Not a bad view (though a bit streaking, after driving on dirt). This is Cockle Creek. |
on the edge of ordinary
27 April, 2024
Day 41: Sorell to Cockle Creek
Day 40: Coles Bay to Sorell
Swansea Anglican Church, est. 1871 |
We did finally get to a church on our journey. This morning we drove about 45 min off the Freycinet Peninsula to Swansea and worshipped at Swansea Anglican today, there were less than 10 people in the building. David's sharp eyes saw a plaque on the wall commemorating Rev. Joseph Mayson, whose name also graces a local mountain on the peninsula.
Then, morning tea happened and numbers at least doubled, which we did not expect. There are interesting dynamics in Christian circles in this town. The Anglicans meet weekly and the Uniting Church meets fortnightly and some go to the Anglican Church on the Sundays the Uniting Church doesn't meet. But it seems they usually share morning tea each week.
View down the road from the church across Great Oyster Bay to Freycinet Peninsula |
We kept driving south after our substantial morning tea. We had lunch at Triabunna, yet another small town. Tasmania abounds with towns between 500 and 1,000 people!
Dead Island at Triabunna. There are some graves there, but the origin of the name is unclear. |
24 April, 2024
Day 39: Walking around Wineglass Bay area
Wineglass Bay |
If you can, enlarge the photo to read some interesting historical background about this peninsula (pictured on right). |
More stunning clear water at Wineglass Bay |
Hazards Beach |
So many wonderful views! The water is truly amazing. |
One portion of the walk around the coast |
Day 38: Scamander to Coles Bay
Austral storksbill, also known as a Wild geranium! Indeed it looked like a geranium to us. This is native to Australia and New Zealand. |
We stopped on the way out of Scamander at the Winifred Curtis Scamander Reserve. Named after the late Dr Curtis, a Tasmanian botanist who had a lot of letters after her name, including Order of Australia. It was just bushland to us, but to someone in the field it must be a very special place. The brochure we got from the information centre says it's been largely untouched since European settlement. We did spot some little flowers that we realised later, when I looked them up, were natives.
Then we headed south via the inland route via St Marys, but carried on along a road called the Elephant Pass Road. This road was very windy, even more windy and narrow than many other Tasmanian roads and had no road markings on it. I'd hate to drive it at night! Amazingly it is designated as an "A" road—an "A" designation is apparently given to the state's most important arterial roads.
Blowhole at Bicheno |
While I am on roads, Tasmanian roads are something to be experienced. Whoever posted the speed limits was pretty unrealistic. Yes, we are driving a rather large box on wheels, but many times to feel safe, we're driving between 15 and 20 km/h lower than the posted limits! And it's not just that they are curvy, but that they are narrow, often without markings on the side, and the edges looks soft, so caution definitely seems necessary. It's a rare moment that we make it up to 100 km/hr and so we're allowing more time that we think we'll need to get anywhere. Also, we're making it a regular practise to pull off the road, where we can, if we get someone stuck behind us. Thankfully I haven't experience motion sickness here, though I have memories of feeling as such when our family came down here when I was 10, but of course I was sitting in the backseat then.
Rugged shoreline at Bicheno |
We made it to Bicheno for lunch at a bakery, then walked through some historical sites, and around the shoreline to see a blowhole. Like many coastal towns in this region, sadly this used to be the base of whalers. We weren't stopping for the night here, so once again missed the penguins (they've been "sights to see" in other places we've been on the north coast too).
Large-flowered flat pea, native to Australia |
We did a tiny bit of grocery shopping then headed south to a caravan park in Coles Bay on the Freycinet Penninsula. We were in time to catch a sunset there and enjoy another quiet evening before tackling a hike the next day.
Common or Pink heath, also native |
Driving down the Freycinet Penninsula to Coles Bay |
Sunset at Coles Bay |
Day 37: all day at Scamander
Scamander River looking out to the ocean |
Wrinklers Beach |
We discovered the Scamander River has an ever changing mouth: sometimes it opens out to the ocean and other times not. This day we were able to walk right across the mouth on a wide stretch of sand. We also learned that they've had a lot of trouble getting a bridge to stay operational here, probably due to the shifting sand. It's another quiet town, one that is probably much busier in the hot months.
I also had a phone call followup with the doctor I saw on Saturday. He was happy with my current situation and with the blood tests he did on Saturday, so I moved forward without antibiotics (the first time in four weekends without them!) and, if nothing flares between now and then, will followup with my GP in Ipswich when we get back in May. It was good to have this reassurance and a longer-term plan from a doctor, but also to consult with a doctor who wasn't fazed by our travel!
21 April, 2024
Day 36: Dora Point to Scamander
Beerbarrel Beach (no barrels in evidence!) |
We then drove out to St Helen’s Point for an early lunch and did an hour-long walk to Beerbarrel Beach, and then a short drive to see a portion of the Peron Dunes (large sand dunes).
Sand dune: our sons would have had tonnes of fun with snow sleds on this! It was really hard to capture the enormity of the dunes in a photo. |
So a relatively short day of activity, but probably okay as David was showing signs of decision fatigue. We’ve realised that so much of the decision-making about how we used our personal time in the last 25 years has been dominated by what’s best for the boys. Making decisions just for us is still very novel and a bit tiring in a strange way!
When you realise that your size L feet (Japanese sizing) aren’t actually that big! In Australian sizing they are 8. |
20 April, 2024
Day 35: Grants Lagoon to Dora Point
We had a visitor towards the end of this day. A pademelon, which looks quite like a wallaby, except a bit stockier with a shorter tail. |
More stunning sand and clear water |
A common feature in this section of the coast is this orange lichen on rocks. |
Taylors Beach |
We made apple crumble from scratch (I cut up the apples and stewed them and David made the crumble and baked it in our little oven. It felt like an accomplishment. |