This is our fifth visit to beautiful Tasmania.
This time we focussed on the wild NW corner - Corinna and the Tarkine.
Friday 19 Dec
Fiona's B & B, Launceston Tasmania
St John Craft Beer - Moo beer, great little place on St John St.
Dinner at O'Keefes Pub
Saturday 20 Dec
Fiona's still good, nice breakfast, friendly.
Launceston Markets great, bread, garlic salt, marmalade, apples, haloumi, feta, carrots, zucchini, coffee.
Drive along Meander Valley Road to Fair View B & B on farm, self contained cottage, comfortable. Drive into Deloraine.
Drive to Liffey Falls, winding road down. 45 min return walk to view falls from various points. Lovely, huge ferns, green, sun filtering through.
Couldn’t find Bob Brown's old place at Liffey.
Dinner at Deloraine Deli - shared entree of smoked salmon with cucumber, greens and poppy seed dressing, yum.
Peter had Spanish pork with mango salsa, labna, rice
Susan had prawn linguine, with small green and radish salad - very
good.
Shared dessert deconstructed chocolate and stout ice cream
Wine Woodhill Pinot noir and Pinot Grigio.
Walk around town, quaint
Sunday 21 Dec
Met Ali and Tony in Deloraine for coffee
Went to Donna's and Justin's place in Deloraine. We took Alison, Tony and Donna to Wychwood, just past Mole Creek. Beautiful gardens established by a couple about 25 years ago, when they were in their mid 20's. Lots of wild roses, deciduous trees. Small creek, picnic house, small cabin with bed, chooks, fruit trees. Quite beautiful. Dropped them off. Returned for dinner. Donna made yummy lentil dish, with pumpkin, beetroot. Wine: White Pinot Grigio ( Storm?); Gurwitztraminer from Orange; Wee Jasper Shiraz. Strawberries and raspberries for dessert. Lots of talking, great evening. Justin gave us some fresh pasta he'd just made plus some tomato sauce. They used to have a pasta business in Canberra.
Back to BnB about 10.
Monday 22 Dec
Left Deloraine about 9.30
Called in to ‘41 Degrees’ for wood smoked salmon tasting. Bought some as well as rillettes, gin sing honey, spice and chocs.
Winding drive through beautiful countryside, past Cradle Mountain, through Waratah, drive on gravel silica road. Big mining operation at Savage River.
Arrived Corinna about 2.15. Situated on Pieman River, pub with restaurant, about 20 cabins. Parts of old gold mining town left. Our cabin basic but comfortable. No TV, wifi, mobile phone coverage. Gas heating.
Did Whyte River walk 1.5 hour walk, through rainforest, along river.
Had cauliflower soup at restaurant- good. Did 15 min Huon Pine walk.
Justin's pasta with their tomato sauce for dinner.
Tuesday 23 Dec
10.15 river cruise Pieman River on Arcadia 2, Tony the skipper and Liz the assistant ( ex policewoman, retired). About 20 people on board.
Thick dark forest of many green colours, magical, misty, timeless. 2 hours to mouth of river, pouring rain, we all wear Telly Tubby brightly coloured jackets. 900 metres walk in rain to beach. Wild and windy, beach covered in lots of driftwood. Lunch on board, saw sea eagle on return. Back by 2.15. Hot showers and relax, sleep. Happy hour with Seike and Rinehardt. Dinner in restaurant , Cape Grim steak and salmon, good.
Wednesday 24 Dec
Susan got up at 5.50 to look at misty river
Breakfast about 6.30
Hired kayaks and set out 8.30 along Pieman River. Peaceful, calm, reflections, many bird calls, primeval. Sun shining, no wind
Took about 1 hour to Savage River inlet, went bit beyond landing dock to check out old sunken boat, SS Croyden. (Was fully laden with Huon Pine. Sank in 1919
Secured kayak, changed shoes and set off on return walk. Rainforest, sun filtering through, lots ferns, greenery, magical. Up many steps to top of ridge. Descent to river edge and back by 12.10.
Rest, coffee at hotel. Telegraph Hill walk, 40 min return to top of hill and down. Telegraph pole at top.
Beautiful sunny day, blue skies.
BBQ for dinner with mushrooms, tomato and rest of pasta with sauce plus whole bottle of 9th Island Pinot Grigio wine.
Thursday Christmas Day
Part walk along Whyte River track. Huon Pine track.
Christmas Lunch - champagne and canapés, lots of oysters from Smithton; buffet lunch - salmon, gravlax, ham, beef, roast pork, salads
Dessert - Christmas pudding, pavlova and strawberries. All very good. Sat with Kylie (doctor) and John (dentist) Pyrmont; Penny and David ( live between Hobart and Queensland); Cheryl and Carl ( Cygnet).
Friday ‘ Boxing Day’
9am kayak down Pieman to Whyte River. Weather cloudy but fine. Again, peaceful, wild. Whyte River narrow with many submerged logs, fun to navigate through. Went down about .5 km. Back about 11am. No platypus seen. Others heading out in kayaks.
Drive along Western Explorer Rd to do Mt Donaldson walk. Pleasant walk up hill through forest. Tiger (Thylacine) country, as tigers used to be in the area.
Dinner in hotel, salmon.
Saturday
Paid bill, left Corinna about 9.40. Took Western Explore Road, gravel road 78 km north through the Tarkine, mainly fine, last few kms more rocky. Landscape varies from open grassland to rainforest. Saw 2 cyclists, 5 cars. Went into Nelson Bay, drove through Arthur River. Smithton, mainly farming business centre. Arrived Stanley about 1.30. Had lunch at Touchwood, Peter has seafood chowder, Susan scallops.
Settled in at The Base accommodation, overlooking bay. Took walk to seafront, fishing boats etc. dinner at Stanley Pub, Peter had Braised beef cheeks and vegies, Susan chicken and Camembert pie, good. 7 sheds beer (from Devenport). Walked part way up Nut path
Sunday 28 Dec
Walked up Nut, 3 families with 7 kids also walking up. Peter handled it very well, Susan ok but breathless at times. Did 2 km rim walk. Lovely day. Drove to Highfield House, beautifully restored, several families lived there. Lunch at Swinging Cafe, scallop pies. Explored shops, Angel's Share, whisky tasting. Tried Cradle Mountain whisky $180 a bottle. Bought 3 sample small bottles of Hellyer whisky.
Coffee at Brown Dog cafe and homewares shop. Cow and Calf gallery, photography by David Murphy, quite good. Dinner at Stanley Hotel again, Peter, Cape Grim steak, Susan vegetarian tart. 7 Sheds beer. Walk through town and along beach.
Monday 29 Dec
Breakfast at Moby Dick's - Peter had eggs, bacon, tomato; Susan - eggs Florentine. Left Stanley about 10. Good drive to Penguin, coffee and almond Croissant. Drove through Deloraine, arrived Launceston about 1.30. Fiona's. Checked ‘Allgoods’, other shops. Got tickets for New Year event. More beer (4) at St John Craft Beer. Dinner at Sebel, Susan had salmon, P had lamb steak.
Tuesday 30 Dec
Drove to Joseph Chromy winery. Large estate and garden. Too busy, drove to Evandale, lunch and coffee at Bakery. Returned car, refund as we were early. More beer.
Dinner at Food Hall, Pad Thai, basic.
Wednesday
Design Centre, walk through park, along Esk River.
6.30 New Year's event in Royal Park on river. Family groups, lots of alcohol stalls, few food. Got salt and pepper squid, Pinot noir, salmon bagel, more Pinot. Watched families. Watched fireworks at 9.30. Walked back.
Thursday
Walked to Cataract Gorge to end, saw 3 seals.
Left Launceston 1.15
Arrived Adelaide 5.30, Joel and Angela picked us up in their new jeep.
