2nd FEB. 2011 - OUR FIRST DAY IN TASSIE !!!!!
Early morning wake up call at 5.45am to tell us that we were coming into Devonport and that first disembarking would commence at 6.30am. Then they divided us all up into groups, and yep ……… we were in the last lot off, and our van was the last off. We didn’t have to give the security our I.D. to pick up our butane cylinders because we were the only ones left, haha…. He just walked up with the bag they were in and handed it to us.
Had brekky (bacon,sausages, eggs,tomatoes,baked beans, toast (Michael), and I had an omelette and bacon, and a big pot of tea at a restaurant right at dockside.
Really old house now a restaurant in Devonport
Spirit of Tasmania through flyscreen in Tourist Bureau
Setting off to cycle around coastline Devonport
Back to square one once again
Drove to the Tourist info place and got a screed of maps and info, then jumped on our bikes (for first time in ages) and off we went, following Mersey River out to Bass Strait, and sticking to the coastline …… we road right out to extremities of Devonport, and headed back to the van to try and do as much of the North coast as possible in one day…… (of course, not allowing for longer stays in each place.) Weather turned yukky ---- drizzle and windy, which made the coastline look dull. I could imagine its beauty if it was sunny, but the high wind, meant also that I couldn’t have a cuppa, and I was hanging out for one ……
Windy and drizzling in Penguin, a pretty little town on the beach (with giant Penguin), and a lovely park with windmill and very friendly ducks, etc.
Windmill at park in PenguinMichael and the big Penguin at Penguin (the town)
beautiful roadside gardens in Penguin
more of these beautiful gardens alongside rail and road.
Nearly got myself run over... Michael yelled at me ''Get off the tracks...
a train is coming'' .... thought he was joking at first, but NO!!!
Drove on through Wynyard, which we intend to stop at on way back through, and on to Boat Harbour which is absolutely lovely, but dull windy day throws a damper on it.
Michael on top of the bluff at Boat HarbourLoz on the rocks around other side of Boat Harbour Beach
Set up for the night right on the opposite side to the pristine white beach, so our view was the rocky beach side which is nowhere near as pretty.
We went for a bike ride in the dark around Boat Harbour street beside the water, and there were little quokas hopping around on lawns.
Got to bed around 10.45pm, absolutely tired out, both of us.
THURSDAY 3rd FEB
Woke to beautiful sunshine and ocean right outside our van door (about a metre off the edge). Had brekky and packed up then went for wander along the beautiful white beach, and sat in the sand till noon.
Moved on to Stanley way over on North West coast, to visit ‘’The Nut’’, named by Matthew Flinders because he thought it was shaped like a Christmas cake (obviously a nutty one).
I wasn’t that keen on going to Stanley originally as I wanted to spend more time at Sisters Beach, but what a lovely surprise !!!! Absolutely beautifully restored old homes everywhere, full of history, and very picturesque. Had lunch at fish place (gave the lobster place a big miss !!!! ….. poor darling lobsters (or crayfish as known here) still alive. I wasn’t going to be directly responsible for their death, so had good old flake that was already dead.
After a wander around the burial ground, we headed for Sisters Beach at long last, and reached it via winding road through Rocky Cape national park.
Free camping there, and lots of campervans and caravans, so we are glad after all that we stayed at Boat Harbour last night….. but ….. the beach is wonderful….. white fine sand, crystal clear water again, and is very long and wide. Walked the whole length of it before heading back for cuppa, then set off for Wynyard for the night, via Table Cape , which was also beautiful – the lighthouse and tulip farm were a nice surprise. Wish we had seen the tulips when in full bloom…..
Continued on to Wynyard and bought stuff for dinner then booked ourselves into ‘’Beach Retreat’’ on Wynyard beach….. just a powered site so we could charge up my laptop and our phones, and video cameras, and of course, so we could have nice hot showers.
Michael is already in bed and I’m just finishing this off, sitting up in bed, so will send it and get some rest. (Going for early morning bike ride before setting off inland (heading South-West into the rugged stuff tomorrow). Will post more stuff again in couple of days….
Till then, love to all, take care of yourselves….. xxx
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