17th & 18th Feb - Great Lakes & Deloraine

THURSDAY 17^TH  FEB -   ARTHURS’ LAKE  (Great Lakes District)

Had latish brekky at our Sunset Beach cabin and yak to the owner, then headed off back to Richmond to pick up my video camera.  The policeman there had taken it around to the lady ‘Sue’ s home (we had been yakking to her in her shop at Richmond 4 days ago)…. However, she wasn’t going in to work that day, but brought my camera back there for me ….. Gee, there are some lovely people over here …. Nothing is too much trouble.

We went from there to Sorell, then on towards the Great Lakes (inland)

Arthur's Lake, our campsite 17th

 

Michael on his bike after dinner, down at the boat ramp and Pump house.....

Me at edge of Arthur's Lake around 7pm

Camped at Arthurs’ Lake…. Was amazed at how many vans and tents were there !!!! This is pretty wild country but evidently world famous because of all the trout.   The lakes are treacherous and many lives lost because of the freezing water and the sudden mists that roll in (as they did while we were there…. One minute kms across the lake, and less than two minutes, completely fogging the camp site where we set up.  Friendly ‘’neighbours’’- seems like everyone makes friends with each other as if old buddies.

from our campsite looking into the heavy mist across the lake.

FEB 18^TH  -  GREAT LAKES,  DELORAINE, & GOWRIE PARK WILDERNESS

After a late brekky there, we headed off for The Great Lake itself and couldn’t believe the hill billy country -  crappy ramshackle houses in the tiny villages sparsely interspersed in the crappy terrain, non-productive wasteland (I would call it)…… I know it’s just a big high plateau, but after such lovely old homes and beautiful forests and fertile valleys, this crap rocky, swampy, heath-type country, was a depressing surprise……

Leaving the Lakes District behind on our way to Deloraine.

we were so happy to leave it behind as we headed back into the wilderness and high rugged mountains again as we neared Deloraine, which is a beautiful suburb or Town.

 

Statue of a famous local champion ourside the visitor's cente

Very quaint B&B place with Laurel & Hardy on the front verandah, Deloraine ....hahaha

We had lunch down at a lovely park with lots and lots of ducks, but sadly, , within half and hour of us videoing the bubby ducks with their mummy, this guy came along with his 4 dogs, and even though I jumped on my bike and rode up to where he was screaming at his bloody dogs, 3 baby ducklings were gone !!!!  I found one little bloodied body, 2 still missing, and I could hear the frantic shrill peeping of one other, but couldn’t find it. The mother went ‘’bush’’ with her surviving little bubs.  I was bloody ropable and Michael really upset, but too late ….. I had a gut feeling all along that those bloody dogs would get the ducks, but the guy kept telling me (before it happened) ‘’Nah, my dogs won’t touch ‘em’’

Feeding the 'mob' when we had our lunch Deloraine park before our bike ride

 Mummy duck and bubbies - 8 of them ..... half and hour later it was only 5 of them  (bloody dog attack) ...............!!!!!! grrrrrrrr......

ichael standing under a MASSIVE pine tree in Deloraine

After we left there, we drove all the way to Gowrie Park Wilderness Village, which is situated under the impressive craggy mountains, which are looming up in front of us under a veil of mist.   We’ve just had nice hot showers and I’m sitting up in bed (in the van) typing this, while Michael sleeps.

Heavy mist hangs over the craggy mtn behind our campsite here at Gowrie Park Wilderness village

Tomorrow’s plans are to visit Sheffield with all it’s wonderful street murals, etc and maybe stay  at Latrobe or Devonport itself  that night,  as we have to be at the wharf at 6.30 am the next morning.  If I get a chance from wherever we stay, I might try and do a final blog, or maybe even on the ship perhaps ……

But in the meantime, hope  some of you enjoyed our pics and some of our travels. x x x x x