You realise just how enormous Australia is when an internal flight from the West to the East coast takes as long as the flight from KL to Perth. Even though it sounded like a short hop we landed exhausted since we’d been up all day and flying all night. A brew and collecting our next hire car soon prompted a spring in our step; and we were ready for the next exciting leg of the journey.
Port Arthur
It was only a short drive from Hobart airport to Port Arthur but the weather was grim. Luckily the rain abated long enough for us to get the tent up and with soft ground the pegs burrowed in with ease. Port Arthur Caravan and Cabin Park was another of those great campsites, with all the facilities you could wish for, in a lovely setting. Although we were slightly out of town there was a forest track past a small secluded bay that you could take to reach Port Arthur Historic site. It looked like the rain had eased for the day so we set off to explore. On reaching the entrance to the historic site we fully expected to part with AS$40 a head for the privilege of looking at some old, ruined buildings. There was no one there and in fact we never found a ticket office in all our wanderings. Granted we didn’t venture inside any of the buildings so we concluded that wandering around the grounds independently is free. However, if you want to explore more and get a guide then you’ll have to pay for a ticket –fair enough.
The place was basically a huge prison complex and the convicts were used to sustain a labour industry including ship building and coal mining. Obviously those in charge of the prisoners and factories needed to eat, sleep and live so the area included farms, schools and a church. Other than one short, sharp shower when we sheltered under a huge, old tree the rain stayed away. It was very pleasant wandering around learning more about the history of the place. There are information boards on every building and that was enough to satisfy our curiosity. We had our picnic down on the shoreline and thought about what to do that afternoon. We decided to go back to the campsite, pick up the car and drive around the area. Even though it was still very overcast we passed some lovely scenery and views and quickly came to the conclusion that we were going to enjoy Tasmania.
Following another BBQ dinner (we were getting good at this game by now!) and an early night we were up bright and early ready to join the Tasman Island Cruise trip. This cruise starts at Eaglehawk Neck, goes along the coastline and we terminated in Port Arthur, but the trip typically ends back at Eaglehawk Neck. It was yet again an expensive activity but one that we can’t recommend highly enough. The cliffs, rock formations, caves and seaweed clad coves were interesting, amazing, spectacular and dramatic to say the least – the photos will do them more justice than my words. Along the way we were encouraged to look out for whales even though it was just past the end of the normal whale migration season. Apparently they had been spotting them in recent days but we weren’t to be lucky this time. However, we did spot a small pod of common dolphins that swam around and alongside the boat. Once we’d enjoyed that spectacle, the crew dragged our attention back to one of the main reasons people like to go on the cruise – to observe fur seals up close and in the wild. The New Zealand and Australian fur seals live in densely packed colonies along the rocks and live side by side. Not always harmoniously it has to be said! They generally tolerate each other, with the NZ seals being more numerous and the Oz seals bigger, they kind of balance each other out.
Initially the skies were overcast but soon enough the sun came up and the sea remained pretty calm all the way. In fact it was so calm we were able to continue on to Port Arthur instead of doubling back which is the norm. Even though the crew do this trip day in, day out they were very informative and enthusiastic and relished the chance to be able to go off plan. The trip is extremely well organised and they make sure everyone stays warm and dry throughout the tour. Check out the oversized waterproof boiler suits we all looked dashing in! Whenever we stopped at a particularly dramatic or interesting feature the boat was carefully steered as near as possible and we approached from all angles so that everyone on board got a good view. All-in-all it was a fantastic trip and if ever you’re in Tasmania – go for it!
On returning to the campsite we packed up our gear and headed towards Bicheno via the coast road. As in Western Australia the roads were excellent, virtually devoid of traffic and there were great views all around. Any points of interest along the way were clearly signposted and we chose to stop at the tessellated pavement to have our picnic. I would imagine if you’ve been to the Giant’s Causeway you’d be a tad underwhelmed; but it was a pleasant, quiet bay with slightly interesting rock formations. Not a bad spot for a couple of butties!
Most of the places we drove through were nothing more than hamlets and we were on the lookout for a brew. Swansea seemed to have the biggest dot drawn on the map so we were sure we’d find a coffee shop there. Along the way we did see the odd place but they were all closed – so much for it being peak season! Swansea was indeed big enough to be deemed a village, but even there virtually everything was shut and the place had a decidedly deserted feel to it. As luck would have it one place advertising coffee was open so we popped in. We ended up wishing the place had been shut too – how much for a thimble sized cup of coffee?!!
Bicheno
To be honest we didn’t have very high expectations for Bicheno as we’d plumped for a caravan park in town so expected it to be more like a holiday park. Although it was by far and away the busiest park we’d stayed in, and all the sites were much closer together, we still liked it. The kitchen facilities were very limited and the lady in the reception was amazed that her 2, yes just 2, pan sets were already out on loan. However, she rustled something up for us so we were able to make a pasta dish – we didn’t want to tire of BBQ fun before Christmas!
Bicheno is one of those places that grows on you – well it did us anyway. It’s very much a holiday seaside town but the beach is very nice and the Foreshore Footway around the Gulch is lovely. We were using Bicheno as a base from which to explore Coles Bay and Freycinet National Park as the accommodation options were much more budget friendly. Besides which Bicheno has one major tourist draw – Bicheno Penguin Tours. This hour long tour is extremely well organised with a guide who clearly loved these little birds and was very informative. They are so concerned with the penguins’ welfare that they will terminate an entire tour if just one person breaks one rule. In fact, on reaching the protected beach area a daft tourist had decided to park herself on a rock and enjoy watching the penguins without paying for the tour. She was told in no uncertain terms that her behaviour was not acceptable and she was asked to leave. Luckily everyone in our group, including some young children ( and Steve), obeyed the rules.
Just as dusk was setting we could see the little cuties diving out of the ocean and making their way up the hilly beach. The same families use the same routes generation after generation – some have a pleasant stroll while others have to do some serious rock climbing. As well as protecting the coastline the rangers have built some burrows for the penguins too. I’m not entirely clear as to why but I got the impression it was to tempt them to nest on the beach side of the road. Cars in that area are the little penguins’ number one enemy. We were taken to one of the main nesting sites and asked to stand stock still and be silent. We were rewarded with little penguins walking right past us and in some cases literally over the toes. They are adorable and we were so glad we’d paid to have this wonderful experience; and in the process assist in their protection. What can I say? If you find yourself in Bicheno – pay the man, you won’t regret it.
Freycinet National Park
The main draw for this national park is Wineglass Bay and more specifically the lookout point above the bay. We’d seen pictures of clear blue skies, crystal clear seas and a beautiful unspoilt sweeping bay all drenched in sparkling sunlight. I’m sure if it hadn’t been drizzling my first impressions would have been more favourable. Oh yeah, and it didn’t help that there were hundreds of noisy teenagers near the lookout point too. Perhaps my expectations had been way too high following the write ups we’d read and the postcards we’d seen in town. Anyway there is much more to the park than this one view point so off we set to explore further. Freycinet is a typical Australian national park with the walks catering for those who just want to potter through to full day hikes.
To get to the lookout you have to climb up quite a long, steep path and by the time the bulk of the visitors have huffed and puffed their way up there they’ve had enough. In other words most people who visit the park only ever look at Wineglass Bay, as they don’t want to walk all the way down the other side to then have to retrace their steps. The further we walked away from the busy lookout point the quieter it became, plus the weather was improving so things were looking up. By the time we planted our feet on the sands of Wineglass Bay the sun was out and we gained a clearer picture of just how lovely this area is. We’d well and truly lost the crowds and our spirits were fully restored. Encountering a very friendly wallaby, with joey, on the beach was a welcome addition to what was proving to be a great day out.
I’m sure you won’t be surprised to hear that there was no way we were simply going to retrace our steps when there was a myriad of paths we could use to get back to the car. As beautiful as the bay is it isn’t one for sunbathing or splashing about in the waves – there was a fair breeze gusting and the water was Baltic. It wasn’t even t-shirt weather let alone cossie temperature! We trudged along the sand a little way before joining a track that followed the sweep of the bay. We then branched off onto the Hazards Isthmus track that crosses the narrow peninsular and emerges at Hazards Bay. This is basically the mirror image of Wineglass Bay but wilder, much wilder and therefore virtually deserted. I loved the ruggedness of this side and marching along being buffeted by the wind was very invigorating. A bit like the Northumbrian coast on a balmy summer’s day I suppose!
At the end of the bay there was a rocky outcrop and we clambered up there to have our picnic. We quickly realised the folly of our ways when it became almost impossible to stop the sarnie filling from being blown into the ocean! We rejoined the track that took us through a lovely wooded area; where at regular intervals we emerged from the undergrowth to be presented with fabulous views of the ocean and the park. As the path steadily rose we found ourselves walking over a headland and luckily the wind was calmer this side. It didn’t take us long to find a suitable lookout, picnic rock where we satisfied our rumbling tummies. Eventually the path looped round to join up with the path we’d started on near the car park.
Following a most enjoyable and refreshing walk it was time to explore some more of the park. The lady at the information centre had suggested that we went to the Lighthouse Lookout so off we set. It was only a short stroll round the headland but it was blowing a gale and was decidedly chilly. Although we’d already taken in some fantastic views earlier in the day this area did not let us down. The dramatic cliffs and rolling seas were superb and it must be a perfect spot for looking out for whales in season. We certainly didn’t exhaust all the park had to offer but we felt we’d seen a big chunk of it and had had another wonderful day.
Back in Bicheno we decided we’d treat ourselves to chippy tea down on the shoreline, so we went to check out the options. It was still a bit too early for tea so we had time to wander along the Foreshore Footway which winds its way along the red rocks that line the coast. As we neared the Gulch we noticed a couple of small islands close to the mainland and there were hundreds of seabirds coming in to roost. The path cuts up through the far end of town where there were lots of signs warning people to look out for penguins. We were too early to see the little fellas and knew that there was no way we could better the experience from the previous evening. We strolled back through town to the campsite, picked up a couple of our beers, popped into the chippy and munched and supped gazing at the ocean. Lovely!
We were up bright and early the next morning to pack away the tent and make our way to Cradle Mountain National Park. Once again the driving conditions meant covering distances was quicker and easier than we’d expected so we decided to go the long way round. Tasmania is such a beautiful island that it seemed criminal not to see as much of it as possible. We headed south initially and then cut across country to join the road that skirts around the Great Lakes area. The only busy section was when we had to join Highway 1 that links Tasmania’s two main towns; Hobart and Launceston. Other than that the roads were as spookily quiet as ever and we were constantly in awe of the scenery.
It all sounds too good to be true doesn’t it? Well - to offset how easy, relaxing and enjoyable the route was we were thoroughly depressed to see the quantity and variety of road kill. Just when I thought we couldn’t take any more we rounded a bend to see an echidna pottering over the tarmac. Luckily for our spiny friend there was no traffic behind us and there was a lay-by within yards. We pulled up and persuaded this little chap to get back into the forest. The trouble was if we got too close he curled up into a ball so we ushered him from a distance while listening out for approaching cars. He quickly felt comfortable in our presence and we got to watch him snuffling around for grubs and he even posed for the camera too. It cheered us up no end to know that, for today at least, he wasn’t going to join the squashed statistics.
Once we dropped down out of the hills we found a little more traffic but fewer carcasses and the scenery continued to please the eye. We rolled into the Discovery Park caravan site with enough time to get our first taste of Cradle Mountain National Park. To be honest we could have spent the rest of the afternoon pottering around the campsite as it was fabulous. Each site was in its own private area of forest and we just knew there were critters around. However, the sun was shining and we decided to do one of the walks we had pencilled in just in case it was raining the next morning. The visitors centre car park was busy but we quickly sorted out our park passes and gathered the information we needed about the shuttle buses. The buses are a great idea to reduce traffic but when it is very busy they can’t cater for everyone’s needs. Still, enough people prefer to drive into the park so for now the service is adequate enough.
Cradle Mountain National Park
You know when you research things on the Internet: read everyone banging on about how awesome it is, look at the photos but assume they’ve been enhanced in some way and wonder if it can really be that good? You know when it makes you nervous about looking forward to it too much and you force yourself to lower your expectations? Well Cradle Mountain National Park went above and beyond – we’ve been to some fantastic and stunning places over the years and this one went straight into the top 10.
When we were researching Tasmania we discovered The Overland Track which is a week long trek with one end of it being in this national park. We contemplated squeezing it in but realised that would have left us with no time to explore Tasmania. So it remains one of those walks that we fancy but we’re not sure when / if we’re going to get round to it. Instead we decided we would do as many of the shorter tracks as possible. With the weather being glorious and time on our side we set off for the Dove Lake track which not surprisingly circumnavigates a lake. Sitting on the bus marvelling at the scenery around us was great in itself but you can’t beat getting out into the fresh air and placing one foot in front of the other.
Although we’d picked the peak season to be in the park it caters for all level of fitness so people are dispersed around the parks numerous trails. These range from short strolls that are suitable for prams and wheelchairs right up to the 7-day trail mentioned earlier. There are also other tours you can do and one of the main attractions is to visit the Tasmanian Devil Park where devils are looked after until they can be returned to the wild. We were happy to visit and support the work being undertaken to find a cure for the devils’ facial cancer but thought we’d rather try to see them in the wild. Cradle Mountain National Park is supposed to be one of the best places to try to find the little devils and the buses were advertising night spotting tours. We decided to buy tickets for that instead, as we’d have more chance of seeing a wider range of animals with wombat being top of my wish list.
Anyway back to the walking. Dove Lake track is a gently undulating trail that takes a couple of hours to complete. On saying that, even if you aren’t used to walking, it’s very doable for many people so long as you take your time and use the conveniently positioned rest huts along the way. To be honest you don’t want to dash round as the views are stunning at every pace so you need to factor in plenty of photo taking time. We couldn’t believe our luck with the fantastic weather and we got great views of Cradle Mountain – our aim for the next day, Christmas Day.
We returned to the bus stop in plenty of time for the next shuttle but there was already a long queue. In fact the bus filled up before we got to the front of the line so we had to wait for the next one. To be fair the staff in the visitors centre had warned us that the last few buses of the day are popular so to not queue up at the last minute. Sound advice it was too! We were happy to wait in the still glorious weather with beautiful vistas all around. Plus a pademelon (a species of small wallaby) popped out to look at us and nibble on some grass. On walking round the bend into our campsite - what was there to greet our return? A wombat, quietly grazing away. In fact, it was so focused on getting a good feed that it completely ignored us and we were able to get very close to it and watched it for ages. We just hoped that we hadn’t forked out AS$25 a head unnecessarily for the night spotting tour.
Having been spoilt over the last couple of years with private safari jeeps we didn’t find the bus the best of vehicles. However, the park is literally teaming with creatures; if you missed seeing something because it was on the wrong side of the bus a little further on you’d notice something out of your window. There were wombats everywhere; so many that we literally lost count. We also saw a number of pademelons, Bennett’s wallabies a-plenty and I saw possums (bush tailed and ring tailed varieties) for the first time ever. No snakes or devils popped out to say hello but we enjoyed the tour as the driver / guide was very informative and obviously loved the animals.
We were up bright and early, like 6am, on Christmas morning ready for a full day of trekking in the park. We decided to drive to Ronny Creek and the start of the mountain trail as we wanted to get an earlier start than the bus service allowed. We treated ourselves to bacon butties, made our picnic and set off in an almost empty park under clear blue skies.
The start of the trail took in part of the Overland Track which we followed via Marion’s Lookout – a cracking view point it was too. We then continued on to Kitchen Hut where our path split off towards Cradle Mountain. The summit is at a mere 1545m but we’d read that the actual top wasn’t obvious and that you had to cross some scree and partake in boulder hopping. Now to my mind boulder hopping is that fun thing you might do at the beach or by a river. They have different ideas in this part of the world. It started off okay but then the gaps between the boulders got wider and there were deep chasms at regular intervals. Even though Steve hates heights he was okay with this leaping from one rock to another but I just couldn’t get my head round it. I lost all sense of balance and began to feel wobbly and unsafe. There reached a point where I simply couldn’t work out how I was going to progress to the next rock without disappearing down a hole, so I stayed put while Steve investigated. He said it was just more of the same no matter which way you went and he really couldn’t work out where the top was. Basically it had ceased being fun so we decided to descend. On looking back we were probably only a few meters from the top and I felt like I’d let the side down. It was Christmas Day and we were supposed to be having a nice walk in a beautiful park not doing some scary, perilous activity!
Even though the terrain hadn’t been easy going on the mountain slope we’d covered the distance on the track quicker than expected. That left us with plenty of time to take a longer, circuitous route back to the car park. Not only did it mean we would see more of the park but we’d be away from the crowds – well the dozen or so people we met who were doing the Overland Track. We returned via Horse Track and were the only people in that part of the park. On the way we took a slight detour to Crater Peak at 1200m and the views were so splendid that we decided to have our picnic. Once we’d found a sheltered spot – it was blowing a gale making it feel very nippy. Just as we were nearing the car park we spotted another wombat busily tucking into the luscious grass.
We still had the rest of the afternoon to explore and the clear, bright weather was holding. Near the visitors centre there are a couple of very easy, short walks and they sounded interesting. Both Pine Trees Trail and the Enchanted Forest Walk are worth strolling around as the fauna is other-worldly. Tolkien-esk I guess it would be called these days. Feeling satisfied that we’d had our fill of the park we returned to the tent to start our Christmas Day gluttony. It was still a bit early to crank up the barbie for the steak and chicken we’d treated ourselves to so we popped open our bottle of fizz. We were sitting on our private picnic log enjoying the peace and quiet when a wallaby hopped by. He was obviously quite used to people, as long as you were quiet, so he hung around for some time. We couldn’t have planned it better.
Boxing Day morning saw us packing everything away again ready for the next leg of the journey. We’d booked ourselves a night in a pub in Deloraine and were looking forward to lying on a mattress!
Deloraine
The drive over to Deloraine was as enjoyable, relaxed and smooth as all the other drives and we quickly tracked down The Deloraine Hotel. This old style pub has been modernised but it still holds a certain amount of charm. Deloraine itself is a quiet, pretty little town surrounded by fabulous farm and mountain scenery. We still had plenty of our Christmas picnic treats left so wandered to a picnic bench on the outskirts of town to tuck in. It was windy so a bit chilly but we couldn’t believe that the sun was still shining.
We very quickly exhausted Deloraine’s tourist attractions so retired to our pub home to see how the Boxing Day test in Melbourne was going. We assumed the barman was taking the mick when he told us that we’d bowled Australia out for under a hundred runs. There was only one thing for it – order a pint, wait for play to resume and check he was telling the truth. Marvellous! That evening we treated ourselves to an Italian meal in a restaurant called something like Red Restaurant. It was incredibly tasty and we recommend giving it a go should you find yourself in the area.
The next morning it was time to pack up again but this time everything had to be stowed in the packs ready for handing over the car in Launceston.
Launceston
This is the second biggest town in Tasmania after the capital, Hobart, but it’s hardly a sprawling metropolis. We’d booked ourselves into Launceston Backpackers which, as luck would have, it was directly across the square from the Budget office where we had to drop the car. Once we were rid of the car and had checked into our room we set off to have a look at Launceston town centre. It’s just a functional town shopping area but there are some nice old buildings dotted around. It didn’t hold our attention for long so we headed off to Launceston’s best tourist attraction – Cataract Gorge.
This dramatic gorge is only a 10min walk from town but you feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere. We had plenty of time to walk down the path on one side of the gorge, cross the river via the bridge near the old hydroelectric power station and back down the other bank. Once we got more than 20mins walk away from the car park and swimming pool area we encountered fewer and fewer people. It’s amazing that there is such a lovely walk to do right near the town. On the opposite bank the path skirts a small nature reserve and we were lucky enough to see a wallaby bounding through the bushes. It all made for a very pleasant end to our stay in Tasmania. We thoroughly enjoyed every minute of our time spent on this wonderful island and can’t recommend a visit to it highly enough. The people were warm and friendly everywhere we went, the scenery while driving around is fantastic and the national parks blow your breath away. Add to that all the lovely animals that we saw – Tasmania outstripped all our high expectations.
Melbourne
We drove to the airport in Tasmania as the sun was rising and arrived at the Formula 1 Hotel, Queen Street, Melbourne way, way too early to check in. We weren’t the only ones but we managed to squeeze our bags into the luggage room. On informing the staff that we’d not be checking in until much later as we were off to the MCG it was apparent that us and plenty more were spinning the same yarn. We legged it down to the MCG determined to not miss a ball – we didn’t!
As you can imagine the atmosphere was great and of course got steadily more exciting as play progressed – if you’re an England fan that is! On Day 3 we were a couple of blocks away from the main Barmy Army contingent but knew we’d be much closer the following day. It was good chatting to some Australian’s but as we got more excited they became more despondent. Many of them didn’t hang around until the end of play and by the following morning there was only a smattering of Australian fans. You know how it panned out and I have to say singing our hearts out with the Barmy Army was tremendous fun. We would have had a beer in the ground to celebrate but the authorities in their wisdom chose to instantly close the bars. Muppets - they could have made a tidy profit. We listened to the speeches etc and enjoyed the on-pitch team celebrations but then it really was time to get a beer.
We weren’t alone with those thoughts and hundreds of us marched into town and commandeered the first likely looking pub right on the river. We ended up chatting to loads of really nice people and the beer and banter flowed. Later on we went to one of the Barmy Army’s official pubs and the singing continued well into the evening – fantastic stuff and a marked contrast to 4 years ago when we watched England slump to 4-0 down.
Our flight wasn’t until late the next night so we had a day to be tourists in Melbourne. First we joined a river boat trip as we’d tracked down a 2 for 1 coupon making it an affordable activity. Then we jumped on the tram and revisited the beach area of St. Kilda’s. It’s a bit tacky and the beach was packed but we enjoyed some people watching while supping a glass of wine. Before long it was time to pick up our bags and make our way to the airport. Experiencing an England Ashes win on Australian soil has to go on the trip’s highlights list but we’d had a fantastic 3 weeks too. Having the freedom of the car and tent was great; we visited some amazing national parks, saw lots of lovely animals, took in some fantastic trips and left Oz feeling like we’d really experienced the country this time.
