Another wet start to the day – hills behind the highway from St Helens to Falmouth Also a slow start to the day for the first 26km at 30km/hr under the speed limit – no overtaking lanes and very winding road. The St Marys Pass road climbs over 320 metres to a plateau. The road … More Down with the Devils – Tasmania 2024 – Day 42 (am)- Esk Highway
A half day trip to the Blue Tier mountains in the St Helens hinterland. A Black swan from our balcony near St Helens Bay. With the morning still wet, we brunched at the excellent cafe recommended by our friend the Oracle AKA part-time Baroness of Binalong. It cleared enough in the afternoon to take a … More Down with the Devils – Tasmania 2024 – Day 41 – Blue Tier
The Bay of Fires Conservation Area comprises a series of magnificent bays that stretch along Tasmania’s north-east coast. Bright orange lichen encrusts the granite boulders becoming more vivid on rainy days like today. The Tin Dragon celebrates Chinese tin mining in the local district. A unique steam engine used to mill local timber that was … More Down with the Devils – Tasmania 2024 – Day 40 – Bay of Fires
We started the day back at Cape Tourville to catch up after the washout yesterday. The Nuggets with resident seals A seal went into a bar and the bartender asked him, “What will it be Mr Seal?” The seal responded, “Anything but a Canadian Club.” Cape Tourville lighthouse Casuarina on the cape with a very … More Down with the Devils – Tasmania 2024 – Day 39 – Freycinet National Park
Mayfield Bay Conservation Park protects threatened coastal white gum and blue gum forest that fringe the coastline and supports critically endangered swift parrots foraging during the spring and summer months. It is estimated there are only 750 swift parrots left in the wild with conservationists working hard to stop the logging of their remaining habitat in Tasmania … More Down with the Devils – Tasmania 2024 – Day 38 – The East Coast
Encounter Maria Island ferry for the crossing to Maria Island. Maria is not pronounced mah-ree-uh but Mar-rye-uh. It rhymes with pariah and as a former convict settlement was home to outcasts who were despised or rejected. The island was named in 1642 by Dutch explorer Abel Tasman after Maria van Diemen, wife of the Governor-General of the Dutch East … More Down with the Devils – Tasmania 2024 – Day 37 – Maria Island
Government Cottage (1854) was built next-door to the Church. Its sole purpose was to accommodate government officials and other important people when they visited Port Arthur. The Church was constructed by convicts in 1836. Inside the ruins The Travelling Bells, including the oldest cast bells in Australia have been sited in a number of churches in … More Down with the Devils – Tasmania 2024 – Day 36 – Port Arthur
The head of Maingon Bay at the southern end of Tasman Peninsula. Remarkable Cave An elevated walkway gives a good view of the cave but now stops access to the cave. It is very dangerous at high tide but a sandy track at low tide. Pimelea on the headland Cape Raoul from Remarkable Cave walkway … More Down with the Devils – Tasmania 2024 – Day 35 – Remarkable Cave
We started our day at the Salamanca markets which are open every Saturday morning. We visited the woodworkers stall with handcrafts made by the stall owners. The pipers were warming up. Warning: Don’t run with bagpipes. Your could put an aye out or worse yet, get kilt. Today we visited more of the spectacular coastline … More Down with the Devils – Tasmania 2024 – Day 34 – Abel Tasman National Park
After a sleep in and morning of washing we ventured over the Tasman Bridge for a highlight of our time in Hobart – catching up with and having lunch with an actual Hobartian. But not any Hobartian but the Wise Oracle that I described on Day 1, The Seer of Seers, Duchess of the Derwent. … More Down with the Devils – Tasmania 2024 – Day 33 – South Arm
Battery Point in Hobart – another visit to Jackman McRoss bakery to fuel up for the day. Sculpture “Rockpools” at Sandy Bay beach – Sandy Bay is the starting point for the annual nude swim on the Winter Solstice as part of the Dark Mofo Festival. The Big Slide Rule at University of Tasmania Mathematics … More Down with the Devils – Tasmania 2024 – Day 32 – Southern drive
On the drive from Geeveston to Tahune, the forest had a lot of tree fall with some overhanging the road. We wouldn’t want to travel here in high winds. The manager of Tahune Airwalk carries a chain saw with him on his daily commute. The road to Tahune Tahune Airwalk is beside the Huon River … More Down with the Devils – Tasmania 2024 – Day 31 – Tahune
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