And so our journey continues....click the location names below to see where we went
The Spirit of Tasmania...our drive on, drive off ferry that took us to Devonport
Devonport Tasmania
Return to page top?
Click here
Click here
Return to page top?
Click here
Click here
Double click to editClick anywhere above for a slide show.
Devonport is a city in Northern Tasmania, where the Mersey River meets Bass Strait. It is the port of call for the Spirit of Tasmania vehicular ferries. The Devonport area has rich red soils that are ideal for producing vegetable crops (beans, onions, peas, potatoes etc.) and very significant values of cereals, oil poppies, pyrethrum and other crops. For many Mainland Australians Devonport is the first 'port of call' so to speak.
The Spirit of Tasmania roll on-roll off vehicular ferries, number one and two identical twin sisters arrive here. In 2022 these two ships left Melbourne but a new facility was built at Geelong, about 80km south.
The facility at Devonport is ongoing a redevelopment and, news that was just announced (Oct 2023) that both 'Spirits' are also to be replaced with bigger and better ships soon.
The Spirit of Tasmania roll on-roll off vehicular ferries, number one and two identical twin sisters arrive here. In 2022 these two ships left Melbourne but a new facility was built at Geelong, about 80km south.
The facility at Devonport is ongoing a redevelopment and, news that was just announced (Oct 2023) that both 'Spirits' are also to be replaced with bigger and better ships soon.
To see an animated map of our planned trip click here
Launceston
Launceston is a riverside city in northern Tasmania, Australia. It's famed for the Cataract Gorge, with panoramic views, walking trails, sculpted gardens and a chairlift. The Queen Victoria Museum, in a 19th-century railway workshop, has exhibitions on Tasmanian history. Its sister Art Gallery lies across the river, by sprawling Royal Park. The vineyards of the Tamar Valley stretch northwest along the Tamar River.
The weather was not kind to us in Launceston...other that the Tamar River trip we did little else...it mostly blew a gale with cold air directly off Antarctica.
The weather was not kind to us in Launceston...other that the Tamar River trip we did little else...it mostly blew a gale with cold air directly off Antarctica.
Return to page top?
Click here
Click here
Our run down the north east coast to Swansea and the Freycinet Penisular
Our prime purpose in coming down this way was to see Wineglass Bay. Sadly, that was not to be...we had our bookings for a cruise out of Coles Bay to Wineglass Bay but the day before we were to do it the cruise operator rang to tell us the winds (45 k/hr) would be too strong and the cruise would be cancelled.
This left us with two days at Swansea....we would have to find other stuff to look at, and try and stay dry....and warm.
On our second day we drove to Coles Bay to at least have a look over there.
Photos of our time in this part of Tassie are below...click on the photo below for a slide show.
This left us with two days at Swansea....we would have to find other stuff to look at, and try and stay dry....and warm.
On our second day we drove to Coles Bay to at least have a look over there.
Photos of our time in this part of Tassie are below...click on the photo below for a slide show.
Return to page top?
Click here
Click here
Click on the photo above for a slide show
Click on the photo above for a slide show
Click on the photo above for a slide show
Click on the photo above for a slide show
Click on the photo above for a slide show
Click on the photo above for a slide show
Hobart
Hobart sits on the River Derwent. At its fashionable Salamanca Place, old sandstone warehouses host galleries and cafes. Nearby is Battery Point, a historic district with narrow lanes and colonial-era cottages. The city's backdrop is 1,270m-high Mount Wellington, with sweeping views, plus hiking and cycling trails.
Founded in 1804 as a British penal colony, Hobart is Australia's second-oldest capital city after Sydney. Whaling quickly emerged as a major industry in the area, and for a time Hobart served as the Southern Ocean's main whaling port. Penal transportation ended in the 1850s, after which the city experienced periods of growth and decline. The early 20th century saw an economic boom on the back of mining, agriculture and other primary industries, and the loss of men who served in the world wars was counteracted by an influx of immigration. Despite the rise in migration from Asia and other non-English speaking regions, Hobart's population remains predominantly ethnically Anglo-Celtic, and has the highest percentage of Australian-born residents among Australia's capital cities.
Today, Hobart is the financial and administrative hub of Tasmania, serving as the home port for both Australian and French Antarctic operations and acting as a tourist destination, with over 1.192 million visitors in 2011–12, and 924,000 during 2022–23. Well-known drawcards include its convict-era architecture, Salamanca Market and the Museum of Old and New Art
Our first stop in Hobart was to the tourist info centre in the CBD, our faithful GPS lady 'Sarah' took us there, our purpose was to find out about the Salamanca Markets, to be held teach Saturday, and my oft mentioned parking woes resurfaced...there was simply nowhere to park!...the centre had nowhere, the streets around were chokka...after driving around and around we eventually found a 'fifteen minutes only' spot about 5 minutes away...this gave us very little time to get to the centre and get the info, we got back about 25 minutes later fully expecting to see a ticket under the wipers...fortunately no such thing happened...all this simply reinforces my thinking that there are too many cars in this world...even down here,
The markets, which are billed as the most popular tourist attraction in Tasmania?? (That is what is written on a brochure we have) start early and finish around 3, we plan to go there around 1 or so and hopefully find a carpark. Update to that, the Hobart Show was also on and every man and his dog was in town...after driving around and around we gave up!
Founded in 1804 as a British penal colony, Hobart is Australia's second-oldest capital city after Sydney. Whaling quickly emerged as a major industry in the area, and for a time Hobart served as the Southern Ocean's main whaling port. Penal transportation ended in the 1850s, after which the city experienced periods of growth and decline. The early 20th century saw an economic boom on the back of mining, agriculture and other primary industries, and the loss of men who served in the world wars was counteracted by an influx of immigration. Despite the rise in migration from Asia and other non-English speaking regions, Hobart's population remains predominantly ethnically Anglo-Celtic, and has the highest percentage of Australian-born residents among Australia's capital cities.
Today, Hobart is the financial and administrative hub of Tasmania, serving as the home port for both Australian and French Antarctic operations and acting as a tourist destination, with over 1.192 million visitors in 2011–12, and 924,000 during 2022–23. Well-known drawcards include its convict-era architecture, Salamanca Market and the Museum of Old and New Art
Our first stop in Hobart was to the tourist info centre in the CBD, our faithful GPS lady 'Sarah' took us there, our purpose was to find out about the Salamanca Markets, to be held teach Saturday, and my oft mentioned parking woes resurfaced...there was simply nowhere to park!...the centre had nowhere, the streets around were chokka...after driving around and around we eventually found a 'fifteen minutes only' spot about 5 minutes away...this gave us very little time to get to the centre and get the info, we got back about 25 minutes later fully expecting to see a ticket under the wipers...fortunately no such thing happened...all this simply reinforces my thinking that there are too many cars in this world...even down here,
The markets, which are billed as the most popular tourist attraction in Tasmania?? (That is what is written on a brochure we have) start early and finish around 3, we plan to go there around 1 or so and hopefully find a carpark. Update to that, the Hobart Show was also on and every man and his dog was in town...after driving around and around we gave up!
Return to page top?
Click here
Click here
Port Arthur
Port Arthur is a historic site in southern Tasmania. Sitting on the Tasman Peninsula, it was a 19th-century penal settlement and is now an open-air museum. Ruins include the huge penitentiary and the remaining shell of the Convict Church, which was built by inmates. Solitary confinement cells in the Separate Prison building were used to inflict mental punishment in place of floggings.
We spent two days here and loved the place...we this every Australian should visit...one soon learns just how vicious the British system was, back then...as far as I am concerned the sooner we sever relations with the British the sooner the 'stain' will fade away.
We spent two days here and loved the place...we this every Australian should visit...one soon learns just how vicious the British system was, back then...as far as I am concerned the sooner we sever relations with the British the sooner the 'stain' will fade away.
And where we stayed.
Southern Tasmania
Port Arthur was the furthest south we went...we then headed north but on different roads to how we got there.
We visited a number of 'touristy' spots along they...click the photo below to follow us along.
We visited a number of 'touristy' spots along they...click the photo below to follow us along.
Port Arthur to Richmond.
And other stuff we saw while in Southern Tasmania
And as we headed back up north through the middle of Tasmania
And a little Gem of a town we stopped at....Historic Richmond.
Return to page top?
Click here
Click here
Return to page top?
Click here
Click here
Return to page top?
Click here
Click here
Return to page top?
Click here
Click here
Return to page top?
Click here
Click here
Return to page top?
Click here
Click here
Brighton
Brighton Hotel/Motel was our one night stay...motels are not our favorite place...here we could hear most of next doors talking, their shower and toilet too...so glad just one night.
Return to page top?
Click here
Click here
Queenstown
Return to page top?
Click here
Click here
Queenstown is the largest town on Tasmania's west coast in the Queen River Valley. Surrounded by dramatic hills and mountains, Queenstown was once the world's richest mining town. The copper mining and mass logging in the early 1900s created a surreal and rocky 'moonscape' of bare coloured conglomerate.
Queenstown is surrounded by the scars of its rugged mining history. Right at the western edge of Tasmania's World Heritage Wilderness Area, lay an ethereal moonscape of stripped hills and mountains. Logging and copper mining in the early 1900's have left Queenstown's surroundings bare.
The land is incapable of healing as logging pulled roots out of the hills and mined chemicals have infiltrated the soil. What is left is a man-made moonscape.
Queenstown is surrounded by the scars of its rugged mining history. Right at the western edge of Tasmania's World Heritage Wilderness Area, lay an ethereal moonscape of stripped hills and mountains. Logging and copper mining in the early 1900's have left Queenstown's surroundings bare.
The land is incapable of healing as logging pulled roots out of the hills and mined chemicals have infiltrated the soil. What is left is a man-made moonscape.
Click the photo below for a slideshow.
Strahan and Macquarie Harbor.
Strahan, is a small town and former port on the west coast of Tasmania. It is now a significant locality for tourism in the region. Strahan Harbour and Risby Cove form part of the north-east end of Long Bay on the northern end of Macquarie Harbour. At the 2016 census, Strahan had a population of 658
The town is a harbour-side village with a dark and fascinating convict past set on the edge of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.
Macquarie Harbour is a shallow fjord, it is approximately 315 square kilometres and has an average depth of 15 metres, with deeper places up to 50 metres . It is navigable by shallow-draft vessels. The main channel is kept clear by the presence of a rock wall on the outside of the channel's curve. This man-made wall prevents erosion and keeps the channel deep and narrow, rather than allowing the channel to become wide and shallow. The Aboriginal name for the harbour is Parralaongatek.
The harbour was named in honour of Scottish Major General Lachlan Macquarie, the fifth Colonial Governor of New South Wales.
The town is a harbour-side village with a dark and fascinating convict past set on the edge of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.
Macquarie Harbour is a shallow fjord, it is approximately 315 square kilometres and has an average depth of 15 metres, with deeper places up to 50 metres . It is navigable by shallow-draft vessels. The main channel is kept clear by the presence of a rock wall on the outside of the channel's curve. This man-made wall prevents erosion and keeps the channel deep and narrow, rather than allowing the channel to become wide and shallow. The Aboriginal name for the harbour is Parralaongatek.
The harbour was named in honour of Scottish Major General Lachlan Macquarie, the fifth Colonial Governor of New South Wales.
Return to page top?
Click here
Click here
And finally it was time to head home.
Bernie and return to Devonport
Bernie and return to Devonport
Our little cabin at Somerset...pretty insignificant place...'Beachside Caravan Park'...the beach was a long way from the park and not accessable to residents!...just one photo
Scroll down
Scroll down
The coast road from Bernie to Devonport is a great trip. Along the way we called into the Devonport Arboretum
Return to page top?
Click here
Click here
Return to page top?
Click here
Click here
Our return to Devonport
And the 'Spirit back to 'Straya'
And now is the time when we need to head Home Click here
Comments or queries are always accepted, please email us here