Tasmania & New Zealand

with side dishes of Tokyo, Sydney & Dubai
A record for us - if anyone else is reading, hope you enjoy 😊 もっと詳しく

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日10
2024年2月22日木曜日 18:54
☀️ 29 °C
海抜: 海水位
オーストラリア Snug Bay -43.065318, 147.26388743°3’55” S 147°15’50” E
1 2
First beach walk
2024年2月22日, オーストラリア ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
Snug Beach, a lovely small stretch of beach, where the waves (a mix of sea and River Derwent) gently lap against the shore.

After just a few mins, our brainwaves are lulled into relaxed calmness, where thought and the issues of the modern world seem pointless. What a lovely state to be in 🫠もっと詳しく
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旅行者 Stunning- so peaceful
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旅行者Blissful
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旅行者That looks beautiful and so peaceful
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旅行者It really was
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日11
2024年2月23日金曜日 17:56
🌬 15 °C
海抜: 8 m
オーストラリア Snug Beach -43.064022, 147.26200943°3’50” S 147°15’43” E
1 1
Bruny Island
2024年2月23日, オーストラリア ⋅ 🌬 15 °C
A must visit, according to all the guidebooks, so that was enough for us. Thankfully much cooler today, after the scorching temps of yesterday.

There are various ways you can get to Bruny, but with the organised tours pricy, starting at 7am (nope!) and the itinerary, dictated to you, we opted to take Sheila across on the ferry ourselves. A great plan as it turned out, the ferry is larger but similar to the Sandbanks Ferry (no chains though) and you roll on/off very efficiently.

Bruny has a long ‘good’ road down its spine which we drove along, and smaller gravel roads elsewhere which were off limits to Sheila.

The coast line was beautiful with empty beaches, pure white sands and just our footprints.

There were foodie stop offs en route, cheese, beer, chocolate, oysters (the word shucked new to me) and a place for a cuppa.

The island has a narrow double sandbar, called ‘The Neck’, keeping the north and south bits tethered. We had great views of The Neck from an observation platform (with way too many steps 😬) and the accompaniment of relentless howling winds as we climbed.

We popped into some of the foodie shops, and encountered ‘a disgorged from their coach’ tour group, taking over the chocolate shop, as we exited.

Having finally stowed everything from our bags away in the morning (stowed, never to be found again) we had a clear run at dinner, managing to eat at a reasonable time.

Great first day with Sheila, who I think enjoyed it too 😁もっと詳しく
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旅行者The ferry's a lot quieter than when we went! I had to take our car down inside the yellow posts 😱
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旅行者Yikes, a breathe in moment 😬
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旅行者No swimming?
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旅行者Col usually does, but the Tasman Sea was too cold 🥶😁
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日12
2024年2月24日土曜日 13:36
☀️ 21 °C
海抜: 77 m
オーストラリア Jews Hill -42.709179, 147.27061542°42’33” S 147°16’14” E
1
All creatures great & small
2024年2月24日, オーストラリア ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
Bye to Snug Beach…...

Woke to bright sun and warmth after a cool 24 hours. First stop today Bonorong Wildlife Park, on the way to Scamander, our second campsite for the next two nights.

We’ve driven from the south of the island to the east coast. Possibly our longest drive of the trip, on virtually empty roads.

The wildlife park is a sanctuary for injured and rescued animals, there for the animal’s benefit not ours. Some inmates are now in breeding programmes, keeping their endangered species alive.

A lovely couple of hours seeing Tassie devils, echidnas, birds of all plumage and shriek levels, and feeding the ‘roos and wallabies*. Oh and one bunny!
My idea of heaven.

* roo / wallaby slobber comes as standard!もっと詳しく
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旅行者 Very cute 🥰
2024/03/06返信する
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日13
2024年2月25日日曜日 13:00
☁️ 22 °C
海抜: 7 m
オーストラリア Waubs Bay -41.872322, 148.29841641°52’20” S 148°17’54” E
2 1
Sheila - all you need to know….
2024年2月25日, オーストラリア ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
Sheila is a 4 berth van, although you’d have to know the other occupants very well to make it work!

There’s a bed that at the flick of a switch raises/lowers. I say flick of a switch, but I need Lofty II (my trusty footstool) to reach it 😁

There’s a ladder to the bed when in it’s nighttime configuration. It needs an agile spine twist and robust knees, to get up and down - neither of which I can boast these days. Negotiating the ladder makes night loo visits treacherous, so I’m trialling sleeping on the lower bed level for a bit! This still comes with its own treachery though, I might be short, but the lowered penthouse ceiling can administer a sharp head butt 🤪 to the unwary (experience talking).

As on our last trip, there are cubby holes for all our bits, and you cram whatever fits into them (13 cupboards/drawers). The order one might enjoy at home (clothes, condiments and coffee in their allotted places), those noble principles slip in a van. It’s dog eat dog, everything out for itself. If the teabags, toothbrushes and t shirts fit cozily altogether in one cubby hole, so be it.

The bathroom is great for ‘hidden’ storage. I brought * along suction hooks, so towels, washing bags etc can hang in there minding their own business.

When on the road, particularly if it’s a twisty turny route, the middle drawer, suddenly launches itself, landing with a massive and terrifying thud on the floor. We then have pull over sharpish, in case it comes careening towards us up front!

I’ve silenced the cackling crockery and screechy saucepans by adding a sheet of kitchen roll between them all. It’s calmed the interior massively, making for a quieter, less fraught ride.

I’ve already mentioned the microwave, which is in the clouds, even Col has to stretch to get food in and out!

The window blinds are good, but when they’re down, the cord disappears right up, and only Col can reach the cords to pull the blinds up again.

Always take a tall grown up with you when travelling 😂

Leaving:
Stow EVERYTHING away. Make sure all cupboards are firmly closed, count you have pushed in 10 buttons. Unhook the life support systems from outdoor taps and sockets. Turn off electrics, pump and gas inside. Prey you haven’t forgotten anything and set off. Simples!

Returning:
Plug in all sorts, switches on inside, kettle on, charge phones etc, blinds down, PJs, dinner, bed prep and sleep 😁

I think that’s everything…….

* I also brought a veg peeler, cheese grater, small sieve, folding scales and whisk! We’re staying in a lot of places, and some kitchens are better equipped than others 😬もっと詳しく
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旅行者Wonderful level of detail here, thank you. I am not sure why I feel obsessed this year with the layout and storage capacity of Sheila when I didn't worry about the intricacies of life in Matty so much previously. I am grateful for all your explanations, never underestimate how interesting it is for an avid reader to know this stuff, how to bring the bed down, how to climb on and off it, how you stop stuff rattling etc. And I must congratulate you on the sheer genius of taking plastic hooks ready for the bathroom too. I want you to know I am loving the scenic pics of Tassie but "daily life in a camper" posts are brilliant.
2024/02/26返信する翻訳する
旅行者Thanks so much Soo, glad you’re enjoying my ramblings! I think I’d be the same, it’s daily life that intrigues, isn’t it. If there's anything else you'd like to know, let ne know 😊
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旅行者💕
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日13
2024年2月25日日曜日 22:54
🌙 16 °C
海抜: 7 m
オーストラリア Four Mile Creek Beach -41.54528, 148.2833141°32’43” S 148°16’60” E
1 1 1
Freycinet NP
2024年2月25日, オーストラリア ⋅ 🌙 16 °C
Love a day when we don’t have to check out at 10am!

Drove to see the blow hole at Bicheno, great to watch, loved the echo boom just before the sea squeezed through. Some folk stood quite close to the blow hole, but they all escaped a drenching (to my disappointment!)

We then debated how we could see Wineglass Bay, another Tassie ‘must see’. The recommended boat trip was an early start and over 4 hours, and the walk (more of a hike) was beyond my capabilities. We were almost resigned to not seeing the Bay, when we saw the ‘scenic flight’ sign, calling out to us. We’re a sucker for those, so we called to check availability and within the hour were strapped into a helicopter. Great flight, but 25 mins just not long enough! Amazing views, and seeing the vista from above was defo the most spectacular option.
(Note to self, be very nice to the bank manager when we get home)もっと詳しく
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旅行者Wow 🤩
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旅行者That’s what we keep saying to everything!
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旅行者 👌
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日14
2024年2月26日月曜日 7:31
☀️ 13 °C
海抜: 23 m
オーストラリア Scamander River -41.466881, 148.25871341°28’1” S 148°15’31” E
1
New routines
2024年2月26日, オーストラリア ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C
At home my morning ritual is done without thought, I reach and the teabags are there, I don’t need bucks to put the washing machine on etc.

Here each day needs brain cells, which, so soon after waking up, is tricky 😵‍💫.

Anyway, gradually a new morning routine is forming. Today felt the easiest yet, so maybe I’ve found my groove!

Yesterday, on the way back to our site, we stopped near a beach and had a brew. As well as an electric kettle we have a whistling one for the gas hob, which we can utilise when we’re not hooked up to the camp electrics. It’s unbelievably satisfying to be able to stop and make a cuppa ‘in the bush’.

We need to go to Coles or Woolworths (=Tesco) every 2-3 days. We need discipline as we’re unlikely to use up some foods (herbs) before we fly off to NZ, but inevitably our eyes get drawn to things (noodles) which then (annoyingly) sit in the cupboard unused. I guess at home every thing gets eaten eventually and it’s hard to get out of that buying habit 😬

So we need to check out at 10am, but it’s lovely to take a few mins sitting in a bright sunny camper having our brekkie, wondering what today will bring 😊もっと詳しく
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旅行者 ❤️
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日14
2024年2月26日月曜日 10:35
☀️ 16 °C
海抜: 14 m
オーストラリア O’Connors Beach -41.340538, 148.26306241°20’26” S 148°15’47” E
Next destination
2024年2月26日, オーストラリア ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
Left Scamander Sanctuary site this morning, en route to Launceston. Had a wander around the nearby town of St Helen’s for a bit, then headed inland and west from our location on the east coast, taking in a couple of look out points as we went.

This trip was on the A3, suggesting a good tarmac road (which it was). What we didn’t know was that the road would wind its way through the mountains and forest, hairpin turn after hairpin turn, snaking through, with a constantly changing, uneven camber. Add to this Sheila’s own bounce and sway and it was not the most comfortable of rides for the passenger 🤢 or driver, as it went on for a good 2 hours or more.

So you can imagine the relief we felt, reaching our final destination for the night, the Big4 campsite in Launceston. We did our usual arrival duties, Col plugging in cords and hoses, me getting things ready for the evening etc.

Just as Col had sat down for a well earned beer, I plugged in the kettle for a much needed cuppa but the kettle wasn’t working. Not wanting to appear stoopid, I checked the plug, internal panel switches etc but all was as it should be - and yet no leccy…..もっと詳しく
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旅行者The countryside looks beautiful.
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旅行者It sure is, no doubt about it!
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旅行者I think we took that road, definitely not my favourite drive and bad enough in a car. On the plus side, we stayed in one of the fancy Hilltop cabins on that site which was very nice. Watch out for wallabies at dusk
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旅行者Yes indeed, no regrets that road is behind us 😅. The cabin sounds great, it was very beautiful there
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日14
2024年2月26日月曜日 20:06
☁️ 17 °C
海抜: 34 m
オーストラリア South Launceston -41.45787, 147.14125141°27’28” S 147°8’29” E
Launceston - we have a problem….
2024年2月26日, オーストラリア ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
….. Long story short, Col has deduced something electrical has probably become detached inside Sheila, likely due to our rollercoaster ride earlier.

We can use the main hook up lead as an extension, to power one electrical thing at a time, but we have no mains coming in to power the van as a whole. Some small items work off the battery (approx 24 - 30 hours or so of stored power) but not all.

At least we haven’t broken down on a remote road somewhere - that would be 100 times worse. We’re on a comfortable site, we have the essentials, for now, but I can’t pretend my stress levels haven’t gone up. It’s a measure of a company, when they have to fix something, so I hope this is little more than a minor hiccup. Hopefully we’ll get a call in the morning and all will be sorted 🤞🏻

Meanwhile, here’s a pic of me washing up, standing on my trusty stool, so I can reach the sink properly 😂😂😂もっと詳しく
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旅行者I’m sorry to hear this. What a nightmare. Not a a travellers tale without some ups and downs. Hope all will get fixed soon! And pleased to hear your not stranded somewhere
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旅行者Oh not, this is not good, hope it is fixed soon!! x
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旅行者Thanks Soo & Kathryn - another tale to tell for sure, but hopefully a minor one!
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日15
2024年2月27日火曜日 18:44
☁️ 21 °C
海抜: 37 m
オーストラリア Coldwater Creek -41.33102, 147.07296841°19’52” S 147°4’23” E
Launceston - we had a problem
2024年2月27日, オーストラリア ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
So the electrics issue may have been a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things, but getting it sorted was a major headache. I said a company shows their true colours when they have to fix an issue. I could rant, rage and weep* on this post over the way THL, who oversee the vans, dealt with our issue, but I’ll save that for my complaint comms 🫤

It took 24 hours for an angel, real name Steve from LES to arrive and fix the fault. LES’s efficiency have been the polar opposite of THLs 😠

Our new best friend was able to switch out the errant thingymajig and we’re up and running again. It took him 20 mins.

Col, an excellent problem solver himself, worked out the issue earlier, so was able to point Steve in the right direction.

Hopefully that’s our drama done and dusted for this trip😬🤞🏻🫤

* have done all three todayもっと詳しく
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旅行者Not see to hear the spark had gone , temporarily it seems, from your wonderful holiday 🙁 Good to hear Colin’s problem solving skills have not demised , considering 😁😁
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旅行者😁
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旅行者Sounds extremely stressful and horrible but at least it is solved, hopefully that's it, no more drama
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旅行者Yes, yes, yes and yes 😁
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日15
2024年2月27日火曜日 22:09
☁️ 17 °C
海抜: 43 m
オーストラリア South Launceston -41.45787, 147.1411941°27’28” S 147°8’28” E
1
Little penguins
2024年2月27日, オーストラリア ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
After a slow day, starting with me having a treatment to ease my aches, a quick trip into the town centre (Launceston being Tassie’s 2nd largest town) and the tedious waiting for the electrics to be fixed, we decided to tick at least one of the things off our must see list: seeing little penguins coming to shore.

This was a ‘night activity’, something we don’t do often as sites don’t like you coming back late / in the dark. Also we have a very strident reversing ‘beep beep’ which would wake the dead (we drove straight in to avoid a camp mutiny).

So off we set, Chinese takeaway in tow. We stopped to have our food and bush cuppa, then onward to Low Head, where the tour started. Lovely skies and a sunset accompanied us on our drive.

The conditions seemed perfect, but turns out the little guys prefer more wind and higher tides - nevertheless eventually a few small groups land and start their slow waddle and preening process, past us and up to their chicks and burrows. Some indulging in flirting with other penguins as they go by (they’re not averse to a bit of ‘no strings’ hanky panky).

It’s moulting season, so a few looked like fluffy toys, with feathers puffed out at odd angles. They’re at their most un-appealing to others in this state, so can only observe the others having fun!

It was an adorable sight as they waddled past, they’re tiny, the smallest penguin breed (30-35cm) tall *. Our guide was mega knowledgeable, you could tell she adored them and her job.

We drove back to Launceston (about an hour) making sure we didn’t squish any wildlife - the roads and verges defo come to life at night. There were loads of pademelons (sm wallaby type creatures - loads on our site too), bunnies and other critters I can’t name.

We (and they) get home in tact. Fab evening, full of cuteness 🥰

* I love how their shadows make them seem bigger than they reallyもっと詳しく
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旅行者Adorable!
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旅行者♥️
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So cute 😛 [Mick]
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日15
2024年2月27日火曜日 23:00
☁️ 16 °C
海抜: 45 m
オーストラリア South Launceston -41.457783, 147.14079341°27’28” S 147°8’27” E
Pademelons
2024年2月27日, オーストラリア ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
Weird name, but very cute wallaby type creature (large cat/ small dog size).

They are (we’ve been told) devoid of brain cells so given the choice of avoiding a car they seem to be attracted by the prospect and consequently get squished, however careful the driver. This then attracts any scavenging Tassie devils, putting them at risk.

Sadly there are lots of little furry bodies lining the sides of most roads.

We have pademelons on our site, if popping to the loo when it’s dark, they’re foraging amongst the leaves and when scared, they lope off like ‘roos.もっと詳しく
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日16
2024年2月28日水曜日 13:22
☁️ 27 °C
海抜: 35 m
オーストラリア Cataract Gorge -41.447186, 147.11860741°26’50” S 147°7’7” E
⚠️Arachnophobe klaxon⚠️
2024年2月28日, オーストラリア ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C
I can’t stand spiders, so why do I have a morbid fascination and terror for the Aussie ones 🤷‍♀️

Col had a VERY close encounter today, when removing the electric plug from the camp socket cubby 😱

Very sorry folks …..もっと詳しく
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旅行者OMG teacup-size spider!
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旅行者😨
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旅行者Nope!
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日16
2024年2月28日水曜日 14:06
☁️ 27 °C
海抜: 28 m
オーストラリア Cataract Gorge -41.445786, 147.12078941°26’45” S 147°7’15” E
2
Cataract Gorge
2024年2月28日, オーストラリア ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C
Cataract Gorge is about 5 mins round the corner from our site. It was Launceston Cup day, which might explain why there were lots of folk at the gorge today, think everyone had an unofficial day off. On a midweek Wednesday, there should only have been a few seniors (us included!)

We jumped on the chairlift and traversed the gorge basin, it was quiet, calm and the views were beautiful. After a cuppa we wandered back over the suspension bridge and back to the magic bus. The sun was hot and think we both caught the sun at that point, as we’re sporting vibrant pink patches now 😬

Next stop, Platipi…..もっと詳しく
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旅行者 Magnifique j’adore
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旅行者💙💜♥️
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日16
2024年2月28日水曜日 15:21
☁️ 25 °C
海抜: 12 m
オーストラリア Examiner Rock -41.150381, 146.82385341°9’1” S 146°49’26” E
More creatures…..
2024年2月28日, オーストラリア ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C
Platypus - first time seeing these guys for real. This was a sanctuary for ‘platipi’ who have been rescued and recuperated, but can’t be released into the wild. There’s no breeding prog, as they’re not endangered, but knowing a baby platypus is called a puggle is a first class fact 😁

We know what they look like, but seeing them for real, they look like they’ve been made up from a box of spare parts or a kids drawing - cute and surreal! The males have a venomous barb near their back legs - you’d really know about it, if it got you - an induced coma or amputation being one of your possible treatment options. Plus they lay eggs - WTF?!

They’re very sensitive and easily stressed, so don’t travel well, which is why the only place you can see them is Aus & San Diego(?).

Echidna - turbo hairbrushes! Bigger than hedgehogs, but equally adorable, they scooted around us on short legs, in their purpose built room. Their spines were laid flat so when they squeezed past it was like a gentle brush against our skin. They have very long wormy tongues, and in the wild cover a lot of ground, hence never keeping still.

Seahorses - a breeding programme to supply tanks / aquarium around the world. They can birth up to 1000 babies (the male does this and the aftercare!) so the tanks were swarming from newly birthed, nursery to teenagers. We got to gently handle a couple - but not sure how much they enjoyed it tho…..

Octopus - just having a good tentacle stretch

The only critter I have yet to see - and want to very much - is a wombat….もっと詳しく
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旅行者I loved it at the Platypus House and had to bring home my own furry friend - Bill 😄
2024/02/29返信する翻訳する
旅行者It was fab, amazing creatures. Send my love to Bill!
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日17
2024年2月29日木曜日 15:25
☀️ 23 °C
海抜: 207 m
オーストラリア Melrose Top -41.265983, 146.30288741°15’58” S 146°18’10” E
3 6
King Solomon’s Caves
2024年2月29日, オーストラリア ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
Bye to Launceston (you pronounce the ‘ceston’ bit fully - no silent vowel!) I’ll remember you (sort of) fondly for the annoying issue with our power on arrival and the 🕷️.

Onward to the North coast, but before we got there, we visited the King Solomon’s caves at Mole Creek Karsta NP.

A bit of a drive on some now familiar twisty turny Tassie roads. The caves were amazing, fabulous calcite formations, which took millions of years to form. The clever lighting brought out the best of the stalactites and stalagmites. When the guide turned the lights off, it was a thick, inky, black which you could almost feel. Excellent caves, well worth the snaky detour.

After a spot of lunch parked up at the visitor centre, we started the drive to our next site, Boat Harbour Beach. Yet another rollercoaster drive, as we set off up hills, through forests, round hills and acute switchbacks, through more forest, down hills - you get the idea. When we arrived on a proper road again it was a huge relief.

Eventually we hit the larger than expected north west coastal town of Burnie, which signalled our end destination was upon us at last.

As we drove into Boat Harbour, we saw the water again (the Bass Straight this time, which separates Aus from Tassie). Having been inland for a few days, this was a very welcome change.

After a walk on the beach to get some fresh air and be attacked by flies, we checked in with the rather ‘off beat’ site owner. Our pitch is quite high, and we can see the sea (so to speak).

Once it was dark, we stepped outside and the skies were awash with stars. The Milky Way and large & small Magellanic Clouds were instantly visible with the naked eye. Unbelievable and breathtaking.

In the UK, you forget the skies can look like that. I expect the locals just take them for granted…..もっと詳しく
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旅行者 😻😻😽😽😽
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旅行者 🤩
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旅行者 I spy a suntan!
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旅行者Or sun burn!!!
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日18
2024年3月1日金曜日 13:17
⛅ 20 °C
海抜: 246 m
オーストラリア Chudleigh -41.552582, 146.49539241°33’9” S 146°29’43” E
Doorstep of doom
2024年3月1日, オーストラリア ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
At least once a day (but often more) when we’re on the move, I drop something. It never falls down at my feet - oh no - it manages to funnel itself down the side of the door, on to the low step I need to scale, when getting in /out of Sheila. The item is always dropped before I’ve used it, not when I’m putting it back into the glove compartment having done whatever. This makes me sooo frustrated! I can see the thing but won’t be able to reach it until we stop and I’ve climbed down.

Yesterday’s unattainable item was my hand cream (slither of pink in pic) 🫤

Today: tissues & my sun hat 🤷‍♀️もっと詳しく
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日18
2024年3月1日金曜日 17:18
🌬 20 °C
海抜: 57 m
オーストラリア Boat Harbour Beach -40.929615, 145.61561640°55’47” S 145°36’56” E
2 2
Pinch, punch…. 1st of the month…
2024年3月1日, オーストラリア ⋅ 🌬 20 °C
Table Cape lighthouse and lookout….
The campsite host threw in the suggestion as we were heading out, that we visit Table Cape lighthouse ‘just up the road’. It was close, but up the road here can sometimes be different to my definition! Anyway it was worth the slight detour to our plans.

Wings Wildlife Park - see next post….

Penguin (a town)
Named after the fairy or little penguins, like those in Low Head, they come here to roost and breed as well.
We stopped on the foreshore, made a brew, sat on a perfectly placed bench commemorating Max Dazeley (thank you Max) and took in the sea view.
As well as the big penguin, I loved The Tardis community library ♥️もっと詳しく
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旅行者 I believe this is the first bench photo of this trip! Been waiting eagerly for this moment!
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旅行者Yes, think it is! I’ve been trying to find another ‘theme’ to take pics of, but haven’t been able to think of anything!
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旅行者 How fab to have a town named Penguin and all these little fellas around the place, love it
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旅行者They’re so cute aren’t they, they really love their little penguins in these parts
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日18
2024年3月1日金曜日 17:36
🌬 21 °C
海抜: 10 m
オーストラリア Watcombe Beach -41.114086, 146.07572941°6’51” S 146°4’33” E
Getting from A-B
2024年3月1日, オーストラリア ⋅ 🌬 21 °C
Col is doing all the driving, which we’re both mega grateful for 😂

I’ve already blathered on at length about the roads here, snakey, sneaky, slopey and steepy (or are they some of the seven dwarves🤔)? One redeeming feature is that thankfully, there are very few pot holes* Sheila (and I) would hate those.
* There were a LOT of pot hols on our last Aus trip 😬

When we’re driving through the forests, with extremely tall trees either side, steep drops, gulleys, and sheer cliffs, the place does feel ancient and other worldly. Then you meet a coach coming towards you and it’s an ‘eyes closed, breathe in’ moment 😳

Many of the trees are native huon pine, which grow a millimetre a year, and their wood is feted as one of the best for building, carving etc. The tallest tree can be over 2000 years old, and their root systems spawn more trees, so a whole bank of huons could be one mega organism.

When we manage to find ourselves on a decent dual carriageway, they’re pretty much empty and we make good progress. Sadly these roads seem to have been a bit of a rarity on our longer cross country trips.

Just realised the pics are from ‘good’ roads. I can’t take pics on the twisty roads, usually hanging on to my seat 😬もっと詳しく
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日18
2024年3月1日金曜日 20:16
☁️ 16 °C
海抜: 82 m
オーストラリア Wallon Creek -41.263348, 146.04441841°15’48” S 146°2’40” E
2
3
A wombat called Sunny
2024年3月1日, オーストラリア ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
Wings Wildfire Park….
The desire to see a wombat has been building….. We didn’t get a chance to visit Maria Island, a wombat haven, so I needed the next best thing.

This park was recommended by Cheryl at work, so was on our must do list. The drive was further than expected and at the end of another of Tassie’s famous circuitous roads 😳

As well as general entry, Col bought me a wombat encounter! After cooing over the koala (Blinky, a rescued joey from the SA fires, a few years back) we proceeded to Sunny, the juvenile wombat’s enclosure.

I sat on a bench and had a barrel of young wombat plonked on me. She was totally adorable ♥️
Sadly her mum had been hit by a truck, and Sunny was found in her pouch ☹️

After a while Sunny became restless, so her handler put her down and she started chewing on my trainer laces, her fave thing! Then she got an attack of the zoomies, following on my heels as I walked around her enclosure, she kept up despite her little legs. I loved meeting her - what a cutie!

We then wondered around seeing the other critters, devils, potoroos, fed the wallabies, ‘roos, etc. Sadly, we didn’t really give ourselves long enough for them all, but having a wombat sitting on my lap had to be the highlight!もっと詳しく
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旅行者 Enchanting little creature!
2024/03/01返信する翻訳する
旅行者such a cutie
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旅行者 Aww that is adorable 🥰
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日19
2024年3月2日土曜日 12:10
🌬 17 °C
海抜: 136 m
オーストラリア Circular Head -40.761929, 145.30229240°45’43” S 145°18’8” E
2 2
The Nut
2024年3月2日, オーストラリア ⋅ 🌬 17 °C
After an unexpected and unpleasant cold shower (my worst nightmare!) we visited Stanley, home to ‘The Nut’. An ancient volcanic remnant, that sticks up and out of the tip of Stanley. We (literally) jumped in the chairlift and up we went, getting blown about like a feather in a brisk wind. Fab views from up top, well worth the ride. Oh and we met a wild echidna, having a good old grooming sesh.

The beauty of Sheila is that we can stop pretty much anywhere and make a cuppa and a snack.

Today’s lunch break is at the base of The Nut, overlooking a gorgeous half moon bay. Bliss.

When we got back we dipped our feet in the sea on the beach close to where we’re staying. It was quite fresh, but it felt soooo good!もっと詳しく
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旅行者 There is some seriously beautiful scenery on Tassie
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旅行者You’re telling me! It’s gonna take a lifetime to sort through all my pics 😂
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旅行者 Those colours. What a great place to park up for a while
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旅行者Even tho’ I took the pic, it still looks like a stuck on back drop 😂
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日20
2024年3月3日日曜日 9:38
🌬 15 °C
海抜: 57 m
オーストラリア Boat Harbour Beach -40.929588, 145.61560140°55’47” S 145°36’56” E
The road to Strahan (‘Strawn’)
2024年3月3日, オーストラリア ⋅ 🌬 15 °C
Up and off promptly as we’re ‘movin’ on’ today. Said goodbye to the idyllic beach round the corner from the camp, wish I could take it with us, it’s so lovely.

So we’re off to ‘The West Coast’. It’s a very windy day and in high sided Sheila, we felt the wind buffeting when parked up, so driving in it……an extra dimension for Col to battle (not to mention the much ‘loved’ serpentine roads!)

We found ourselves driving past Emu Valley, rhododendron garden which kept coming on and off our ‘to do’ list. We decided to go in and despite a complete absence of flowering rhododendrons (wrong season!), we had a lovely, if not bracing, windy walk. The Japanese garden was beautiful. We even saw the head of a platypus peeking out one of the lakes.

Then we got on with the business of driving, or rather Col did, I tried to keep the music going in between snoozes.

The drive was about 3 hours or so, but it felt way longer. We stopped in at a lay-by near Rosebury for the usual refreshment, then eventually arrived at Strahan late afternoon.

Still very windy, as we arrived and we were parked up under massive trees which swished constantly, with each gust! We hunkered down for the night, but it’s defo going to be a cold one 🥶もっと詳しく
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日21
2024年3月4日月曜日 7:32
☁️ 10 °C
海抜: 海水位
Indian Ocean -42.30032, 145.34396442°18’1” S 145°20’38” E
Gordon River cruise
2024年3月4日, Indian Ocean ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C
OMG a 6.30am wake up needed, so we could be off and out by 7.45am. Luckily this ridiculous early start proved to be well worth it. We boarded a cruise gliding through Macquarie Harbour and down the Gordon River, which was excellent.

Great scenery, staff, boat and service, couldn’t fault a thing. The mirror effect on the river was beautiful and compared to yesterday the weather was 100% improved.

It was so quiet on the water, as the boat had a stealth mode, so you could feel the quiet and tranquility (despite it being a full of passengers!)

As well as a buffet lunch, we had a walk through the forest and around Sarah’s Island, a notorious penal colony. The history was fascinating and so well told by our guide.

A great day, but boy, are we knackered now!もっと詳しく
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旅行者Beautiful photographs
2024/03/04返信する翻訳する
旅行者Thank you, the scenery helped me 😊
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日22
2024年3月5日火曜日 17:24
☁️ 23 °C
海抜: 238 m
オーストラリア Wayatinah -42.38525, 146.50549342°23’7” S 146°30’20” E
West Coast Wilderness Railway (WCWR)
2024年3月5日, オーストラリア ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
Before leaving Strahan, we went on the WCWR. We had to book this way before we left home, having no idea whether it would be good or not!

Well it was good - phew!
The trip was on a beautifully restored heritage train. The interior of each carriage was fashioned from a native wood - our carriage ‘Teepookana’ was crafted using sassafras wood, which was a beautiful pale colour. There was a thoughtful and informative commentary, which we actually wanted to listen to!

The train wound its way at a leisurely pace, along the banks of Macquarie Harbour, and through temperate rain forest. The track was built to service the copper mining industry, back in the day. The track and train were restored in the early 2000s, and it now attracts people like us, bringing much needed employment and business to Strahan (as did the cruise yesterday).

We were seated opposite a Brummie couple, whose holiday was even longer than ours! They started on a world cruise in January, leaving the ship at Sydney to do their own thing.

The return trip was a peaceful 3 hours, after which we had to hot foot it back to Shelia for another 3 hour (less peaceful) journey - to a middle of nowhere placed called ‘Wayatinah’, our next stopping point for two nights.もっと詳しく
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旅行者Beautiful pictures
2024/03/06返信する翻訳する
旅行者Thank you 😁
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日23
2024年3月6日水曜日 12:26
☀️ 18 °C
海抜: 741 m
オーストラリア Travellers Rest River -42.127625, 146.24481242°7’39” S 146°14’41” E
2
2 2
The middle of nowhere
2024年3月6日, オーストラリア ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
Wayatinah, our current site, is dead centre of Tassie. Apart from a big hydro power plant, there’s not a lot else around here.
Having said that, we’d been told about The Wall:
https://thewalltasmania.com.au/
about an hour’s drive away at Derwent Bridge. Off we went, not sure what to expect, but it was a series of large wooden (huon pine) panels, with the most incredible carvings, and an amazing level of detail. Some depicting Aussie struggles & history, other panels open to interpretation. We weren’t allowed to take photos inside but I’ve attached a pic from their web page and some pics of the outdoor artwork.

When there, Col bought me the cutest carved echidna (sassafras wood)!

We realised we were close to Lake St Clair, so took a short detour there, before heading back. Lake St Claire is Australia’s deepest fresh water lake. We only saw a small part of it, as a full scale hike wasn’t on the plan for today!

We’ve encountered quite a lot of ‘one horse towns’ on this trip, and Ouse (‘Ooze’) is one of them. We had to go there as Ouse has the only IGA (modest supermarket) for miles, and that’s pretty much all it had! Amongst other things, I was after some rice crackers, but they don’t know what they are in these parts 🤷‍♀️

Now back at the camp, feet up and chilling a bit, which we haven’t done that much of, as we want to see and do as much as we can!もっと詳しく
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旅行者 Very cute!
2024/03/06返信する
旅行者Just hoping I get him (and his snout) home in one piece 🤞🏻
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旅行者This place looks great
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旅行者It was fab
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日24
2024年3月7日木曜日 12:05
☀️ 19 °C
海抜: 67 m
オーストラリア Tea Tree -42.69018, 147.31085342°41’25” S 147°18’39” E
From nowhere to somewhere
2024年3月7日, オーストラリア ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
After two nights in the middle of nowhere, today we’ve made our way to somewhere: Port Arthur. The drive was about 3 hours, but the roads were open and not as twisty as previously. We started going through larger and larger towns, where there were lots of people, ‘proper’ shops, and petrol stations (we’ve had to fill up at a self service petrol pump more than once). Compared to the tiny places we’ve been to, this felt like quite a change!

As we reached the coastline again, we stopped at a couple of lookouts, before ending up at Port Arthur our last campsite of the trip, and our last night with the lovely Sheila ☹️

Port Arthur was another well known penal colony. So much of Tassie’s history goes back to the internment of criminals from the UK. Many of the towns and villages we’ve passed through have UK place names, Bothwell, Gretna, Hamilton, Osterley, Beconsfield, Chudleigh, Sheffield, Tewksbury etc. To coin a phrase, ‘there’s no place like home’, guessing the prisoners and those eventually released, must have been terribly homesick, naming their new villages after the ones they left behind.

We got to our site late pm, then spent what felt like several years disassembling each cupboard and cubby hole and attempting to pack things up. One of my least liked jobs, trying to replicate the organisational mastery, managed so triumphantly at home. The fear of knowing there’s always going to be ‘too much’ and it’ll never fit back in the original luggage is overwhelming. It also represents the end of our Tassie roadtrip, which is sad 😔

We shall finish this miserable task in the morning - success is by no means certain….😬もっと詳しく
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旅行者🙁
2024/03/08返信する
旅行者That first part of the trip seems to have flown by
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旅行者It has - now we have a second holiday to get to grips with!!
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