Our Journey began on the 2nd of March 2012.  

We boarded the Spirit of Tasmania on a night sailing and arrived in

Tasmania on Saturday 3rd of March.

Our trip over on the Spirit of Tasmania was smooth sailing until we hit the heads and then it was rather choppy crossing Bass Strait. We got very little sleep and I think it was around 3 am  before we did get some shut eye and got woken up at 5.30 am to be ready to disembark.

We based ourselves at Rocky Cape and started our trip from there.

Our first lot of photo's is of Arthur River.

Dave walking along the board walk.

It was a very cold blowey Day.

There you can see a lot of drift wood on the shore, which came

down from the river in to the ocean and then the waves pushed them on to the shore.

We were told that some of it was Houn Pine.

Photo taken on the 4th of March 2012

The Township of Arthur River.

The Big Tree was amongst some lovely  rainforest terrian

Dave standing at the bottom of the tree

Margaret standing beside a large fallen tree.

                                                           Dip Fall was very lovely to look at.

The photo was taken from Upper Burnie looking down at the harbour and parts of Burnie along the shore line.

   Pioneer Camp ground is such a beautiful place. The camp ground has 2 small blue stone building with Shingle roofs one for the shower block and the other for the toilets and log cabin shacks with BBQ facilities within the park.

The Saturday of the Labour Weekend, we had a band playing in the park, which gathered a few more people here. All enjoyed the country music and the hospitality of everyone in the park..

A photo of Dave and a couple we met who are here on holidays from Germany.

                      Some of the beautiful scenery we saw during our drive around the area of Riana.

    Waratha was a very small Township which was a mining town of tin & copper.

In the Stampers Mill museum they displayed a crushing machine which use to grind the rocks seperate the minerals.

Stanley a village of historical buildings and a huge rock formation which sticks out into the ocean, which they call the NUT.

A Chair lift operates from the base up to the top of the Nut or you can take a challenge of a steep walk.   We didn't get to go up the Nut, as the chair lift was not operating on the day that we went.

 So we settled to just walk around the town. We had a very lovely day chit chatting to locals and other people from the mainland. 

The Chocolate Factory in Latrobe, but unfortunate it was a public holiday, so no one was there making the chocolates, but the museum was opened and the shop for chocolate sales.

Dave is making a decision of which chocolate to buy.

The steamfest in Shieffield was very enjoyable   Lots of activities happening, with lots of arty and craft stalls, and amusements for the children, which gathered a very large crowd. 

The steam Engines on displayed were all in working order running around the ground.

                                                                                    

Lake Gairdner Camp Ground.

You can see by the photo's of how far the water had risen after a good night of rain fall.
We were quite surprise when Dave stepped out in the morning to see the Caravan below us
in water half way up the depth of his wheels. We found out later that we also were emerged in water
after our generator wouldn't work, but the water subsided before we woke up. It took us 2 days
before we were able to get the generator going, before it dried out..
                                                              

                                                                           
King Solomon Caves._{It was another wet day, so we decided to go and see the King Soloman Caves near Mole Creek to keep out of the rain where it was nice and dry. Lovely limestone caves.}

After going to the caves, we went through the township of Mole Creek and out to Chudleigh to a Honey Farm. A beautiful well equipped shop of so many different products, gift ware, cosmetic items and candles all made from honey. It also had a small museum showing you how they make honey and some of the equipment they use. The shop had free food tasting of over 50 different varieties of items. We bought a jar of Chilli honey to be used when I make Chilli honey prawns. Dave sampled quite a lot of products, and the home made ice cream was just to die for. All the products they make within the store are from Tasmania honey. We had a lovely day out which we really enjoyed.

We were hoping to go up to Cradle Mountain, but the weather condition didn't allow for it. We then travelled through to Strahan.
We both like Strahan, not to live, but a place of interest. A tourist area. The photo's show the township of Strahan. We just strolled through the streets and enjoying the shops of interest in the town. Dave has his eyes on the Woodturning and timber supply near the water front.

                                         
The Gordon River Cruise was absoltuley fabulious. The boat we travelled on was a Catamaran which was called the Eagle. It was built in Hobart and launched in 1988. It was powered by twin 115 hp diesel engines. A very lovely boat. We first travelled up to Macquarie Heads and out pass the entrance to the ocean at Hells gate. The boat only travelled out to sea for a distance of 500 meters into the ocean before turning back. As we travelled through Macquarie Head we went pass fish farms. There is over 180 fish pens scattered in the waters, each approx 60 meters in diameter and a depth of 25 meters holding up to 36 thousand fish of salmon and ocean trout in each pen. We then travelled over to Sarah Island a Penal settlement which was formed in the year 1822. We saw the ruins of the remains of the settlement and our tour guide told the story of how this settlement came to be and the hardship of the convicts and how they out smarted the soldiers and generals of there mass escape. Kiah our tour guide told the story so well she had us all so very much involved that is was so interesting to hear of what had happened on the island. After boarding the boat we then sat down to a lovely cold buffet meal for lunch. From here we travelled into the Gordon River, then launched at the Gordon River Heritage forest walk. It was a easy board walk through some lovely rain forest terrain of many species of trees and ferns.

Sarah Island part of the cruise.

This is our first time on a sea plane a single engine Cessna. 5 passengers on board including the pilot. Boy it was just beautiful up there, we covered the same area we did on the boat, but it gave us a birds eye view of where we actually went giving us a different aspect from the air... We then landed in the Gordon River to a landing which took us to view a lovely waterfall.... Our trip was for 1 1/2 hours, viewing of the Macquarie Heads, the ocean, the trail of the Gordon and Franklin River and mountain views. Got some great shots from up there.

At the port where the cruise boat moarned there was a saw mill. After each cruise they had demonstrations of timber cutting on a very large saw and sales of variety of timbers, but mainly of the Huon Pine Timber.

A long the Port in the early evenings there is a play preformed at the Amphi Theatre. The play was performed by only 2 people, but they engaged the use of the audience in the play. We laughed from start to finish. It was so cleverly done a show not to be miss...

At first we went for a stroll through the township of Queenstown but most shops are closed on the Monday or Tuesday so went went up to the lookout. A very steep climb up with a few breathless stops and a hand rail to help us to the top. A beautiful 360 degree view of the town ship and surrounding areas. I was very much surprised to see that the large hills were not as bare as they were 37 years ago. Lots of vegetation has grown over the years and leaving a rather small area to the size still bare...

The photo below is of a Bee Farm that we came across through our travels in the Queenstown area.

Mount Field National Park was our next camping stop for a few days, even though it was wet the camp site was still so lovely to see. We arrived at the National Park around 1 pm. Still raining, so we had to wait for the rain to stop before we were able to un hook the caravan from the car.

The little Rock Walaby just hung around the camp all the time we were there, such a friendly little thing.

The next day in the morning, our first outing was to go and see Russell Falls which was within the park.
Only a 10 minute walk from the car park, but it took us over half an hour. Click, Click, Click went the camera. Got some lovely photo’s of the rainforest walk to the falls. Anything lying on the forest ground was covered with moss. Russell Falls was absolutely beautiful...

After the Russell Falls viewing we set of to Lake Pedder. It was dry when we left, but once we got closer to Lake Pedder the rain began to fall rather heavily again. Our next few pages of photo's are of scenic views along the road to Lake Pedder.

        We couldn't go any further than the Dam Wall at Strathgordon. Very beautiful to look at.
       Then the journey back to camp.

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