Our Second Trip to and Destinations in Tasmania

Perth across the Nullabor to Geelong then onto the "Spirit of Tasmania" bound for Devonport.

Ferry Across to Devonport, Tasmania then Stanley, Smithton & Burnie.

Waratah, Cradle Mountain. ~~Strahan~~, Sheffield and Mole Creek.

Deloraine, Scottsdale, Bridport and Launceston.

Campbell Town, Ross, Oatlands, Hobart & Port Arthur.

Triabunna, Maria Island, Bicheno, Longford & the VW Tiguan.

Perth across the Nullabor to Geelong then on to the “Spirit of Tasmania” bound for Devonport.

Monday February 7^th 2011 at 6:00 AM and we are not ready but by 7:30 we drove out of our driveway on this our newest adventure. Being a little late we experienced some local traffic but within 30 minutes or so we were clear of it and heading eastwards. Through the Northam area, Merredin, Southern Cross, Coolgardie then turning right towards Norseman before eventually turning left to head east on the Eyre Highway. Finally after a total days travel distance of some 760Km we stopped to spend our first night at a free site “Fraser Range Rest Area” that is maintained by the Western Australian Main Roads Department and is about 75km east of Norseman on the highway. It was we thought quite strange as the weather was very much our friend with a top temperature of around 26ºC on this leg of the trip when we had expected more around the 40’s which in turn meant that it was very pleasant sleeping in the caravan. The following day after placating several foreign tourists who were most disappointed to be in what they were led to believe were deserts but appeared to be cool well watered areas we were finally up and off again by around 8:00AM. Once again it was a big day’s drive with a maximum temperature of 19.5ºC and a misty rain falling for more than half the time. There was a sad situation that came to light when we stopped at the Caiguna Roadhouse to refuel where an elderly couple with a very old caravan had lost the door off it They were asking all incoming travellers if they had seen it but as we had been in relatively brisk headwinds all day we did not expect that they would be successful unless they backtracked in a deliberate effort to find it. Off again and we crossed the Western Australian/South Australian border at around 6PM WA time or 8:30PM SAPT ( South Australian Pretendies Time) and within 25km had settled on one of the many Great Australian Bight Tourist View camp sites that are freely provided by the S.A. government. The views are exceptional and even though the facilities comprise only of a rubbish bin and a stern warning of what will happen to you if you don’t use them they are a delight to have the privilege to have the use of. Wednesday saw us leave at 6:00AM but it was now actually 8:30Am SAPT, destination Ceduna with our goal being to once again purchase some of Baldy’s oysters. These are huge oysters of the highest quality and costing $12.00 per dozen shucked. Baldy is a Ceduna character! He shucks the oysters whilst feeding Mary one or two pieces then packages them with parsley and lemon ready for anybody to enjoy. As usual we booked into Shelley Beach Caravan Park that is situated just outside Ceduna on the beach in a secluded location. Mary cooked them up as Oysters Kilpatrick and we feasted on them with a bottle of Tasmanian Bubbles to wash them down. The next morning we woke a little later than normal but headed for Clare (The Clare Valley) in South Australia. After passing through Port Augusta we took Horrocks Pass cutting across to Willmington to travel down Main North Road to Clare. The road is a small highway that is well patched but as most people use the A1 Highway it is in fact a pleasant drive with many small towns on the way. On arriving at Clare we decided to stay two nights so that we could explore the area. It is full of art galleries, wineries, museums, churches etc and is very much a quaint tourist area that we very much enjoyed. From Clare it was off towards Geelong through Gawler, Murray Bridge and a myriad of small towns before arriving at the South Australian/Victorian border where as a joint venture a well-appointed camping area has been provided for travellers. We were very surprised to find ourselves as the only caravan staying the night with the exception of one on the back of a truck that decided to stay over as well. What was a surprise was when the truckies clambered into the Winnebago (The truck was carting a Winnebago and a caravan) to spend the night in comfort. In the morning at around 8:30AM (the truckies hadn’t risen yet) our trip was resumed but now there was a feeling that we were in outer suburbs as there was lots of traffic and quite short gaps between dollops of civilisation. It was not until we spotted the Grampians that we felt any urge to stop. It was decided to stop at Stawell for a couple of nights so we could explore them properly on the following day. A look around Stawell in the afternoon revealed a scenic town with a working gold mine. Monday morning– Happy Valentines All – it was a 24km trip to Halls Gap from where our Grampians adventure began. On arrival at the information centre we were informed that the heavy rains of the previous week had caused over 100 landslides closing most of the roads in the national park. What was left open meant that our first stop was at the Heatherlie Quarry with a walk that encompassed accommodation buildings, machinery, and still has some quarried rock that is available to use in the maintenance of buildings that were constructed from its product last century. Onward we went to the Beehive waterfall where after a 1.2km hike we arrived at what was only just a waterfall but in all fairness the last part of the hike was a little challenging. Our final hike was up Mount Stapylton and this was good. In total we had walked around 7 kilometres. Tuesday it was off in the morning to Ballarat. Arriving around noon we checked into the Big 4 Windmill Caravan Park which was just lovely after the previous caravan parks we had become used to. It was then into town where we did one of the walk yourself tours recommended by the local information centre taking in many older buildings and including the art gallery. The gallery was full of interesting and enjoyable paintings and sculptures – It was quite an eye opener. The town of Ballarat obviously has or had a lot of money in it with no end of beautifully decorated buildings in the city and suburbs. Wednesday it is off to Geelong which is our base to prepare to catch the “Spirit of Tasmania”. On arriving we set up before heading into the city to shop ready for our overseas trip. Thursday we spent touring the Geelong area looking at Barwon Heads, Ocean Grove, Queenscliffe, St Leonards, and Portarlington before eventually arriving back at Geelong City in the beach precinct. The Australian saying “you’ve got Buckley’s” came from a Mr Buckley who escaped from Sorrento prison and lived with the Australian aboriginals for some 35 years in the Barwon Heads area (yes we saw a cave that he was said to have inhabited) before handing himself back in to the authorities whereupon he was given a government job with the constabulary. The Geelong City beach precinct was beautifully laid out with Mary & I enjoying a long walk which bought us to a helicopter flight that we both very much enjoyed. From there it was back to our caravan – a barbecue with an effort to eat as many of our vegetables as possible (before leaving for Tasmania in the knowledge that on arriving at Tasmania they would be confiscated) and then instigating preparations before heading for bed and an early night. Four thirty AM saw us rise in readiness to hook up the caravan to leave Geelong by 5:30AM bound for the Spirit of Tasmania. It turns out that this was not a good idea as the traffic on the road from Geelong to the ferry was heavy even at 5:30AM and just became worse as we approached the ferry.

We have now established to ourselves that there is just no nice way of catching this ferry.

The trip across to Devonport Tasmania then off to Stanley, Smithton, Burnie, Etc.

Once on the “Spirit of Tasmania” we settled into our “Deluxe Room”, something we had treated ourselves to when it was offered at a discount at the time of booking our crossing. It came with a bottle of Tasmanian Bubbles and other than leaving our room to purchase a “National Parks Pass”, that is an essential for any caravaner visiting Tasmania, we did not leave it again until we arrived at Devonport. Mary had packed food for lunch, snacking and a light dinner so the whole experience was very pleasant.

On arriving at Devonport some 45 minutes late, at 6:45PM, and after clearing quarantine we proceeded to the caravan park that we had pre-booked, checking ourselves in. We had, as we had Telstra cover on the crossing, advised the park that we would be late but in actual fact as most of their clientele comes from the ferry they were well geared towards it. Devonport is a great albeit small town so a two night stay at each end of our trip works well for us.

Sunday we headed for Stanley where after setting up home we rang Bell Sport Aviation to advise Lloyd (the owner) of our location and keen availability for some flying lessons.

Waking on Monday morning to very strong winds and heavy cloud cover we realised that flying was out of the question. With this in mind it was decided to take a drive to look at the Rocky Cape National Park then off over to Dip Falls & Big Tree Etc.

A phone call from a Perth friend, advising us that he and his lady would be in Stanley at 12:30PM meant an immediate change in plans as we looked forward to meeting with them. Charlie and his lady arrived and we all after a quick reconnoiter of the town went to the Stanley Hotel for a beer. They were on a bus tour so time was short but the hour enjoyed with them was fun. It was then off on our per-planned jaunt. At Rocky Cape Mary found a freshly painted, aboriginal style painting, on a rock. The falls and big tree were well worth the visit in that they were both in forests full of ferns, mosses and all those things that make you feel that it is a fairyland setting.

9:30AM on Tuesday morning we received a phone call from Lloyd Kay at Bell Sport Aviation advising that the weather was good and that we should head to Smithton Airfield for some lessons. The aircraft he uses is a Aeroprakt Foxbat A22. Both of us found it to be a great platform for our continued experiences in aviation. It has completely transparent doors and exceptional visibility much like that of a helicopter. A very roomy aircraft after what we have been used to, both of us took to it quite quickly. Mary had the first hour then it was my turn. I very much liked the aircraft, it’s setup, engine etc.etc. After one lesson for Mary and two for me we headed back to Stanley as the entire day had passed. Wednesday was more of the same as we both lapped up the experience and reveled in Lloyd’s method of instructing. Another 4 hours was logged between us and we looked forward to hopefully hearing we could have more on Thursday. Yeah - Thursday bought with it a further several hours of flying but it was decided to take a day off on Friday.

As it happened it was just as well as Mary was complaining of eyesight problems that very quickly degenerated to having us both quite concerned for the sight in one of her eyes. We were so concerned that Mary rang her GP in Perth and the clinic advised that it would be wise to go to a hospital first thing in the morning. On getting up in the morning Mary rang Burnie Hospital and they suggested that she present at emergency as soon as possible. Just over an hour later we arrived and within 30 minutes a doctor was examining the misbehaving eye. A surgeon was called in and around an hour after first examination Mary had been referred with an urgent appointment to the specialist that visits Burnie once a month. The specialist examined Mary’s eye and after a thorough examination immediately lasered the retinal tear that he confirmed had developed. We both then whilst frankly in a little shock at the efficiency of the whole treatment, at around midday, headed back to Stanley, stopping for lunch at Wynyard, sightseeing at the Sisters etc., before finally visiting the Allendale Gardens as a slight diversion from our route. Dinner was at one of Stanley’s fine restaurants to celebrate our good fortune. We are both still amazed at how quickly everything happened – Call us lucky !!!

Saturday morning a phone call came through informing us that the flying was on again. We met Lloyd at Smithton Airport at 10:00AM with intentions of doing a long flight each to look around the area. I went first then Mary with the scenery being quite spectacular. Normally we are so busy taking in our lessons that we don’t really see anything so this turned out to be a great idea. After Mary was finished Lloyd suggested that the weather was so good that some more circuits would be a good idea. After doing them for an hour he asked me to come to a stop to let him out? Now he exclaimed you can do three circuits on your own – Yippee Yahoo Whooha etc. I HAVE FLOWN SOLO! A big thank you to Lloyd Kay of Bell Sport Aviation.

Sunday we decided to stay an extra day to come down off our many highs with a quiet day of walks planned. Monday saw us head for Burnie as a base for our next few days as we knew that a follow up appointment was coming with the eye specialist. On arrival we set up at the town camp ground that is supplied free of charge by the Burnie shire council. All we had to do was to register at the information centre where our 5 day permit was issued. Towards the end of the day Mary’s eye was bothering her again and as we hadn’t heard from the specialist a phone call was placed to make the checkup appointment they had recommended. The appointment was made for the coming Wednesday. Tuesday was spent visiting Guide Falls along with several other recommended places on the suggested Burnie area drive. On Wednesday morning we set off to Launceston for Mary’s appointment. It is a 147km drive so we were there early enough to have a look around the waterfront precinct, to make an appointment with the local Volkswagen dealer for my first required service at 15,000km and enjoy a lunch at a local restaurant. The 3:30PM appointment was all over with some extra laser surgery included by 6:30PM so the drive had us arriving back in Burnie as dark set in.

Waratah, Cradle Mountain, Strahan, Sheffield and Mole Creek.

Thursday morning saw us set off for Waratah, a small tin mining town on the way towards Cradle Mountain. The shire park there charges $22.00 per night for a powered site and power is more desirable as the temperature is dropping. It is a great base to use to explore Savage River and many of the other attractions in the Tarkine wilderness area. The forests are dense and fairy home like. Many travellers also use Waratah as a cheap base to explore Cradle Mountain from as it is only around 50Km to the main entrance etc. We, even though the Cradle Mountain caravan park charges $40.50 (if you are a Big4 member) elected to pay and stay next door to the information centre for convenience. The trip from Waratah saw temperatures drop to as low as 0.5°C as we experienced sleet then snow while being most concerned of encountering “black ice” for the first time. On arriving at the caravan park we were very pleased with our decision when seeing the facilities provided including a camp kitchen in the style of a ski lodge with two large fire places, multiple barbecues and extensive cooking facilities. The fee they charge is not expensive when you realise that most people are running heating most of the time they are in their caravans. Across the road at the information centre on presentation of our parks pass we were issued with free shuttle bus passes. Given that the weather was on off on off, on about 5 minute intervals we took the the shuttle bus for a round trip so we could plan our next day’s walks. On getting back we drove back into the Rangers station to look at the displays and took a short walk from there to get our first look at some of the many delights that await us. Pencil Pine Falls walk confirmed what we thought in that most of Australia’s Fairies must live up this way. Saturday morning bought with it fine and warmer weather (probably in the 6°C vicinity) so it was off to the visitor centre to catch the shuttle bus to Dove Lake. Once there we registered our walk then did the Dove Lake circuit, a walk that is around 6km long on well-maintained boardwalks mixed with white gravel (not round stone but crushed white stone) bush paths. Mary photographed and patted an echidna and a wallaby on this walk and we also saw what we were told was a Black or Tiger snake around 2 metres long (didn’t pat that). Next it was from there via Lake Lilla to eventually arrive at Ronny Creek. On this walk Mary managed to photograph and pat a Wombat that totally ignored her attentions whilst continuing with its eating of the grasses. Onward from Ronny Creek we walked to Snake Hill then on to the Rangers Station where we waited for the shuttle bus to pick us up to take us back to the information centre. Once there we walked back to our caravan arriving at around 6:30PM. Having walked approximately 16 kilometres in all it was time for a cheeseboard then off to bed for an early night at around 8PM. Sunday we are blessed with another fine day reaching 16°C for us so after getting up early we headed off into the park, this time driving in ourselves as we were lucky enough to gain admission for a vehicle, to do some more walks. First it was the “Waldheim and Wendorfers Forest walk”, a walk that takes in the first chalet built in the 1920’s by one Mr. Wendorfer and friends. Then it is off to finish the drive to Dove Lake before returning to the ranger station to take the “Enchanted Walk”. Yet another whole day had disappeared so it was back to our caravan for dinner and another good night’s sleep. Monday was cloud covered but yet another “no rain” day. It was decided to enjoy some of the park facilities so after a late sleep in we headed over to the camp kitchen (ski resort style) lit a fire in one of the large fireplaces and cooked up a lamb roast. Next it was time to consume our meal along with an accompanying bottle of Merlot and of course to corner anyone who should walk in for some social intercourse. A most enjoyable waste of a day. Tuesday after finding that there was no powered sites for caravans available in Strahan we decided to abort that destination and instead head to Mole Creek with a stop off at Sheffield on the way. It was a short drive to Sheffield where you can find the only marble shop in Australia. Yes that is marbles as per the game we all played as children. Of course we had to visit every retail outlet in Sheffield but we were still off to Mole Creek by mid-afternoon.

Mole Creek was a delight that Mary loved. After videoing the caravan park and it’s surrounds there was a happy aura about her so it was time to do a couple of loads of washing to soak up her mood. Wednesday morning was time to drive to Alum Cliffs for a walk of about 50 minutes or so and on the walk we came across a sculpture done by David Jones of Darlington, Western Australia. Next it was off to the Honey Farm where we purchased Yummy Peppered Honey that you eat with cheeses or marinate steaks in. Then onward to the Mole Creek Caves. We, once there took the tour of the cave using a voucher from our entertainment book for one of us. .

Deloraine, Scottsdale, Bridport (including Barnbougle) and Launceston.

With an early start from Mole Creek, after about a 30 minute drive we arrived at Deloraine at 11:00AM, whereupon we were told that there were no powered sites available. This sent us to the free sites provided by the shire. Off to the information centre. A visit to 41°south (Salmon & Ginseng), Ashgrove Cheese then Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm that was frankly a Café before heading back to Deloraine to walk every shop they had. As usual Mary found a bargain but eventually relenting, we were allowed to return to our little home for dinner. On Friday morning we rose early and departed at around 10AM with every intention of driving around the Great Lake in the Central Plateau World Heritage Wilderness area. First it was off to Liffey Falls where we did the 40 minute walk that is as usual very pretty. There must be more fairies living up and around Liffey Falls. Then, across to Liffey, through Blackwood, Poatina, Up, Up and up to Gramps, to eventually turn back, now on the west side of the Great Lake towards Deloraine on the Lake Highway. This took us through Miena, past the Great Lake, Liawanee, Breonoa (where we stopped at the lookout) then on to the Quamby Bluff boardwalk that is at the highest point on Lake Highway. From there it was a simple down off the mountain drive to eventually arrive back at Deloraine at 3:30PM. The drive had been so full of different scenery that by now we felt that we had had excellent value for our efforts. In total we had travelled 200+ kilometres but to us now that is not really a big drive.

Saturday the 12^th of March it was time to move on again so with Scottsdale as our destination we took the 110km drive mostly on the Tasman Highway where once again we found ourselves winding up and down mountain ranges. The good news is that these slow everyone down enough that the scenery can be appreciated at its fullest by the passenger whilst the driver is getting something of a workout mixed with a driving test. On arriving at Scottsdale we set up in the free caravan park supplied by the town council where hot showers are supplied at $3.00 (donated to charities by Lions club), there is water, a dump point, barbecues and a beautiful little park with a walk just behind it. On arriving we met John & Desley Rogers of Cornubia, Qld. who had purchased their Adria caravan after following our adventures and communicating a few questions etc. with us. They were leaving Scottsdale and had been quite surprised to bump into us. Within an hour of us arriving at Scottsdale, Leszek and Jackie arrived and invited us to lunch at the local hotel. Jackie had also been tracking us and had communicated with Mary to arrange a meeting – They were staying in St. Helens. It was a nice way to spend an afternoon – Thanks Leszek & Jackie! Photograph shows left to right Leszek, Jackie, Gary, Mary, Desley & John. After we parted we went shopping but all the shops were closed so I felt safe. Not to be – Mary saw a cutlery set in a jewellery store that she liked so after some investigation managed to persuade the local gallery owner to ring the proprietor at her home. The kind lady came down to open up and sell us the set. Is there no mercy? P.S. I do like the set so it is not all bad. In the late afternoon we saw a Platypus frolicking in the pond next to our caravan. Sunday, town was closed but there were walks in the park to be enjoyed along with an extended walk through town.

Monday saw us head for Bridport, a pretty seaside town that is mainly used as a holiday town by Tasmanian locals. We were allocated site 85 and although on a little bit of a slope it was well worth our efforts when we eventually levelled the caravan and sat down to appreciate our view with the beach around 50 metres away from our awning, the sea water at aproximately100 metres from us. Tuesday saw us take the Bridport historical walk that takes in the town and passes through the caravan park.

On Wednesday Mary decided to shout us both a game of golf at Barnbougle Dunes Golf Links. It is a world renowned golf course with its own aircraft flying people in from Launceston airport several times a day. We were awesome with Mary scoring a 71 and myself coming in a close second with 73. Everyone in the bar was quite impressed with comments like “you must play here regularly etc.” There was a sudden loss of interest when it became known that we had only played 9 holes and had stopped on the 10^th known to most as the 19^th. On leaving the golf club it was back to our caravan to publish this before continuing our celebrations at the local hotel. We had also visited “The Lost Farm” golf course just a short drive away from Barnbougle (that was developed by the same owner on a farm that was lost to sand dunes blowing in from the coast) so we had a lot to talk about in the evening at dinner. After dinner Mary blew $3.00 on the pokies before we left and retired early.

Thursday saw us head to Launceston in readiness for Mary’s appointment with the eye specialist on Friday morning. It was a 7:45AM appointment so the rest of the day would be ours. After Mary had been given the all clear we headed to Jackson Volkswagen to leave the VW Tiguan for its first service. The service centre was immediately across the road from “Tamar River Cruises” and as I had found a shopping voucher (buy one get one free) we walked across and took the $115.00 four hour river cruise which included morning tea and lunch. Great cruise! Just before we arrived back Jackson Volkswagen called to say our car was ready. We went in to pick it up and Amanda (the service manager) suggested that if we wanted to walk into Launceston central that we could leave our car where it was as long as we were back before 6PM. Sadly we took the offer because Mary found a frock she wanted. Saturday was Crazy Sale Day in Launceston so lucky us, we were able to spend the whole day in Launceston shopping and yes Mary found something she needed. Sunday morning we went on the Cataract Gorge walk from the city end leaving from just under Kings Bridge. It is a nice walk that was originally built in the 1890’s at a cost we were told of around £1000.00. It has been rebuilt since then and we very much enjoyed it even though we do not understand how we missed it on our last trip when we visited the Cataract Gorge from another entry point. The afternoon drew me back to the caravan to watch some car racing so the day was ended on another high.

Campbell Town, Ross, Oatlands, Hobart and Port Arthur.

Monday morning it was off to Campbell Town. Once again it is a short drive but once there we parked at the top of the town and walked its length to the Bridge before returning three hours later with having visited every shop on the way. The carvings at the bridge where three very large trees have been removed are beautifully done. After leaving Campbell Town it was another 12 kilometres to get to the historic town of Ross. Ross has a historic walk that takes in the “Female Factory” that actually made baby bonnets, spun wool, did sewing, knitting etc. Ross is well worth a visit with its many tourist oriented stores and many travellers use it as a halfway stop on the Trip to Hobart. They also have cannon at the top of the main street that conjures thoughts of potential mischief. From Ross it was off to Hobart via Oatlands where we stopped for a quick look through a couple more antique stores. From there Mary wanted to take the Richmond road so, 9 or 10 km from Oatlands on the A1 we did so, but we would not recommend it to anyone as it was so rough that we lost items off shelves that had survived all of our travels on this trip to date. On arrival at the Discovery Hobart caravan park we were very disappointed to find some of the worst caravan sites we have ever experienced. They are advertised as en-suite sites but ours with having its en-suite about 50 metres away from our caravan site should probably be known as a private bathroom site. My original plan was to stay at the Glenorchy showground and frankly I wish I had stayed with the plan. Once set up, we immediately set off for the Cadbury factory to do their tour. It is now a much shortened tour but still well worth going on. After the demonstrations and movie we were let loose into the visitor shop where we purchased 10 kilograms of Lemon Cheesecake Roses chocolates for $10.00. If Mary gets sick of chocolate yay but somehow I don’t think so!

Thursday after booking for the 1PM tour, saw us head to the Cascade Brewery to do it. We arrived early so decided to have lunch in the restaurant there. Yum! Both of us enjoyed one of the nicest restaurant meals we had had in Tasmania. At 1PM sharp our tour departed with our being again lucky to have a guide who obviously enjoyed his job. After 1½ hours we arrived back at the museum where we were all treated to a drink of one of the Cascade products of our choice. From there it was back to the restaurant bar where everyone was given two more drinks to end the tour. Full of history, information, food etc we finally headed homeward at around 3:45PM.

Friday we decided to drive southward from Hobart to Southport. After travelling about 107 km we arrived at a jetty on the ocean in a bay. That was Southport whoops maybe a big drive for very little. In fairness there was a public toilet and around the corner, along a bit there were some holiday homes etc. Mary suggested that we should go back out to and further down the highway to Ida Bay. The road degenerated into a half and half bitumen and gravel concoction and when we did arrive at our new destination we found that Ida Bay had even less than Southport. It was decided to return to Hobart via Huonville but it must be said that we have been to Southport. On the way back we stopped at Geeveston where there are many life size carvings of local personalities that are well worth a look – maybe Geeveston should have been our original destination. It was then on to Huonville for a look around before returning to Hobart.

Saturday is Salamanca markets day in Hobart so it was off at dawn or around 11AM. We found a park near the markets then proceeded to walk up one side followed by down the other side. It is all now quite expensive and suffers from frequent repetition. After we had finished looking at every stall we walked back along the wharf, had something to eat for lunch then spotted the “Bob Barker” of Sea Shepherd.org fame. They were offering free tours, something we were quick to accept. The volunteers are passionate of their cause but do offer a good argument for their positions on whaling. I did not know that the Japanese were hunting whales in sanctuaries when they come down near the Antarctic. We were shown everything of the ship. Next it was off for a walk around Hobart before returning to our caravan with yet another day gone. Nope! – At 11:27PM we received through our mobile phones a message with pictures reminding us that we had missed my mother’s birthday party but showing an effigy giving us representation. They had apparently been carefully prepared by my sister and were it would appear enjoyed by all that were present.

Sunday was our last day in the Hobart area so we decided to head to Bothwell to experience the Ratho Links which is recognised as the oldest golf course in Australia and the oldest known golf course still existing outside of Scotland.

We ran into a gentleman who joined us for our nine holes and gave us a lot of tips on the way. If you don’t count his score and we didn’t, Mary won by 3 shots. Our scores for nine holes being 59 to 56 – Awesome that’s a huge improvement over our Barnbougle scores of 73 and 71. From there we drove back to Hobart to watch the formula 1 race being televised at 5PM.

Monday morning it is off to Port Arthur. The caravan park there is set in the national park, has a fire place at each site (fire wood must be purchased at $500.00 per ton [50ȼ per kilo] – bring your own), and is situated on a hill, in the bush, overlooking the ocean through trees. This is our second visit to Port Arthur but this time we decided to go into the main complex and spend a whole day there. After paying for our pass we were given a talk then went on a short cruise (more a circumnavigation) of the port that took around 30 minutes including picking the hordes of school children up from “The Isle of The Dead”. From then it is off on your own but with the many explanatory signs placed strategically over the entire complex it is an enjoyable and educational visit. It took us a whole day to see most of what was on offer but as our ticket was good for two days we could return if we wished. The following day instead of returning we decided our next trip was to head off on “the convict trail” that takes in most of the rest of the peninsular and includes the coal mines historic site. This site is also well signed and in many ways was just as interesting as the Port Arthur site. Sadly most people miss this as it does not seem to be very well visited but then it is free to visit so I guess it is not in any ones interest to publicise it very much. It took us a whole day by the time we had finished seeing all we wanted. Thursday it was time we thought to explore the caravan park surroundings on foot.

Triabunna, Maria Island, Bicheno, Longford, the Nullabor Links & the Volkswagen Tiguan.

The trip from Port Arthur to Triabunna is very much elongated due to the fact that one first needs to return north westward to Sorrell before turning right to head back to the east coast. From there it is northwards to eventually arrive at the pretty little fishing town. On arriving we made our way down to the jetty to find the Maria Island ferry that we had booked for the following day to make sure we were happy with it. We then had time to take a walk to look around town and even to get some advice on the trip to Maria Island from the Triabunna information centre. You cannot buy anything on the island so everything needed must be taken with you. Saturday morning at 9AM, with backpacks ready we headed off on foot to catch the ferry. They were waiting all set up at the dock to charge us all for our tickets (annoyingly adding 2% for I suppose a credit card fee that was not mentioned) and board all 12 of us in time to leave at 9:30AM. The trip takes about 40 minutes with the captain giving us all a commentary and some handy advice on what to look for when we are there. On arrival first stop is to the ranger station where they check you have a parks pass (or charge a fee) then it is off on a series of walks that take up most of the day. There are a lot of ruins but also some excellent examples of 1900’s construction methods for cabins where old wooden cases were a prized interior wall lining. The Painted Cliffs at a beach are not to be missed and the old mine workings from the cement factory are also unmissable. There are also excellent displays in some of the convict buildings etc. The full day went quite quickly.

That evening we met a couple that told us about the Mona, museum of old and new art, in Hobart. We had missed it whilst in Hobart so decided to take the 80km drive back to see it. Free to visit the artworks are housed in a spectacular building where on arrival everyone is given what appears to be an iPod that determines where you are in the building then gives you information on the artworks before or around you. It is a must for everyone and we won’t be surprised if people start flying to Hobart specifically to see it (they also have accommodation available). We decided to stay an extra day to see the surrounding area so Monday was a laid back look around day.

Tuesday Morning after driving for around 90 minutes we arrived at Bicheno (we didn’t bother with the Freycinet National Park which is a must do, as we had done it on our last trip). At Bicheno there is a glass bottom boat, so after walking around town it was off down to the jetty to enjoy that experience. The boat doesn’t travel far but the young man who operates the business is very knowledgeable and gives a good hour’s worth of snorkeling pleasure without anyone having to get wet. NOTE - The Bicheno bakery is a must for pie lovers! The evening was spent enjoying neighboring caravaners company for pre-dinner drinks followed by a gourmets delight for dinner that had been prepared by Mary. Wednesday we left Bicheno headed towards, then up Elephant Pass that eventually ends at St Marys, to experience the famous Mount Elephant Pancakes on the way – Yes Yum! The trip is up a mountainside, a wriggly road with as usual in Tasmania, panoramic views every which way you look. After devouring our delightful pancake lunch we completed the journey to St Marys, which is another quaint little town with the absolutely necessary variety of shops to cause us to have to walk both main streets, giving us a total of around 500 metres walked. From there we were returning to Bicheno but via the St Marys pass which heads down the other side of the mountains to end on the coast road that we were originally on (prior to turning up Elephants Pass) only a little further north. It was interesting for us to see that the natural bush on the mountainside that was burned out in 2007 is really struggling to recover. Down the road a bit further the authorities were burning the undergrowth to hopefully avoid any more high temperature fires causing destruction like this in the future. The trip back to Bicheno from the turn off is along the coast with yes more beautiful views to enjoy. Thursday was spent around town doing the recommended town walks including one to whalers lookout that is worth the effort and the quite lengthy foreshore walk.

Friday it was decided to head back to the central highway then to turn northward to drive up to Longford for a stay of two or three days. Unfortunately we were called back to Perth, Western Australia, urgently so Mary left from Hobart on the Thursday night whilst I took the caravan to leave it at Longford on Friday morning and took a flight from Launceston airport just 14km away. The trip to Perth to deal with the emergency took 6 days and unfortunately the river that runs by the Longford Caravan Park back In Tasmania decided to flood during this time. Luckily for us the park managers moved our caravan above the flood line so when we arrived back on the following Thursday night it was accessible for us to stay in overnight before moving to Devonport in preparation to leave on the Spirit of Tasmania for the mainland on Sunday the 17^th of April. We enjoyed our last day, Saturday, in Tasmania exploring Latrobe and Devonport city.

As usual the trip back to the mainland was most enjoyable with our arriving in Melbourne in the early evening. From there we drove to Geelong to spend two nights before setting off for home on what we had decided would be a quick trip. After stocking up on food etc. we left Geelong heading for Perth with day 1 seeing us arrive at Clare in South Australia. Day 2 took us to Ceduna where again we stayed for 2 nights as we had decided to play the “Nullabor Links Golf Course”. We registered at the Ceduna Tourist Information Centre and played the first two holes at the Ceduna Golf Club. The next morning ”Good Friday” saw us head off across the Nullabor Plain stopping at every golf hole on the way and even though the course is supposed to slow travellers down it had the opposite effect on us with our excitement growing from hole to hole. We eventually stopped in Western Australia at the Mundrabilla Roadhouse to spend the evening. The next morning we were up, played the hole there and continued our trip westward with eventually stopping at Fraser Station where we played our last hole for the day before retiring for the evening. Sunday saw us heading for Norseman then Kambalda and finally Kalgoorlie where we played the last two holes of the 18 at the super fancy course that has recently been built there. Next it was off to the Kalgoorlie information Centre to get our laminated certificates. There was still time in the day so we headed further westward eventually stopping around 70km short of Southern Cross at a beautiful free camp supplied by the Main Roads Department. Monday morning took us home arriving around lunch time with our latest adventure ended!

THE VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN – During the trip we have received many questions by email and from persons on how our Tiguan was behaving and as to whether we were happy with it. There are a few things that should be mentioned here in that this trip gave us, during it, the chance to learn a lot more about the vehicle performance with the weather we experienced. We have discovered that the vehicle doesn’t seem bothered by extreme (to us) temperatures in that we were towing at down to 0.5ºC and have towed at 45ºC with no perceivable change in performance be it in power or fuel consumption. It should be noted that we were very happy with our previous vehicle but the Volkswagen Tiguan is we think better in nearly every way. One other thing that stands out to us is in the comfort of the seating in the car (we have the standard “comfort” seating) that allowed us to travel all day for up to 9 or 10 hours without ever stopping because we needed to straighten up. This is in sharp contrast to our previous vehicle where we needed to stop every hour or two to get feeling back into our sitting equipment. Now we stop to play golf, have a coffee or just to look at a view but have also had long comfortable days of just driving onwards. Of course the other major advantage of this vehicle is in the far better fuel consumption where we are saving around 35% in fuel costs over our previous vehicle and also the appreciable extra power available when towing. For reference our worst situation was in a very steep climb whilst towing our caravan with a top speed of 70km becoming apparent (in contrast to a comparative of 40km with our previous vehicle). To date we are very much enjoying our Tiguan!

Last revised: Date Saturday, May 21, 2011