The Huon Valley

The Huon Valley is located just south of Hobart and includes key towns such as Huonville, Cygnet, Dover, Franklin, and Geeveston.

We chose to stay in Geeveston at the CMCA Park. As members, we only pay $7 per night to camp in a grassy area with a water supply, a dump point, and rubbish collection.

The weather for the first three days has been characterised by cold nights and lovely sunny days, with daytime temperatures around 23 degrees Celsius. The coldest morning so far has been just 3.5 degrees.

One day, we returned to Huonville for lunch at Willie Smith's Apple Shed. The apple orchard covers 115 acres and four generations of apple farmers have tended this orchard. We shared two plates of food, and while Ros enjoyed an alcoholic apple cider, I chose the non-alcoholic version. I also bought some alcoholic apple cider to take home and enjoy in the evenings or on days when I didn't have to drive.

Initially, we planned to tow our van to camp at Cockle Creek. However, after considering our options, we decided that our campsite in Geeveston was much better. Instead, we opted for a day trip. The weather forecast for Friday, March 28, predicted sunny conditions with a high of 25 degrees Celsius. So, we planned to drive south to Cockle Creek, the southernmost point accessible by car in Tasmania and Australia.

In 1792, the French explorer Bruni D’Entrecasteaux sailed his two ships, Recherche and Esperance, into the bay and named it after his ship, Recherche. During the 1830s, four whaling stations operated at Cockle Creek, where the oil was used for lighting, cooking, and soap manufacturing. The bay also served as a stopping point for ships transporting convicts to Sarah Island in Macquarie Harbour. In the 1940s, a sawmill operated in the area, and remains of this venture can still be found scattered along the track.

After returning from Cockle Creek, we made the right decision by not towing the van. The sealed section of the road was twisty and narrow in places, and we nearly had a serious incident on the dirt section when an old Nissan Patrol driving at speed crossed onto our side of the road on one of the corners.

At one point, we were one of three Bushtrackers camped here in Geeveston. 

The last two days have been overcast, and yesterday, we experienced rain in the morning. Today, Sunday, March 30, is also cloudy, with a chance of more rain. Unfortunately, the forecast for the upcoming days isn't looking very promising either.

Due to less-than-ideal conditions, including overcast weather and the same forecast for the next three days, we decided to travel 28 kilometers to explore some walks, particularly the Tahune AirWalk. This cantilevered structure is suspended 50 meters above the Huon River, offering a bird's-eye view of the river and the surrounding forests.

The Huon walk is a thirty-minute loop that was very disappointing, as there was no mention that a fire had gone through the area in 2019 and that the vegetation has not yet recovered. There was only one Huon Pine signposted around this walk.