2 Geckos Travelling Australia: Mon 5th Jan, 2015 Gordon Foreshore Reserve (sightseeing)

Said bye to Leanne & Rick as they head off to Geeveston.

Went over to Alan and Bev’s big bus. Amazing the work he did converting an old bus into this living machine. They are heading off today so said our goodbyes and to Noel & Glenda. Hope to see them all in Tassie again somewhere.

Dropped off our camp payment – it is an honesty box system of $5 per night. We are finding it hard to find anywhere to camp for free. There are toilets and a dump point and some picnic tables and lots of rubbish bins so we don’t mind paying a bit for that.

There is a history sign here at the Reserve about Gordon Point. It is No. 10 so we have some more to find. We headed off for the History Walk (saw some signs as we driving here).

Back to little place called Middleton and down onto the very narrow Esplanade.

This is the site of the Middleton Hall.

Nice view.

Further along is Middleton Jetty.

There are two remaining buildings of the Slip Cottages and some rubble of another one.

Lovely big tree right on the edge of road near the area where the slipway used to be.

Through Flowerpot – what a name for a town. Shame they don’t have a big flowerpot. There a few flower stalls here though.

Lots of cherry trees all covered with mesh as we head into Birchs Bay.

Back out on the main road and heading into Woodbridge, we stopped at the Wesleyan Methodist Church built 1898.

Followed the jetty road down and found the Woodbridge School Marine Discovery Centre. It is open to the public one afternoon a week in school time. It was built to teach children about the sea etc.

On the road back up where new houses are being I found another sign about the Anglican Church.

Middleton General Store. It is amazing how this area rebuilt after the terrible fire in 1967.

A memorial to the 1967 fire.

The rocks are all that remain from the Middleton Post Office.

The unique iron legs on these stools were rescued from the Middleton Wesleyan Church that was also destroyed in the fire.

Headed back to the van for lunch. Put silverside and vegies on in the Ecopot. Walked over to the boat ramp to check out the shells that Steve saw. Loved this Aussie snow man made of wood.

They also have a great letterbox, a replica of their house.

Beside the boat ramp where there is a filleting bench there are thousands of scallop shells. Apparently this area was huge scallop area but they have now been overfished.

Not quite sure where 3 hut point is but this info board was at the boat ramp.

There was also a monument to Rear Admiral Bruni D’Entrecasteaux.

Walked to the end, looking south.

Erica, we found a tractor. The first one we have seen towing a trailer. When she was here years ago everyone was using tractors.

Walking back to the camping reserve.

Tide is out so all the old posts for the oysters are exposed.

Bob & Judy had mentioned a few more places they stop in their motorhome so we decided to go for a drive to check them out. Headed around the point towards Verona Sands. Information about Nine Pin Point Marine Reserve. The water is stained with tannin from the Huon River freshwater.

Looking back over the Channel to Alonnah. We can see the old jetty.

A very small island with a hole in it.

Further around it Huon Island which is in the mouth of the Huon River.

Turned away from the coast and climbed up a hill (Mt Cygnet is near here) to a Huon Trail sign. It was all about some animals of Randalls Bay below us. The view over the pastures to the mouth of the Huon River was great. In the mouth is a heap of salmon ponds.

Down into Randalls Bay. No camping signs here.

Another animal and bird sign. Very environmental here.

It says these trees are Silver Peppermint.

Further around is Mickeys Beach which is a Conservation Area. It looks like it was previously a quarry or 4WD area. No camping here either.

The water isn’t appealing here with the tannin coloured water.

Zoomed in on the salmon ponds in the mouth.

Drove into Eggs & Bacon Bay- unusual name, maybe someone cooked a lot of breakfasts here. This was one of Bob’s spots and there was a park area that would be ok, back off the beach though so we think our spot where we are will do us a few more days.

Followed the road around to Port Cygnet and found a lovely park with dump point and water. Steve filled up the truck with water while I wandered around.

Heritage listed houses were once the site of the Burton’s Factory (1940s to 70s). This is the weighbridge. This area was covered in apples and other fruits too but now there seems to be very few apple trees.

In the room next door was a model of the area and lots of information. There used to be an Apple Festival here in the 1950s and early 60s. In1954 it was the greatest Apple dehydration factory in Australia and they were producing canned apple and fruit berry pulp. The factory closed down in the 1970s.

The remaining houses were the Bridge Cottage (caretakers residence), Weighbridge Cottage and the Machinery Shed (now the Scouts Den). It was very interesting.

An grand old steam engine was on display over the other side of the little creek which had a weir on it.

The Junior Landcare worked on reviving the area and it is now a lovely parkland with seats to look out across the marsh area and look for birds. There was a board listing the birds but I only saw Plovers, ducks & geese. It is called Burton’s Reserve after the factory of course.

Lots of yachts in the port too.

Followed the narrow road around the edge of the water past the yacht squadron area. This is the site of the Cygnet Co-Operative Canning Society Ltd, opened 1939. Very interesting.

By the water was the site of the steamers store jetty.

Drove through Lymington and a huge Blueberry farm (all under nets too) – these places are just a group of houses hidden in the scrub up on the hill and by the water. Back onto the banks of the Huon River.

Stopped at Poverty Point and read the Huon Trail sign. More fossils here so wandered around over the rocks to the point. Much better impressions here that we saw at Fossil Cove (and a much easier walk).

Enjoying a lovely drive by the water, sun is out and the breeze is quite cool but nice. Past Wattle Grove. Further up the river is Egg Island which is grassy marsh running down the middle of the river. It extends a long way up the river.

Left the river and inland a bit to Cradoc. Nice park off the road where the locals have built a BBQ area etc. This carved timber soldier is a memorial to Cpt Cherry who lived in Cradoc and died in the 1^st World War. There are lots of carved timber sculptures at Geeveston we will have to check out.

Headed back to Cygnet, the home of the Black Swan – haven’t seen any here though. Cygnet was the first European settlement in 1834. Passed a large cherry farm and some vineyards.

Through Cygnet (Folk Festival here next week, $150 a ticket). Lovely mural of town about 1900. It was originally the township of Lovett (renamed Cygnet in 1915).

Found some fruit trees – I think this is a plum.

Definitely an apricot tree.

This is where we have travelled today.

Stopped at our first roadside fruit stall. Others had signs for apples but no fruit there. $2.50 for cherry plums in bags. Yummy. Looks like the kids have prepared the bags.

Back through the middle via Gardners Bay (why is it a Bay as it is inland!!) More farmland as we climb up and around Mount Cygnet. Passed a few vineyards. Narrow roads everywhere – Steve said they saved money on bitumen down here.