twistie for a haircut. We had quiet day around the van then picked up the car and dog in the afternoon.

Friday 23^rd March:

We took a drive up the Derwent Valley this morning. The road meanders along the river and the scenery is very pretty. The trees are just starting to change into their autumn colours. We visited the famous Salmon Ponds and had a walk around their beautiful gardens. This place was set up in the late 1800’s for trout and salmon breeding. In the afternoon we went to the Sandy Bay Bowls Club for our last game of bowls in Tassie.

Saturday 24^th March:

It is very chilly this morning but the sun is shining. We had a lovely morning strolling around the Salamanca Markets. The atmosphere in the markets is great with all the buskers and colourful stalls. We played around on the net in the afternoon and booked a van park for the Easter period. We had to change our clocks back an hour this evening as daylight saving finishes.

Sunday 25^th March:

We took a drive out through Richmond to Sorrell to visit their Sunday market. It was quite big with lots of bargains. We spent a couple of hours fossicking at all the stalls but didn’t end up finding anything we needed. After we drove back in to Hobart and took a walk along the riverfront at Bellerive and got some photos of the city across the river. We spent the afternoon chatting with Bill and June as it is our last day here. We went to dinner at Monty and Debbie’s place and had an enjoyable evening.

Monday 26^th March:

We left Hobart for the last time this morning saying our farewells and thanks to Bill and June. We headed north up the through the Midlands to Gowrie Park. There is not much in Gowrie Park except the camping ground and a couple of houses. The town once housed up to 3000 people when the hydro dams were being built. It is quite eerie, there are lots of paved streets and street signs but all the houses have been removed and the bush is starting to grow over them. The camp ground is nestled beneath two large rocky mountains, Mt Roland and Mt Claude.

Tuesday 27^th March:

We are finally off to Cradle Mountain National Park and the weather is good. We left Twistie in the van and drove out to the park. We left our car at the information centre and took the free shuttle bus down to Dove Lake. Cradle Mountain soars high over one end of the lake. The 6km boardwalk around the lake is spectacular. It took us 2 ½ hours to complete due to the many photo stops and a lunch stop. We enjoyed a hot cup of soup and sandwiches while sitting at the lakes edge. The shuttle bus runs every 10 minutes so we didn’t have long to wait for a pick up.In the afternoon we drove into Sheffield a small town nearby that is famous for its murals. We had a wander around town to have a look at some of them.

Wednesday 28^th March:

We had a lovely forest walk early this morning along O’Neill’s Creek. We have decided to move on to Deloraine for our last night in Tassie. We took the back roads through the mountains down to Mole Creek then on to Deloraine. The Apex Caravan Park is right on the Meander River that runs through the town. After setting up I walked up through town to check out the various galleries and shops. The museum housed the most exquisite silk embroidered panels depicting the history of the town. The ducks at the van park are very friendly and come right under the annexe looking for food.

Thursday 29^th March:

Our last day in Tassie, Sob! We took it slowly packing up and eventually left Deloraine at 10am. Our first stop was the Cheese Factory in Elizabeth Town. We filled our tummies with lots of cheese varieties and ended up buying a couple. The next stop was the Anvers Chocolate Factory. We ran amok in the tasting room trying dark chocolate, truffles and various fudges. We settled on a small pack of Choc Walnut Fudge. Yum! After dragging ourselves away from the chocolate we headed into Devonport to have a walk around the city centre. Unfortunately we couldn’t find parking with the van on so we drove out to the small town of Latrobe to spend the afternoon. Ferg took Twistie for a walk in the forest behind the town while I had a wander through the various antique and craft shops. We drove back to Devonport early evening and got to the “Spirit” in good time for loading. We didn’t have long to wait before were on board. Twistie stayed in the van for the crossing. We tucked up in our cabin early as it was going to be a rough crossing. We had a great two months in Tasmania and hope to return some day.