Tasmania 2023 – Week 3 Ross to Brickendon
Day 18
On a direct route, today’s trip would be about 60km….but, we made ours about 180km.
The birds are chattering away, having lovely conversations as the day wakes up. The air is fairly still so the 11 or so degrees, when you are moving around, isn’t so chilly. Breakfast is some of the remaining sourdough from yesterday – lovely loaf.
We are on road about 9.00am heading for Campbell Town. There is a historic bridge there (the oldest bridge on the national highway and still in use), built by convicts, using over a million red bricks. It is still in use today and forms part of the highway through town. As we are travelling through on a Monday, limited shops are open. We do, however, find the Cellar Bookshop which is a delightful stop with a lot of local books.
Today we are travelling the Heartlands Drive Journey, however, we take “C” roads which take us off the beaten track, through Nile (and across the Nile River) and other locations, and where we see sheep in “military” formation, all moving off together seemingly in rows. The backroads are lovely – there is dirt/gravel and there is asphalt. We find our way to Evandale, coming into town via Clarendon, a National Trust property. We visited Clarendon on our trip last year and it is a Monday so no visiting today. The property is pretty imposing and with many like this, in my view lacks substance and does not seem to have the same internal presence as it does outer. Having said this, it is still something to behold. It is definitely a statement piece.
Evadale is a quiet town yet it has the most gorgeous General Store with so many wonderful goodies. There are some beautiful knitted items but it would be such a shame to buy them then put them in the cupboard, never using them in Queensland (as it is too hot even in winter) so we drool and admire and behave ourselves. The shop has a lolly section where you buy by weight, there are recipe books, cooking implements, just about whatever you seek (household items) and they have it. We are delighted to return here, as with Lake Leather next door. This is the home of the penny farthing races. There is an antique shop. The bakery has closed down and the town is really sleepy today.
Continuing on with the backroads, we work our way to Josef Chromy Winery – spectacular. The lunch location we have chosen today is something else and Mr Chromy wanders through (he’s 93 and started the winery about 25 years ago) while we are savouring our chacuterie board and wine flight. I partake of the sparkling selection and they live up to that description – I quite enjoyed the sparkling and the sparkling rose. I am no connoisseur and whilst the second two wines are lovely I would be quite happy to enjoy the base sparklings any day. We attempt Corra Linn distillery (1.5km away) but it is closed.
The countryside around this region is very English – there are hedgerows against the road and dividing the paddocks, there are big beautiful trees marking the end of blocks and rolling hills devoid of native flora but brimming with grapevines and the winter colours. We pass through Perth, yesterday we passed through Bagdad, and head to Adams Distillery for a whiskey and coffee liqueur tasting and a sloe gin for my fungi spotter although today I spotted where he didn’t – in the most crazy place, driving in to Adams Distillery. One of the whiskey’s was so smooth and soft, no water required. I didn’t look at the price on the receipt. The coffee liqueur and sloe gin also found their way into a bag, good thing we are driving our own vehicle this time….and we are yet to get to the Tamar Valley.
Leaving Adams Distillery and Perth, we head to Longford for a walk through town, continuing the heritage drive as the area is old. After Longford, we travel the 2 km to our accommodation tonight – Brickendon cottages. I am hoping Brickendon itself is open on Anzac Day as it isn’t on Mondays and we missed it last time. It is a convict- built estate across the valley from Woolmers Estate which was owned by another member of the family. The cottage we stay in tonight is the Gardener’s Cottage – at the end of the track in. It is a gorgeous 1 bedroom set up which has been recovered from the degradation of lack of love. It has been polished and primped and brought up to period style with an open fireplace, decanter of port, settee and heaters, and breakfast is cereal, eggs and bits and pieces although before we get to breakfast, tonight’s dinner is back in at Longford at the Blenheim Inn – lovely British names for the area.
We have clear skies tonight, magic for looking at the stars and attempting to see the aurora which has been active lately. There are sheep nearby and the road is actually just across the paddock in front but you feel like you are a million miles away from anywhere it is so quiet. The crackle and cackle of the fire accompanies me as I write, spitting and hissing.
These are the experiences that I live for – stepping back into another world with old style light switches and window drapes, footstools and whitewashed walls, character.
I think it is time to sip a little port, consider whether to have a bath in the first bath of this trip or enjoy the lovely old-style plumbing that is the shower over the bath. The front door has a beautiful old lock with a magical key to another world. The floorboards are wide and worn, the timber skirting boards are deep. This is simplicity and it is truly beautiful in this day and age of complexity and pace.
