Travelling Around Australia: Tasmania

March 14^th to March 21^st

We headed north after packing up at Nelson Bay and didn’t have to travel too far before we found a lovely camping spot at Montagu. This gorgeous little camping ground is about 20 kms west of Smithton on the North West Coast. It is only open from November to April each year and unusually for really cheap camping has a caretaker. It is a very picturesque bush camping experience. The caretaker, Joe, even gave us a supply of firewood for the campfire. Montagu Park is very popular for fishing and has a boat ramp, but not a very good beach. It is situated on Robbins Passage, which feeds in from Bass Strait and is ideal for kayaking as well. Our neighbours were Jim and Pat from Perth. They are spending 10 weeks in Tassie before heading off around Australia. They were great company and Jim and Greg swapped some ideas about camping. Hopefully we will catch up with them again up north later in the year.

The landscape in this region of Tasmania along the Bass Highway changed dramatically from what we had become used to in the previous weeks. We finally found long straight stretches of road, where we could actually see the bends before they were upon us. Instead of thick forests on each side of us, we had the low rolling hills of rich farming valleys and old farmhouses. Lots of cows grazing in the pastures; don’t you love the way cows lift their heads when you drive by as if you’re interrupting their day. How much sleep do cows need Nene? How much have you had?

We intended to go to Cape Grim which is on the North West tip of Tasmania, where the Southern Ocean and Bass Strait collide, but you can only access this area via a pre booked tour as you have to pass through private land and take the Woolnorth Wind Farm Tour. Not a very cheap tour, so unfortunately we had to bypass that. We also wanted to take the touring route through South Arthur Forest, but the bridge at Tayatea was out. The bridge collapsed due to heavy flooding 2 years ago and has not yet been repaired. We drove as far as the bridge; it was a pretty drive, but to go back and then in the other way would have been a 3 hr return trip, so we again decided not to do that.

We did however go to the beautiful Stanley. Stanley is a very picturesque and very tidy seaside fishing village which is nestled below an unusual landform called ‘The Nut’. The Nut is 152 metres high and is the solidified lava lake of a long-extinct volcano. We took the chairlift to the top of the Nut and it provided us with 360 degree views of the whole area. It was a nice walk around the top with many viewing platforms along the way, from where we were able to take some great photos of Stanley and the surrounding districts. The township itself is very quaint, with lots of old stores and beautifully restored houses.

Thursday we headed to Burnie to spend our last 4 days before heading home. We again met up with Martine for dinner. Martine had her Nan with her and we enjoyed a fantastic night together. Although I’m glad I don’t have to share a drink with her again on this trip, she leads me astray! St Pat’s night at Maginty’s pub in Burnie is certainly one I’ll remember. Thanks for getting me the hat Teen.

Burnie is a coast hugging city with lots of hills that offer fantastic views across Bass Strait. We have a lovely beach across the road from the park we are staying in and have enjoyed a leisurely walk along it. Other attractions of Burnie we have enjoyed include; the Hellyers Road Distillery, which is Australia’s largest single malt whisky distillery, YUM! Creative Paper mill, which hand produces paper at the rate of only a couple of hundred sheets a day and the Cheese Tasting Factory, who can resist tasting cheese? The Round Hill lookout gives great views over the city and Bass Strait, while the Makers Workshop showcases local artists and their work including, jewellery making, painting, woodwork and paper Mache. It is a new place which also honours Burnie’s history, particularly the paper making connections and was an interesting experience.

This part of Tasmania has some really awesome beaches and pretty drives. We drove to Table Cape Lookout, Boat Harbour Beach and Sisters Beach to catch up with Diana and Fergie. The weather wasn’t really great and the photos didn’t come up as they would have on a fine day, but they are really beautiful spots.

Alas this will be my last post from Tassie. We have really really enjoyed the 8 weeks we spent in this beautiful state and can’t pick a favourite location. We have loved it all and could do with another 4 weeks to see all the spots we missed. Will we come back here? In a heartbeat! A big huge thank you to all of the wonderful people we have met in Tassie, particularly the Tasmanians, you know who you are. We love you.

The next post will not come for a little while as we will be home for a couple of weeks before heading off on our mainland adventure. I hope you have enjoyed reading about our Tassie trip as much as I have enjoyed sharing it with you. Cheers til next time.