Hobart

 We left New Norfolk at 10 AM and headed toward Cambridge. To avoid the heavier traffic on the southern side of the River Derwent, which flows directly into Hobart, we chose to travel along the northern side. Our destination was the Barilla Holiday Park.

We chose this park because it is located approximately thirteen kilometres from Hobart. There is a bus stop directly outside the park; however, we expected more options on the bus timetable, especially on weekends.

 

Since the weekend bus schedule was irregular, we decided to use Uber for our transportation for the first time. After downloading the app, I was surprised by how easy it was to schedule trips in advance. We used Uber on Saturday to attend the Salamanca Market and again on another day to catch the ferry to the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA).

One day, we decided to use the red double-decker bus, which offers a hop-on, hop-off service to all the main attractions in Hobart. As a driver, I often miss out on the sights, so enjoying the various landmarks around Hobart and its surroundings was refreshing without the stress of navigating through traffic.

We enjoyed lunch and a few beers at the Cascade Brewery.

The bell in this photo at the Cascade Brewery was rung at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., and 3 p.m. to signal that workers could take a 15-minute break to drink beer during their shift. This practice reportedly began to deter beer theft by convicts working at the brewery. 

The bell remains an important part of the brewery's culture. The 4 p.m. bell on Fridays signals the end of the work week and the start of "beer o'clock" for employees.

The abundance of sandstone underlying Hobart has been extensively quarried for private and public buildings.

We also caught an UBER into Hobart on Saturday to attend the Salamanca Markets.

Ingle Hall, built in 1814, is reputed to be the oldest surviving building in Hobart and possibly Tasmania. 

We did not make the trip to the summit of Mount Wellington because it was continually shrouded in clouds during our days in Hobart.

New Norfolk beside the River Derwent

Dinner on our last night at Mount Field National Park was pizza cooked on our gas COBB.

With two days to spare before heading to Hobart, we camped in Lawitta, located on the outskirts of New Norfolk. New Norfolk was founded in 1807 and is Tasmania's third-oldest settlement. Like many other towns, its central area was developed using convict labour.

During our brief stay at Lawitta, we discovered Attitude Place on Wiki Camps, which offered a rate of $15 per night.

On our first day, we enjoyed lunch at The Bush Inn. My Porterhouse Steak was very tender and well cooked, and Ros enjoyed her Guinness and Beef Potpie.

During our visit, we wanted to check out the New Norfolk Distillery, famous for its various rum flavours. Ros was the taster, while I could not partake due to my National Heavy Vehicle Licence.

Additionally, we planned to see Derwent Estate, a heritage-listed cottage built in 1820 that now serves as a cellar door. The cool climate in this region allows for the production of lighter varieties of wine grapes, including Pinot Gris, Vintage Sparkling Wine, and Pinot Noir.

Hops were planted in this area in 1867, thanks to its fertile soils and the River Derwent and Styx River confluence. As I write this entry, it's now harvesting time for Hops.

The Salmon Ponds Hatchery and Gardens are just ten minutes from New Norfolk in the Derwent Valley. Visitors can purchase containers of pellets to feed the trout; however, the ducks tend to consume most of the pellets since the trout are already well-fed.

The separate ponds contain Rainbow Trout, Tiger Trout, Albino Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, and Atlantic Salmon. Photographing these fish was challenging, except for the albino ones. Unfortunately, someone forgot to bring their Nikon camera with the polarizing filter, which would have improved the quality of the photos.

Mount Field National Park and surrounds

We left Bothwell at 8:45 this morning, Thursday, 6th March, and headed for Mount Field National Park. We were unaware that it was a long weekend in Tasmania, so when we arrived just before 10 a.m., all the powered sites were already taken. Fortunately, we arrived early enough to secure the last unpowered site, which provided enough sunlight among the trees for our solar panels.

At the visitor center, we asked for information about the Three Falls Walk, which features Russell Falls:

Horseshoe Falls: 

Lady Barron Falls:

And the Tall Trees Walk. The trail includes 440 steps, and some steeper sections do not have steps. In total, we covered a distance of 7.2 kilometers in two hours and thirty minutes.

After stopping to photograph Russell and Horseshoe Falls, we walked through the tall trees, many of which were over seventy meters tall.

We considered towing the van to camp at Ted's Beach by the shore of Lake Pedder, but ultimately decided against it due to the long weekend crowd. Instead, we chose to drive there with just the Chevy to explore the area, and we are so glad we did. The drive was lovely, and the scenery was spectacular. However, the journey could have been quite challenging, mainly because of the road conditions. The road was narrow in places, and oncoming traffic often strayed over the center line.

This artwork, 'Bitumen Bones,' responds to South West Tasmania's beautiful but often harsh environment.

The Teds Beach camping area offers a view of the lake; however, it is pretty tiny and sloping, and the location was already busy when we arrived.

 

We then proceeded to Strathgordon to inquire about lunchtime options at the Pedder Wilderness Lodge before continuing our journey to Gordon Dam. The weather was beautiful, with just a slight breeze blowing.

 

At Strathgordon, we saw a display of Huon Pine salvaged in 1975 before the dam was filled. These trees can live for over three thousand years, and this particular tree is approximately two thousand two hundred years old. The CSIRO has dated it by examining the growth rings, which reveal dates over time.

I have enlarged two sections to make the dates easier to identify. Unfortunately, some lowlifes have removed the plaque marking the birth of Jesus Christ. In the second photo, the last plaque, which is difficult to read, references this tree that was felled in 1975.

Unfortunately, I have an irrational fear of some heights, and although I wanted to climb down to the dam wall, it would never happen, so I settled for taking photos from above. Ros went down several flights of stairs but not to the bottom.

Afterward, we drove back to the Pedder Wilderness Lodge for lunch, where we enjoyed brisket burgers, sweet potato fries, and beer while overlooking Lake Pedder.

Over two thousand people lived in this area during the dam and power station construction, which included all the necessary facilities to sustain a small town. Today, it serves as accommodation for crews who maintain the power station and is available for visitors.

 

On our third day at Mount Field National Park, we decided to take a break and relax. We have been fortunate with the weather; the past three days have featured perfect conditions and beautiful blue skies. We drove eight kilometers to Westerway, where we visited a strawberry and raspberry farm. We purchased raspberry and blackberry jam there and enjoyed some delicious raspberry ice cream before returning to the van. The punnet of strawberries we bought was the best we have ever tasted.
 
We sat outside, savoring a beer before lunch, and then spent a very quiet afternoon.

 

We inquired with the caretaker about driving to Lake Dobson, and she informed us that our vehicle would likely face challenges on the narrow track, especially with oncoming traffic. Additionally, Ros is currently experiencing severe back pain, which is another reason to avoid making the trip..