Earlier this year I noticed Spirit of Tasmania were have a sale to farewell their old ships - 2 new ships were commissioned for service, starting in November. I half heartedly asked my wife if she would like to go to Tassy … soon … camping! She has never stayed more than one night in the camper. To my surprise she said YES! Her first BIG trip with Tom and Betty! Tom, Betty and Schnooky were going to Tassy with me! 😍
Due to time constraints, the rough plan was I would drive down to Geelong for the Spirit of Tasmainia, cross Bass Straight, and pick Schnooky up from Hobart Airport. We'd share 6 days somewhere in Tassy before she would need to fly back home for work. I "negotiated" a further 9 days for Tom, Betty and myself to explore more of Tassy before making the crossing back to Geelong and drive home.
Tom & Betty good to go!
Cradle Mountain
So late September, Tom, Betty and I headed down the Hume highway, an overnight stop in the bush, boarded the Spirit of Tasmania at Geelong for the o’night crossing to Devonport. Disembarking next morning, we headed for Hobart. A coffee stop at Deloraine Espresso (pretty good!), a ‘fresh food’ stop at New Town, then on to the Airport to pickup Schnooky. Her flight was going to be late, which meant we’d be arriving at Cradle Mountain in the dark. Schnooky shared some of the driving which I was thankful for - it had been a long couple of days. The reverse parking of Tom, in the dark, up a slight incline into our narrow camping spot was completed without any … shouting! 😃
We had 3 nights at Cradle Mountain. For our first day, we walked the Dove Lake circuit - it’s a great little walk, taking in a range of terrains and features, whilst in the shadow of Cradle Mountain. There’s sandy lake beaches, button grass, waterfalls, rainforest and The Boat Shed, built in the 1940’s. All with Cradle Mountain “just there”! That afternoon we walked the Enchanted Forest and watched a few of the Pademelons munching away near the lodge. The next day was going to be a wash out at Cradle Mountain - we drove north to Burnie and headed west to checkout the coastline, and enjoyed lunch at the Stanley Hotel. We headed to Table Top Tulip Farm all excited - The Tassy Tulip Festival was on! The closer we got, the more the rain seemed to fall, and then we hit a killer fog that made it dangerous to drive … all hope was abandoned … we headed back to the safety and comfort of Tom the Cruiser. And an obligatory Chicken Schnitzel and Cider at the Lodge for dinner! 😉
Next stop was Bicheno for a few nights via a nice country drive east, stopping first at the lovely town of Deloraine for coffee and the “World Famous” (in our family!) Portuguese Tarts from a wonderful cafe - “Frank and Lotti”. If you haven’t tasted them “do yourself a favour” next time you are within 100kms! 😃 Just delicious! We turned off the main highway and headed east to stop at Avoca for a stretch and bite to eat - very tasty toasted sandwiches at the French rural cafe Le Quart D'Heure. Whilst at Bicheno, we enjoyed several walks to the beaches - turquoise water and red lichen covered boulders; and few sneaky ice creams from the local IGA, and a hike in Douglas-Apsley National Park. Then, just like that, it was Schnooky’s last day in Tassy. We spent the morning wandering the wonderful Salamanca Markets back in Hobart. After dropping Schnooky at the airport, a made a detour to catch up with one of my cousins, the lovely Dianne. She’d taken one of her horses to a clinic nearby - a nice bonus for the trip!
Swimcart Campsite / Bay of Fires
After another day at Bicheno, Tom, Betty and I headed north to the stunning Bay of Fires. I’d identified a couple of free beachside camps along the bay that looked perfect for spending some time exploring the area. I settled on Swimcart Beach, arriving early as I’d read that these ‘prime’ locations fill up quick. Luckily I did - I found a lovely private spot amongst the tress, just back from the beach. That afternoon the camp site was full!
The Bay of Fires is one of Australia’s most visually compelling coastal landscapes.
Pristine white-sand beaches meeting clear azure waters, anchored by monumental granite boulders distinctively weathered and covered in vibrant orange lichen. Although the weather conditions were not likely to be ideal for photography, I was keen to ‘try’ each sunrise and sunset … just in case!
One drab looking day I headed inland looking for a waterfall I had seen on the maps. An hours driving to the west, through lush farmland, at the end of winding road headed up a tree covered mountain. From the carpark a short hike back down a path through cool and shaded rainforest with towering Tree Ferns. The waterfall was impressive, though difficult to photograph - harsh midday light, several fallen trees and branches for most of the 90m drop. However a bit more exploring revealed a small stream flowing either side of the base over moss covered rocks. I just had to wait for the clouds to come back! A nice bonus!
After spending nearly 2 hours infatuated by the the ever changing light around the stream, I headed back to camp at Bay of Fires, just in time for a storm! Time for a coffee and toasted banana bread courtesy of Tom! After the storm had passed and gusts of wind had eased off, I grabbed my camera and headed back to the beach thinking “If the storm clouds were still over the bay it could make for a nice scene!”. Another bonus! 😍 Not bad for my last day at the bay! 😃
For the last few days of this photography road trip I headed west. I was keen to revisit the “wild” west - the coastline known as “The Edge of The World”. As a family we’d spent a few days at Arthur River back in 2016 and I had always wanted to return to this ruggedly beautiful coastline.
I first based myself at a small town … Irishtown! Camped at the local sports ground and had a wonderful chat with Margaret the caretaker. She had a wealth of knowledge and was a great ambassador for the local community! Also had a chat to a local dad, who was slinging cricket balls to his son in the cricket nets for batting practice. The son COULD bat!!
Irishtown turned out to be a good location to explore the Tarkine and the lower coastline around Couta Rocks - about an hours drive to the south west.
After a great couple of days at Irishtown it was time to say ‘Slán go fóill’ and move even closer to The Edge of the World … to Arthur River. I splurged on Tom and Betty (and myself) and booked into the local van park. Hot showers, a well appointed camp kitchen, lots of local wildlife and all to myself!
The coastline at The Edge of The World has a massive fetch of ocean - the nearest land mass directly west is South America. The Roaring Forties wind and massive ocean swell pound this coastline with intense force. I saw 40m tree trunks washed up on shore, a cluster of slightly short logs washed up way above the usual water line. The ancient rocks around here seems to be all on edge … jagged ! My next few were spent exploring this battered, rugged coastline.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time exploring “The Edge of the World” - the beaches and waves were just incredible! It was time to make my way east to catch the Spirit of Tasmania and head home. For my last night, I found a lovely little spot right near the beach just east of Stanley. Again, a sweeping beach with stunningly weird rocks! Next morning I headed back to Devonport via one of the prettiest towns I have ever visited … Penguin!
Another great trip with Tom and Betty AND this time Schnooky! 😍 Around 5,000 kms round trip. Plenty of music, podcasts and the stunning sights of Tasmania! The ancient rainforests are next level, the diverse coastline is both fascinating and beautiful!!
I think this was my 6th trip to Tassy, the second with Tom and Betty. I’ve truly loved every visit.
Hopefully I get to enjoy a few more! 🤞