Part 8 The North East Tasmania
Our day starts in Bischeno with a cafe breakfast, followed by a walk on the beach and out to a penguin island (no penguins) which we just managed to return before the high tide covered out escape route.
We are heading towards the Ben Lomond mountain to drive tomorrow.
Free Camp No 46 -
Great spot in the Griffin Forrest Reserve camp
Today: 189 Kms
Total: 4,137 Kms
Altitude: 297m
Sunday 27th March 2022
Ben Lomand is 1,500m high and the road goes to 1400m via Jacobs Ladder, a wild set of hairpin bends.
Vertical Dolerite columns
The view from the top
Adding one more stone to the cairn to make the mountain not 1530m but 1,530.002m
Free Camp No 47 -
White Knights ( big trees) Campground
Today: 130Kms
Total: 4,267 Kms
Monday 28th March 2022
A forest drive back towards the coast, via St Colombians falls.
90m high
Lunch at the ‘Pub in the Paddock’.
Nice atmosphere, meals Ok’ish
Up at the Cheese factory we purchases some Blue Cheese - We found later it was dry and soapy - $15 in the bin !
Free Camp No 48 - St Helen’s
Mounting Bay Campground
Today: 69 Kms
Total: 4,336 Kms
OH - And Lyn got a long awaited haircut
Tuesday 29th March 2022
Wandered around St Helens Conservation Area out on the point.
Camp No 49 - Cosy Corner
Campground north of St Helens
Today: 77 Kms
Total: 4,414Kms
AND..
We have a dozen fresh oysters, local cheese and Local Red Wine
Evening is set.
Great spot so we stayed a couple of days.......
Saturday 2nd April 2022
YES our first platypus sighting, (in the wild).
This one performed well also climbing the rocky waterfall.
Occasionally being washed back down only to get back up and climb again.
Just up the road the old railway line from Launceston to Scottsdale.
A 750m long dark tunnel that we walked into about 1/2 way then decided the second half was the same as the first !
After doing some on line research on local wineries we stopped in at Pipers Brook Winery.
A really great platter to accompany the wine selection.
The Lavender farm was not in flower hence disappointing and a wasted visit.
Now off to a remote camp.
Camp No 53 - ( 2 days)
South Croppies Point.
Today: 409 Kms
Total: 4,823 Kms
Walked to the end of the point and watched the sun set.
Amazing colours reflecting the red sky
Stayed another day - great camp
Monday 4th April 2022
Moved to another idyllic place and managed to find a camp almost right on the beach.
A couple of days here beach walking and not much else
The view from the GX door
Camp No 54 -
Casuarina Hill ( 2 days)
Today: 16 Kms
Total: 4,840 Kms
Wednesday 6th April 2022
Awoke this morning at 2am with some scratching, squeak, squeak, and little feet running around. Its outside, no its inside the truck ??
At 5am I had to get up and investigate. Pulling the dash board apart , there is a field mouse in the air conditioning ducts of the truck. It must have got in via the external air vent and cannot find a way out. We see his nose behind the dash board vents but there is no way out.
Hence i elect to drill a hole in the ducting allowing his to escape.
A couple of pieces of duct tape over the hole and replace all the bits of dash board and all good.and all fixed
The top north east part of Tasmania is less populated , less tourists, and beautiful white beaches to explore.
We moved to Petal Point, again for a couple of days.
My office this morning,
and this afternoon we walked the beach and headlands to that far distant point you can see in the centre of the left picture.
Camp No 55 - Petal point ( 2 days)
Today: 165 Kms
Friday 8th April 2022
Only a slight deviation from out road was a wind farm with an interesting self guided tour.
Musselrow Bay Wind farm
Camp No 56 - Stumpy Bay No4
Today: 68 Kms
Total: 5.074 Kms
Saturday 9th April 2022
These giant fungi on the track. That large one over 300mm in diameter
Camp No 57 -
Policeman's Point Camp
Today: 76 Kms
Total: 5.150 Kms
They are blue bottles - too cold to swim but the beach is covered with these.
Tomorrow we head back towards the Lakes District before we load in Devonport on Friday 15th April