2 Geckos Travelling Australia: Thurs, 4th Dec, 2014 Cooee Point Reserve

Wet and windy morning. Headed into Burnie at 8.30am so I could donate plasma at the Blood Bank. Should have a passport to be stamped wherever I donate!!

The Council man popped in to check we had our permit, yes so all good. A huge truck made into a motorhome towing a huge trailer with a car on the back pulled in and set up last night. We noticed they had a dog which is not allowed here. Unfortunately the Council man noticed too so they had to move on. Good to see they do keep and eye on things.

The buses are ready for Christmas – this one had Rudolph nose and antlers and the drive was dressed at centre.

Up the hill to Upper Burnie – lots of houses up here. Into Woolworths. Asked about their reward card as I can’t use the mainland one but it needed to be posted and then the rewards are posted so too hard to do. Still got the fuel voucher though on the docket.

Quiet lunch in the van watching some of Craig’s DVD he lent us – The Gall Brothers attacking The Top End.

Rang Rochelle at Tuckshop as she had sent through photos of the new uniform – looks so different from the old ones but it is similar to the new sports shirts and the kids seem to be liking them. All well there as they are winding down to the end of the school year.

Sun trying to peak out in between the showers.

Back to South Burnie to walk the Pulp & Paper Trail at Emu Beach which explains all about the Pulp & Paper Mill that used to operate here from 1937 to 2010. Very interesting.

If you imagine the 600m walk as a sheet of paper the No. 10 machine would have produced it in 60 seconds.

This is the granite roller used in the paper mill to squash the water out of the pulp. It used to weigh 12 tonnes. After 47 years of continuous use 5cm was worn off the roller’s diameter.

This shows the process to make paper using the Paper Machine. Over the 72 years there were 10 machines installed at the mill. It was the length of a soccer ground and could make a sheet of paper to the width of 5 meters. Starts on the right side of the first picture with the pulp going into the flow box where it spreads it on the wire mesh which allows the water to drip through. As it gets to the end of the wire it starts to resemble paper then it goes through a series of granite rollers, squeezing more water out of the paper. Then it passes through dryer section.

Then through the size press where a solution of water and starch is added to the paper in order to improve the surface for printing purposes. Continues through the dryer section then to the calendar of polished iron rollers to finish the process like ironing the washing.

A section of stories from people who had worked at the mill. Whole families worked there over the years.

Amazing the job women had at the finish line counting each sheet of paper to go into a ream of 500 sheets.

This Watchman Bell watched all the thousands of employees come and go from the mill over the 72 years. Notice they have made the post like stacks of paper reams. Reflex (the brand) came from here.

“Burnie Boards” were another product from the mill, like “Masonite” on the mainland.

Emu Beach looking to Round Hill Lookout area (where the Telstra towers are). Scarring from the quarry work there years ago.

Cute little bunny having a nibble. Hope he stays close to his tree as he is right beside the Bass Highway.

The creator of the mill, Gerald Mussen, must have been an amazing man to achieve so much.

The mill covered a huge area. Fantastic aerial shot of the mill. Still a lot left to demolish. The western end was cleared and Bunnings bought the site.

The mill’s time line.

First news article using the paper produced at the mill.

How they have done the displays is really good too.

Got to the end where Emu River meets the sea. A truck loaded with logs.

Looking over one end of the mill area.

Across to the port area with the piles of woodchip and the artificial sea wall to protect the port.

Tried out the exercise equipment near our car. Then we did the walk back to the river and back again - got to keep the exercise up!!!

Walked out onto the rock wall to the boat ramp. Looking back over Emu Beach.

Then the mill area which was a massive area to past Bunnings.

The seagulls have found a home on the rock wall. There are hundreds of them.

The woodchip mill is still functioning up on the hill behind the mill.

The Toll container ship is loaded and heading out.

The weather was nice so headed back to do the Federation Walk to look at the domestic architecture. Some lovely homes which are Heritage Listed and called “Federation Queen Anne” or just “Federation”. Lots of lovely stained glass windows and gardens.

One had a cute white bunny that came bounding over to the fence for a scratch when we walked by.

Obviously they haven’t worried about straightening up the fences.

Lovely Golden Elm.

The roses are amazing and such lovely perfumes. Lots of lovely flowers everywhere.

Rang Mum and Dad, they have booked a 10day coach tour around Tassie from 14^th Jan so we will have a few great days together beforehand. But the sad news was they were burglared again!!! Stole Mum’s jewellery, Dad’s grog and a 4L container of icecream. It’s just not fair these “little darlings” get away with so much.

Alan and Denise from Burnie called in so had a great chat with them. Alan’s grandfather, father and siblings all worked at the Pulp & Paper Mill. Alan worked on No. 10 roller, the last to close and was there for the last paper to roll off. Very sad but he said it was a great life. Burnie has certainly improved though since the close and the town taking on the task of cleaning up Burnie as the byproduct of the industries here had left the environment a mess. The Emu River was brown from the paint factories and the beaches were covered in froth from the pulp mill etc. It certainly is a nice place now.

They left about 9pm so we headed down to the penguins in Burnie again with my camera this time. The wind had died down which was nice and the moon was out. Weren’t as many penguins in but I got some great videos of parents and babies calling each other and some great photos too.

Some babies are nearly ready to head out to sea.