Almost done it

We have been busy the last few days and have just had no time for the blog and our usual updates.  We ended up staying at Cambridge for the extra night and spent the day firstly by going to Richmond.  Richmond has the claim to fame of having the oldest bridge in Australia.  Everyone who goes there, including us, tries to get the iconic image of the stone church appearing behind one of the arches of the bridge.  We actually didn't stay long there as we felt the place is too commercial and besides we feel that Ross, just down the road, is a far nicer town and more historic.
We headed off back towards Port Arthur again, this time to visit The Coalmines.  At one stage convicts worked down in the coal mines in what must have been one of the more cruel and barbaric places to have been sent.  Men worked 8 hour shifts down the mine digging coal and manually hauling it to the top of the pit - straight up.  They went down the mine shaft sitting on a bucket - about 45 metres straight down.  The mine was eventually closed down as the coal was of a very low standard.
Next day it rained so we packed up a very wet trailer and headed for what is described in all the publicity blurb as 'the sunniest place in Tasmania'.  They lied.  It bucketed down, so much so that when we arrived we could not get out of the car to set up so we had to go to the pub!!!! We eventually got set up but the rain kept up and then came the wind.  Great gusts of it, each stronger than the last.  It was a miserable night for us.  Next day it had not improved so we disappeared inland to escape the wind and rain and ended up in Campbell Town, another historic town.  It was a bit of a disappointment.
The Monday dawned bright in Coles Bay and the cruise to Wineglass Bay we had booked about a week before was able to go - their first trip is 4 days, the weather had been that bad.  It was a great ride round to Wineglass Bay, the seas were quite big, huge swell.  When we arrived in Wineglass Bay we were greeted by a pod of about 14 dolphins who had fun diving across our bow.  Wineglass Bay is such a romantic name but romance has nothing to do with it's naming.  Many years ago there were two whaling stations there and apparently when boats came around to enter the bay the water was blood red, it reminded the sailors and whalers of red wine.  Hence the name.
Next day the weather turned again and we headed inland again this time to the Evercreech NP to see the 'White Knights'.  The White Knights are of course huge trees up to 93 metres tall and are just the most magnificent trees.  We spent our last night at Coles Bay listening to the wind blowing and knowing that first thing in the morning we would be out of there - never to return.
So now we are back up on the north coast at Bridport, a pretty little holiday town.  We are right on the beach here, no rain, no wind.  Just paradise.  We did the St Helens, Bay of Fire yesterday and today we have visited a couple of local towns and the Bridestowe Lavender Farm.
Tomorrow night is our last night in Tasmania as we pack up on Sunday morning and head to Devonport to catch the Spirit of Tasmania back to Port Melbourne that evening.  We can't believe we have been here for 6 whole weeks.  We have seen so much and done so many fantastic things and taken a couple of photos along the way.  Tasmania is a great little place.
So thats it for now with the blog.  Stay tuned for our next adventure.

Port Arthur & Other Places

We have been here, there and everywhere over the last few days. On our last day at Huonville we headed down to the Tahune National Park where they have a gynormous sky walk through the forest canopy, at times we were about 40 metres above the ground.  It is a terrific way to see a forest, way up in the branches and looking down.  The sky walk takes about 30 minutes, after which we then did a proper walk which involved crossing the river twice using swinging suspension bridges.  All in all a great day out.
Next morning we packed up and moved north to Cambridge, which is about 30 minutes north of Hobart.  As much as we loved the Huon Valley, especially at this time of the year when the trees are losing their leaves and turning from green, through shades of yellow, then orange and finally to brown.  We don't get that seasonal change in Sydney so it was great to see the change, BUT, it is soooo cold down there in Huonville.  One morning we had ice on the car and the grass crunched under foot. So now, even though we are probably only 80 km north of Huonville we are about 5 degrees warmer.
Our first full day in Cambridge was spent in the trailer, watching movies and reading.  Mike picked up a bug and had the tummy wobbles.  But he chose a great day for it, as the heavens opened and it just rained all day, so we would not have been able to go out anywhere, it was way too wet.
Next day the sun shone and we took off early in the morning to go up the coast to Triabunna to do a day trip around Maria Island.  Maria Island was yet another convict settlement, which was only used for a couple of years before Port Arthur was established.
From the boat you really get to appreciate the geology of the island, the coast has some of the most fascinating rock formations you will be able to see anywhere. We did get off the boat at one point in time and did a short tour of the convict buildings that have survived on the island.  Yet another great day out for us.
Today we headed up the coast yet again, this time to Port Arthur.  Port Arthur needs absolutely no introductions to you, we all know its story and just about everyone has been there.  Unfortunately for Mike, who had never been before, the main prison area is now inaccessible as it is having major restoration work done to it.  There are high barricades all around it and you have to be up on the hill behind to look down on it, so that was a disappointment, but the rest of Port Arthur was terrific.
So that brings us up to now.  Not sure about tomorrow, we may stay another day as there are a few things still down here that we have not done, mainly Richmond, but the weather forecast is gloomy to say the least.  So we have the choice of staying here and getting soaked or moving further north and still getting soaked.  Only tomorrow when we wake up will we know what to do.