Travelling Around Australia: Tasmania cont.

Feb 1^st

After arriving in St Helens yesterday and setting up camp in very wet conditions, we awoke this morning to a beautiful warm and sunny morning. It was already 28 degrees at 8 am. We took the drive back up the Tasman Hwy through the scenic Goshen pastures and into the Pyengana Valley which is rich farming country, into St Columba Falls Rd to view the magnificent St Columba Waterfall. This waterfall is 90 metres high and is one of the highest in Tasmania. After witnessing and taking a photo of a black snake basking in the sun we headed to the waterfall and what a sight to behold. The walk to the viewing platform was a treat in itself, providing us with a canopy of trees in the rainforests and beautiful rippling brooks along the way. The air was so clean and fresh, we wanted to inhale, hold and bottle it. It was truly refreshing. The look, the smell, the sound was all very intoxicating. We have some wonderful photos and a video of it cascading down the mountain. The waterfall runs down into the George River which then flows into Georges Bay at St Helens.

On the way back we stopped at the famous Pub in the Paddock. It is a beautiful historic hotel ‘in a paddock’ with a rich history and walls covered with old photos and paraphernalia. Of course we had a drink there in the ‘beer garden’ and took a photo of the pig that drinks beer, Pinky. But methinks Pinky had too much the night before as she wouldn’t wake up for us.

We drove then to the beautiful Bay of Fires, first stop was Binalong, and yes folks, it lives up to its tag of the 2^nd most beautiful beach in the world. The water is a colour that is described as turquoise, but it is even more stunning than that and oh so clear. The sand is as white as you’ll ever see and squeaky clean. It is pristine. The brilliant orange lichen covering the rocks on the foreshore is also worth noting, very beautiful to capture in a photo. Binalong Bay is the gateway to the Bay of Fires and after exploring the beautiful Humbug Point Nature Recreation Reserve and visiting Dora Point where the campsites are many and tucked in behind the sand dunes and coastal vegetation; we drove along the 35 km stretch of white sandy beaches which is the Bay of Fires.

Along this stretch of beach, which ends at the Gardens, a prime residential area and a dead end, there are numerous tracks that lead down the magnificent white beaches as well as a number of lagoons. We of course drove into each of them and were never disappointed with the view and the beauty of the area.

The day was nearly finished, but we still had time to drive out to St Helens Point, which is near where we are staying and have a look at Beerbarrel Beach and the Peron Sand Dunes, which are a playing field for 4 wheel drives. That experience is reserved for tomorrow. The whole area in and around St Helens, including the township itself, is very much worthwhile the visit.

Feb 2nd

This morning, after a lot of exploring yesterday, we had a rather lazy day. We slept in, had pancakes and blueberries and cream for breakfast and just relaxed for a while.

We were going to take the Cruiser up into the Peron Dunes, but due to the weather being miserably wet today, we have cancelled those plans. Today is relax day, getting caught up on some washing, tidying up the camper and a few other mundane chores. Greg went into town and bought an aerial for the TV so now we can catch up on the latest news, particularly the Yasi cyclone. We hope that everyone remains safe in Qld and there is not too much damage. Our thoughts are with all Queenslanders affected by this horrid cyclone.

We have also today had a walk around the caravan park and chatted with travellers from all parts of our country. Some interesting conversations about where people enjoy visiting the most. But all certainly agree that St Helens is a top spot.

The day after tomorrow we are heading to a more remote part of the East Coast and may not have any internet or phone service for a while, so this may be my last post for a little while. But I do look forward to keeping you all updated on our future travels. Cheers.