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Day 43
Cradle Mtn <Map>
Today 24 Total 5417
Our big fear was that it would be raining today, as we had planned to walk the Dove Lake Circuit at Cradle Mountain. This is a 6km (3.5mile) track around the lake with terrific views of the mountain and surrounding scenery. We decided to drive to the Ranger station and catch the bus from there to the lake (very limited parking at the lake), but found no one there, so we did the Pencil Pines Falls walk while we figured out where everyone was.
Pencil Pines Falls - early morning
As it turned out, we ended up driving all the way back to the Visitors' Centre to catch the bus back passed where we'd been an hour previously and on to Dove Lake, but as we'd started early we still had the day ahead of us. We needn't have worried about the weather!
Dove Lake, Cradle Mountain - what a perfect day!
On the beach...
Never expected to find Pandanus in an alpine setting
Deep forest with moss everywhere on the return leg
The essential boatshed shot
Made it!
About four hours after we started, we made it back to wait for the bus to collect us. While the outbound track is very well constructed with board-walks and non-slip mesh, the return leg is rather rocky and has a few steep sections (well, steep for a certain age group). Regardless, it was another fantastic day, but it wasn't over yet.
We haven't yet mentioned Tasmania's premier carnivore, the Tasmanian Devil.
Despite what Warner Bros. would have you believe, this is not a real Tasmanian Devil...
While the name would imply that it's only in Tasmania (and this is currently the case for wild Devils), originally Devils and the extinct Tasmanian Tiger (Thylocene) were also living on the Australian mainland. Opinions differ, but it seems they both died out on the mainland around 2000 to 3000 years ago with some sources claiming the introduction of dingoes being responsible.
You may be aware that the Tasmanian Devil is under severe threat from Devil Facial Tumour Disease. This cancer is very perplexing and difficult to stop as all Devils are closely related from a genetic point of view. It's like having all Devils as compatible organ donor/recipients so when one Devil bites another, as happens during most food fights, the disease spreads rapidly with no intervention from their immune system.
At Cradle Mountain is a research and conservation centre called Devils@Cradle. This carries out a captive breeding program not only for disease-free Devils, but also for the other two large Tasmanian carnivorous marsupials, the Eastern and Spotted-Tail Quolls. As these animals are normally nocturnal, we took advantage of a night feeding tour. Before we even got in the gate, there was animal activity in the form of a Wallaby, an Echidna and a Wombat feeding right next to the parking area.
Wombat grazing in the grass
Two male Devils trying to get the best of a haunch of Wallaby
A lovely Spotted-Tailed or Tiger Quoll
It turned out to be a very informative evening, but we're really glad we don't live anywhere near wild Devils, as the noise they make is horrendous. We can see why the early settlers called them Devils!
Day 44
Cradle Mtn -> Stanley <Map>
Today 180 Total 5597
Down from the mountains and back to the coast today. After so many steep mountain ascents and descents with the caravan, we eschewed the probably-more-scenic Hellyer Gorge / Murchison Highway for the newer Ridgley Highway. This was fine by us and took us through some delightful villages on our way to the coast at Burnie. From there we followed the coast west to Stanley. It was just delightful countryside with the sea on one side and farmland on the other.
This is an area famous for its tulips. A month or so earlier the fields were strips of different colours, but all that was left when we passed through were daffodils and irises.
At this point, the other blogger wants to say a few words...
I thought I could not let this Tassie Adventure Blog come to an end without mentioning the wonderful flowers and trees we have seen on our travels. Chris has mentioned the lush green fields, hills and mountains we have seen and admired throughout Tasmania but I have constantly admired the wonderful cottage gardens and wayside flowering beds.
Everywhere we have travelled, Rhododendrons have been in full bloom from dark purple, to scarlet reds and delicate pinks – old shrubs some small tree size, along with roses, daisies and a multiple variety of spring flowers. As we drive into a township – or I prefer to call them “villages” because they are usually clumped neatly together with trim lawns and white picket fences, the gardens usually stand out so attractively. Not only the gardens but the foot paths and roadside banks. All covered in yellow and white daisies, pig face, climbing geraniums, etc – just a riot of colour.
We passed through a small seaside town today called “Penguin” (no idea the story behind the name) but a small railway line runs parallel to the road and on both sides of the rails the daises and other flowers forms a lovely path of colour. At the caravan park that night we were told that all the folk who live by the railway line attend to the “gardens” – what a community effort!
Railway line at Penguin with lovely plantings
I have fallen in love with Tasmania and think it is a very beautiful island with wonderful old English trees, lovely vineyards and sheep and cattle grazing on green, green fields. We have seen wonderful forests of Swamp Gums, Huon pines and Macrocarpas (Monterey Cypress) - all magnificent trees.
Stanley's most well known feature is The Nut. The original part of Stanley is built around the base of this volcanic plug.
The Nut - Stanley
Day 45
Stanley -> Edge of the World -> Stanley <Map>
Today 180 Total 5777
We have been a bit stymied in our attempts to get into the Tarkine. The Tarkine is a rather ill-defined area in north-west Tasmania that contains the largest area of Gondwanan cool-temperate rainforest in Australia. It has very few roads. Our plan to take the road north from Strahan to Corinna and then to Arthur River and on to the north coast was stymied when we arrived in Tasmania to find that the only road from Corinna to Arthur River was cut by landslides and will remain cut for another five months. A loop road from the north from Stanley to Arthur River and then back via the Roger River Road was also denied us when we found that the whole section after Arthur River had been closed for sealing.
Still wanting to get to Arthur River, we decided to just go down and back rather than any cross-country excursions. At the mouth of the Arthur River is a lookout called The Edge of the World. While it might not be what Christopher Columbus's crew dreaded falling over, it's still a very rugged place. It's also just about the most westerly point of the island of Tasmania.
On the way down, we stopped at Ann Bay. From here you can see the wind turbines to the north at Cape Grim. This wind farm (Woolnorth) has 62 turbines with a generation capacity of 140MW, the last of which was commissioned in 2007. It would seem to be the largest operational wind farm in Tasmania.
Woolnorth wind farm
While we're in the area of Cape Grim (named by Bass and Flinders in 1798 on their voyage that finally proved Tasmania was an island), here is a little Trivial Pursuit Bonus.
If you headed west from Cape Grim (or any part of Tasmania's west coast), where would you first hit land?
a South Africa around Port Elizabeth / Durban
b Madagascar
c The Patagonian region of Argentina
The answer is (c), as you'd miss South Africa completely by about 800kms/500 miles.
Consequently, Cape Grim boasts that here is the cleanest air in the world, having travelled two thirds of the way around the world without crossing any land (and hence man-made pollution). The CSIRO in association with the Bureau of Meteorology have established their Baseline Air Pollution Station here,
Guess who was here waiting in the grass to greet us?
Yet another Blue Superb Fairy-wren
A bit further south we came to the village of Arthur River. This seems to consist mainly of a National Park ranger station, camp-ground and lots of weekender shacks. A single lane bridge spans the Arthur River and a track leads down to The Edge of the World at the mouth of the river. From upstream in the Tarkine, dead trees float downstream to be collected by the tide and wind, and thrown back against the shore, leaving piles of timber on the surrounding rocks.
Flotsam at Arthur River
After lunch overlooking this rugged coastline we returned to Stanley.
Day 46
Stanley
Today 0 Total 5777
It poured all day. We both did a lot of reading and demolished the last of the (non-fattening) Bruny Island Fudge.
Day 47
Stanley
Today 12 Total 5789
Back to history today. One of the few historical buildings in the north west of Tasmania is Highfield House. It was designed 1831-2 by Henry Hellyer, surveyor and architect for the Van Diemen's Land Company, which had been granted 250,000 acres by George IV in 1824. It was built in 1834.
Highfield House with The Nut in the background
You can tell you're in the country here (for our overseas readers, 'chooks' = poultry)
I know how it feels... (sign on lovely old dresser)
This is another property that has been saved from total dereliction. The restoration has been very well done with lots of the house's original furniture being either donated or purchased.
After a pleasant wander through the house, outbuildings and grounds, we went back to Stanley where we split up. Sue wanted to see the house where Joseph Lyons was born (more on him later), while I wanted to take the chair-lift up to the top of The Nut. As Sue didn't have a camera, you get the scenery version rather than the history one.
Right at the loading area of the chair-lift as I sat down was a Bennett's Wallaby quietly munching on a banana.
Highfield House from The Nut
Cattle boat from King Island has unloaded its cargo
Stanley's port is small and caters mainly to fishing boats, but recently has started taking cattle from King Island.
We finished the day by having fresh local fish and chips and sitting on the breakwater.
Day 48
Stanley -> Devonport <Map>
Today 143 Total 5932
We're really getting down to last few days now, and have headed back to Devonport where we arrived. To make the most of the last leg of the trip, we took the scenic route wherever possible.
What a great coastline. Pity they only run goods trains along it.
We went through Penguin again. It was first settled in 1861 and was named after the Fairy Penguin colonies in the area. It does however lead to some strange roadsigns in the area. Regrettable, we never found the Penguin Cafe Orchestra.
If your penguin's feeling poorly
For your waste penguins
For when your penguin self-combusts
Day 49
Devonport
Today 54 Total 5986
We were hoping (OK, I was hoping) that the West Coast Wilderness Railway would be operating when we were in Strahan. As it still had not reopened, there was still one last chance for a steam train ride. This was the Don River Railway.
Just in after a run
The Pacific configuration (4-6-2) 'M4' was originally built in the UK in 1951 for the Indian Railways but was never delivered and ended up being transferred to the Tasmanian Government Railways.
Unlike a lot of steam locos, M4 is wood-fired, not coal-fired
Start them young!
Just to keep the non-train-enthusiast readers happy...
... there were some lovely roses at the station.
You'll be glad to know that we've identified this fine colourful specimen as an English-built 4-6-2 wood-fired engine towing 3 second class and 1 first class carriages.
We balanced our enthusiasm for all things steam with an Australian political history lesson in the afternoon. Tasmania has only produced one Prime Minister in our 112 year history since Federation. This was Joseph Lyons who was Premier of Tasmania from 1923-1928, then a minister in federal parliament from 1929-1931, and finally Australia's tenth Prime Minister from 1932 until his death in 1939. Sue visited the cottage where he was born while we were in Stanley.
Our visit for this history lesson was 'Home Hill', the home of Joseph Lyons and his wife Enid who would go on to achieve a political career in her own right as the first woman elected to the Australian House of Representatives and the first woman to serve in Federal Cabinet.
The house was built by Joseph Lyons and his family in 1916. Except for a period of five years it remained the home Joseph, Enid and their 12 children for the rest of their lives.
Home Hill is as Dame Enid Lyons left it and contains many interesting and historic mementoes of their lives. It still feels as if it's still 'lived in'. We had an excellent tour guide who fleshed out the mementos with stories and anecdotes.
All National Trust properties seem to have a 'no photos' policy, so you'll just have to look at the outside.
Home Hill, Devonport
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