From New Norfolk to Cockle Creek and Christmas 2012

Don and Charlie ready to catch "The Big One" on the Upper Derwent New Norfolk

Confident fishermen

Salamanca Market Hobart - pre Christmas 2012

Salamanca Market

Bagpipes, kilts and Santa hats Salamanca Markets Christmas 2012

Acrobats Salamanca Markets

The historic bridge at Richmond built by convicts

St. John's Catholic Church Richmond - the oldest Catholic church still in use in Australia

The attractions of the historic village of Richmond

Display of old Hobart in the model village Richmond

Another display of old Hobart

The Tasman Bridge Hobart

Mount Wellington towering over Hobart suburbs

Charlie filling a water bottle from pure spring water on our way up Mt. Wellington

Who needs to buy water?

Us at the Pinnacle, Mt Wellington

View from the top of Mt Wellington

The Pinnacle Mt Wellington

Church at Fern Tree on the way to Mt Wellington - is it named after Charlie I wonder

Marina at Dover on the way to Cockle Creek South West National Park

We've reached the furthest point you can drive in Australia

Which one's the whale?  South West National Park Tasmania

Recherche Bay South West National Park

Cockle Creek, South West National Park

Historic Pub in Franklin

One of the old buildings in Franklin

Transportable Franklin lockup - wish I could have closed the door!!!

Don and Miffy's gorgeous 100 year old cottage in Snug

Charlie and Don

Don and Miffy

Emily and Dave and "bubs"



Christmas lunch 2012 with the family - they made us so welcome



I think you've had a bit too much Christmas cheer Don!!!

Tasmania - don't let anyone ever tell you it doesn't get hot in Tassie - I think its all part of a conspiracy to stop people migrating to this beautiful State!!

Anyway we arrived in the historical (actually they are all historical) village of New Norfolk which sits on the banks of the Upper Derwent River.  Its a lovely little place and we stayed in the caravan park there.  Don, our new Tasmanian friend, came up from Snug one day and took Charlie out fishing in his boat - they were quite successful and caught some lovely trout which we had for dinner over the next few days - nothing like fresh caught fish.

From New Norfolk we went into Hobart's famous Salamanca Markets where you can buy absolutely anything from hand crafted goods to hand crafted chocolates and everything in between - even chilli beer!!  We had a good look around and tasted some of the wonderful things on offer - the Tasmanian cherries, raspberries, strawberries, cheeses, salmon etc. etc. are to die for.  We picked up some gourmet bits and pieces and that night we had a gourmet nibble dinner with Rob and Kathy who we have been travelling with for a while.  Sorry to see them go though but they had Rob's mum visiting from Newcastle for Christmas so they headed up to Launceston to pick her up and we stayed on in New Norfolk.

From there we did a couple of day trips - one being to the yes you've guessed it the historical village of Richmond where we admired the wonderful old sandstone bridge which is a lasting symbol of Tasmania's convict heritage.  This was built solely by convict labour in 1825 and is Australia's oldest known arch bridge still in use in Australia.  We also visited St. Johns Catholic Church which is the oldest Catholic church still in use in Australia.  The town of Richmond is also very pretty with lots of antique and craft shops and a wonderful model village depicting old Hobart Town as it was years ago - very interesting trying to compare it with the Hobart of today.  And then I had a curried scallop pie and thought I had died and gone to heaven - I'm surely addicted to these and will munch my way around Tassie in search of the perfect one!!

We then made our way up Mt Wellington - Hobart's icon calling into a lovely little coffee shop on the way in Fern Tree and found Charlie's church.  The view from the top of Mt. Wellington is spectacular and the weather beautiful.  It would also be beautiful in the winter when it is snow capped but we will leave that for another trip.

On leaving New Norfolk we headed down to Cockle Creek in the South West National Park deciding to do this before Christmas and before it got too busy.  It was well worth the drive - it is the furthest point you can drive in Australia and we had a lovely camping spot in the National Park.  We had lots of Pademelons (little marsupials) for company and the serenity was wonderful.  We did a few walks and just chilled.  We took a short walk and admired the bronze whale sculpture in the bay which depicted the area's whaling history.  Cockle Creek was once a thriving community of over 2000 people but its hard to imagine it now as there are numerous aboriginal sites together with ruins and abandoned graveyards.

On leaving Cockle Creek we travelled up through the Huon Valley sampling the local fruits and cheeses and stopped at Franklin for another curried scallop pie and a look around.  Met up with another couple from New Norfolk so stayed and had a good chat and coffee before heading on to Snug to call in on our new Tassie friends, Don and Miffy.  We only intended staying for one night but they wouldn't let us leave and insisted we stay for Christmas which we did.  We had a great day with them and some of their family from Melbourne - Tassie hospitality at its best.  I think and certainly hope that they will be life long friends.

We left Snug on Boxing Day to do a 3 week dog and chook house sit in the Launceston area but that will be the subject of another blog so until then its Adieu from The Wandering 2s.

From Cradle Mountain through the Western Wilderness on our way to Hobart

A waterfall in the middle of the little town of Warratah

Spectacular Dove Lake and Cradle Mountain in the background

Beautiful Mr Blue Wren

Charlie the lone fisherman reflecting on the many moods of Lake Mackintosh

Cottages in the pretty village of Strahan

Just about to go through The Entrance into Macquarie Harbour - named Hells Gate by the convicts

Part of the Gordon River - World Heritage Area

Huon Pine trees growing along the Gordon River - second oldest tree in the world

Salmon farm on the Gordon River - No Fish Tucker Chuckers to be seen anywhere

The convict island of Sarah Island - referred to as Hell on Earth by convicts

Ruins on Sarah Island

Western Wilderness Railway steam train operating on the Abt railway

Charlie panning for gold during one of the stops

King River Gorge as seen from the train

Ocean Beach at Macquarie Heads

Fresh fish for dinner - well done boys!!!

Audience participation in Australia's longest running play - The Ship That Never Was

Into Queenstown on a dreary rainy day

One of the old buildings in Queenstown which just happens to be a pub - Funny that!!

Me and 'im outside of the Wall in the Wilderness

Banners advertising the Wall in the Wilderness

Woke up to snow one morning - in December!!!!!

Tasmanian tiger statues in Maydena where the last sighting was

Rainforest trees in the Styx Forest Reserve

"Big Tree" in the Styx Forest Reserve - it was cold and I look like the Michelin Man!!!

Us at Russell Falls Mt Field National Park

Tynewald River running through Styx Forest Reserve

Me and Kathy in a hollow rooted tree - Mt Field National Park

Junee Cave - Styx Forest Reserve

Well we've seen more and more beautiful places in this wonderful State.  We left the North West Coast and travelled down to the famous Cradle Mountain where we did the obligatory walk around Dove Lake and another short walk.  It was a hot day - yes it does get very hot in Tassie - so by the time we got back to the caravan we needed a gallon of wine!!!!  Still it was worth it - it was spectacular. 

We then headed off to a free camping spot which we had been told about at Lake Mackintosh where we stayed for 3 nights.  Didn't have the best weather there and Charlie didn't have a lot of success fishing but it was a time of relaxation for us (we are so stressed normally - ha ha!!).  Anyway it was a good stay because we met a lovely couple who live in Tassie, Don and Miffy, so have struck up a friendship with them and have been invited to park our van on their property in Snug when we are down South.  Ended up inviting them into the caravan to have dinner with us as they were in a tent and it was teeming down with rain and so a friendship began.

After Lake Mackintosh we continued heading down the West Coast into Strahan where we stayed for 4 nights.  We did the Gordon River Cruise in the World Heritage Area and it was breathtaking.  We had a guided tour of the old convict island Sarah Island and saw the salmon farms.  We had the most beautiful lunch of salads, cold meats and plenty of smoked salmon - yum!!!  We met a couple, Rob and Kathy, on the boat who we had previously met in Burnie and ended up travelling with them for the next couple of weeks - another lasting friendship I hope.  We also did the great 35 km Western Wilderness Railway train ride from Queenstown to Strahan which travels on the old Abt railway track which is a cog system and allows the train to climb quite steep mountains.  The scenery was fantastic and the train ride very relaxing.  Back in Strahan just before we left to go to Macquarie Heads to beach camp, we saw the longest running play in Australia called The Ship That Never Was.  It was fun and told the story of the attempted escape from Sarah Island on a ship that had never been registered - hence when the escapees were caught they couldn't be charged with stealing the ship because it was never registered!!  The play is presented by 2 women but there is plenty of audience participation.

We then went on to Macquarie Heads with Kathy and Rob and camped there for a few days and the boys went fishing and had some luck.  It was just a lovely relaxing, peaceful time with beautiful weather.

Then we headed over to Queenstown but the weather had turned cold and rainy - we stocked up on groceries as we were heading up to the Great Lake area but there was a bushfire there so couldn't go as the roads and camping grounds were closed so we headed across the Central Highlands to Derwent Bridge.  Here we visited the amazing Wall in the Wilderness which is a wall of sculptures depicting Tasmania's history.  Greg Duncan the sculptor has been doing this for 10 years and it is expected to be finished in about 3 years.  Well worth the visit but unfortunately we were not allowed to take photos.  Stayed that night at Bronte Lagoon and woke up to snow the next morning - this is after having 31 degrees only 3 days before.

Stayed for a couple of nights in Mt. Field National Park and did some lovely walks through rainforests there and saw waterfalls, wildlife, huge trees, amazing rivers - all the things which make up Tasmania, before heading towards Hobart.

We are having the most fantastic time, meeting the friendliest people but for now its Adieu from The Wandering 2s.