Wednesday 10th March 2004

Today was used to move from Queenstown, through the World Heritage mountains that includes the Franklin River catchments area.

The journey started at about 9:40am when we started to wind our way up into the mountain from the outskirts of Queenstown, through desolate hills that are bare of any foliage due to the fumes and gas that use to belch from the copper smelters many years ago. The road was steep and fairly narrow, with steep drops down into the valleys bellow. Having said that it was no trouble to navigate them with the Nissan Patrol towing the 25 foot Heritage caravan. The stories we had heard about this road all appear to be blown out of proportion. (or the drivers were a little more nervous than we were.

The scenery was rather magnificent (I seem to be using that word a lot in Tasmania) right through the mountains for the first 50 or more kilometres and then it changes into a different type of timber, leaving the rain forests behind. We continued on through the mountains and hills and past through Gormanston, over Franklin River, through Derwent Bridge, Tunkatinan Power Station, Ouse, Hamilton, Gretna, Lawitta,New Norfolk, along the Derwent River and Rosetta before reaching Hobart. After passing through Hobart without getting lost, we continued on to Kingston, Margate and Electrona and then pulled in to the Snug Caravan Park.

The weather improved as we headed east the weather became clearer and warmer, although at 5pm it was only 16 degrees, it was dry and very pleasant after the wet muddy days in Queenstown.

We are now only about 9 kilometres from the ferry that travels to Bruny Island and that is one of our priorities in the next few days, however right now the priority is for a cold drink and a good feed, well that is what 'one of us says!'

Thursday 11th March 2004

Today started out with a chill in the air with the thermometer telling us it was 6 degrees at 8am. However the sky was clear and the sun had warming glint in it's eye as it rose in the sky.

We set off at about 8:30am heading south to Kettering where the Bruny Island Ferry departs on it's 15 minute journey over to the island. We ensured we were in line early as it is a case of first in line, first on board and if the ferry fills before your on, too bad you wait for the next trip.

After arriving on the Island we headed off south with the Lighthouse as our main objective for the day. However we did stop and walk up a long set of steps to the top of a lookout that provided some excellent views and another stop was at a local cemetery for a quick look for relatives but none were sighted.

Arrival at the Lighthouse on the southern end of the Island was the highlight of the trip and a very sentimental visit for Pam. It is the location where Pam's Great Grandfather worked as a lighthouse keeper and where her loved granny, Martha Grundy was the first white baby to be born on Bruny Island. Martha grew up on the island and later married Earnest Stirk, which resulted in her becoming Pam's granny. Earnest died at a younger age in 1940's and Martha lived with Pam and her mother for the first 21 years of Pam's life.

After spending quite some time around the lighthouse and surrounds, then having lunch outside one of the Lighthouse keepers quarters, we set off across the Island to Cloudy Bay which is a small sandy beach surrounded by rocky outcrops and headlands. We then headed north up a mountain in the middle of the Island and stopped at a lookout that provided magnificent tree framed view of the bays and headlands and over the lighthouse that we had previously visited.

We then set off down the mountain to Adventure Bay which is the biggest town on the Island and is set in a beautiful sandy beach that looks out to surrounding headlands and over the channel to the mountains in the distance on the mainland. This was definitely one of the most scenic little holiday location we have visited since we departed WA in December. Having said that, it is doubtful that one would swim in the clear green water very often as the temperature may be a little cool for most people.

After leaving Adventure Bay we made our way back north up the Island to the boarding location for the ferry back to the mainland at Kettering. We arrived well before departure time to ensure we were not left behind and were able to sit with a warm cup of tea while watching the ferry return to pick us up.

Overall it was a great day and one that had a lot of sentimental feelings flowing for Pam

Friday 12th March 2004

Another great day in paradise - for us that is but it certainly wouldn't have been for the inmates of Port Arthur where we spent the day today.

Our day started a bit later than theirs would have all those years ago. We managed to get ourselves up and organised in time to set off from the caravan park by 9:05am for our destination which was about 120 kilometres away. We traveled through Hobart and up to Sorrel before turning south through Forcett, copping, Dunally, Murounna, over Eagle Hawk Neck, then through Taranna and into Port Arthur, arriving at about 11am.

Entry to Port Arthur was $22.00 per person and although it may appear to be expensive, when you consider it includes a short boat cruise out around 'the Island of the Dead' and a 40 minute walking guide or perhaps more accurately a talk on the history of Port Arthur and the tickets give entry and are useable over two days.

There is so much that could be said about Port Arthur, however it would take far more space than I have available to give it justice. The Penal Colony was set in a beautiful bay within a safe harbour and was surrounded with high hills (or mountains) covered with timber. When reading or hearing about some of the events that occurred within it's bounds it becomes so obvious the inmates would not have had the time or desire to sit and appreciate it's beauty.

After our boat cruise which lasted about 30 minutes and the walk and talk that lasted about 40 minutes, we set off on our own discovery tour which took us through a number of the buildings, including the Separate Prison, Asylum, Hospital, Officers' Quarters, Commandants House, Watchmans Quarters, Guard Tower and the Penitentiary. After this, time was getting on and although we hadn't seen anything like all the buildings and sites that were there, we had to move on to the shop so 'one of us' could purchase a few selected gifts that will be distributed on our return home.

Once the gifts were safely in the hands of one of us, it was time to leave this fascinating place and make our way back to the caravan, The drive home was uneventful although we found ourselves in the midst of peak hour traffic when we were passing through the centre of Hobart. On this journey there was one imperative stop to purchase a carton of BOAGS draft and there was a much less important stop to purchase some vegetables and fruit.

Today was just another great day with the weather being perfect, so much so that the top of 'the other one's' head has a little more of a red tinge to it this evening.