Back home in Newcastle

We are now back in Newcastle and have moved into our home again. The people who rented it while we were away took very good care of it so we were very grateful. You do hear some horror stories.
We have decided to set up an office from home as Mike is a Chiropractor and we have some unused space upstairs. So far the renovations are moving along very well and we should be opening the office towards the end of July. In the meantime we are seeing patients in the family room downstairs. It is very casual but is so much better than under the caravan awning that was our "office" while we were on our fantastic trip around Australia.
Our home/office is in Charlestown, Newcastle and the office number is 02 4943 1887. We hope to see you there.

Our total mileage for our trip was 72,000 kilometres. Not bad for two grey nomads having a casual "holiday".

Tas - Launceston and the Tamar

Launceston is a city of contrasts, with modern marinas where there are many sleek restaurants and a wonderful collection of 19th century architecture everywhere.

Three rivers meet at Launceston, the major one is the Tamar where we went on a cruise up the river and then to the Cataract Gorge. The Tamar valley and the area from Launceston to Devonport has an abundance of wineries and extremely productive farmland. We ate our way through this area. We had lunch at the Rasberry Farm in Elizabeth Town where we decided to have desert.The fresh rasberries, grown on the property are to die for.
We then stopped in at the Ashgrove Cheese Factory, sampled cheeses and filled our fridge with many that we liked. Next stop was the House of Anvers which is the local chocolate factory. Oh My goodness! I am not much of a sweet tooth but I sampled everything in sight. The chocolate made here is melt in your melt divine. After this day of indulgence we should have walked back to our caravan park, not driven.
We have enjoyed every minute of our stay in Tasmania, enjoying the fresh and tasty produce, seeing the beautiful scenery and learning about the history of this island. I now have a real appreciation of the hardship that the convicts had to endure. The weather was not the best but we did have some sunny days in between the cold and the rain. One month was not long enough. Even though Tasmania is small, there is so much to see. We will look forward to a return visit in the future.

Our trip back to Melbourne on the Spirit was a little rougher than our trip over but I did not get sea - sick so that was a plus. I was bouncing from one side of the hallway to the other on my way to our cabin with the sway of the ship and once I got to bed went to sleep rather quickly so all was good.

We drove from Melbourne back to Newcastle on the coast road and enjoyed re visiting areas that we had not been to for years. It is now back to reality for us. We start work on March 2nd and move into our house on April 7th. I know that I will miss life in the caravan. I will miss the looking forward to of a new place every few days and reading about the area. I will miss the casual life and meeting new people from all over Australia. These last two years have been a gift to both Mike and I and we hope that in the future we can again travel around this fantastic country. Thank you Australia for giving us such a wonderful time.

Tas - Campbell Town

Campbell Town is another small town on the Heritage Highway. This highway was Tasmania’s first main road and crosses the country from Hobart in the south to Launceston in the north. Tales of bushrangers, convict road gangs, stonemasons, woolgrowers and settlers colour the areas along this highway.
In the pathways on both sides of the road in the centre of town runs the Convict Brick Trail.
Each brick is placed end to end and cemented into the path. These bricks, hundreds of them, have the name, crime, sentence and the ship that they arrived to Tasmania on. It is unbelievable to see the harshness of the sentence to the smallness of the crime. I guess that is the way to build a new nation cheaply - convict labour.

Beside the river that runs through the town we found a couple more carved trees. One of these trees had some of the local animals and wildlife carved into the remaining base of the tree.

Tas - Evandale

Evandale is a charming town, full of beautiful old buildings and only a few kilometres south of Launceston. We stayed at the local cricket and football ground which is within walking distance to the town centre and only cost $10.00 a night. While here, the annual Penny Farthing races were being run with competitors from all over Australia and overseas.
Unfortunately the races were cancelled on Saturday due to the rain but competitors were still riding around the streets. It is fascinating watching them get up on their bikes, it certainly takes good balance.
Sunday was the long distance race and Mike decided to follow them on his bike. He rode over 26klms and passed a few of the Penny Farthings so he was happy.


We attended the Sunday Evandale markets where we bought loads of delicious local grown fresh fruit and vegetables. One of the best things about Tasmania is the abundance of beautiful produce.

Tas - Bridport

The north eastern farmland resembles a patchwork quilt as does many areas in Tasmania. A bountiful area of produce with crops, grazing pasture, vineyards, hops, rhubarb, lavender and many more.
Bridport is very popular with locals choosing this as a holiday destination with beaches, walks,fishing and water skiing. One of the most photographed scenes is the old jetty which points out towards Bass Strait.

Another draw card in the area is one of the world’s top Links golf courses. The Barnbougle Dunes and Lost Farm mirror the wild coastal Links courses of Scotland and Ireland. I can imagine that many balls are lost on this course as the natural scrub is extremely dense.

Tas - Legerwood

In the centre of this very small town sits Legerwood Park which is the home of the memorial tree carvings.

Originally planted in 1918 the carved trees are now a lasting tribute to the regions war heroes.
To commemorate the locals who had fought and died in the two world wars, the locals planted a row of trees in town with an engraved plaque for each soldier. The trees grew large, but some time back, they caught a disease and all died.Rather than chop all the trees down, the top branches were lopped and locals carved figures in memory of their loved ones.

Tas - Bay of Fires

Binalong Bay and the Bay of Fires were named the world’s top travel destination by Lonely Planet guide.
Similar to Bicheno, the sands are powder fine and white, several renowned snorkeling and fishing spots and surfing beaches are abundant here.
The red lichen- splashed rocky headlands are an eye catching contrast to the water and sand. You never tire of views like this. Mike and I went swimming but it was very cold. We camped on the beach at one of the many free camps in the area and only moved on because the weather turned cold and wet. We had a fire each night. Magic!
As you drive back into the township of St Helens you can pop in to the local oyster “man” and pick up a dozen un-shucked oysters for $8.00 a dozen.

From St Helens the road takes you inland and once again we are back in rich farmland and areas of think forests.

Tas - Bicheno

Travelling north from the Freycinet Pennisula you drive through the charming fishing village of Bicheno which is many people’s favourite spot on the east coast.
The beaches have fine white sand, clear turquoise water, the cafes have great coffee and the atmosphere is one of relaxation - just sit back and admire the natural beauty of the area.
At dusk you can watch the penguins hurrying home as well as enjoying the many walks around town and along the beaches.

Tas - Freycinet Penninsula

After leaving Port Arthur we drove up the coast road passing through several small towns along the way. The country side is dotted with cattle and sheep farms, vineyards, fruit and berry farms, very picturesque but much dryer than the green lushness of the west coast.

We spent two days at Coles Bay on the edge of the National Park where the famous Wineglass Bay is nestled. We walked one and a half kilometres to the top of the lookout on a beautiful sunny day only to find that my camera did not work. Frustrating as the view is stunning. There was no way that I would attempt this walk again so soon. It was a workout.

However the other bays in the area are quite beautiful.This is a kayakers, camping and bush walkers haven. As well as many B & B’s in the area there are also two five star resorts. We had a wonderful wine tasting afternoon at The Freycinet Lodge trying some of the local wines and produce.

Tas - Tasman Island Cruises

We spent an exhilarating three hours with the Pennicott Wilderness cruises exploring the coast between Eaglehawk Neck and Port Arthur. The ocean was smooth, hardly a cloud in the sky, a near perfect day. The boats seat about 30 people, we had our long pants, jumpers, jackets and beanies on and we were still frozen. They handed out red weather- proof ponchos which helped keep out some of the chilling wind. Thank goodness it is "summer".
We went inside deep sea caves, cruised below some of the highest sea cliffs in the southern hemisphere, watched albatross soaring on the wind, and laughed at the seals playing in the water and relaxing on Tasman Island.
We passed a refurbished sail boat, the James Craig, and I was amazed at how much the boat rocked from side to side on a relatively flat sea. Several people on board were on the mast riggings enjoying the ride.

Mike and I had a fantastic time and would highly recommend either the Port Arthur or the Bruny Island cruises by the Pennicott cruises in their yellow boats.

Tas - Port Arthur

I was a little apprehensive about going to Port Arthur, firstly because of all the suffering that the convicts endured and, secondly, of the murders that happened there several years ago.
We did, however, decide to visit the Historic site and enjoyed the afternoon immensely. When we arrived, we were placed in a group with a tour guide who lead us around the site, learning the history and hearing many stories about the Port and its’ people. By 1840 more than 2000 convicts, soldiers and civil staff lived here. A range of goods and materials were produce here, everything from stone and bricks to furniture, clothing, boats and ships. Our guide was very enthusiastic and entertaining which was a pleasant contrast to the horrors that the convicts were forced to endure.
Later in the afternoon, the second part of the tour was a 20 minute ferry cruise out to the Isle of the Dead cemetery where all those who died at Port Arthur were taken to be buried.
At one time when it was a thriving ship building and convict settlement there were over three hundred buildings and today is the best preserved convict site in Australia. Now, there are thirty historic buildings and ruins left and they are dispersed in the beautiful well kept gardens.

Tas - Hobart

We stayed about 20 minutes outside of Hobart and drove in for the day. We took a tour of the city on a red double decker bus with a very entertaining driver and tour guide. We drove by many of the original old buildings, Casade brewery, crossed the Hobart bridge and viewed the city from across the harbour.

We had lunch at Salamanca Place which is full of fantastic restaurants, bars, specialty shops and galleries. The markets here on a Saturday are massive with local produce, crafts, food and almost anything else you can think about.
We walked around the harbour, viewed the cruisers, fishing boats and sail boats at Constitution Dock. The area has a great vibe and we visited more galleries and ate a wonderful seafood dinner on the docks. It doesn’t get much better than that!
The heritage here is rich and the Hobart people love showing off their city and we loved it.

Tas - Bruny Island

Bruny Island is Tasmania’s fourth largest island. We drove to Kettering which is 40 klms south of Hobart and caught the vehicular ferry, the “Mirambeena”, for the short trip to the island. The men on board who direct the vehicles into their positions on the ferry do an amazing job, a bit like a jig saw puzzle, getting everything to fit in neatly.
We picked fresh strawberries and ate them over the next couple of days. They were delicious. All over Tasmania fresh produce is sold at road side stalls, we have bought cherries and stone fruit.
The southern tip of Bruny is very rugged and is the home of Australias’ second - oldest manned lighthouse, built by convict labour with spectacular views over the Southern Ocean.
One day while here, the weather was cold and wet. We stayed in one of the National Park camping grounds, collected wood and had a fire each night. We were thankful that we had bought our beanies along. One morning, it was 7 degrees inside the van. Mike got up, lit the gas burners on the stove and they heated the van up very well. An unusual way to get warm but it worked! This is Tasmania in the summer time. Every day that we have been here we have worn a jacket and I believe that the temperature has been in the high 30’s back home in the Hunter. Amazing! Such a contrast.
Captain Cook, William Bligh and Matthew Flinders have all stopped at Adventure Bay on the island. We visited the local museum which held many of the ships logs and artifacts.

NSW - Queenstown

After leaving the lush area around Strahan we drove through the countryside for about forty five minutes when we rounded a bend in the road and suddenly the landscape in front of us looked like a desert.
The forest had all gone and you are left with bare hillsides that have either been mined for copper or the fumes from the furnaces have poisoned the vegetation. It is such a stark contrast to the lush forests that we had been driving through.
The road out of Queenstown is a challenge for anybody towing a caravan. It winds its way narrowly around, and up and down several mountainsides, is very steep with countless hairpin turns. Somebody had recommended that we travel south along the west coast as these hills would be a nightmare on our brakes if we had to go down them. As it was, our caravan and four wheel drive brakes were smelling when we finally left the area. I must say, I was rather nervous as we traveled this stretch of road and was so glad to reach our camp for the night. We spent the night beside a lake and it was wonderful to sit there, relax with a beer and watch a fly fisherman trying to catch his dinner.

Tas - Strahan

One of the main reasons we came to the west coast was to visit Stahan and cruise up the Gordon River. We had always heard so much about the area and we were not disappointed.

The township is another small and charming one with only a few shops and restaurants but many places to stay. Our caravan park was within walking distance to town which was handy as we certainly needed the exercise.
The boat trip took us from Strahan onto Macquarie Harbour which is six times larger than Sydney Harbour, and out to Hell’s Gate, where the harbour meets the ocean. (Named by the convicts who were sent to Sarah Island). This is rather a narrow gap so I can imagine on a rough day at the change of tide this place could be extremely dangerous.
Back in the Harbour, we cruised by a large salmon farm where we watched the fish being fed pellets by adding them to water and then hosing them onto the feedlots. Each feedlot contains around 30,000 trout or salmon being fattened up for market. They take up to two years to grow to plate size. The seals occasionally break through the netting for an easy feed and then the freed salmon belong to anybody who may be lucky enough to catch one.

Further upstream we stop at Sarah Island which was Australia’s worst and cruelest penal colony in the early 1800’s. The prisoners here became specialist shipbuilders and for five years it was Australia’s biggest shipyard. We walked around half the island and it was hard to imagine the cruelty that took place on such a beautiful island.
This morning cruise was three hours long and included a buffet lunch. The scenery was stunning and the area very peaceful. The forests are so dense that it is hard to imagine how anybody could make there way through them. Fantastic area and when visiting Tasmania this area is a must see to appreciate these magnificent rain forests.

Tas - Stanley

Stanley is a very pretty, restored Bass Strait fishing village with tiny, brightly-painted cottages neatly terraced on the lower slopes of an extinct volcano, called The Nut. We enjoyed walking around the town checking out the shops, the many B & B’s and then ate fish and chips for lunch overlooking the bay. As this is a major fishing port the seafood here is fantastic. I have never seen such huge crayfish. There were many in the tanks between four and six kilos each.
We left the area heading further west to the Tarkine Forest and the Dismal Swamp. The swamp is at the bottom of a sinkhole which has been formed over thousands of years of dissolving rock. One way to enter the swamp is to be propelled down a 110 metre curved tube lying flat on your back inside a bag with your helmeted head slightly elevated, in 5 seconds. I screamed the entire way down as I was flung from side to side on the “bullet train”. My poor neck, I needed my Chiropractor after that whip lashing ride. It was fun though, but scary.

As you wander along the four pathways there are works of art done by local artists disbursed in the forest. The smell of the forest is beautiful with blackwood, myrtle, sassafras and eucalyptus trees. It is special to see all of these magnificent trees close up.

Tas - The North West

After two days in Devonport and the surrounding area we headed west. Our first stop was the small coastal town of Penguin. True to its’ name we found the “Big Penguin” on the main street and the rubbish bins in the main street were decorated with penguins. We had a coffee at the Groovy Penguin and the best carrot cake we have ever had. We almost ordered a second it was so good.





Dotted through the countryside are fields and fields of poppies. These poppies are pale pink with a dark pink centre and are farmed for the opiate used in the making of morphine.

Further west is Boat Harbour. It is a crescent shaped cove of white sand and clear blue water. As you descend the winding cliff road this bay almost takes your breath away. We parked the van on the grass beside the beach and free camped here for one night. The locals even came down to the van to welcome us. We thought that they had come to ask us to move on. We walked along the beach, Mike swam and I checked out the rock pools.
Lovely quiet beachside hamlet.

Tas - Devonport

After disembarking from the Spirit of Tasmania we drove through town, found our caravan park, set up the van and then hit the road to start exploring the area. It was Australia Day so we were looking for somewhere to celebrate.

We drove east through the lush countryside to Port Sorell, saw cars parked along the roadside with people everywhere so decided this was our first stop. We followed the music, listened to the lady singer for a while and had a sausage sandwich with the locals. What else would you do on Australia Day!

Returning to Devonport we stopped at Ghost Rock Winery where there was an Australia Day concert. We bought tickets, a bottle of wine, unpacked the cheese and crackers, pulled out our chairs and spent the next couple of hours listening to several music groups and solo singers performing on the stage. It was a class operation and all the entertainers were excellent. We sat with a group of locals who shared their knowledge of the area with us recommending all the “must see and do’s” in the region making us feel extremely welcome.
When we arrived back at the caravan park they were having a sausage sizzle and a fund raising raffle for Queensland. We filled our glasses with wine, took our chairs over to the barbeque for more music and a meal. We won a gift voucher at a local restaurant for $100.00 so the following night we had a delicious meal at the Gingerbread Haus Restaurant in Devonport.

What a great first day in Tasmania.

Tasmania

Here we are back on the road again after 12 weeks in Newcastle.
Heading south to Melbourne, we visited a friend in Orange for two days and enjoyed her guided tour around the area which was lush and green after some much welcomed rain. Grapes, fruit and vegetables farms patchwork the hillsides but unfortunately we couldn’t buy any of the delicious local produce as we would have to throw it away at quarantine in Melbourne. After leaving Orange we drove to Albury where we spent one night and then straight on to Melbourne and the ferry.
We had booked our passage on the Spirit of Tasmania which cost $1,600.00 return which included the car, caravan and a cabin each way. Not being a very good “sailor” I was a little nervous but found the trip enjoyable. During the night the ship was rolling around a lot but I kept telling myself that it was just like being in a car and by the time they woke us up at 5:45a.m for a 6:30a.m. debarkation I had not felt sick at all. Lets hope the return journey is as kind to me.
Driving the van on and off the ferry was a little challenging as there is certainly no extra room on either side of the ramps. Mike did a great job driving, as he has throughout the entire trip.