Day 3 and we are excited as we now start our long awaited Tassie odyssey as we explore this beautiful, quaint and compact State. A full tank of fuel, which will probably take us half way around this island State, full water tanks for a few nights free-camping on the northern coastline and we leave Devonport. We’re on the road again for a whole 40klm journey….with stops! Evi is delighted as our normal outback day is a +-200klm trip and once Roscoe reaches cruising speed, well we don’t stop without much complaining from the Skipper! In Tassie we learn to stop frequently to see any site of interest, view, even a falling leaf!
We begin on Highway 1 for about 12klm, boring! First stop is the Berry Patch at Turners Creek, off the Highway, across the overpass, and there are VW Kombi’s everywhere! From the first models onwards in varying states of repair or disrepair, every colour you could name, a parade passes us as we approach. The Tassie VW Kombi Club has had an overnight here and provides a great spectacle for an old surfer and ex-Kombi owner, Roscoe! Fortunately a few have not left yet so we have a quick walk through them before hitting the beautiful gardens and cafe. Too early for a meal, but morning tea consisting of two Piccolos and a Strawberry Tart seem just the thing on this bright sunny day!
Next stop is at Tasmanian Pickled Onions near Ulverstone, now that’s a far cry from the sweet berries that we just consumed. A quick stop to pickup jars of normal and chilli pickled onions to aid the indigestion!
We now depart H’way 1 at Ulverstone, driving straight thru to take the coast road to Penguin, actually just beyond to check out three highly rated free-campsites on the beaches. Like a miniature Great Ocean Road we wind, twist, turn and climb up steep cliffs and headlands and down to beaches and rocky coves. The water, crystal clear but an ever changing palette of colours from sand, rocky reefs and beds of seagrass. We come across the first camp so quickly that we are past the entrance so we continue past two and pull up at three having had a good look at the other two. All three camps have great views, but the first was reasonably empty and large, and that made our decision for us, back we go. We spend two nights camped beside a large tree with branches hanging to the ground giving plenty of wind shelter for the lazy westerly breeze. It really was very relaxed and pleasant.
In the afternoon we drive a few kilometres back to Penguin and walk the picturesque main street full of quirky shops, cafes and pub. Probably the best toy store full of locally handmade toys is here, and another with wonderful homewares much of which was also local and very rustic. The oceanside shops backs onto the main railway from Burnie Port which supplies so much product to northern and central Tassie. We found it amusing that whilst browsing a trains horn sounded so loudly then immediately the long cargo train appeared at their back door! Give Penguin and big tick!
(and a train track) at its back door
The nights are chilled and we’re glad to have our diesel heater each morning to take the edge off! Of course with the chill we find sleeping in to becoming a habit. Unlike normal we’re now getting up at 8:30am. Today we have a full day to fill and so have arranged with old friends Bruce and Judy Frith to meet them at The Makers Cafe in the Burnie Tourist Info Centre. But first we detour to Roscoe’s favourite Whiskey Distillery, Hellyers Road, in Burnie. We arrive at 10am, opening time so there’s no crowd. The Distillery is beautiful and includes an expansive and expensive restaurant….we would have loved lunch here, next time. Catching up with the Frith’s was great fun. We haven’t seen them for about 15 years though you wouldn’t have guessed as we chatted and laughed our way through the afternoon, ending with a walk along the beachfront and a few beers in their unit with harbour and beach views.
Australia. Dust, Fire, Flood & Pandemic 