Tasmania 2023 – week 4 Mole Creek to Cradle Mountain
Day 25
The intention today is to go from Mole Creek to Cradle Mountain. Naturally, we don’t go the most direct route and as it turns out we come back the opposite way of some roads we travelled to Mole Creek.
Following a modest start and home-made muesli with organic milk and yoghurt, we headed to Deloraine for a few supplies before we embarked on the next few days – not being absolutely certain as to what fruit and vegetables might be available at the G’day Discovery Park we will stay at.
As it turns out this detour enabled us to stop at Melita Honey (gorgeous with honey tastings) and then Truffles of Tasmania where we learn about the fungus. Having obtained our groceries, we stopped at Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm and then at Van Dieman’s Creamery (icecream). Both good stops and now being suitably sugared up, we took the backroads through to Weegena and Lower Beulah, passing through forestry areas. We headed to Moina and the Round Mountain lookout. It was a day of lots of twisties and turns with signs suggesting 15kph for the bends, at times.
Arriving at Cradle Mountain, we were a little early for our check in at 2.00pm (in spite of attempting to delay by taking the route we did) so we moseyed to the shop. This was opportune as we saw 3 wombats, one ready to cross the road to explore the other side. This was the extent of wombats we saw for 2 days – read Day 26 for the update in this regard.
The afternoon was one of unpacking the car, sorting the clothes and making friends with the washing machine and dryer. Having invested our $5 for the wash, we went for a wander around the park and found a short cut to the neighbouring Lodge. Coming back, we tossed in $6 for about 45 minutes of drying time to have lovely yummy warm clothes, freshly pressed out of the dryer.
Having looked at the shop at the Caravan Park where we are staying in a “cottage”, the prices for their cans of alcohol were not too bad – you have to be a resident to purchase. Their tomatoes were $0.90 each – not too bad considering they were $9.90/kg at Deloraine Woolworths. There was a small range of meat products like lamb chops, schnitzels, sausages, mince along with everything you need to cook with. The shop is well-stocked and bread is $6 a loaf.
The cottage is comfortable. We have 2 bedrooms, each with a double bed. We have a comfortable sofa which becomes 2 nice recliners, on which to sit and partake of some local spirit. There are basic cooking items in the kitchen, fridge, stove and oven, microwave. Sorting out our things consisted mostly of placing our bags and some bags of bits and pieces on the bed – sort that later….we also have a few purchases of wine and spirits to sort, and maybe partake of. It is a slower afternoon, enjoying the cool air, breathing and taking a moment.
