Wishing the caravan park manager all the best, we and our mates bid New Norfolk farewell at about 10am and head towards Hobart for a while before turning north over the bridge at Granton. Gary is heading direct to Swansea as they had toured some of this area yesterday, and we intend to go the scenic route via the old Richmond township. Richmond is famous for the Richmond Bridge built during 1823 to 1825, built by convict labour, it is the largest stone-span bridge in Australia. There is everything to like in Richmond, from the architecture featuring plenty of stone, brick and wrought iron, then the beautiful gardens both private and public, the tree-lined streets make for a movie set feel to place.
From Richmond we turn onto the Tasman Highway to the east coastal towns of Orford and Triabunna. We follow the very winding and fast running Prosser River for the last half of this leg before arriving at Orford where we stop for a quick lunch in the riverside park prepared by Evi. Sadly, as we head out of town a family stares at us then gives us the sign to “get out of here”, hardly required as we are leaving as soon as we physically can.
The road north is now scattered with many really top free-camps on the oceanfront, all of them with a chain across the access and signs saying “Closed due to CoVid”. The drive however is very scenic and often as we crest a headland offers views across a wide bade to Schouten Island and the Freycinet Peninsula. Soon we arrive at Swansea and follow Gary’s directions to the Swansea Holiday Park where we checkin and take a site near our mates. A 2 minute walk from the park and we are on the beachfront, and a walkway extends to the north around a low headland and then into town. The walk is interesting with the view to Freycinet, the clear still waters of the bay to the east, around a golf course which occupies the peninsula then into the main bay where Swansea sits. Once more we are saddened that a wonderful cliffside hotel and restaurant is closed, as well as most of the shops in the area.
We have one full day to kill here in Swansee so we decide that a drive to the village of Roscoe’s namesake, Ross, would be a nice touch. It’s about 100klm one-way and a very easy but varied drive with some mountains, high pastures, a drop into some lovely farmland as we approach a junction outside Campbell Town where we take the Midland Highway south to Ross. Like Richmond, Ross is a very historic town with wonderful wide tree-lined streets and old buildings and houses. It has obviously had a very rich past, and like Richmond, it boasts a beautiful stone bridge, the 3rd oldest in Australia, built by the same architect in 1836, worthy of a stop. Ross also boasts a bakery with the “best pies in Tassie”, so not to be missed we try another scallop and curry pie.
Leaving town on the 29th we farewell Gary and Jenny with whom we have had a great time and formed a firm friendship. They head toward the north coast then on the Spirit of Tassie tomorrow for the journey home. We swap several text messages over the next few days tracking each others journeys and celebrating our time together. We now head north to St Helens and have booked into the Caravan park where Phil and Julia await.
Australia. Dust, Fire, Flood & Pandemic 