Tasmania 2023 – Week 1
Day 4 – Devonport to Stanley
After cruising Bass Strait overnight, we arrived in Devonport for a 7.30am departure from the Spirit of Tasmania II – on time and ready to go. Apparently, the crossing was a little choppy – I mustn’t have really noticed even though I didn’t think I slept all that well. We had a cosy 4 bed berth. So, in the car and ready for 7.30 and off we went to the Poseidon Statue then Mersey Bluff Lighthouse, a lovely candy-striped lighthouse. We are thawing out in what proves to be a spectacular day.
We saw something quite novel – active rail tracks through the middle of a roundabout. Not something I have seen before. We passed by Home Hill, the home of a former Prime Minister and his wife who was the first female member of the House of Representatives. It was closed due to Easter Monday so a stroll around the garden was in order.
Then, we took the B and C roads out to Gunns Plains Caves. On every level, the scenery was amazing. As Molly Meldrum used to say “do yourself a favour” and go see the caves if opportunity knocks. There are many stairs, some low passes but the sculpture that nature has compiled is truly other worldly. There are glow worms too. The tour takes about an hour – an hour that goes fast when you are absorbed in the stalactites and stalagmites, the drips of limestone infused water, and other wonderful natural formations along with the underground river which has flooded as recently as late 2022.
The countryside around the Caves is one of bucolic simplicity, healthy happy looking cows doing what cows do best – eating grass and chewing their cud, sheep munching through the paddocks, breeze passing through the trees.
There are thousands and thousands of acres of eucalypt plantation and then some pine plantations. After passing through miles of this, the ground opens up again to the simple majesty of green pastures.
The country can change of quickly. The drive is long yet interesting – we stop at Hellyers Gorge, spot fungi and go for a brief walk. The rushing sound of water then nothing is something to stop and listen to. It fills the soul.
We travel on to Stanley where we are booked in to a bedsit for the night. At $99 this is the best accommodation, for the price, so far – we have our own bathroom, microwave and basic cooking gear, cutlery, plates bowls etc, a sofa and tv as well as a lovely big bed. The towels have been the only real upside of the 2 pubs we have stayed at to date – both of which came in at a similar amount per night.
Anyways, I digress. Stanley is beautiful – old with that colonial look about it. The Providore is a gorgeous shop, worth a meander through. We chairlift up, the last ones today to do so, to The Nut – a huge land formation sitting on the coast line, and walk the step paths back down. This earns a visit to Herseys Seafood for dinner – another place to spend some time, beautiful fresh cooked seafood, very tasty with some local wine.
Today we have travelled about 270km, not the most direct route but a most filling and refreshing route. We snuggle in to our bedsit, its funny how travel can catch up on you and as much as you might like to go and see whether you can see penguins, you decide that you are quite happy to be cosy and comfortable for what will hopefully be the best night’s sleep so far. Tomorrow we go west, to the Edge of the World, stay tuned.
Day 5 – Stanley to Arthur River
It was a civilised start to the morning, rolling out from our accommodation at 8.40ish to wander the main street, caffeinate then start the serious business of sightseeing. First stop, after wandering the main street was the Convict Ruins, then Highfield House, after a quick stop at the lovely big photo frame, high up on the hill overlooking Stanley. We had passed what was once, no doubt, a beautiful gateway but is now somewhat different. We wondered what it attached to – Highfield House. There was a deer farm too – ah colonialism.
Highfield is a testament to the love for history, now managed by Parks and Wildlife. It is beautifully restored and an ongoing project, much reduced in land area than it was when the first grant was made all those years ago. Convict labour built most of what your see/remains. It gives you an appreciation of so much. The school room, above the chapel is a gorgeous depiction of years from tiny tots to bigger ones. The blue stone buildings are a construction that I have loved since I don’t know when. It was a tough time, compared to now, to be alive. The regard I have for the pioneers is enhanced with this trip and seeing the buildings that remain, the hardship stories which were their lives. The construction of the House is wattle and daub – I love when they don’t “restore” to bring it back exactly as it might have been in the day but rather show the layers of or wall painting that adorned the walls. It is also restored since the 1980’s/1990’s so there was a level of “no longer loved”.
Next stop is Smithton, not much to see here so we mosey on to Trowutta Arch. So…30 minute return trip is what the sign suggests but when your wife likes to photograph fungi, as I might like to, it takes substantially more time and absolute delight in seeing what nature creatures. There are some beautiful fungi out there and…I have a fun guy who is prepared to point them out to me, and tolerate my stops for photographs (of which there are many when the scenery is amazing). The Arch itself is a feat of nature. It never ceases to amuse and amaze me as to 1. How nature formed the landscape it has; and, 2. How people stumbled on these feats of nature. The Gunns Plains Caves were thanks to someone chasing a possum as the pelts were worth collecting, back in the day, but the Arch, I don’t know. It is about 20m deep and the rock formation would make for interesting acoustics.
Having had today’s fill of fungi, we move on to Milkshake Reserve (thought there were falls but no idea now and there weren’t any). Sadly, the pungent aroma of a cigarette punctuated the otherwise fresh and clear air in this location. We stop to read the sign, after playing dodgems on the way in, and then on the way out. Moseying on through the Tarkine Drive we stop at Sumac Lookout – nature at some of her best with gorges and the Arthur River waaaaaay down there. We have little to no connection with modern technology such as Maps during this time so we call upon the navigation installed in the car – technology is pretty cool when you are travelling with a rough itinerary and a paper map. It gets us through (the speeds are not high as we navigate windy roads and top out at 154m above sea level), via a logging track after we missed a turn off but had decided we should see Marrawah. Well, it is lovely, almost a one-horse town and on we went to the Edge of the World. On the way, we see lots more plastic covered rolls of hay that when lined up, end for end, look like (huge) piping.
You can see to infinity and beyond here. Apparently, the next landmass on this longitude is Argentina. The roaring 40’s weren’t at their finest today, for which I am eternally grateful as they were powerful enough. It’s quite something to stand here and look out, out, out and all you see looking west is ocean. There is so much driftwood but not so much wood as trees. Clearly the oceans and the rivers have reached an understanding about transportation of the logs, some time ago as they are all quite aged, to a point where they simply bank up on the river’s edge and the beach.
Tonight’s accommodation is a 2 bedroom, equipped unit. We get the sunset thrown in along with the beautiful ocean air which has a cleansing effect. The sun slowly drops down over the horizon which has few clouds in the sky. We have been blessed with weather – so far it has been majestic.
The green of the fields, as you come through miles and miles of forestry is something else. I wonder whether it is because we are so greedy for dairy and beef that these fields have been cleared. The B and C roads we have travelled, so far, have been pretty good and well maintained. Parks and Wildlife do a pretty amazing job of maintaining some extraordinary history. Whilst we didn’t travel a huge distance – about 200km over about 4.5 hours – we have travelled a huge distance in time, from the birth of the forestry in its original primordial form to the current forestry managed for timber. We see the amazing edge of the world, in all its glory and we see the birth place of development in Stanley. It’s been a pretty amazing day for history when you step back from yourself and look at the bigger picture.
A little G&T on the veranda, watching the sunset was in order this evening. The change of pace is quite noticeable. Tonight we “cook” some dinner – well some sausages to have with the bag of salad and tomato we bought at the local store. Tomorrow, we continue adventuring!
Day 6 Arthur River to Zeehan
After mixing up last night’s accommodation, and scoring well with limited wind sound and shaking to the building, big comfy bed and good pillows and towels (which we would not have had in the cabin we were supposed to stay at), we set off for Zeehan, leisurely, at about 9.00am.
We take the C roads and for a good portion of today’s travels we have no signal – a feat which is marked with signage as we move on to the “silica” road which is the backroad from Arthur River to just before Corinna. As we start our morning, there are nuisance sprinkles of rain, just enough to require windscreen wipers yet not enough to really shower. Quite glad of this really. The day looks and feels a bit miserable but is a balmy 15 degrees for the most part.
The roads are amazing for so many reasons – mostly for the scenery which changes, but is the same. We are dwarfed at times, and I mean dwarfed, by the size of the trees through these areas. We see mountains in the distance which look like they are velvet coated or lined. The road and area are so remote we see one car going the same way as us, then turning back, and only 3 oncoming cars in about 90km.
It is such a vast space yet sparce. There are times when it is crammed with trees, then none. It is breath-taking. We rise to at least 450m above sea level a number of times today, then have some fairly rapid drops down and at other times gradual inclines and declines.
We cross the Donaldson River – looking brown but so clear, the brown from the tannins and things that wash down from the leaves. The water is pristine, crystal clear.
We play dodgems with potholes again but more on the Corinna side of Fatmans Barge than the north side. The Barge is fabulous – cable operated, carrying up to 2 vehicles, we were lucky to be the only vehicle crossing at that time. The river is amazing. We decide against a cruise – we need to leave something for our next adventure – along with some of the walks in this area.
Whilst we do not cover a lot of ground today, it is hard driving – pothole evasion course, dirt, narrow roads and the like make for challenging times, travelling at an average of about 40kph.
There is not a lot to see yet so much.
We pass the Granville Harbour wind farm which seems to be quite operational today with a healthy but not too healthy wind activity stirring up the turbines.
Lunch is at Wildz Café in Zeehan – steak sandwich and hamburger, each with the lot and some chippies – good food. To walk this off, we head across the road to the Museum which spans the back of the old buildings which line the main street. Here we “lose” at least an hour, wandering through the museum.
We then head to the Spray Tunnel, a memento of the bygone days of silver mining. 100m long, quite dark and if you are really lucky, which we were not, there are glow worms.
We are cooking at home tonight, having purchased some salad items for dinner (to add to the frozen steaks we brought with us), along with some Devil’s Corner wines – some of the extremely limited Tasmanian wine selection available at the only pub/bottle shop that appears to be open.
We check in about 4.00pm and are settled with beverage in hand by about 4.30pm – ready for a quiet evening, enjoying the peace and solitude that comes with being in these areas. We are forecast for 8 degrees tonight, snuggle weather. We are staying in a cabin which accommodates 5 people, has a cooktop, plenty of cutlery and crockery, glasses and wineglasses. There is also a collection of DVD’s to view if you choose to – we don’t. We have plotted tomorrow’s travels which on the most direct route would be 39km however, we will do what we do best, and take the “scenic” route, estimated at about 150km. Stay tuned.
Day 7 – Zeehan to Queenstown
We wouldn’t want to disappoint and take the most direct route, which was relatively short, so we did a lovely not so direct route and travelled about 160km today.
The mist that sat through the mountains, during our drive today, was enchanting. I suspect that in the slightly cooler months it is called fog and is not so enchanting. But, we were there today (13 April 2023) and it was pretty special. You could reach out and touch the mist, it was that low and close. It was so low and close that our attempt to see Tullarbardine Dam was thwarted. The lake, Lake McIntosh, is large. We drove the dam wall, out to the other wall, wandered around and then drove back but clearly it was still too early for the mist to get out of bed and rise, even though it was arcing over the dam wall.
I am certain that cold weather makes your bladder shrink to the capacity of a walnut – probably more information than you really needed – but it certainly feels like that. Tullah township has clean public amenities, in case you are interested and planning a stop there.
Our journey then took us past Lake Plimsoll – wow, how spectacular and mirror. We had already stopped at another beautiful body of water, walking back from the car, over the bridge, to photograph it, but this one was even better, the reflections were amazing. Sometimes, you can be lucky with what you find and the road less travelled although for a B road this was pretty good as a B-double truck was motoring along it.
We had made the “lazy” election, in the mist covering this morning and decided we were not that keen on doing the 3 hour round trip walk to Montezuma Falls, even with the rave reviews I have heard about it. We thought we might be able to see a power station on the way, but didn’t organise to book a tour so that wasn’t an option either but what we did have was spectacular scenery.
We arrived in Queenstown after only a few hours motoring, travelling about 160km at most, rising to over 620 metres at times. Our first stop was a laundromat so we could acquaint ourselves with public laundry facilities for the first time on this trip. $5 a load to wash, $4 to dry. Whilst this little escapade was playing out, off we went to walk down the street and have a bite to eat at the Confluence Hotel. The Hobart based ginger beer is a ninja, it would sneak up and take you out right quick. We investigate the IGA for some really grown up supplies for our train trip tomorrow, fuelled up then spotted the steam train, which had just arrived in from this morning’s outing – love the sound and smell of the steam train, there really is something special about the bygone days even though it is appalling for the ozone layer and all that environmental stuff. There is a romance about it, even though you really have to wonder why the pioneers decided to put the rain track and roads through and the towns where they are. More and more, I appreciate the deprivations those who worked the teams and put the cuttings through went through, I can never understand but I do reflect more and more about what their lives were like, the horrendous conditions, the long hours, little pay and illness, for what exactly? So, some time down the track, people like me can enjoy their hard work, the steam train ride, the drives through amazing and desolate country, admiring the scenery from the comfort of a modern motor vehicle.
Today we have tried out 2 of the pubs in Queenstown but where we are staying is of a class on its own – Penghana Bed and Breakfast. The property is National Trust listed. We have the Owen Suite – which looks out towards Mt Owen. It is, as we understand it, the best room in the house and, just quietly, it is superb. We have some homemade fruitcake and a decanter of port, beautiful soft robes which go around the larger body, a writing desk, a table and chairs for tea, a couch, big bed, walk through robe/dressing room and ensuite where the shower is a lovely big shower head with hot hot water. The hosts, Steve and Karen are genuine and enthusiastic about this love of their lives. They have a bar and include breakfast – which obviously I cannot yet provide some observation about but which, from reports I have read, will be lovely.
This is probably our single biggest indulgence for this trip – and it will be savoured and enjoyed. The romantic within me comes alive. The house is 125 years old this year, it has been lovingly brought up to this (indulgent) standard and it is a credit to its current caretakers. Tonight, hopefully the location and the romance will lull me into a much better night’s sleep, ready to ride the rails and enjoy some more of olde worlde tomorrow. Pleasant dreams
Day 8 – Queenstown
As I sit writing this, the wind is coming up outside – not howling but certainly acting up and dropping the ambient temperature of 10 degrees to something a little lower.
It has been a lovely slow day, a significant change of pace as there was no driving (at all) – at least not by us.
To start the day, Steve (one of our two fantastic hosts) navigated the kitchen and produced a simple but oh so tasty breakfast. Bircher muesli followed by poached eggs, bacon, sauteed mushrooms and tomatoes and hash brown. Alongside this was fresh homemade bread (so yummy) and raspberry coconut muffins (also very yummy). On this gastronomic indulgence, we started our serious day of sightseeing and sitting on our currently broadening bums.
We did walk down from what was the Station Masters House (Penghana Bed and Breakfast) to the station and did some other walking around but it was not what I would call hugely energetic.
Today it was steam train riding on the rack and pinion part of the railway – a system designed to help a train climb a mountain. Some of the incline is 1:20 gradient, a big ask for the little loco that can.
There is nothing more enchanting, well for today at least, than the sound of the steam train whistle and the smell of a proper coal fired engine. The coal for this trip is much more environmentally friendly so it doesn’t have the same level of intoxication but it is still pretty fabulous when the steam is let out, in a big burst, and it clouds everything, leaving a coating of moisture droplets on everything in its path.
We move through Lynchford to Ryadeena to Dubbil Barril. For 460km of bush track cut out by hard hand labour, there was much less laid. We climb the equivalent of a 37 storey building as the little loco that could laboured up the rises. She uses her entire water tank as we approach the first stop of the day.
There used to be 2 locomotives running to move 200 tonnes of copper, one engine at the front, the other at the back. Today we are 3 carriages and one little loco. The locomotive was built in Glasgow and shipped out in parts, arriving without the assembly instructions and taking a month to #1 working perfectly. There were 5 locos in total.
It took two and a half years to build the track from Strahan to Queenstown. The forest is so dense, the letter of one of the cutters writing home said that there was barely room to swing an axe – that’s still the case. The philosophy of the man who envisaged this madness was “find a way or make it” and they did.
The orange colour of the river is thanks to the intervention of man – mining. The processes in the past were horrendous for the river and the mountainside. Acid rain was created by the mining and smelting practices that were used in days gone by. The forest of Mt Lyell disappeared to feed the furnaces of the smelting plant. The river became sludge and a toxic mess because of the pyritic smelting processes, and also the emission of toxic sulphur smoke. This changed to floatation smelting (or something similar) which created tailings – 100 million tonnes of them – and between this and the previous methodologies, the river became a shade of orange which continues to this day. It is slowly recovering.
Upon our return, we are running a little early for Devonshire Tea so we venture to the Moonscape Café and Wine Bar for some Tasmanian spirit – well worth the visit. We partake of a gin, coffee liquer and vodka. Then, we mosey back to our accommodation to a wonderful waiting spread of Devonshire Tea. Karen makes a mean scone and brings together a delightful experience with her Tea. It is time to just sit and read – with a sherry – and read I do for about an hour and a half. I have started reading a book detailing the convict history of the transportation of 100 women.
Dinner is at the Rusty Iron Thai/Chinese Restaurant. Another gastronomic success. We have partaken of seriously good food today.
As we step out from the restaurant, Steve is dropping off another guest, and offers us a lift back – saves the 84 steps and ramps at the front to get from the street level up to the house. We are home and tucked up about 7.45pm on a Friday night – such party animals! The wind is rising outside, there is a possibility of rain tomorrow. For now, we have been truly blessed with amazing weather, fabulous hosts and an absolutely superb and clearly loved working residence to rest in for 2 nights. Tomorrow, we continue back in time to Bothwell. For now, we raise a port and call it a night.
