Sat, 3rd Jan, 2015 The Neck Campground, Bruny Island to Gordon Foreshore Reserve

Warm night, didn’t need a blanket. It was so lovely we had “alfresco” breakfast.  It was so nice to be outside and not freezing. Watched the ranger come round and chat with campers. Didn’t talk to us but I heard him say something about 30 degrees. After he left I asked the campers near us what he said – he was advising everyone that there was a total fire ban because of the high temp. Shame he didn’t come and tell us. We poured some water on our fire and got ready to leave.

The Isthmus Bay was flat and lovely, especially with the tide in. A few swans were floating along.

Headed north to the Bruny Island Quarantine Station. We were met by a lovely lady who is a volunteer caretaker for the National Parks. Another couple were there and they are the volunteer caretakers for the Lighthouse. Very interesting chatting to them about how to volunteer etc. This the first time they have volunteered and both are doing a 4 week stint.

The caretaker told us a general overview of the use of this area since back in the 1800s when an ex-convict was granted some land here. He was sent an ex-convict housekeeper who he then married and they had 10 children. Not all of the children survived. I bought a brochure for $2 and we can wander around the site following the yellow flagged self-guided tour of the brochure. The yellow flag is the universally recognised sign of quarantine and dates back to the 14^th Century. Ships arriving at their destination were normally required to sit at anchor for 40 days before landing; however, passengers for Tasmania were quarantined at Bruny Island for 7 days. The word quarantine was derived from the Italian words quaranta giomi which means 40 days.

The Salmon pond has been here for a couple of days but nothing happening around it so maybe it is empty. They are normally in faster flowing water too. 

We all had a giggle listen to the farmer across the bay as he was rounding up some sheep on his 4wheeler with his sheep dogs. A lot of “interesting” words were being hurled at the dogs and sheep!!

We had a cuppa then headed off to follow the information plaques around the Station.

No. 1 Bruny Island Quarantine Station started here in 1884. Prior to that it was owned by an ex-convict and his wife from 1856 to 1884. The reserve consists of 128 hectares. (Hope everyone can read these boards otherwise I will have to copy the info.)

No. 2 Before that was the Nuenonne Aborigines.

No. 3 Site of Shellwood Cottage where Anthony & Jane Cox dwelled for many years with their large family. They cut firewood for a living and would have cleared a lot of the land around this area.

We walked down onto the rocky beach of Shelter Cove where a jetty used to be for loading the timber during the Cox’s timber era.

Lots of oysters and spongy things here too.

No. 4 Site of the Passenger Quarters when it was the quarantine station. Only the rock footings remain.

No. 5 Cleansing Room. It is amazing they didn’t die from the cleansing – sounds awful.

No. 6 Health Officer’s Quarters. This is where the caretaker lives. It is Heritage Listed so when the volunteer group wanted to save the site they were restricted to what they could do. Instead of just sanding the floors they had to use a special oil that took a month to dry between coats.

Beside that was the Nurse’s Quarters. All that remains is the rock footings.

No. 7 Mortuary

No. 8 Great photo looking at the Doctor & Nurse’s quarters and the Steerage & Saloon accommodation for the passengers off the ships. Interesting to compare the photo with today’s building.

No. 9 Returning Soldiers. So sad for all these soldiers. After surviving the war they were then put here for a week to make sure they didn’t have influenza. Each group that arrived were kept together and didn’t mingle with any others so that they didn’t contaminate each other.

Lovely letter from a solider to his mother.

There is no water here except rainwater tanks and this dam.

No. 10 Superintendent’s house & sheds. The last long term caretaker lived in this house with his wife, Marge. When he passed away a couple of years ago the NP&WS allowed her to stay on. The caretaker had her over for dinner last night and Marge had lots of stories to tell.

There were a lot more sheds like this one built quickly in 1919 for the incoming soldiers. They were probably used as mess halls. They were sold off to locals and some are still being used as holiday shacks etc.

No. 11 Soldier’s camp in 1919. Great photo to compare with today.

Beautiful blossom on this tree.

Walked down to Quarantine Bay on the other side. A lot of people anchor here in their yachts.

No. 12 Boats, Bay & Jetty 

Very modern jetty now.

Remains of an old boat storage thing.

The sea is clear but it is very rocky with oysters everywhere and this funny weed.

A very lovely bay which is part of the larger Barnes Bay.

Looking across to the other side where the road goes down to the ferry (the building is the whisky place).

A couple arrived in this very little dingy – they were from a yacht in the next bay around and have come to explore the Station.

All that remains of an old jetty. Steve saw some pylons in the water.

Good cluster of oysters.

Fire Ban signs are everywhere.

Back up the hill to the houses. Around the back to the medical store room and stable.

No. 13 Further along the track heading out onto the peninsula was another info board about  the German Internment camp in 1914 and the chimney they built. Also about two graves further along.

It said 400m to the graves then another 400m to the chimney so off we went. Middle of the day and the sun is quite hot but it is still pleasant enough.

Found the graves. I wonder where the children of the Cox family were buried?

Then further along the remains of the chimney.

Headed back to where we turned off at the Info board to head back to the Plant Quarantine section.

Passed some fenced off areas that we thought were for housing animals but they were where they grew plants like apple trees from other countries to check how they grow. The carpark was the old Barley field.

Said goodbye. It was very interesting.

As we were heading out I noticed this huge eagle quietly sitting in the tree.

Jon rang with hot water problems – he has none. I said he doesn’t need any since it is so hot up there!!! Steve gave him some ideas of what to look for. Can’t do much else from here. Will check on him later to see how he goes.

Headed off after lunch down to the Ferry. Lined up behind an old motorhome that had been camped near us at the Neck. Won’t get our front row position this time.

Lots of salmon ponds further into the bay.

It certainly has warmed up so we enjoyed an icecream while we waited.

Beside the kiosk are a collection of succulents.

A tug boat pulled a Salmon pond around the point. Thought the ferry might hit it!!!

Onto the ferry and off we go. 

Lovely flat Channel though it is very hazy.

Didn’t get out – we could see out the side windows.

Back onto mainland Tassie. Feel like we have been overseas!!

Back into Kettering then we headed south. Bob and Judy had said about stopping in Woodbridge at the Silverwater park but when we pulled up there wasn’t any room to turn the van around so didn’t head down into the park. When we stopped by the road Steve backed up a bit and wiped out his already bent radio antenna on the van – oops.

Up and down the hills and looking over the lovely Channel across to Bruny Island. As we came down off another ridge we saw Gordon Foreshore Reserve. Couldn’t miss it with all the vans. We can stay here for 3 days free which will be nice. There are two old shacks on the front and apparently the “owners” don’t like anyone camping too close. There was a spot next to one shack so we parked. Other campers said that the lady from the other shack came out and got quite rude to anyone parking there. Anyway no one spoke to us so here we are.

Chatted with a few other campers. We are parked beside a big bus & motorhome and Steve recognised them from Hellyer Gorge but they were out for the day.

Had drinks with the first couple of chaps we met (Tassie). They were helping out some Asian cherry pickers who were trying to cook up their oysters on a fire. He told them that as it was a fire ban they could use his BBQ. They offered to share but I was just happy to take a photo. Not appealing to me in the least!!

Nice outlook over the Channel to the top end of South Bruny Island.

Saw another Salmon pond being towed past. The chaps said that is how they shift them to different areas and to bring them in to be transported overseas in a huge ship. The ship has a huge suction tube that can suck up the fish and water from the ponds that are too far out to be towed in. There are two big Salmon Farm companies that employ about 500 people each. Big business.

Back to the van for dinner then we heard thunder, followed by lightning then it just chucked it down. No wind though. Should have had the water catcher out, but it was over so quickly. A few more people tried to park near the shacks and the people came out and shooed them away!!!