Week one from Tuesday the 21st January

 Before leaving Latrobe, we stopped at the local tyre service outlet and had them balance all our van tyres.

Our next stop was the small town of Railton, just thirteen kilometres away. Ken Tame insures our van, and as part of the insurance, we must also be members of the Caravan and Motorhome Club of Australia. Membership entitles us to cheap accommodation at their CMCA Parks, which costs just $7 per night. 

With the Australia Day weekend approaching, we initially booked three nights but have already extended our stay for another three nights to cover this period. We plan to head to Cradle Mountain, but we will watch the weather before booking to ensure the best weather for our stay. During our stay at Railton, we drive out daily to see the towns and sights.

There are two CMCA parks in Tasmania: the one where we are staying and another in southern Tasmania, at Geeveston.

Railton is known for its topiary. Over the past ten years, the residents have been busy growing and shaping shrubs into wonderful characters.

Even Railton is embracing the murals.

It's January 23rd, our first day of wet weather. This morning, the outside temperature was just thirteen degrees. Mind you, the rain is just misty and annoying. Ros has an appointment for a haircut this morning before we drive the twelve kilometres to Sheffield to view some of the murals the town is renowned for. It was cold, with misty rain falling, as we walked the streets before having coffee and meeting Ludo and his alpaca, Pedro. 

Today, we drove north again, bypassing Latrobe as we took some minor roads to Braddon Lookout, with expansive views across farmlands below and looking out to the northwest with ocean views towards Turners Beach and Penguin. 

We rejoined the Bass Highway before taking the Turners Beach exit to visit the Berry Patch, where we enjoyed delicious coffee and strawberry tarts. I also picked up a large container of freshly picked strawberries. The Turners Beach Campground was very busy, but at $10 a night, you have to expect that. Sardine City has generators everywhere, which is what you must expect in Tasmania at this time of year.

Turners Beach left a lot to be desired. It certainly isn't like the lovely beaches we have at home.

 We enjoyed lunch at Penguin Brewing Company, but we sat inside, and the occasional spit of rain and cold breeze made it quite uncomfortable to sit outside on the deck.

Today, January 25th, we headed southeast, taking minor roads towards Elizabeth Town and briefly joining the Bass Highway into Deloraine. We then drove another thirty kilometres towards the turnoff to Liffey Falls. We took the dirt forest track for about one kilometre before a sign stating the road was only suitable for short-wheelbase vehicles. As the trees started encroaching over the track, we turned around and returned to Deloraine, where we parked, walked the main street, and purchased fruit and lunch before heading home.

Today, January 26th, the camp host at the CMCA park here at Railton put on a sausage sizzle and supplied lamingtons for our Australia Day celebration. After lunch, we enjoyed a quiz on Australia and several games, which we all enjoyed. Our Chev, "Betty," needed a little TLC, which was a quick wash after negotiating a few dirt roads the day before. Otherwise, it was just a lazy, relaxing day. 

Another recce today is to Cradle Mountain via Claude Road from Sheffield. It rained during the night, and Mt Roland was shrouded in mist as we left Railton and passed through Sheffield. We'd heard Claude Road through Gowrie Park, and Moina was douable towing a van, but it was not the best. Even though this route is shorter, there are long, very steep sections with 15 and 25 km/h corners to negotiate for much of the way until reaching Daisy Dell on the Middlesex Plain, where the road flattens out for about 10 kilometres before turning onto the Cradle Mountain access road. It also rained the whole journey, with much of the road and surrounding country covered in thick fog.  

On our return journey, we turned left onto the Belvoir Road before joining the Murchinson Highway and passing the turnoff to Waratah and then taking the Ridgley Highway that would eventually take us through Ridgley before joining the Bass Highway for 46 kilometres before reaching Latrobe to shop with just another 14 kilometres to our camp at Railton. This road from Cradle Mountain is much broader, in better condition, has no sharp bends and is more enjoyable than the other road. 

Our recce today was to determine our route for our four-night stay at Cradle Mountain.