3 days in Hobart

Wednesday morning dawned sunny and warm. The forecast was good so we quickly drove to Mt Wellington while you could see it. The locals have a saying: “if you can see Mt Wellington, it is going to rain. If you can’t see My Wellington, it is already raining”. It was a splendid view at 1200 meters. The drive up is narrow and we had to content with mobs of tourists. Not only are we in peak season, the Dawn Princess cruise liner had berthed in town and her contents was now spilling all over the summit.  The wind was ripping through my ears, so I took refuge in a lovely glass viewing area. I did not want to leave.  

After many photo's, we ventured down and north east back to Hobart’s city centre.  We found street parking a few blocks from Salamanca Square and Constitution dock.  A local was complaining about the price of the parking metres in the city centre “$5 for 3 hours!!” We just smiled.  Our number plates mark us as “mainlanders”.  

Salamanca has a distinctive “Rocks” feel and the wharf and docks feel similar to Circular Quay – just smaller and cleaner. Our family are not big foodies, but we did manage to whittle away half an hour  in a fab book shop ( speaking of which – I am now reading a John Grisham – HELP -  I may even reconsider Jane Austen!) and find a bakery for lunch. Coffee was 8/10 – not bad.  We strolled in the sunshine and saw the Yacht race finish line and Constitution Dock but alas were about 8 days too late to see any of the vessels. Apart from a dirty great Cruise ship.

The CBD was not so inspiring.  Rod expected some great architecture given that this is one of our earliest settled capitals, but it looks pretty generic. Later we did get around to Battery Point and see some very quaint cottages.  We decided to head back to camp as the previous day had really taken its toll but not before we made a trip to Richmond, home of Australia's oldest bridge ( still in use, that is). 

Once back home, I ended up chatting with the neighbours from Latrobe ( TAS, not VIC) for ages and forgot to cook dinner. Everyone seemed to find something in the cupboard and didn’t complain too much. I will have to try that again.

Thursday was miserable weather. It had been forecast so I had decided to go to MONA.  We could walk there from the Van Park, it’s just next door. Or we could get a helicopter – I’m serious. The blessed things kept landing and taking off ferrying those with more money than sense. I have no idea why you would take a helicopter because it is about a 15 minute drive from the city or you can catch a ferry.  As it turned out we drove due to weather being so dodgy.  

MONA was a bit boring.  I have heard so much about this place and was so looking forward to it. Perhaps it was over-hyped, but sorry guys – just not that interesting.  To be fair, it was very crowded and the staff was madly trying to organise flows of people from the entrance into the single staircase down to the bottom floor.   At that point they handed us iPhones. For anyone who knows me, I have a philosophical issue with Apple products and prefer not to fiddle to Steve Jobs tune.  I was forced to use it as there is no other way to garner any information about the Art works or their creators.  Hmmmmm………. how very Apple .

 The first exhibition was from a guy called Matthew Barney. He is a film maker and producer of “alternative” opera. He has put together an installation based on Norman Mailers book “Ancient Evenings” and called it “River of Fundament”.  It’s OK, but I think he should stick to films and opera. There was a really interesting piece from Japan documenting the history of Hiroshima, a fun piece composed of 26 screens showing  individual Madonna fans singing the entire “Immaculate” album and a handful of others that I really enjoyed.  Ask the kids about the “poo machine”. I thought it was very clever and showed great technical expertise. Rod thought it stunk – I mean, it really did smell bad. I also saw a good dose of lazy and predictable work, flimsy on creativity, inspiration or even beauty.  I may have enjoyed the “Death cinema”, however the “cinema” only seated two people per viewing and the “film” lasted for 4.5 minutes. A quick calculation on the crowd queueing outside reckoned we would wait about two hours to see it.

In MONA’s defence, the weather turned nasty and we did not roam the grounds, so probably missed a few things.  One floor was largely vacant; a new exhibition is going in and will be open next week. Good luck with that.  We considered going back the next day when the weather was better but really couldn’t be bothered.  Glad I didn’t take a helicopter.

The next day was Bruny Island day. We hoped to take the boat explorer around the southern part of the coast. It is not accessible by car and features some stunning shorelines and an abundance of wildlife.  Alas it was completely booked out – one of the hazards of travelling without a fixed itinerary is that we don’t know where we will be until a few days beforehand. Despite this, we drove 40min south west of Hobart and took the vehicular ferry across to the island. 

We stopped at the Quarantine station. It was founded after an outbreak of smallpox in the late 1800’s and remained operational until 1986.  It has been used to inter Germans during WW1 and saw its peak afterwards quarantining returning diggers at the time of the Spanish Flu pandemic. We met another new best friend, Martin the caretaker, on vocational internship from UQ.

A drive around the dirt roads on the northern part of the island uncovered some pretty coves and beaches and a Cheese factory. Again, it was crowded, so we only got to try one cheese, something called “tom”. No one liked it, so we left. 

North and South Bruny are connected by an isthmus. Right in the middle is a lookout, the islands highest point. It afforded us lovely views in all directions. 

After that we ventured south to the Bruney Island berry farm. You can pick your own berries here, but since I am the only one who eats them, we decided to have lunch instead.  I was fortunate enough to have a very kind lady approach us at Rocky Cape with a huge bucket of raspberries. Her husband had picked them that morning and she was giving them away – I helped lighten her load. Delicious.

It’s probably a good time to also confess that I have been hitting the cherry and apricot stalls. Again, no one else is keen on them so I get the lot. The cherries are sublime.

We noodled around the island some more and then it was time to get the ferry back . We pondered what Bruny Islanders call Tasmanians, if the Tasmanians call us mainlanders? The trip back to Hobart was a scenic one, taking in the Huon Valley and a number of sweet towns, one called Cygnet. Cygnet was hosting a Folk festival this weekend and we encountered a number of beatniks and young boys dressed in tuxedo’s. Still wondering about that one.

We drive to Port Arthur tomorrow to continue our adventure.  Not  long till it’s over, so we will see you all again soon. Then I can really tell you what I think about MONA.

Not for the faint hearted - The road from west to east.

The road between Strahan and Hobart is 300 kms of pure brutality.  It crosses the mountain range running through the middle of the island and traverses the Franklin Gordon Wild Rivers National Park.  The west coast was serviced ably by sea via the deep water port of Strahan and Macquarie Harbour and then by rail from Burnie after it was settled.  The need for a road was not pressing and it remained nothing more than a proposed route on the surveyors map until the 1930’s and for this reason the south west of Tasmania remained largely underdeveloped.   Apart from being sealed in 1974, the road is pretty much the same as it was in the 1930’s.  

First stop is Queenstown. We expected a moonscape but when approaching from the west, it seemed pretty vegetated.  It is clearly a mining town and not very pretty, a tough place full of tough people. After checking out a disused mine, we wandered around for a bit and then decided to press on.

The next stop is Derwent Bridge, which on the map is only 80 kms, but a more labour intensive drive, I cannot recall.  One of our fellow travellers said “you can camp there, but why would you?”  It’s claim to fame is based firstly on the fact the people walking the Overland track from Cradle mountain end up at St Clair, just a stones throw away and secondly a seriously committed bloke is hand carving a timber mural that will be 350 meters long when complete ( If he doesn’t die first). We had a pub lunch and pressed on.

It was a further stretch of narrow, winding and dipping pavement until Tarraleah, a Hydro power town. There are several Hydro stations along the river system South East of the World Heritage area and have been since the 40’s. The engineering and construction of these stations is staggering, particularly when considered how remote and inhospitable the area is. The dedication and sheer determination of the workers must have been enormous. I cannot believe such a feat would be possible today, you couldn’t find anyone brave enough! We pressed on.

The next town of note was Hamilton. Quaint but not much doing.  Had a great free camp spot (loo’s but no showers) and we were tempted to pull up stumps for the day, but driver and navigator felt good . After all, we were only 70 kms from Hobart now.  I also pointed out that we had not showered for two days and I reckon we were a bit smelly .We pressed on.

The little towns grew bigger and came more quickly and we picked up the Derwent running along our right hand side.  It is a swift, dark body of water. Even in the brilliant sunshine, it looked moody. Eventually, we willed ourselves into a northern suburb of Hobart called Berriedale at about 3:30pm, exhausted but victorious.

Strahan West Coast

Well we left Cradle Mountain mid morning and set off on the 140km journey through the mining town of Zeehan to the west coast wilderness and the town of Strahan.  We have now travelled about 10,500 kms. This region is famous for the attempted damming of the Franklin River and the huge fracas between the federal government, Tasmanian state govenment, developers and environmentalists. This is what probably put Strahan on the map and they have made the most of their tourism opportunities through the Macquarie Harbour/Gordon River cruises and flights and Huon pine merchandising.

Apparently it rains to some extent on average 300 days of the year on the west coast. Well we arrived on a “pearler” of an afternoon, it was sunny the next day and it was sunny on the day we left. You can be lucky.

So we arrived mid afternoon and immediately took in a Huon Pine cutting demonstration and talk right on the wharf where the cruises ships come in. They time these demonstrations for the afternoon arrival of the ships. After this we looked through the store with marvellously sculptured Huon Pine furniture. I recognised many people I had seen or talked to at Cradle Mountain. I guess if you are doing Tassie in an anti clockwise direction, Strahan is the obvious next destination. I guess we will recognise fellow tourists in Hobart as well.  Speaking of recognising people, Georgia has met 2 Beecroft school  friends/families in Strahan.

Huon pine show

Georgia with customary slouched shoulders shows off the Huon Pine products on offer

It was then off to our camp which happened to be at the back of the Strahan golf club. We stayed between the 1^st tee and the football oval. I have really enjoyed the simplicity and open spaces of these bush/recreation camping spots as an alternative to the Big 4 caravan parks with all the bells and whistles. Though I was tempted for 9 holes, I had no time for this as my duty of course was to my family and looking after their every wellbeing and making sure they were comfortably settled in camp.

After dinner we went into town for a look around. Strahan is a quiet and pretty little coastal town. Apart from the cruises, I am not sure what would hold your attention for more than a 1 night stay.

Andrw showing who is the boss in Strahan town centre

The next morning it was off early for an 8.30am cruise down the Gordon River. It was a lovely boat, the water was pristine, we were speaking with our cruise neigbours from Greenwich in Sydney, saw some sea lions, the captain was giving good commentary on life, history and activities on the river. It was all good. 

Arriving for departure

We all got off at Sarah Island where professional actors took us on a journey of the island’s convict history, which was very entertaining (for us that is not so for the convicts or it seemed for anyone living in Tasmania at that time). We reboarded the boat for a sumptuous lunch and continued down the Gordon River.

Our host regalling us with the stories on Sarah Island

We then went onshore for a wilderness walk and talk through forests of Huon Pine and Myrtle trees. 

By the time we were onboard and heading back towards Strahan, 80% of us had descended into a restful sleep in their seats. We arrived back at Strahan mid afternoon to of course the Huon Pine cutting demonstration. After a coffee and ice cream in town, it was back to camp for a quiet afternoon.

I spent an hour with my new best friend, camp neighbour Peter who had come from the east coast and Hobart region. He gave me  some good information on where to go and stay as we headed east. He and his wife Lesley and all of us then headed over to the golf club for a drink (my shout!). I then took Andrew to the skate park , and we were back for a simple dinner and an early night.

Next stop heading east through Queenstown and Hobart.

Cradle Mountain

Well Fiona is having a well-earned rest and has allowed me to come off the bench and tell you about our next adventure. Just a couple of thoughts first after reading some of Fiona's blogs:

-          I thought Fiona was a little harsh on ho hum Horsham Victoria. I thought Horsham was “hokay”. We stayed in a caravan park by the river with a several pretty walking trails, we were next to an impressive grass court tennis centre and the botanical gardens, the town was alive, there was Mt Arapilies….etc. I give Horsham the thumbs up without being spectacular.

-          I thought the nut at Stanley was spectacular and could have been promoted more. There was 360 degrees of breathtaking views from the top

-          To date we have been incredibly lucky with very little rain but we have copped a lot of wind and cold.

-          Fiona has just bought herself a bandanna to protect her ears from the cold (in January!!). Despite the three of us suggesting she desist from wearing it as it is not a good look ( and that is coming from me and my current grooming), she continues to wear it. We can only hope for warmer weather.

Like a fireworks display with many wow moments and then towards the end of the display the spectacular is ramped up for the finale, Tasmania is ramping up the wow moments on our adventure with beautifully scenic drives along the north coast, the Stanley nut and now Cradle Mountain. Fiona had especially been looking forward to Cradle Mountain.

This morning we started a little late but got the shuttle bus (which was very well organised) out to Ronnys Creek at the foot of Cradle Mountain. As the weather was good, we decided to do the most weather dependent walk which was also the toughest we would do. We travelled up to Crater Lake, Marion’s lookout and back via Wombat Pool, Lake Lilia to Dove Lake carpark. All up it took us around 3 hours but the scenery was simply magnificent.

starting the walk

impressive Crater Lake

 impressive people at impressive Crater Lake

nice place for lunch at Marions Lookout overlooking Cradle Mountain

After lunch and a rest back at the visitors centre, we headed off  mid-afternoon to the Rangers Station to do the Pencil Pines Falls walk and the Enchanted Walk. The Enchanted Walk was only a 20 minute walk but one of Tasmania’s “60 best short walks” and it was lovely. Beautiful streams, rainforest and wildlife (we came across a wombat). As with a lot of these all day attractions, it is very busy in the mornings but by mid-afternoon, things quieten down substantially. Long morning queues for the shuttle become non-existent later in the day. There’s a free tip for those considering a later start to their daily itinery of Cradle Mountain walks.

the Enchanted walk had a strange affect on Fiona

Hey would you keep it down out there!

After a long day, we headed back to camp, showered, dined and played cards by the fireplace before calling it a night.

Relaxing in our Jayco Eagle ensuite after a hard day trekking

Fiona ends the day with a visit from a Tasmanian Pademelon. To me the lines are a little blurred between a Pademelon and a dirty giant rat

The next morning was hot but we took our time with a leisurely breakfast and took the shuttle to the Dove Lake carpark arriving just before 11am for a walk around the much hyped Dove Lake. It was a lovely and picturesque walk but for me lacked the spectacular of the previous days trek. The walk took us 2 hours and minutes. 

Man mountain Andrew Burton

Lunching at the lovely Ballroom Forest Dove Lake

We headed back to the information centre but the previous days exertions must have taken it out us because after lunch we headed back to camp for a rest and we never made it out again . We had done all the big ticket walks and agreed to have a quiet and relaxing  afternoon. We chatted to our new neighbours from Caulfield in Melbourne, showered, dined played cards and had an early night as we were moving on the next morning. We have taught the kids to play poker so that is all the rage at the moment.

Retreating to the dining area of our Jayco Eagle. 10 seconds after this picture, Georgia knocked over her full drinking cup we went from relaxed to mayhem.

Next stop Strahan, Tasmanian west coast.

Rocky Cape - Cradle Mountain

The Rocky Cape Tavern is really just a pub on the road from Wynyard (pop. 5000) to Stanley (pop. 450).  Rocky Cape had a population of about 7 plus a few stray dogs.  If you count the people camping at the back of the pub, the population trebles. After we arrived I reckon it was close to 30.

The next morning we planned a trip to the “Nut”, a volcanic plug that now stands 150 m above sea level at the end of an isthmus on which the town of Stanley rests. The obvious thing to do is climb it, so we did. It is only a short walk (430m) to the top, but you ascend almost 120m in that distance. A great work out for the thighs. Of course, Georgia just ran up it and then looked disparagingly at her aged parents as we dragged ourselves over the last 30 metres. The views from the top were great, we could see almost to the north western edge of the island (Tasmania,that is) There is a chairlift to go up, but felt that would be cowardly. I have to secretly admit to not minding the children begging to have a lift down the Nut on the chairlift, just for the fun of it.  My hockey knees are not so good coming down steep paths. Of course, we made a fuss and then acquiesced. We treated the kids to an ice cream at the bottom, I had a coffee…. 6/10 I am afraid, but I am becoming far more tolerant of bad grinds.  The sacrifice one must make.

Stanley is a pretty little town that makes its living mostly of tourist and opium poppies. Yes, that’s correct… opium. There are huge expanses of poppy fields, all carefully fenced and farmed complete with signs to say that you could DIE if you misuse the crop. Apparently it is used commercially for the manufacture of codeine and a few other pharmaceuticals and grows very successfully in the region.

The town has a folksy and historic main street with all the usual tourist suspects, but nicely done. Then we found it. I was almost beside myself.  Who knew that Joseph Lyons our tenth prime minister, and co-founder (along with Menzies) of the United Australia Party that later morphed into the current Liberal Party was born in Stanley? Not me, although I probably read it at one point somewhere. Well, I guess you are all just about as excited with that news as the rest of my family was.  The cottage he was born in was not open that day, but a volunteer happened to be onsite and let us in. She was a wealth of information and I spent a very happy half hour chatting while the rest of the family looked bored and restless. Bless them.

On the drive back, we stopped in at Rocky Cape National Park. It is a just a few kilometres from the Tavern.  The Park showcases some fascinating quartzite rock formations and caves once used by the Aboriginal people. We drove out to the lighthouse situated on the actual cape and then hiked out to one of the natural caves.  The National Parks won’t let you go in the caves as they are significant to the local culture but it was a very rugged and windswept coastline that proved most photogenic.

That night was New Year’s Eve.  Our neighbour, Bob in the RV adjacent had lit a fire in the BBQ area (it would not pass muster for neither food safety nor OHS) and we ended up sitting around it talking, laughing, drinking and furnacing marshmallows.  The wedding reception at the pub really got going at about 11.00pm and the kids made it to midnight.  Bob gave us a blow by blow account of every freecamping site in Tasmania, complete with instructions such as “ Go to the RSL at Jeeveston and talk to Dave, aka ‘Daisy’ and he’ll let ya stop out the back and leave the dunnies open for ya”. Priceless, but don’t think we will be visiting Jeeveston this time round.  We fell into bed at about 1:30am to the sounds the wedding reception cover band. Now, you wouldn’t get that at the Devonport Hilton.

Needless to say, we were all a bit dusty the next morning and took us a while to get going. In addition, it was sprinkling rain. We only set the bed flys if the weather looks inclement as they are a bit of a pain to put up and take down and fortunately had put then up when we arrived.

After the slow start we backtracked  east to meet up with the road heading inland to Cradle Mountain. Along the way, we stopped at Table Cape lighthouse. It is still operating today and is one of the few lighthouses that you can enter and look around.  It was built in 1888 and required a fulltime lighthouse keeper on site until the 1920’s. It is fully automated today but all the fittings are original except for the electrical cableing and the current lightbulb.  In fact, it’s not a lightbulb but one of those diode things, very similar to what you use for a car headlight.

Past more Poppy fields, a stop for petrol and then we turned south on the B18 and drove to Cradle Mountain National Park.  We arrived in time to have a good chat to one of the rangers and planned our walks for the next two days. The weather is holding for now, but it is FREEZING. I mean, really. The forecast minimum temp for tonight is 2. Apparently it is currently 6 degrees.   I would type more but my fingers are starting to seize up.

Next post will have, Lord willing, some breathtaking shots of Crater Lake and if I am uber lucky, the Aurora Australis.   Conditions have been right for the Aurora and there have been several sightings in the past week – although it does require one to be outside in the middle of the night. Lets pray for warmer weather.