6 weeks in Southern Tasmania
 

As some of you will already know I am a great fan of Tasmania and have been visiting there for my R&R for some years now. I went down this year at the beginning of July as I had not been there in mid-winter before so was ready for anything with my woollies, boots and all the trappings for cold weather.
We stayed the first part of the trip with my friend Pam who runs Matilda's of Ranelagh whilst we looked around for somewhere for a longer term stay. As always Pam's was lovely to stay at and a great place for orientation. By the way for those of you who get Australian TV her place is being shown on The Great Outdoors on channel 7 on the 9th October and 7.30 P.M Tasmanian time and I think that the Huon Valley is being showcased then as well.
I think really that there is a conspiracy in Tasmania and that most of their temperature reading equipment is adjusted down by 5 degrees celcius, if not more, as the weather was lovely and although at times was supposed to be cold, with no wind and sunny skies it was delightful actually. This must be because they do not want the mainlanders to think it actually has a much better climate than many parts of the mainland as they want to keep it for themselves!!!
After about 10 days we discovered a house on a small hill in Margate ( 15 mins south of Hobart overlooking the Channel waters to Bruny Island) with an award winning garden that was to die for and a lovely 180 deg view. We loved it so much that we have bought it and hopefully in a couple of months it will be a lovely little boutique Bed and Breakfast and we will name it "Waterview Gardens". Just hope that we can keep up the past good work of the previous gardeners and maintain the place.
Anyway whilst looking around we got to know the Southern end of Tassie very well and so I will write a report for those of you who are hoping to visit with perhaps a few things to see and do that are not that well known.
As I have said previously we stayed at Matilda's of Ranelagh in the Huon Valley for a week before buying our own place. I have said before that Matilda's is a lovely Victorian house build in about 1850 or so and was owned by the family of the biggest Apple Orchards in the district. It was visited by the Queen and Prince Philip and children, must have been in about 1960 or so, and Pam has restored it and put in many pieces of antique and period furniture. The rooms are beautifully decorated and the guest's lounge is what you would expect in a grand home of that nature. The gardens, house and Oast House are Heritage Listed and it is a living, working example of life in the Huon in the 1800's.
We did a few night drives for animal spotting and I think that we have just about found everything by now. There are so many little creatures that come out at night and the country roads in the Huon are really good places to see them. The Huon is a valley of sunshine and mists, of fruitful orchards and rich soil, of riverside settlements and towns on the forest fringe, the Huon is a valley of surprises. Here, you can savour the fine, fresh produce of the land and sea sweet summer berries, crisp autumn apples, full-flavoured wines, the mouth-filling flavours of salmon and shellfish.

Tucked away in quiet, creative corners you'll find the galleries and studios of artists and craftspeople, where beautiful things are made from paint, clay, glass and fragrant Huon pine.

Hub of the district is the busy, productive centre of Huonville, apple town on the banks of the river. Across the bridge, you'll follow the valley south to Franklin, where timber shavings curl from the boat-builders' planes, and traditionally-built craft tug at their moorings beyond the workshop.

South again brings you to the timber town of Geeveston, with its rich forest heritage of bushmen and pioneers, winning a hard living from the tall trees on the edge of the wilderness.
One of our trips from Huonville was west out past Judbury for about 28 klms which for about 20 of it is gravel but well graded to the Snowy Rivers Trout and Salmon Fishery. It was a lovely day and the fish are kept in large naturally formed ponds in the bush. Surely I can catch a farmed fish thought I but after speding a few hours lying on the grass just taking in the surrounds and having a nice time resting I had absolutely nothing so we left with a nice bought trout. They have areas there for a picnic and bbq and you can just a nice day in the middle of nowhere pitting your wits against those clever little fish who come up and eat your burley and smile and say g'day - at least to me anyway. From the Trout Farm you can take one of the timber roads through the back way to the Tahune Air Walk which is west of Geeveston. This place is really lovely and there are many walks around other than just the one above the forest.
In Geeveston there is a lovely co-op with crafts including beautiful things made from woods of Tasmania as big as bedroom suites or as small as a bottle stopper. It is away from the village a little and out on its own and for the life of me I cannot remember the name but will add that information when I finally get the brain working again . Another centre in Geeveston is Arts and Heritage centre which gives more information about the forests and timber of the region. Further down this area of Tasmania is the
Hartz Mountains National Park in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, offers easy return walks from 20 minutes through to 5 hours in an alpine region. (Appropriate foot-wear and clothing recommended.)
The Southern Forests offers you a wonderful experience in a working forest region, with a great variety of different style interpretation sites and short walks through varying types of rainforests.
The Hastings Caves and Thermal Pool complex is located approximately 60 minutes drive south of Geeveston. The thermal pool's spring-fed waters are remarkably constant at around 28 degrees - ideal for a relaxing dip. The surrounding forest also has a delightful nature trail; while the nearby caves have excellent guided tours.
End of part one:

Part 2
I will start with saying that I have actually found the information on the place in Geeveston which is great place to drop into - its "Southern Forest Furniture and Gallery" My favourite timber is Mertle because it is such a subtle pink colour but one of the most striking timbers is sassafras which is blond with dark brown colours through it. Very different from anything else.
If you take the road from Geeveston to Sturges Bay and around to Dover you go past some lovely little bays and tiny beaches which are so nice to stop off in for a picnic.
Dover is the centre of the abalone industry and other sea-food so if you cannot get some really fresh and good seafood there you won't get it anywhere.
Another lovely trip we did was on a boat from Hobart which followed the waterways, bays and beaches all down the south on the inside of Bruny Island to the bottom of Tasmania to Recsearch Bay ( sp??) where a French scientific expedition landed not too many years after Captain Cook and developed a lovely little settlement there. We dropped anchor in this small harbour for lunch and just savoured the quietness of the bay and the ruggered wilderness in the distance. For those interested, there are many areas of this wilderness that has not even been explored which to me makes it even more interesting. The end of the road is at this Bay here and the fishing is particularly good I am told ( we have heard that story before I think). The boat we were on only does this particular trip in the winter as it goes from Hobart to Port Arthur in the tourist season proper. I would think that taking this boat down to Port Arthur would be fantastic as you do get to see the strange formation of the cliffs en route and get an informative talk as well. That trip returns visitors by bus in the evening. So, getting back to my trip - following lunch we went south past the end of Tasmania and then across to the islands south of Bruny Island where there are Australian fur seal colonies. The boat gets reasonably up close to these animals and you do have a change to see them clearly.
On board was an Aboriginal who talked about the ways of the different tribes in the areas and you could talk to him on a one to one basis if you so wished. Also on board was a Geologist who also gave talks on the different land forms. The return journey goes around the eastern side of Bruny Island and each and every spot is mentioned. It was a lovely day out and lasted 9 hours and included lunch, morning and afternoon tea. We paid to sit up the top deck but that was a mistake as 1. downstairs you get a table in front of your chair and 2. all the people from downstairs get out on the walkways and decks and stand in front of the windows so that if you are sitting in your chair you see their back-side only which was my situation as I had not been well the previous week and did not want to walk around. Other than that the trip was excellant value and I would do it again with the above changes ( also the coffee bar is on the bottom deck which is better too.
There is another trip which is particularly nice from Hobart on the Peppermint Bay which leaves Hobart for Woodbridge for lunch as a lovely place called Peppermint Bay Hotel and the lunches are lovely there. If by any chance you are hungry when you get back to Hobart there is always the Drunken Admiral ( down on the wharves at Sullivan's Cove) or Fish Frenzy - also on the wharves which I think do the best fish and chips anywhere and other seafood, wine is also available by glass or bottle. I always try and find an excuse for going there for a meal. Try the Chili scallops or perhaps the three grilled fish with caesar salad or ask what they waiters suggest.
End of part 2/

Wow LizF! That's a wonderful endorsement for Tas - "Liked it so much we bought it" ... Good for you and good luck in the new venture. I alway enjoy reading your posts and hope this won't curtail your travels (LOL).
Cheers,
Bokhara :)

Thanks for this report, Liz. Trying to decide which activities to incorporate into our itinerary is a challenging experience!

Part 3/ Sorry this is a mish mash report but I am doing it when "Lord and Master" is not around wanting me to be a builder's/plumber's/gardener's apprentice.
The boat trip to Port Arthur takes 2.5 hours from Hobart and includes morning tea with talks by the skipper, entry to Port Arthur site, a guided walking tour and coach return to Hobart. It departs Hobart Wed, Fri and Sunday at 8AM returning 4pm. On the days that it is not running from Hobart it is doing cruises from Port Arthur like the Tasman Island Wilderness Cruise and other areas around that very southern point. The web site for these cruises is www.derwentrivercruises.com.au.
On my last trip to Tasmania I found a lovely little B&B just outside Port Arthur but for the life of me I cannot remember the name of it. I was right beside the water and looked really lovely and had little dormer windows up top so if someone else knows what the name is please let us know.
The Peninsular which includes the Huon Valley is one of the nicest drives you can find with little villages and pretty bays and beaches dotted everywhere. The roads that cross the peninsular are also lovely and one of them which goes from Woodbridge to Gardeners Bay is used for Targa Tasmania which is a car rally usually held each April around Tasmania. The little village of Kettering is where the ferry to Bruny Island leaves but I would really urge people who are wanting to see Bruny Island to do so with Adventure Tours as when I went I did not have a clue where to go or what was worth seeing and missed just about everything there is to offer as friends pointed out to me in no uncertain terms! Also there is a penguin rookery on the narrow spit between the North and South of the island but again you need the local knowledge to find them. For food in and around the Huon Valley there is an abundance of lovely places. Home Hill ( ??? not sure of the name but is easy to find out ) Winery in Ranelagh has a very good name for wonderful food and of course its wine but it is not open all week - Thursday onwards I think. At Franklin en route to Geeveston on that side of the river is Court of Petty Sessions which if it is still has the same chef as was working there when I went his deserts were to die for. In fact DH had three deserts as he just could not decide which one to have - and by the way he is a skinny little runt! The Franklin Pub too has some great meals at cheap prices. If you are up Kingston way - then the Hotel at Kingston Beach has great counter meals and it is right on the beach there which is nice and quiet. I also enjoyed the meals at Darcys Pub in Kingston, although I do not think the name Darcy is anywhere until you go into the meal area. It is near the Church with a peaked steeple and is painted white. If you are coming from Hobart via Taroona then you will go past it otherwise if you are coming from Hobart on the highway you then turn and go into Kingston and it is opposite the road which goes to the Civic Centre. The cost of a 3 course meal is usually the special of the day for about $16 or so and the is a discount for seniors as well. Great value and pretty good food too. In case you are wondering that is about $12 US.
When driving from Hobart as I said before you can either take the Sandy Bay road through Taroona to Kingston or the quicker way is via the highway which only takes about 10minutes to Kingston. However it you go via Sandy Bay there are a number of places advertising great meal offers along the road around Sandy Bay. It is a nice drive that way and follows the contours of the water. When you get closer to Kingston you may see a tall brick tower - this is an old shot tower and entry to this is quite interesting as it was where they used to make the shot or lead balls for guns etc.
In Huonville there is a boat parked near the bridge which serves seafood and which I have heard good reports about. While I was around that area my favourite place for sea-food called Little Bondi was closed and there is a for sale sign up on it - I don't know if it is a seasonal place and will open later or if it is permanently closed. The crayfish from there was amongst the best and cheapest around.
I have also discovered a number of wonderful pies which are available from all sorts of places, beef and burgandy pies, Chicken and Camenbert cheese, and of course the Tassie special of scallop pies. There are many other different ones but I have not got through them all yet.
While driving around the Huon Valley if you see an old fridge beside the road it will probably be selling fresh Apple Juice and have an honour box. Just try some of this apple juice and see the difference between it and the stuff you get from the Supermarket.
My next report will cover New Norfolk, Richmond, Bushy Park, Mt Field National Park and point around.

Bokhara: I hope to make some money from my B&B so I can in fact continue my travels throughout the World but at present I am looking at next March onwards for my next trip I think.
Also I intend to keep my prices for my B&B down to about $80US with discounts for cash and seniors ( cash saves all those bank fees and having to go into the bank all the time which is a pain) I am sick of this plastic World!

Oooops - as I write my neighbour but one is working on my upstairs rooms and he used to be a pilot with Par Avion Airways which is an air tour operator taking people to places in Tasmania and around Tasmania. For those who would like a trip into the Wilderness this is for you! Their website is http://www.airtasmania.com.au/tour.html
and I notice that there is an off peak special ( May to October) of flight, boat trip, lunch for $170 Au ( approx $120 US ) to Port Davey which is in the Heritage Wilderness region of Tasmania. They also fly people to Strahan if you don't have the time to drive but best of all for those intrepid travellers who would really like to experience the Wilderness for themselves they will fly you into Port Davey and you can hike the trails and they will pick you up days or weeks later. Of course this means that you need to have your own camping gear etc but this is a great chance to get to a place that few people have ever been.
Another suggestion from my neighbour is to either walk, ride a bike or ride a horse on the Tassie Trail which goes from the north of the State to the South. I will try and find more information about this particular activity a post it sometime for those who maybe interested in that.

The little B&B outside Port Arthur is probably Norfolk Bay Convict Station where the original wooden convict powered train ran from.
http://www.convictstation.com/

That's it! - thats the one Taswegian. It is in such a great spot I think but I have not stayed there.

I had intended to do a report on New Norfolk, Bushy Park, Mt Field National Park etc but unfortunately nature has taken charge and last week saw some damage to the roads in the alpine area of Mt Field National Park which means that I could not go through to the higher areas so this weekend we are going down to the Hartz Mountains area for some walking and R&R so will have to add that information into this instead of Mt Field. For those who still want to see the falls at Mt Field, they are still open as they are only a short walk from the car parking area. You will be assurred of seeing some little creatures such as tiny wallabies along this route even in the day time but if you time your trip early evening then there are many more about. The falls are lovely and the walk in very pretty as well. It is a temperate rain forest walk and the flora is quite lovely. A beautiful area of Tasmania even if you cannot get right through the whole park at present.