Tasmania Take 6
There were 3 goals for our recent trip to Tassie: to finish the walk at Hartz Mountain, to stay in the Henry Jones Art Hotel and do part of the 3 Capes Walk. We managed to do all three and as always had a few surprises and adventures on the way.
Hartz Mountain: we tried to do this walk in 2012 but the weather was too wild and had to be abandoned. We decided to stay around Huonville so we could also do other walks. We chose Huon Bush Retreats – set in a private nature reserve, it is carbon neutral which means 12 volt solar power, no TV or WIFI, wood fire, rainwater only, composting toilets
http://www.huonbushretreats.com/
Our cabin was set in a forest, beside a small stream and no one else around. And we managed fine without all those modern necessities. The zigzag track up Mount Misery went through rainforest, over streams, past unusual rocks, wildflowers, tall trees to the summit. The track is well maintained and signposted including information on the local indigenous people. The shorter Waterfall and Lightening Tree walk are also very good.
Hartz Mountain the walk is mainly on boardwalk over many streams through an alpine environment. The Tasmanian waratah was blooming, a stunning red flower surviving in fairly harsh conditions. It is a World Heritage area with stunning views over south west Tasmania; there are 2 tarns (small lakes), cushion plants, King Billy pines and a memorial to Arthur and Sidney Geeves who were lost in a snow storm in 1897. It is well worth doing.
Geeveston itself is a charming small town with several cafes and the Forest and Heritage Centre with history of the area.
As always food in Tasmania is excellent - we enjoyed some prize winning Pinot Noir and a great meal at Home Hill Winery in nearby Ranelagh. http://www.homehillwines.com.au/
As our drive back to Hobart took us through Cygnet we decided to return to the Red Velvet Lounge for breakfast, where Peter enjoyed a delicious brown rice porridge. Susan enjoyed local berry jam on a sourdough toast.
We also called in to Peppermint Bay for a delicious lunch, a beautiful spot overlooking D’Entrecasteaux Channel towards Bruny Island http://www.peppermintbay.com.au/bar-dining-terrace/
Henry Jones Art Hotel: Not enough superlatives for this beautifully restored jam factory in Hobart. It is a dedicated art hotel with over 500 pieces of art decorating the hallways, rooms and public areas. It is located on the waterfront dating from 1804, convict built as a warehouse then the IXL jam factory managed by Henry Jones. It had been neglected for many years until the architects Morris-Nunn and Associates restored the building in 2004. The building is a fusion of history, modernity, art and design. Much of the old building is retained, the rugged sandstone walls, open ceiling with its wooden beams and corrugated iron roof add character and atmosphere. The hotel also runs 2 tours – one through the hotel and the other focussing on the early history of Hobart. We learnt lots of things we never knew before, highly recommended. We really enjoyed our few days at the Henry Jones and damn the expense. http://www.thehenryjones.com/
Hobart has many excellent places to eat, we especially enjoyed Cultura http://www.culturahobart.com.au/ for excellent traditional Italian food;
Daci and Daci for great coffee, luscious cakes, great bread and a good breakfast. http://dacianddacibakers.com.au/ and Jackman and McRoss in Battery Point serves tasty food, tea and coffee as well as yummy cakes. https://www.facebook.com/Jackman-and-McRoss-139201119459938.
We also discovered a craft beer place Hobart Brewing Company in a red shed behind the Henry Jones hotel. Franklin Park is lively on Friday nights with lots of food vans and live music.
Battery Point is always great to walk around with its beautiful Georgian houses including the home of Andrew Inglis Clark, the main writer of the Australian Constitution.
3 Capes Walk and Tasman Peninsula It’s only a 90 minute drive to the peninsula which meant we could do the first walk to Cape Hauy on the same day. We started out in rain walking along the coast with spectacular views over the water, through beautiful forests with wildflowers before climbing higher, then up and down countless steps before arriving 2 hours later at the end of the cape. It was wonderful to see families with children walking the track too. It’s a tough walk but the views of the rugged dolerite cliffs including the Totem Pole and Candlestick with waves crashing below make it all worthwhile. The Totem Pole became famous when Paul Pritchard almost died while climbing it, take a look. http://www.abc.net.au/austory/content/2015/s4418718.htm
There aren’t a lot places to eat in Tasman Peninsula however we did find the DOO-Lishus food van in Doo Town. https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Restaurant_Review-g504294-d2309775-Reviews-DOO_Lishus-Eaglehawk_Neck_Tasmania.html . They cater for tourists but the food is delicious - we had fish and chips, prawn rolls, oysters and fresh berries with youghurt.
Waterfall Bay walk, an easy 1 hour walk with more fabulous views of the wild coast including the Devil’s Kitchen and Tasman’s Arch http://tasmania.com/itineraries/tasmania-short-walk-itineraries/waterfall-bay-walk-tasman-peninsula/
The Tasman Peninsula is a beautiful area to explore, we did a loop drive around the peninsula – and found Remarkable Cave, only a short walk via steps and more views of the coast and crashing waves. http://www.touringtasmania.info/remarkable_cave.htm Watch the updraught on the way, a man lost his favourite hat when it blew into a tree. Someone else retrieved the hat by throwing stones at it.
Nubeena is the only town with shops, an IGA and hotel. Nearby White Beach looks back towards Bruny Island.
We also visited the Coal Mines Historic Site, not as well-known as Port Arthur, but much less busy and certainly worth a look. Very pleasant to walk around and being thankful we weren’t convicts! It was a convict mining site with old buildings and cells, again overlooking a beautiful bay. http://coalmines.org.au/
What will we do for our 7th trip to Tassie?
