• Adventuring Down Under
    Spiky Bridge ... from the convict era — near Swansea, TAS.
    Spiky Bridge ... from the convict era — near Swansea, TAS.Spiky Bridge ... from the convict era — near Swansea, TAS.Spiky Bridge ... no one knows the purpose of the spikes — near Swansea, TAS.Cressy Beach — near Swansea, TAS.Public loo with a view — Swansea, TAS.Swansea Beach and Park ... from the promenade — Swansea, TAS.Swansea Beach ... from the promenade — Swansea, TAS.The museum is housed in an old school — Swansea, TAS.One of the rooms in the museum is set up like a school room — Swansea, TAS.Model of the now extinct Tasmanian Tiger ... at the museum — Swansea, TAS.Info panel for the extinct Tasmanian Tiger ... at the museum — Swansea, TAS.Egg of the extinct Tasmanian Emu ... at the museum — Swansea, TAS.East Coast Heritage Museum — Swansea, TAS.Exhibit in the war gallery ... at the museum — Swansea, TAS.

    OTR: Swansea

    January 30, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    Leaving Triabunna for Bicheno, our first “dallying” point along our route today was the “unhurried” town of Swansea.

    First, we made a quick stop at the Spiky Bridge, built in the 1840s by convicts. No one really knows why the spikes were added to the bridge. Were they supposed to serve a structural purpose? Were they to prevent cattle straying off the edge? Or were they a folly of Thomas LaFarelle, a civil engineer who historians believe supervised the building of the bridge.

    A few stops at quiet beaches to check out the scenery. A walk along the short promenade in Swansea. A visit to the small East Coast Heritage Museum and War Memorial … housed in an old school building. A small purchase from a local hardware store. A quick coffee break at Artifakt … a gallery/café on the main drag.

    And then we were off, continuing our drive north.    Read more