Corinna and the vast Tarkine wilderness

Awoke to a lovely morning as we decided to take the whole day out and head down into the Tarkine wilderness area towards Corinna and see what the area brings.
Once again bak through the rolling hills taking a different route towards Waratah with amazing old mines waterfalls and park areas but unfortunately the tin mine walk was shut so only time for waterfall views and photos and onwards past the current mining town of Savage river where iron ore is mined and shipped 80 or so Kms down a conveyer tunnel to Port latta on the coast.
The Tarmac is soon swapped for graded soft white chalky dirt for the next 38 Kms as we drive some of the most isolated parts of the island with very view detours even able to be taken as many were shut to either mining land or bureaucratic knobs .
Corinna was down down down many slow winding Kms through so new rd areas owing to mine development and across some flooded Bridgeways .
Corinna my beautifuls wife's namesake is such a peaceful little town it's hard to believe how the pioneers began mining the town for the elusive gold still evident here today , however it stands as a bit of of a environment zone nowadays with. Cruises walks fishing and of course the Arthur river ferry to help overcome the obstacle of the river towards Zeehan.
We wished we could of stayed the night however we had no bedding and little food supplies to do so .
A walk up telegraph hill was taken behind the historic old building s beside waterlogged creek beds were burrowing crayfish dwelled with their large yabby like bodies and tiny tails.
A cold beverage at the hotel was on the cards then lunch amongst the March flies and wasps out on the river lookout which proved next to impossible as we still hadn't packed in a chopping board or utensils to make our salad rolls yet again :( ( slow learners).
After lunch a short walk along the river showing a boat being launched for some pleasure seekers and nearby a spot where the logging boats were moored in old times, then a interpretive walk where signs explained the variety of sassafras , huon pine Blackwood and myrtle in the region.
The burrowing crayfish mounds were everywhere the eyes could see.
Back upwards along the Wilderness Explorer rd we ventured further west into the Tarkine Wilderness expanse and passed only ones vehicle along the hole afternoon.
Very few turn offs along this route up towards Balfour and Arthur river ,also permits were requires for most 4 wd activities in this area ,I want so keen doing this alone at this stage as I have heard of locals being very bogged due to the water content on many of this area's tracks as seen in the Marrawah hotel .
Many Kms upwards there was nothing but solitary isolated land which would be absolutely awesome to walk along with much like our high country in Victoria above the tree line stunted shrubs and misty hilltops made for a surreal "lord of the rings " type zone.
Balfour track cross rds reached late afternoon we soon took a side trip to Kouta rocks fishing village to a very violent windy coastline that makes this area so well known for rough seas, logging and of course fishing.
We took time out in the strong winds for some photos and a gander at the village and slipways to shelter old boats.
One old 2 story flashed up cottage stood out here with its own slipway and large expensive looking boat was moored nearby ,which as it turned out was the owner of the very first abalone license granted in Tasmania ,so therefore once he sold off a few of these and contracted several others he had turned a very tidy profit.
The edge of the world was nearby so we turned off here at Arthur River to the viewing platform and was simply amazed at the amount of logs in the river mouth and heads some due to many logging barges and ships being smashed to pieces in the heads and on the many large rocks on a swelling stormy sea.
Over the Arthur River Brudge high above the water line on a single lane bridge which scared the shit out of the mrs yet didn't seem to worry a teenager who jumped many metres down onto the water below even on this stormy yet still warm afternoon.
A quick gander at the nearby campgrounds we made for Marrawah and its newly built tavern,a lovely place to stop for tea and some cold wet refreshments .
Be warned the meals here are well priced and massive hearty affairs so you may well want an entree size if you aren't a log cutting ,trawling local!
The pub was friendly and amass with photos of the area past and preset some with four wheel drives bogged to the bonnet and others with tractors and earth overs moving dead stranded sperm whales off the beach.
Tea done we headed back down the Bass hwy towards south raina and the camper and passed the tarkine wilderness adventure park which was shut but got us keen on returning .

Doing ya Nut !

Roughly 2 am Ej awoke on the inside bed screaming after spewing in his sleep all over his Doona and part of the bed this was brought on very quickly ,holding my vomit back only just I jumped out of bed to help him but was driven back by both my own hurling churning guts and the vile smell of vomit in the van so momma bear came to our rescue with buckets and wipes !.
Sheets and pillow cases were changed and bedding area tidied and tried to get back to bed on my sick stomach ,the chicken it would appear may have been the culprit although I did notice some out of date cheese at the Makers Workshop I hope it wasn't ours !.
Only an hour into the next troubled slumber dash man awoke mumbling loudly so we lurched from bed with another bucket ready for him and saved the sheets from any mess.
Minutes later was driving the plastic bucket bus towards the known ending!
This type of shit we really didn't need and I believe it may have been either the chicken or cross contamination of chicken ,not good considering my experience in the kitchen .
Morning brought a slow awakening but still for EJ and I sore bellies so a average non enthused start.
After most of the family having brekky except myself I really couldn't be bothered doing anything today however after some searching found the energy to struggle on.
Stanley and further down the north west coast was he order of the day.
We pulled over to check out the Cape lighthouse the only working lighthouse still open to public tours .
This light house was unusual in its Victorian red brick design rounded and with wrought iron staircase so we were told once we began the tour .
Times were tough when this was built obviously as we read the signboard explaining the over engineered design and how families coped with coastal conditions in early times ,such as how one of the lighthouse keepers boys fell to his death whilst having fun rolling rocks over the edge to the sea below .
Corinna and I are both not fans of height but the stairs are solid as was the building so stepping out on the top viewing platform was pretty good but still quite daunting ,certainly the views we achieved were well worth it.
Back on the rd again we lunched at Wynard bakery and on towards Stanley with a few geocache side trips.
The chairlift beckoned us as we contemplated walking up to "the nut" proper ,this wasn't an easy task in my uneasy state and Ej was showing signs of sickness as well.
One way tickets were purchased and we made our way to the top on the chairlift and soon reached the top easily with with no big side winds despite the slightly windy gloomy afternoon.
we headed off on our 2km interpretive walk around the nut with many lookouts surrounding the mount some out to sea ,across the land and down to the fishing port below with one trawler an awesome Cadbury purple colour.
Many pictures were taken of the wildlife we encountered such as burrowing echidna's ,Bennett's wallabies and pademelons and wild birds around us.
Walk finished we headed down the steep and treacherous pathway to below ,dash continually discussed if I could ride down this (course! I replied).
Weary from the walk we revived ourselves with ice cream and drinks at the chicks ate shop in town.
The drive home back down the Bass hwy to Pioneer Park to a well earned slumber .

exploring the north west part 2

Still more overnight rain so Ej was brought inside to escape the rain running under the camper into our annexe , not soaking but it would wet his Doona if it slipped off his stretcher.
Morning ritual completed it was discussed we needed to do some washing in Burnie the nearest laundromat town and some exploring down that way.
taking a back road into Burnie via Natone we came across a lovely spot called Guide Falls where there was a fair amount of water going over the falls to the river below .
the kids and I walked the track down the side of the falls down to the river and alongside to the rest area a few hundred metres downstream.
This part of Tasmania profess's to be lacking rain however I seen many full dams waterways and an abundance of green pastures which to me beggars disbelief however compared to annual rainfall here there may well be near drought conditions for this area!
Lunch was looking good of chicken schnitzel sangas on the BBQ ,but someone forgot to pack the lifters,tongs or oil to cook on also knives to butter the rolls, we haven't had our cruiser long enough to remember how we used to pack our drawers for roadside food stops but we vowed to stop soon to rectify that situation :(
Washing done and dried we topped on food supplies for the next few days (oh and the local bevy cascade pale !)
The weather still dreary n wet we walked around town and had lunch at the Burnie Makers Workshop trying local cheeses and foods as well as picking up some tourist info and guide books for our walks then headed back to South Riana and our camper for tea.
Once back at the camper the schnitzel sangas were cooked for tea whilst the kids started on their journals to appease their distance education teachers .
Tea was scoffed down all hungry mouths satisfied unbeknownst what the night would bring !

Exploring the north west of Tasmania

Awoke to a slightly drizzly morning at Pioneer Park in south Riana after a pretty constant light rain most of the night.
We had been thinking of The Gunns Plain to look at some walks and caves in the area with a possible visit to Wings wildlife park if time permitted.
Having power and showers here made the job of waking up to get ready much easier breakfast and the coffee part of the morning ritual over we headed off to the ablutions where they use a coin /timer solenoid system to give you hot water (5 mins at time !).
all clean and fed we head off to the Gunns Plain cave only a short 20 minute drive through some beautiful rolling farmland hills mainly growing crops of potatoes and part of Tasmania's 90% of the worlds poppy production for the medical industry (morphine and the like).
We pulled into the car park at the caves where there was only a few other cars ,as we walked down the stairs to the entrance I couldn't see anybody nearby but I could hear some voices below ,one of which belonged to Geoff "the foodie " our tour guide who had just begun a tour but ran back up the long flight of stairs to greet us .
Having paid the admission fee for us we donned jumpers as it was only 11 degrees below and headed down the very steep flight of 40 or so steps to join the other waiting couple .
This cave system was found just over a hundred years ago when a Scottish fellow was trying to either save a possum from falling into a hole above or trying to collect his skin for the small bounty that was then available .
Whilst walking around 50 or so metres below the hillside you are always looking at strange stalactites and stalagmites forming columns and strange formations of cauliflower and cheese sauce, mushrooms, bacon, Geoff's aunties lumpy custard ,mashed potato , marshmallows and the Wedding cake ,(see why he is the foodie!)
The kids were in charge at various times to hit the led floodlights and lighting while ensuring no one hid their head or got lost.
Back on the surface after seeing no platypus or large freshwater lobster we viewed some photos of both and was amazed that the lobster can grow to a metre long !.
Back in the car and veered off to head back up hill towards Levin canyon with a quick stop at the beautiful Preston falls which was flowing slowly but still picturesque .
More light drizzle persisted as we arrived at the well appointed Leven Canyon park.
Camera packed we began walking uphill towers the first lookout along the way overlooking Leven river a long drop below and across to the bluff resembling a long slide into to canyon below.
There is a signboard near hear explaining when it was declared a park and also of the man and his team who battled bad weather heat and snow to build the 697 steps to the walkway below towards the fern glade and lower lookout below.
Time or a quick drink and bite to help ease the hunger of a fairly strenuous walk then point towards Penguin for some supplies for our tea of Tikka masala beef and rice with mango chutney
All in all it had been a fairly busy day and we slept well.

Hidden horrors

The morning as promised brought fresh revived spirits for all so we forked over the extra $40 for the on site van that we used for the night .
We went about the usual ritual of coffee (always first!) then breakfast showers and packed up and headed off to our first port of call a camper/caravan repair shop two blocks from the park , but they really specialised in canvas and couldn't look at our van till after lunch so we did some ringing around and drove on to Ulverstone a short trip down the bass with two hopefuls in mind ,the first a relatively new place couldn't fit us in to even look at it till 130 so we tried the other a camper/motor home converter several blocks away with little luck there but a good yarn none the less who were also customers of Island batteries (R & J Batteries) ,but they pointed me in the right direction of penguin , home of the famed Penguin campers and Island composites who make the fibreglass shells of a very well known off rd camper!
After a brief chat with the counter staff then a handy van mechanic our van was able to be looked at straight away to work out our issues ,which we hoped would be simple and straight forward.
Off we drove with several hours to kill so a quick stopover in Penguin for supplies and a gander at this pretty little town then on to Burnie a mere minutes down the rd on the Bass highway.
A little bit of retail therapy was in order as the boys needed some shoes and the princess a raincoat to cope with this type of weather which was impending .
We received the dreadful news and after some calls back and forth a quote to repair which I of course baulked at but upon returning to view the damage I came to understand.
The whole rear tracks of the camper were rusted and beyond repair , whilst I knew the van had been to Birdsville before I couldn't believe the dirt that accumulated behind the rear cable area due to the owners obviously not using there pressure hatch and poor dust proofing but alas it was too late for this now so we ordered the new springs and tacks to fix the job and the mechanic assured me that the area would be thoroughly cleaned and all sealed upon completion.
So now the waiting game of spares delivery from the mainland ,I was hoping 2 days tops so we headed to Pioneer Park nearby in South Riana a delightful little spot 10 minutes up the rd that had nice cheap powered sites to spend the next few days in our van held up with poles wood and cable ties .

Arrival

Well shortly after Casablanca of which we watched a good portion between lolly stops and viewing breaks we looked outside to see the passing of the spirit of Tasmania heading back o Melbourne ( like ships passing silently past in the night,only in the day lol!)
The captain announced land was viewable and soon we would be able to head to our vehicles.
So we soon headed back down to the voyage forbidden garage deck 5 for the prep to depart for the isle .
1 hour later and a quick laugh with quarantine about my lack of recent fishing we were on devonport roads and quickly noticed how crap us vic are at driving!!!! Accident 2 blocks away I reckon the little corolla was a write of (failed to give way!)
It was decided we would do a drive by Coles beach free camp rose if it was suitable as it was already 730 pm and we were tired and hungry from the early start.
Coles bay was pretty much just a car park with good views so we heaee onwards to stay in Mersey bluff caravan park close by.
Fees paid and finally decided which way the camper should park we wound the camper up for the first time on the isle only to discover in our fatigued state as we wound a clip was attached and once undid the rear roadside leg refused to wind ( wtf!!!!!)
Frayed tired nerves didn't help the situation like a first time camper , so we booked a nearby on site van to regroup in the morning to evaluate our state.

Aboard the good ship Spirit of Tasmania 2

Leigh kernaghan and miley Cyrus tunes awoke us from a brief slumber this morning,not a person to trust an alarm clock or iPad we set two different alarms to be sure .
Omg haven't done an early start like this for many a day!
0420 hours isn't really my hour unless it was an extremely late night but first things first kettle on for the wake up call (really missing the coffee machine ATM!)
Kids fed and dressed then its into the awaiting car a d van on our way to an overcast Melbourne city and an anxious wait at station pier while security have our car and van the once over .
Within the hour we were aboard and fighting for a seat as it was only a day seat we booked to try to save some needed funds .
On board Shahla became a local celebrity on Ronald the Rat the creature talk puppet which kept the kids and adults entertained who proceeded to ask princess Shahla if Australia should be called "skippy land" which resulted in many calls of "Allan Allan Allan "
Thanks Alfie for her insight into our native fauna via animal antics ,lmfao.
A quick video and puppet show later we find ourselves tired and weary wondering "are we there yet.?
Now to watch an old classic of Casablanca or maybe just get forty winks somewhere darker.