Fri, 23rd Jan, 2015 Geeveston RSL Memorial Park to Sorell RV Stop (via Franklin)

Cooler morning again (16 degrees) but there is blue sky and some puffy clouds so should be good day though the weather bureau has forecast rain again.

As we were having breakfast Mr Platypus came out of the grassy area again. I think that is where his burrow is as he came out and cleaned himself then headed off back up the river bank looking for food.  Next door was up with their two little boys so they came with me to follow the platypus up the river a bit. I got a good video of him but I only got his back in the photos.

Packed up and said goodbye to Ian and Helen then Shannon and Krystal and their two little boys (they are heading to Bellerive to watch Aust v England One Day Cricket today at Blundstone Arena. Found caretaker Greg to say bye and thank him for his help with the big ladder. Steve was able to repay him as he needed some pop rivets which Steve had.  As we headed off the dark clouds were starting to roll in.

Drove passed Shipwrights Point near Port Huon. The road into the campground is on a corner so we didn’t stop. I had info leaflet which says it is the Regatta Ground. The annual Huon Regatta has been held there almost continuously from 1850’s til 1970’s on New Years Day. There would be 6000 visitors arriving by steamers from Hobart, family schooners, horse drawn vehicles and many on foot. Refreshment stalls were set up as spectators cheered on their favourites in the rowing, sailing and swimming races plus diving and chopping events. (Sounds like great fun.) In later years a large fairground was also an added attraction. The river was the main highway for years and the original Shipwrights Point boasted two large jetties, a jam factory, a hotel, a Post Office, church and cemetery, a large store and butchery, a ladies hostel, and a bush shipbuilding industry. Sadly there is not much to see nowadays of this once thriving community.

Pulled into the RV camping area at Franklin. Steve did the toilet dump while I headed off with my history map to learn about the area. There are a lot of heritage listed buildings here beside the road which was once a bridle path in the 1830s which the river was the main form of transport. The bridle path was sealed and known as Main Road, then enlarged and re-named Huon Highway after the French explorer Huon De Kermandec. The houses are number by their distance from Kingston outskirts, eg 3344 is 33.44km. There were more than 100 jetties in the early 1900s and was one of the largest towns in Tasmania due to river transport. A real working waterfront.

Passed a house with lavender hanging over the footpath so pulled off some and enjoy sniffing it as I walked along.  Info plaque where the butcher shop used to be.

Lovely mural.

Mather Mart.

Watchmaker & Jeweller. Looks different with the paint job but it is still the same building though the little bit on the top of the roof has been removed.

General Store.

Some lillies for sale.

Methodist/Uniting Church, circa 1860, heritage listed.

The Manse for the church ministers, circa 1860.

The Franklin Post Office and General Store, circa 1850 is still functioning.

A lot of sporting venues are on the foreshore – as always the Bowls Club has a great water view.

Commercial Bank of Australia, circa 1919, is now a residence and Navy Museum.

Franklin Cottage, circa 1860, is a typical example of shop/home and is Heritage listed.

The Palais Theatre was originally a smaller stone building built in the 1860s. It was rebuilt in 1912 to accommodate the Mechanics Institute Library and expand social functions for the Vallley. By the 1930s the film-showing era of talkies led to building improvements.

Lovely big pine tree beside the War Memorial on the foreshore.

Franklin Primary School celebrating 150 years.

The White House, circa 1910 (Heritage listed), was temporary accommodation, for example, for rowing teams.

Huondene, circa 1880, was a home, boarding house and doctor’s surgery in the 1960’s.

The house (c. 1890) was known as the paint and newspaper shop (c. 1920) and then Lovett’s Butchers, amongst other businesses, and is now a residence.

This heritage-valued house was finished on Aug 12, 1883. It is thought to have been the town blacksmith’s due to numerous horseshoe relics.

This nineteenth century weatherboard house became a nurse’s home for the Bowmont Public Hospital in the 1950s. Needs some work.

‘Blinkbonnie’ was an early bakery with the bread baked in the small building to the right of the house.

The Masonic Lodge, circa 1926.

The Commercial Bank of Tasmania, circa 1906, is a grand two-storey building. It was opened when the Huon Valley was thriving through produce. In 1943 Dr Kyle bought the building and named it Bowmont Private Hospital, later becoming public with a large maternity wing. This saw the arrival of more than 3000 “Bowmont Babies”. Various other functions and a heritage listing preserved the building’s integrity. Now being used as an Antiques shop.

Loved the old ‘wheel’ chair out the front.

And the school desk and seat.

A cute little flower.

Arrived at the end of the walk at Price’s Creek. The water in it was used to provide the power for the town in the early 1900s.

Frank’s Cider Bar & Café is also the Lady Franklin Memorial Museum & Gallery which is run by the Franklin Historical Group. Franklin was originally known as “The Settlement” (circa 1836) until a name change in 1850 recognised the efforts of Governor John Franklin and his wife to encourage settlers to the area. On land donated by Lady Jane Franklin sits the St John’s Church & Sunday School. Frank’s is in the Sunday School building.

I wandered inside and found so much fascinating information. This could be one of the scoops used to clear the Egg Island Canal.

Information about the Canal dredging which started about 1850s.

The existing St John’s Anglican Church was built in 1864 and is up the road a bit on the hill. One prior to that was built prior to 1843 as it was mentioned in Lady Jane Franklin’s diary.

Frank’s Cider information says “Who’s Frank”. He was the third generation of the Clark family to tend the orchard at ‘Woolside’, North Franklin. His grandfather was the first permanent white settler in Franklin (1836). Frank was born in 1894 and lived in Franklin all his life. The fruit that goes into Frank’s Cider, comes from those trees that Frank planted all those years ago. His granddaughter and grandchildren still tend the orchard and named the cider in his memory. Frank is buried in the cemetery behind St John’s Church on the hill.

Franklin’s Foreshore Reclamation information.

Sir John and Lady Jane Franklin.

Lady Franklin’s piano. When Jane left Van Diemen’s Land with Sir John in 1843, her Broadwood and Sons square piano remained in the colony. During restoration, an inscription under the keys, presumably by the original dealership, naming Jane Franklin as the purchaser. The belief that it was bought new by Lady Franklin before leaving England is supported by the serial number pointing to its date of manufacture being soon after 1835. The Franklins arrived in Hobart Town in January 1837. It is owned by Steven Kerin and he has allowed the Historical Society to display it here.

Great information about Lady Jane and the establishment of Franklin.

There was a section about the apple and pear orchards in the area. These are all the different varieties of apples and the stamps they used to make the crates.

There were a lot of old photos and the coffee shop was busy. I wandered up the gravel road to the church. Suffering with age and is now closed but the cemetery is still being used. A group is trying to raise funds to buy the church off the Diocese.

Looking over the cemetery. The rope for the bell was hanging down – very tempting to see if it rang!

Back down to the main road – wonder if Steve has missed me!!! Wandered over to the Wooden Boat Centre. Someone had said that it wasn’t worth going in at the moment as not much was happening as everyone had finished their boats ready for the Wooden Boat Festival in February. Lots of people we have talked are looking forward to it. Huon Trail information out the front.

Checked out the boats of the “Living Boat Trust”. The 5 Grebe dinghies are the core of our fleet. They are based on the Ian Oughtred Tammie Norrie design, which in turn was based on British working boats from the early 20^th century. They have all been beautifully built by school groups in the Huon and all have their own individual character.

The ‘Huon Rat’ (the smaller blue one) can be rowed or sailed.

‘Swiftsure’ is a replica of a traditional Tasmanian whaleboat. She was built with a grant from the Tasmanian Community Fund and launched in 2004.

‘Imagine’ is a St Ayles Skiff, designed by Ian Oughtred as a 4 oar community rowboat. She was built in 2012 by the Women on Water (WOW). A second one is currently under construction.

The ‘Yukon’ takes tourist for cruises along the Huon River.

I watched two people sail their little boat in which was a bit funny as they were a little unco-ordinated with trying to stop and drop the sail and the same time. It came down with a crash on the other guy’s head. Oops.

Walked back along the foreshore past an information board about Egg Islands. The islands cover 445 hectares. Information about the Australian Bittern.

 The opening to the canal between the two Egg Islands.

The Franklin Lockup – good strong bolt.

Saw where Steve had parked by the water. The wind has picked up and is rocking the van as we made our lunch.

Headed off again and across the bridge over the Huon River again. We have had a great time exploring all this southern area. Through Huonville which is the commercial area of the Huon Valley.

Heading back up and over the hills. As we crest the hill I can see the water in the distance.

Down the other side to the turn off to Sandfly (doesn't sound an inviting place).

Then up another one and down the hill to look over Kingston.

 And it keeps going down.

Another look at Mt Wellington.

Had fun with the trucks as they passed us going up the hill then we passed them going down.

Down the last steep hill into Hobart.

Down through Macquarie Street.

Lovely old building.

On the other side lovely red brick buildings.

Big church.

Through town and over the Tasman Bridge.

Onto the Tasman Highway and Steve got excited – he can do 110km /hr, ha ha.

Just as he wound it up to 80km/h they had 60 then 40km road work signs as they were doing linemarking.

Across the causeway to Mid Point. The wind was howling in through my window so strongly I had to close it.  

 The Pitt Water.

Through Mid Point and onto the next causeway.

Water on each side of the causeway.

Into Sorell and to the RV Stop. Steve filled up with water while I went to find Craig and Kathryn (who we met at Burnie). Set up came then went over to their van for a cuppa and catch up.

We then headed back into Hobart to vote for the Queensland Election on the 31^st. Back past the airport, lights on and a plane coming in to land.

Parked near the Grand Chancellor where Mum & Dad and John & Jocelyn are staying to say hello. Lovely room with a fantastic view over the Docks and Derwent River.

Back to the van for dinner. While it was cooking in the oven I went over to Kathryn and Craig to get their advice and hints for the other areas they have already been too. They head back to the mainland 1^st March so they have travelled faster than we are.

Beautiful sunset over Mt Wellington.

Steve was watching the cricket (Aust vs Eng) at Blundstone Arena near here and they were showing shots of the sunset too. They must have fancy filters as theirs had more colour.

I went outside and took another photo – not as much colour as the TV.