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.