Swansea ... 24th March.....

Today was an overcast morning and the weather predictions were for heavy rain so we decided definitely not to drive over the the Freycinet National Park as we wouldn't see much. So we decided to go inland about an hours drive to Campbell Town and Ross. Ross is the place I wanted to see from Launceston but didn't have time. So I got to go even though we won't see it in the best of weather. We stopped at Campbell Town first and had a wander around,still no rain but not far away. Then 10km down the road to Ross. These towns are on the main route between Hobart and Launceston. The highway known as the convict highway which was built by the convicts in the early 1800s. As we were at Ross the rain really came down. The locals loved it as they needed rain badly. Had a good look around, had lunch, I had a scallop  pie which Tassie is famous for and PT had a salmon and Brie pie very nice. I must admit that I have had a few Scallop pies since I have been here. We then headed back to Swansea to just relax in the afternoon before we fly out tomorrow.

Our accomodation in Swansea called  Freycinet Waters, which is a B&B but they have a one bedroom apartment up behind the house you can just see a little bit of  a trellis railing far right up behind the house one story up.

This is our balcony.

Looking from the kitchen, lounge and bedroom door is behind PT

We don't go down for the B & B breakfast as Karen fills the fridge up with all the breakfast food for the two days for us to cook as we please. Heaps of food but we couldn't face such a big breakfast so we are cooking it all up for dinner tonight. This bread was freshly home cooked and on the bench when we arrived. Yum.

     

This is looking over some of the Freycinet National Park when we arrived yesterday in very windy conditions.

This is looking out to the National Park when we went for a walk this morning what a contrast.

This is looking out to nearer the end of the Peninsular taken when we arrived yesterday.

This is looking over the bay from the end of the wharf this morning no wind.

Swansea has  a very swept up boating ramp. A few boats going out this morning no wind.

We have now driven to Campbell Town inland by an hour. The oldest brick arch  bridge in Australia so they claim. Completed in 1838, it has 1.250 million bricks every single one of them handmade by convicts, then they built the bridge on dry land . When completed they were told to divert the river beneath its arches. This was accomplished by digging the new river course one Km on both sides of the arches. Workmanship of the convicts. 

The old church  1857.

They have now built a walking trial around the town with bricks giving us the information as below

Campbell Town also had these wooden carvings.

Weather really closed in the approach road to Ross of the main highway.




Going up the Main Street of Ross. Really pretty Town so much character. So pleased we managed to get here.

The Ross bridge 1836. The convicts built it between 1833 - 1836.

Looking down the street from the top end of the town.

These mean we're sitting outside the coffee shop where we had lunch and saw me taking photos and called out what about us. They wanted to give me a big wave all laughing.

The convict Female factory where the women work behind high security fences from1848 until it closed in 1855.

Not a good photo pouring with rain but we noticed most of their sheep where very grey. Not white, not cream, not black, grey looked unusual. And no it wasn't because they were dirty they were everywhere.

When you have finished reading this post I have now managed to sort out yesterday's photo problems and have posted them in yesterday's blog.

Scroll down to previous post.

 This is our last night in Tassie. We have had a good mixture of weather but mainly been good to us. It seems a big country to drive around but we think that it is because the roads are very narrow and surface is terrible, we just get so shaken up. Really hard going over the windy mountains roads, exhausting work for PT. really have to concentrate. It's been a lot of fun and have really enjoyed it. The scenery is very like New Zealand but we don't have all their history to go with it. It is just so full of the convict days. If only those guys could see how we all life now. The contrast is beyond our imagination

Tomorrow we will leave Swansea about 8.30am we have just short of two hours driving to the airport. Have to hand in our car at the airport. Will add the mileage we have covered to this post when we get back as we haven't finished driving yet!!,

We arrive home at 10.00pm tomorrow Sunday 25th March so lots of catching up to be done when we get home. PT will be keen to get back up to the Bach to attend to his lawns...................

We travelled 3850km

Launceston to Swansea. 23rd March

We left at 8.15am leaving Launceston to Swansea on the East Coast. Started off very overcast and by the time we hit the mountains the rain came down. We crossed two mountain ranges one very high and twisty. There was two options to get to this place over the mountains further north on the A3 highway through Scottsdale and St Helens and down the East Coast To Swansea which is the way we came. Or we could have gone further south and crossed  inland over to Swansea but that way we would have missed the coast. When we reached St Helens the sun tried to come out for a bit and the temperature was warmer.

We had about an hour here going up to Binalong Bay which is part of the Bay Of Fires. Where the boulders on the beach are vibrant orange.

Had some lunch and then headed down the East Coast and slowly the sun came out, arriving at Swansea about 3.00pm another big driving day. PT finds the big driving days quite hard as the roads here are rather narrow and twisty crossing over the mountains and the surface of the roads are so wavey and bumpy which knocks you around a lot. We are staying at a B&B tonight but the house has a separate one bedroom apartment which is what we have. Very comfortable. It's called Freycinet Waters, Swansea and we are here for two nights. We came here to do the Freycinet National Park which the main attraction is Wineglass Bay. You have to climb very high and on a nice day get amazing views but after we were told how steep it is with very deep steps we now realise we can't do this re the knees which have got worst since I have been over here. Also the bad weather is coming in tomorrow heavy rain so wouldn't be worth even going to the National Park. Plan two,  would be to go over to Ross and Campbell town about an hour inland. I was hoping to get down there from Launceston but ran out of time. I am having trouble downloading my photos again tonight. My iPad keeps telling me I have no space on my importing page (from my IPhone) and I just can't work out how to delete on that page.  All it says is how to import but nothing for deleting .I have been beaten. 😖. It has let me do a few photos below but that's it so I guess there will be no more photos tomorrow.

Technology!!!!!!!!!!🤔

Guess what I have somehow got the rest of today's photos imported to my iPad (it is now the next Day 24th)

Waterfront at St Helens.

Binalong Bay, Bay of Fires.  Just about 10km north of St Helens on the East Coast where we arrived after crossing over from Launceston.
The orange colours in the rocks are quite vibrant.

Walkway down to the bay.

Binalong Bay.

Still no sun . But just imagine how white this sand would be and  how turquoise the the water would be with the sun shining on it. When the sun did come out a little further down the coast the water really changed colour.

Looking back the other end of the beach.



More of the boulders.

Just along near some more boulders we found this little boat harbour. Binalong beach in the background.



As we were driving down the East Coast. Couldn't really see much of the coast as there were so many trees between the road and beach.

There were just a few accesses to the beaches. And a lot of the coast has these lovely sandy beaches. Today was an easterly wind so they were pretty wild.

 We have now arrived at Bicheno to see the blowhole which was performing well in these rough windy easterlies.

We still got these boulders down at Bicheno. These were just next to the blow hole.

Still beside the blow hole. Who needs to go to St Helens to see them.......

Now approaching Swansea a lookout looking over to the Freycinet National Park way in the distance.

PT has just walked into the kitchen and said where is the dishwasher? This is the first place without one........ although we have been lucky and having a washing machine in all the places which is a big help when you don't have to do all your washing by hand like when you travel in Hotels. Well this is unfortunately my lot for tonight. Looks like I will have to down load the rest of the photos for the blog when I get home. Although I will still post tomorrow's blog as to what we decide to do. We have two nights here.

Good night!

Launceston....22nd March.

When we woke up today  we thought we were going to get one like yesterday but no the sun didn't come out at all . We had a walking day covering 11.8kms, a break from all the big driving days. Took off at 8.30am to do the walk of the city. A very quiet city after all the traffic we get at home at that time of the morning. After our town walk, we came back to the townhouse with 20 cooked prawns for lunch. Beautiful. Forgot to take a photo. We then took off again on foot to walk through th Cataract Gorge. Disappointed with the gloomy day as the colour in the gorge wasn't  going to come out as well without the sun and blue sky. But it was still an interesting walk. 

We actually have a wireless in the place. PT is in his element what with seeing an old bowser pump a few days ago as well.

Walked along the waterfront downtown of Launceston. They have made these board walks around the harbour front. We were wondering  where these boats would go to as the town is up River  nearly 50Km.

 

GPO

Town hall.

Mall

We now start the Cataract Gorge walk. Walking over the old bridge.

These are the walkways that have been built along the river bank. Looking back at the bridge, on the other side of the river the walkways go up a lot higher. The work that has gone into making these walkways is incredible.

Continuing on



Notice the big boulders. Massive.



This one shows you how big the boulders are along these walkways.

Looking down where the river narrows and looses its depth. No boats can come past this point.

Then it changes to this.

This is as far as we are going to walk, looking over to the footbridge which crosses the river at the point where they have made a very nice reserve area.

A close up showing the the reserve area where we will drive to after we walk back to our townhouse.

On our walk back PT tickling the dogs nose if you can use your imagination.

Nearly back to the old car bridge.

We went and got our car after spending the day mainly walking. And drove over the hill to the Cataract Reserve which I must say has been done very well. A nice place to be.

Now we get a closer look at the foot bridge you saw in the distance from our walk.

Same spot as above.

The above photo was taken from this small bridge which crosses over the river  further up from where we walked to. Amazing how narrow it goes at this point.

Standing on the bridge looking down over the small waterfall.

As the entrance above is such a narrow entrance it forms a lake area.

We came across this area called Penny Royal a bit of a fun area next to the old Cataract Gorge Bridge. The wire walkway up on the cliff is the start of the walk on the other side of the Gorge that we walked up. To steep for us.

 

The waterfall going down into the pond. A nice little area.

 Another look at this area.

The windmill...



We are now having our last night at Two Up On York which we have enjoyed very much. A lovely place to come home to after exploring the area each day. Above to show you we even had a great gas fire, as the evenings are a lot colder than home.

Tomorrow we leave to cross over to the East coast through St Helens then continuing down the Coa st to Swansea for two nights. Then we will have just about done the circuit of Tasmania. When we leave Swansea on Sunday to fly home we will have completed Hobart to Hobart. But after tonight we still have two nights at Swansea.