Tripping around Tassie.

We allowed 3 weeks for our Tassie trip thinking it would be enough time to see the things we wanted to see, after touring and walking around the Bay of Fires and Wine Glass Bay and already a week into our trip we realised that this was not nearly enough time. There was so much to see and do and a decision had to be made, we would rather really see and experience a small part of Tasmania than scoot around and only catch fleeting glimpses of this amazing part of Australia.
Our favourite places this trip!!! because we will be returning next year!!

Sunday March 8th: We drove through beautiful snowy country today through forests of Mountain Ash that had been logged a long time ago leaving huge stumps, through eucalypt forests past lakes and streams, through alpine grass plains and heath land with rocky bottom streams spilling into trout lakes, past cabins with huge stores of firewood. We reached Lake St Clair, absolutely stunning, a freshwater lake 167m at its deepest point. The walks took us through such distinct areas of vegetation from tea tree swamps, through cool temperate rain forest, sub alpine sedges, snow gums, eucalypt and myrtle forests. The plants were amazing, huge trees covered in moss, open button grass plains with magnificent views of Mt Rufus and Mt Hugel. There were gardens of ferns, trees so tall it made you giddy to look up, so round they must be thousands of years old. At night while taking photos of the moon on the lake I saw a water rat swim by. A possum poked his head into the camper.
Tuesday March 10th: Today has been magical, we woke to fog, we could see about 10 meters of Lake St Clair then the end of the world. We drove across the Franklin Gordon Wild Rivers National Park and the fog magically lifted for every spectacular view. Eucalypt and button grass plains until we reach King William Saddle then a complete change to Myrtle forests and cool temperate rain forest with rocky crags above the tree line. There are three short walks along this road that give great rewards for such little effort. We saw where the Franklin River begins, walked to the lookout at Donaghys Hill, such an easy walk rewarded by a 360` view of the Franklin River Valley and the surrounding mountains. The Nelsons Falls walk takes you along a mossy path with an unbelievable variety of ferns to a beautiful waterfall. Back on the road we wound through mountains that rise straight up from the road, steep and rugged, really spectacular. THEN you come to the hills around Queenstown devastated by clearing and chemicals from the smelters of this mining town and I am thinking “what have they done”. The road down to Queenstown is steep and windy. I liked Queenstown, the history of the town is so interesting, it looks like a wild west town surrounded by those bare mountains, bare from the smelter days but also the rocky crags above the tree line. The people are great, the lady from the second hand shop took us across the road to show us the mountain that looked like a dragon.
Friday March 13th: We stopped in at the tiny town of Zeehan to visit Shorty’s private collection of, well just about everything, I don’t think he ever comes home without something in his pocket. Convict bricks from all over Australia, mining equipment, tools, tins, bottles, rocks, minerals, shells, and my favourite, pieces of driftwood, branches and burls representing snakes, birds, Tassie tigers, Sesame Street characters, Bart Simpson and family, ET, parts of the human anatomy (even some in an adults only cupboard). Shorty doesn’t carve it but rather helps the piece of wood reveal what he sees in it. It is an amazing collection.
Saturday March 14th: Well it was a beautiful day until just after breakfast when it started to pour with rain and didn’t stop until lunch. We are camped at Trial Harbour, an isolated bit of coastline with a few permanent residents and a collection of corrugated iron and timber fishing shacks facing the wild southern ocean. We hunkered down in the camper with some reading material until boredom set in and we decided to go for a drive, up the top of the hill where they have a solar and wind power plant set up for the village, the view was amazing. We drove back through the village to the hills on the other side and were seemingly transported to the Scottish Highlands. After lunch we visited the History Room and talked to some locals then in between showers walked around the hills through a botanical garden of flowering native shrubs and along the rocky beach disturbing a sleeping seal. A sea fog has rolled in but we can still spot dolphins in the rising swell. We’re warm and dry in the camper with a stew bubbling away in the camp oven.

Tuesday March 17th: Cradle Mountain and it is freezing, so clad in thermals under our jeans and waterproof gear we took the shuttle to the information centre, walked to the next bus stop in the rain then caught the shuttle again to Dove Lake. The Lake circuit track gave views of Cradle Mountain from every angle but those stubborn clouds wouldn’t lift enough to get good photos. A powered site at the camping ground was essential to dry everything out with the “emergency” fan heater we always pack but seldom use. The camping ground has a five star camp kitchen so we joined the other happy campers for tea by a huge open fire.

Wednesday March 18th: We headed to Dove lake again to walk to Marion’s Lookout, it was perfect walking weather and the views are spectacular, there are lakes and mountains as far as you can see, in fact you can even see the sea. This is the start of the 6 day Overland Track to Lake St Clair and I reckon if you made it to the lookout with your 20kilo pack you would be either thinking “what am I doing?” or “bring it on it can’t be much steeper then this”. We walked back to Ronnies River via Waldheim Chalet, a replica of the first building on Cradle Mountain built by a farsighted man who knew that this must be a National Park.

Friday March 20th: Drove to the Liffey Forest and walked to the Liffey Falls, one of the prettiest places we have seen. We are camping at the Liffey Falls Lower car park, a free camping area beside a fast flowing stream. It is a beautiful spot and even has flushing toilets, now this might seem a strange thing to comment on but a bush camp with flushing toilets is pretty special. We collected wild blackberries for desert (a bit of a worry) and should have been fishing for trout for the main course, we saw some small ones in the creek. Our Tassie trip is almost over and this is a fitting camping end.

Like everyone else touring Tasmania we visited cheese factories and honey farms, ate their wonderful seafood and stocked up on potatoes and apples and chocolate but it is the wilderness and natural beauty of Tasmania that will draw us back to this special place.