Heading to Stanley, indeed, this will be another big day of travel, 95klm and an hour and a quarter according to Maps. We soon pass through Burnie once more, over a range of hills that cut the coastline, on the Bass Highway A2 but only for a short time. The coast is interesting smattered with bays and coves of white sands and clear water. We soon arrive at Doctors Rocks and the turnoff to Wynyard. We pull over on the shoreline for a short break and Greg and Jenny arrive as well. They have changed plans and are heading to Stanley as well, we’ll travel together.
Wynyard appears a pleasant town, quite substantial, however, we had decided to stay here on our return visit, so we turnoff to head west via Table Cape, an impressive large headland not far from Wynyard. The road becomes steep, and for a short time quite winding as we climb to the cliff front summit. The view is magnificent, rolling pastures, valleys, beaches and ocean.
We roll along another half hour on the A2 and arrive in Stanley about 1pm. Driving north along a narrow isthmus to the peninsula, you cannot be but awed by “The Nut”, a massive lump of rock with Stanley nestled quietly on its flanks in the weather lee. There is a small caravan park on the waterfront of the town, but we opt for the campground provided by the Golf Club about a 10 minute walk from the town centre. It’s just a paddock, but supplies water and has toilet dump facilities. There’s a decent gap in the lineup that allows both vans to park next to each other.
Gary and Jenny are likeminded people and we don’t do everything together, most days we go our own way, getting together for afternoon drinks and sometimes dinner. So, once we setup camp we head into town to explore, and so do they from a different angle. We have a mind to a seafood lunch, and what do you know, there’s Hursey Seafoods Restaurant right on the harbour. A feed of calamari and a seafood pizza along with a bottle of Tasmanian Riesling does the trick. CoVid 19 is in the news and has affected tourist numbers already, so Stanley, and Hursey’s is pretty quiet. Our late lunch is followed by a drive around Stanley (5 minutes), then a walk down the charming main road, Church Street, which is really reminiscent of an English fishing village with its mix of quaint timber and the more solid rock and brick structures. The pub looks very inviting, as do several shops. The Post Office has a cute corner devoted to R.M. Williams apparel, entrepreneurship at its best. A cafe catches our eye , Moby Dicks Breakfast Bar, highly rated on TripAdvisor, open from 7:30am till, but not including, lunch. We determine to have breakfast here tomorrow!
Moby Dicks, and here we are by 8am ready for a hearty breakfast, and we’re not disappointed. The waiter is a charming young bloke, service prompt and friendly. All the old favourites are on the menu from Bacon and eggs to waffles with strawberry and ice cream. It is not till later in the day that Roscoe phones his mother and she says “I think that your cousin Barry owns Moby’s”! Really! Roscoe hasn’t seen Barry for over 40 years, so next morning we call in again and ask the young waiter if Barry is here, turns out that this young man is Barry’s Grandson, the chefs his daughter and son-in-law. And, Barry and Colleen live downstairs, a knock on their door and we have a very happy meeting and spend several hours with these guys.
Barry has lived here for decades, part of the local flavour, and we soon learn they own a second restaurant, Sealers Cove, a Pizzeria and Pasta outlet. They took us for a stroll uptown and downtown to visit Sealers which is currently closed. What a charming place, warm, cozy with a vast Pizza menu! Wish we could have sampled Barry’s fare.
Today the weather is really fine, almost warm except for an occasionally blustery wind which just refuses to go around you. We head off to do the Tarkine Drive which is an interesting 180klm roundtrip. Leaving Stanley we head west to Smithton, the largest town in this north western region. The roads are quiet as we travel through rich farmland full of cattle, passing through Smithton, we are soon at Marrawah on the west coast. We stop at West Point Reserve which is the Tasmania’s westernmost point. Then on to Arthur River which is a noted caravaners destination with many free-camps as well as paid National Park campsites.
Today we check out several of these camps but with rain and windy days are predicted we decide to can that idea. Arthur River could hardly be called a town, more like a collection of huts and shacks with a few houses and of course a pub thrown in, The river is wide and winds through very hilly country before entering the Indian Ocean in a very confused passage cluttered with large tree trunks washed down from the rugged landscape. We cross the narrow bridge to the southern side and take a short walk to a rocky bluff, Gardiner Point, overlooking the river outlet into the Indian Ocean. The offshore wind is fierce and cold, the waves throwing a fan of spray as it crashes onto this wild and remote coastline….we don’t dally long!
Here is what’s called “The Edge of The World”. It’s an area noted to be one of the cleanest air in the world (deep breath). Sailing west from here you would not hit land until you arrived in Argentina, missing South Africa which lies to the north!
Heading south through Wuthering Heights Plain (so many places with the names from Old Blighty) we parallel the coast and pass several turnoffs to small holiday settlements on the coast. We turn into one driving the 2klm to the beach where we find a typical row of 6 to 10 holiday shacks clustered along a sand-dune and always near small protected boat ramp with a small mooring area. Very pretty and rustic, not to mention wild and untamed.
About 30klm south of Arthur River we now turn east at Couta Rocks to follow a loop back to Smithton through mainly Conservation areas, an area well known for it’s many rivers, lakes, lookouts and bush-walks. First up is the Frankland River, a deep and wide river of spectacular beauty where we stop briefly for photos. Then onto Julius River where a short walk takes you to a viewing platform with the river well below that winds into the distant hills. Nearby is a really nice walk along a boardwalk above a crystal clear creek, then over a hilltop covered with beautiful ferns and tall trees, like being thrown back in time. Next stop is to a 30 minute walk down to a large sinkhole lake, Lake Chisholm, where we continue through ancient surrounds till we come to the almost round lake with an unruffled mirror-like surface.
The last stop is Trowutta Arch and it is the most spectacular. It formed when two sinkholes collapsed. One is full of rubble but you can walk through the arch to see the far one which is full of water. It’s a stunning place full of moss and ferns.
The loop we have done through Smithton, Arthur River, and through the different Reserves has been a full day, yet no more than 180klms in length. There was so much to see, and had the weather been more co-operative we would have spent several days in this remote, rugged and beautiful north West corner of Tasmania.
Thinking the weather was turning nasty we stayed a few extra days in Stanley, and were not sorry to do so as there was enough to do, including exploring The Nut. This mini Uluru is pretty spectacular, especially when viewed from the carpark at the very bottom looking up the incredibly steep path. Fortunately, for Roscoe, Evi still has the remnants of her cold and SHE suggested that we take an ancient chairlift to the summit then walk the circumnavigating pathway finishing with a steep walk down. Fortunately for Roscoe? Who has a fear of heights! The chairlift must be circa 1960’s, a 2 person affair with timber slate seats, no footrest and open to the brisk wind. An eyes closed affair for many!
The view from the summit is amazing, though not 360º due to the size of the plateau, there are many lookouts which the track visits along the path. The flora is diversified and amazing in its varied small ecosystems depending upon exposure to the weather. We just loved it, though the path down was probably the steepest prepared path we have ever seen. Your toes hurt by the bottom as your feet pushed forward in your boots.
That evening we took a drive up Hills Road to the west of town to view the sunset and a marvellous view over Stanley, we even got in a framed selfie by resting the iPhone on a stand provided. The Irish green pastures contrasting with the changing sky, rock and ocean tableau of colours changing from full daylight to softly diminishing in the late dusk was very worth both the drive and the very cold wind.
During the past few days our friends of BlazeAid at Cobargo, Phil and Julia, have arrived to join our group of intrepid travellers. They did a lot of walking and sightseeing to catch up so we mainly saw them for afternoon drinks and dinner. By this time CoVid restrictions were still at the suggested “no handshakes or hugs” with which to caravan community had no problems implementing. The three couples only had one meal out and that was at the Stanley Hotel where they have a really cosy public bar, more like an English Pub with armchairs and a big fireplace, but out back is a particularly large restaurant with a big deck overlooking the ocean. Food was good, company great and the conversation lively with only minimal mention of CoVid-19, yet!
We have loved our time in Stanley as it sets a benchmark for what Tassie has to offer…plenty, and all with minimal travel required. One last attraction we called into was “Highfield House”, a farm complex built by the Van Diemen’s Company using convict labor in the 1830’s. So much of the original complex is still standing and much has been restored. We spent several hours touring the magnificent main house and its numerous outbuildings. There are detailed stories on the walls of the many people who lived and worked here, major events and details of daily life. A must do in Stanley.
Australia. Dust, Fire, Flood & Pandemic 