NORDLYS - Tasmania by car and foot

Tasmania by car and foot

NORDLYS

David and Annette Ridout

Wed 8 Feb 2006 08:32

Tasmania by car and a little bit by foot

Hobart

8th February 2006

While in Sydney the four of us, Annette, Stuart and Annabelle and I had booked to go on the 'Bay of Fires' walk on the 25th January. This started off by meeting up in what turned out to be a very fine country house just outside Launceston. Here at 0750hrs we were equipped with gortex jackets and large backpacks as necessary. The big snag of this exercise as far as Annette and I were concerned was that we had to carry all our needs, except tents and food, for four days. This with packed lunch and water for the first day weighed at least 30lbs or nearly 15kg. Our group consisted of nine plus two guides. A three hour bus trip through delightful scenery brought us to the coast on the NE corner of Tasmania. Our task for the day was then about nine km mostly along beach and sand dunes to an 'eco' hut. The sun shone, the wind was light, the scenery magnificent and after some four km disaster struck. Annette badly sprained her ankle.

There were three doctors amongst us and one of the guides was a nearly trained doctor. They stared in amazement as her ankle assumed tennis ball size very quickly. Walking on another five km or back four was not really an option. Eventually having climbed a nearby hill one of the guides made telephone contact and my poor wife was carried to the second nights eco hotel by 4wd. So eight of us plus guides spent the first night in a hut built behind the dunes. All food and drink plus gas was helicoptered into this hut each season. It had been very lucky in one way that Annette was not far from a 4wd track when the accident happened. The second day was 14km and it happened to be one of Tasmania's hottest days. The temperature must have been in the low 30s and there was no wind. Much of the beach was soft sand. Eventually we arrived at the 'eco hotel' to find a very cheerful Annette enjoying herself with the group that was a day ahead of us. Next day was mostly kayaking with some walking. The leaders very kindly arranged to transport Annette by 4wd so she could kayak the 6km down a river and out into an estuary with me. The following day the group walked 5km through the bush/woodland while Annette went again by 4wd. A three hour, again very scenic bus trip, brought us back to the country house of departure. Basically a very enjoyable four days over some virgin territory. Physically hard enough to make one feel something had been achieved without being absolutely shattering. I have to confess there were times when I craved a pavement and not soft sand.

The second and third nights in the 'eco hotel' were interesting. Basically put 'eco' in front of a holiday and it is an excuse to double the price. At least the cynic in me feels this. We pumped our water, used very sweet smelling compost loos and for some strange reason had no mirrors. Have you ever tried to shave or brush your hair without any mirror. For some strange reason as a teenager I used to imagine what it was like to be blind and tried to do so. This training came in handy. However the yachties amongst us were aghast at the over hot fridge room and the large number of helicoptered in gas cylinders used for the same. Efficiency was not a word that sprung to mind. The whole generator/solar/gas set up was a shambles. Having said that the young guides and hotel manager could not have worked harder or been more professionally proficient and helpful. I can only recommend the trip. We were also lucky in that our group consisted of charming and interesting people.

View from the first nights hut. Destination the eco hotel. Sited

about the very top left of this photo.

A night in the NW, a 200km car trip through wilderness and a very amusing ferry ride brought us to Strahan on Maquarie Harbour half way up/down the west coast. This harbour is twice the size of Sydney and used to be the main outlet for the wood and copper that was cut an mined here. The Gordon/Franklin river runs into this harbour as does the King river. The former is clean and beautiful even if denuded of Huon pine. The latter still bears the scars of 19th and early 20th century copper production. Huon pine is a remarkable wood. The straight trees grow in diameter by 1mm per year! Many that were felled were over 500 years old. The wood is light, good to work with and most importantly never rots. It is impregnated with the only natural oil that is heavier than water. Nowadays only the bits left by the original cutters is allowed to be collected. Lying on the ground, often in water, it is still in near perfect condition.

Last centuries mining and copper production techniques have poisoned

the hills surrounding Queenstown and the King river which flows from here to

Maquarie harbour. Another century at least will pass before this damage is overcome

The beautiful lower Gordon river some 8km below where we landed by plane.

This was to be the site of a huge dam. Much protest culminating in David Bellamy being imprisoned

for a few days in the 80s managed to get the project stopped for ever. The Huon pine may be gone

but regeneration is well underway and in another 500 years the new Huons will be huge!

We took a trip around the harbour and 8km up the Gordon river on a tour boat and then decided on a seaplane ride of 1 1/2 hours to see the higher reaches of the wilderness. This was quite an experience. There was a fairly low cloud base and some drizzle but every bend in the terrain showed something interesting. Half way through the pilot made what for me was an impossible approach into a winding ravine and landed on the river. Tying his craft to a dock we walked up a short distance to a waterfall and then took off again. We did not usually turn sharp corners while taking off in a 777. It took some getting used to! I was happy to sit in the right seat and let a real bush ace do his stuff although I have to admit I would have loved to have a go with no passangers bewhind me. The following pictures were taken in rain and no sunshine and have been thinned for transmission but will I hope give you some idea.

Not the usual view at 800ft above ground

lining up for finals! 300ft AGL.

touchdown.

For the aviators amongst you we took off further downstream around curves and got airborne by putting the flaps from 20 to landing (30) for a few seconds in order to bump the floats out of the water. As they went back to 20 she almost sank back onto the water.

Back through central Tasmania and down to the SE. Our final night was the most luxurious in a lovely old clapboard house built in the 1850s in the Huon valley. Finally we drove back through Lymington (Tasmania)! A small village of around twenty houses on a sheltered promontory in beautiful fruit growing country.

So ended a most enjoyable few days. Tasmania is undoubtedly one of the worlds loveliest corners and is in many ways yet to be discovered. Having said goodbye to 'the Troubadours' who left by plane back to their boat in Sydney, Annette and I are now readying ourselves for our dip into the wilderness of SW Tasmania and on to Kangaroo Island via the southern ocean. Watch this space! I would be a liar if I was not to admit there is a frisson of apprehension amongst us both.

Happy times

David and Annette

PS this is an extra for grandson George.