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.

492047

Tasmanian Road Trip Day 1

Day 1 of our road trip

Due to our house turning into a building site because we're having our bathroom renovated, we decided to leave the builders to it and take a road trip around our new home state. We moved to Tasmania just over a year ago (26 July 2022) settling in Beaconsfield in the Tamar Valley, north of the state's second biggest city, Launceston. Actually, calling Launceston a city is a bit of a stretch, as a lot of towns in the UK are bigger, and my birth town, Basingstoke, is about twice the size of Launceston!

Penguin is a small seaside town on the northern Tasmanian coast that is crazy about penguins!

So yesterday, we took a leisurely drive across the north coast from our central position westward. The drive started by cutting inland, skirting Narawntapu National Park, but then catching the coast at Devonport where the Spirit of Tasmania sails to Victoria which was how I'd come to Tasmania last year. From Devonport, it was a mostly coastal drive, including a coffee stop at the picturesque seaside town of Penguin. We arrived at our destination, Stanley mid afternoon, and settled into our hotel, and explored a little. We are staying here a few days, hoping to get to Arthur's River and the Edge of the World coastline before heading south on the next stage of the journey.

Penguin's fabulous Uniting Church

Rocky Cape National Park

This really cool Exchange Library apparently appeared in Penguin in 2019 and has been here since!