Stage 2 Road Trip

We left Stanley and headed south to Queenstown along the Murchison Highway. The Murchison Highway is named because it passes the Murchison ranges and Mt Murchison, the highest mountain in the region, a little bit higher than Mt Wellington/Kunanyi. Mt Murchison was named after the geologist, Baronet Roderick Murchison. Interestingly, Murchison made great discoveries helping to map the age of rocks and establish the Silurian system. His work was based on the successive age of rock groups and he also discovered elements leading to the later Devonian period being established. But he opposed Darwin's revolutionary evolutionary theories, believing that species were created in successive waves over long geological periods until humans were finally created. In Queenstown, there is a garden with rocks and geological information about them, the oldest being over a billion years old Quartzite.

Nelson Falls flowing freely after heavy rain 

This particular part of our journey saw both Caroline and I weary. I guess the combination of driving and cold weather had taken its toll and we didn't do as much as in Stanley. The drive down was during very heavy rain which meant driving slowly but it also allowed us to go to Nelson Falls and witness it in full flow. The walk to the falls is through lush, moss covered, forest with plenty of myrtle beech and sassafras trees as well as ferns of many different types and is well worthy of being one of the 60 Great Short Walks of Tasmania.

The Nelson River running through moss covered forests 

We also took a drive to Strahan, a small coastal town set in a bay on the west coast. The Ocean Beach is the longest in Tasmania at about 40 km, while the area is dominated by the Henty Dunes and Henty River. The River was named after William Henty, a lawyer and member of the legislative council of Tasmania. The Henty family were largely based in Victoria and are considered an important colonial family in that part of Australia's history. We followed the Henty River (panerunner is the believed aboriginal name?) and then the Little Henty River before heading back to Queenstown.

Henty River 

Stormy conditions at Ocean Beach, Strahan 

Learning about the land we live on, it's history and cultural significance, as well as it's natural beauty and features, will be a lifelong endeavour. But for now, here's a start on a day off from sightseeing to refresh and reflect.

North West: Tasmania Road Trip Days 2 and 3

 After driving to Stanley, we decided to use it as a base to explore the North West of Tasmania a little. To be fair, this is only going to be a taste of the Island which we'll hopefully be able to explore in more depth over the years.

The journeys from Stanley on Days 2 and 3

On day 2 the main effort was a journey to the coast. But I decided to take a walk up The Nut in Stanley to see if a sunrise would happen. It didn't because of cloud cover, but I did hear about Trump's latest indictment while taking my early morning walk!

The Nut overlooking the town of Stanley 

Some of the best views of the North Coast are from The Nut 

 When I got back to our hotel, Caroline and I headed off to Arthur's River and the Edge of the World where nothing stands between us and South America on this latitude. The sea is big and the waves are immense as the Roaring Forties rage in from the Southern Ocean. After checking out the Edge of the World we went back to Stanley via a stop at West Point where we saw wombats roaming around and the most amazing rocks and surf.

Foamy seas at the Edge of the World 

Great surf crashing into the rocks at West Point 

Tasmania is a lush, verdant land. This pond has formed inland at West Point 

We were both aching a bit when we woke this morning, but decided to take a trip to Dip Falls Forest Reserve. And what a trip! The falls were flowing madly after recent rains. The sound was thunderous as the water cascaded over 2 drops of about 40 metres total. It was the most powerful waterfall I've seen in Australia, and the forest surrounds were lush and verdant. After viewing the falls we walked to some huge trees, over 60 metres tall and one giant was 17 metres in girth around the bottom. 

The monumental Dip Falls 

Dip Falls, lower tier (Caroline's photo)

Since coming to Tasmania a year ago, we've learned that the island is full of waterways. There are many rivers, including some major systems like the Derwent in the south, the Esk in the North, the Gordon in the West and the Huon in the south east, but there are some other major rivers that are less systemic like the Arthur River in the North West which is the state's third longest river. The Dip River flows from the Dipwood Mountain range to its east, and then carries on north until it joins the Black River which also comes out of the same range. Tasmania also has a large number of lakes some of which we will be seeing on our trip in days to come, and is, of course, surrounded by sea. So the island is incredibly lush all over.

Lots of fungus around in the damp conditions like this Coral Tooth Fungus 

This massive Brown Top Paperbark is over 60 metres high and has a 17 metre girth!

Ferns are abundant, and some even look to be smiling at you 😊 

The lush, verdant Dip River Forest Reserve 

It's a great place for walking, although a lot of the walking tracks are quite challenging. There is a list of Tasmania's 60 Great Short Walks which I'm beginning to work my way through. Stanley Nut is one of the walks in this series, and I'm hoping to get to a couple more before the trip is through.

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A Walk in Hollybank Forest

Tasmania is a great place for walking. There's something for everyone. As an island, there's plenty of beaches, some good for swimming, some good for walking, some long and sandy, some rocky, some with beautiful hills or interesting cliffs. There are lots of rivers, many running through forests, with a huge amount of waterfalls. There are mountains, lakes, gorges, bays, meadows, valleys, tarns and bluffs...In short, it's a great place for walking with something for everyone.

Now I'm not a particularly fit walker, and my wife suffers from fibromyalgia which seriously hampers her energy levels, so we usually look for short and not very difficult walks. We currently live in the north of Tasmania in the Tamar Valley and on the eastern side of the Tamar there's a forest called Hollybanks which has a bunch of easy trails. It's one of the 60 Great Short Walks in Tasmania, though it also offers some side tracks, one of which is a steep trail down to the Piper's River.

Pipers River at Hollybank Forest

The forest is about 20 minutes drive north east of Launceston, and can be combined with a trip to Lilydale Falls which is about another 20 minutes further on. All the while, hills and mountains will be on either side of you as you head through the north east of the state. But yesterday, we just visited the forest (after I had a dentist appointment in the morning) for a short winter's walk. It wasn't too bad for weather, with the rain holding off and the temperatures about 10C. The walk is supposed to take between 15-40 minutes, but we were out for nearly 2 hours looking at the flora and stopping to marvel at the beautiful surrounds. There's a great mixture of native trees and imports, including huge pines and lots of holly trees from where the forest gets its name.

Great stand of deciduous oaks

The forest is a great walk at all times of the year, but will be especially popular during the warmer seasons. Saying that, during our winter walk yesterday we got to see lots of bare branches of deciduous trees and plenty of fungi.

Coral fungi

White brain fungi

And of course during the colder and wetter months, the rivers and waterfalls flow better. The Pipers River was much higher than I've seen it, and flowing beautifully through the forest.

Pipers River flowing around the rocks

This is a gentle walk that I'll be heading back to during all seasons to enjoy the differences in the forest throughout the year.