Wed, 21st Jan, 2015 Geeveston RSL Memorial Park (south exploring)

Work to the pitter patter of rain during the night – cooled off again. It was 20 degrees at 7am.

Texted Tenille for her birthday – hope she has a great day.

I worked on my blog while Steve borrowed the ladder again and went up to shorten his longer screws so they don’t short out the wires for the TV booster and speakers. All good again – tennis is on and now the CD is playing Queen.

Cuppa then off to explore the south again. Warming up again so only t-shirts today.

Lovely church as we head out of Geeveston.

Stopped at Waterloo at the Green Shed to buy some more cherries ($8/kilo) – so big and plump.

Turned off at Surges Bay to follow the coast around to Dover. It is turning into a beautiful day. There is no wind over Brooks Bay to the Huon River.

Over Police Point and looking further down the Huon River.

Lots of salmon ponds  then we see the work area of Huon Salmon – The World’s Most Loved Salmon.

Jon would love this for a backyard.

Garden Island on the other side of the Huon River.

At the mouth of the Huon River is Huon Island.

Looking back up the Huon River again.

Down to the water at Surveyors Bay. A lovely little area of about 15 houses. There was a little park with picnic tables and very clean toilets. As I came out a lady apologised that she hadn’t been down this morning to check the toilets were clean. They are proud of their little area and like to keep it nice.

The kids in this house have a great climbing boat.

Walked down onto the beach – lovely and clean and the water was pretty clean too. Some areas have tannin coloured water which doesn’t look so inviting.

Some people have their houses right on the beach.

Around the point and overlooking another house area and looking out to D’Entrecasteaux Channel.

The Salmon boat uploading the salmon.

Into Big Roaring Beach Road – does that tell you something!! Some have the simple accommodation and others have flash homes.

Across the little bay is another collection of homes crammed on top of each other.

Into Port Esperance and Dover.

Hope Island in the middle of the bay.

Zoomed in on Adamsons Peak in the distance.

A boardwalk follows the edge of the bay. Discover the Dover Foreshore info.

Back into Dover to get some milk from the local IGA. An old Steam Museum seems to have closed down.

Heading south again we stopped at last at the kiln (3^rd time we have passed it). Interesting, it is like the remains of one we saw at the Quarantine Station.

Into Strathbland and across the Esperance River. Turned onto a dirt road to check up the other side of Port Esperance. Passed this interesting looking cow.

This inlet is full of little islands. Would be great fun to camp and explore by boat. We arrived at TASSAL which looks like another salmon farm and processing plant.

Back on the main road then we turned onto a Forestry Road called Peacock Road. Penny & Pete said there was a great view from up here. Arrived at a log clearing area.

Great view – but this isn’t the lookout on the map. Looking over Southport Bay then into Southport Lagoon.

Tree felling machine – said hi to the chap resting inside as we drove past.

Looking back over the cleared area.

Off that point a convict ship sunk drowning all on board. Looks like it is raining down towards Cockle Creek.

Zoomed in closer to Southport Island and Bay.

Then Southport Lagoon with its narrow mouth. There is a walk down to Southport Lagoon and Bluff Beach if you do take the old train from Ida Bay. One of the ladies told me about it yesterday.

Across the next ridge into Recherche Bay.

Headed off to find the other lookout but it was a bit confusing as there was a lot of roads and no signs. We seem to be going off in another direction so put the VMS on but she didn’t help either. Headed back and asked the guy in the machine but he didn’t know other than to say the road did go round to Southport. We headed off again and found the right road but then there were some trees across the road so back we go again. Gave up and headed back to the main road. Back up the main road towards Strathblane but turned off onto Old Hastings Road to find the road to Duckhole Lake.

Onto forestry dirt roads again. Along the plantation areas are signs saying when the trees were cleared and what the timber was used for. Steve nearly run over the snake but missed and backed up so I could get a photo. Very black.

Found the car park beside a bridge. Steve looked down and found another snake curled up on the bank.

He was very flat but definitely alive as he moved.

Old bridge.

Made some lunch as it was already 2pm. Walked across the road to the sign which has had a couple of shots. The Lake is a flooded sinkhole like the ones at Caveside.

Don’t know the name of the creek but we headed off upstream.

Very brown tannin-stained water.

Climbed up a little then onto boardwalks as we wound our way through the trees. Not well maintained again, a lot of the boards are wobbly or broken. But it was a nice walk.

This one was left because it is so twisted.

Where a log was across the water the froth was all banked up – looks like someone has been doing the washing.

Half hour walk and we found a table by the lake. So still which gave great reflection photos.

The track continued and someone had been before us – tracker Steve found their footprints!!!  Not a used track though with lots of fallen trees.

Got to a really muddy section so gave up and went back as it probably just went around the lake.  Steve lead up so I lead back as I thought it was all clear for snakes but I found a little one under the boardwalk and 3 skinks.

Noticed all the ferns leaning over as we walked back so it must have been gushing through here when we had that rain.

Back along the road we came down on as the other way heads to Hastings Cave which we decided we wouldn’t do as we did the one in Mole Creek. Also the thermal spring pool is an actual pool and we can go to a natural one up north. Got to pick and choose what we spend our money on.

Stopped further up the road to check out an old tramway and do the 10 hour hike to Adamsons Peak – yeah right!!! Found a new walking stick in case mine breaks sometime.

The steps are made from Manferns.

Boardwalk over creek.

An info board needs cleaning again.

 1940’s log landing. Steve was great in explaining how it would have looked and worked. The boiler would have sat on the cut out bits and you can see the cleared area where the tramway would have been.

Further down the boardwalk the track heads off across a fallen tree and up the hill – Rough track, experienced only walkers to Adamsons Peak in the Southwest National Park (3.5km).

Down the creek further was the trestle bridge (info board very dirty) which was built by men and boys in the 1920s but it only had a working life of around 20 or 30 years. Horses, then later steam engines pulled trolleys laden with logs across this bridge. Tramways and bridges were located throughout the Southern Forests and many can still be seen today. It’s great to marvel at the relics from logging in the early twentieth century. Some of us even wish they were still in use. Sadly these practices too slow and expensive for today’s needs.  Steve worked on the photo with a bit of bark and cleaned it up a bit.

  

The log would have sat flat on here. There is a bolt beside it.

The timber cutters needed a few cut in spots to jam their planks in to stand on to bring this big tree down.

Bit hard to see but these cut tree trunks are in line for the tramway rails to sit on. One rail is covered in moss.

This one isn’t.

Another cutting that the tramway would have run along. Very interesting.

Back on the road and we turn back to head back to the coast. Following the Esperance River along, lots of camp areas here, though a bit muddy at the moment.

Stopped at the bridge where there are toilets and picnic shelter. Made a cuppa and sat on the wall looking at the water rushing past. At the least the rain was good in providing us with great views of waterfalls and creeks.

Walked down to the water. Very flat stone area – would have been the original crossing spot.

Lots of pebbles in the dirt edge to the river.

Looking upstream.

Some people are camped downstream on the other side.  Back up to the picnic area we walked across the mossy grass to where the river curves around. A couple from Germany were relaxing by the water, trying to fish. Nice spot.

Headed off at 5pm as we wanted to get the camp oven going. They had predicted rain and it is clouding over a bit but it looks like it won’t rain.

Passed a van with a genie running behind it – the guys from the other camp we think were in the bush using an electric chainsaw to get some firewood. They should have driven up a bit further where all the timber was laying around where they cleared the land.

We needed some better timber as the Huon Pine wood chopping blocks at the RSL don’t make good coals.  This one would be a good one!!

But he chose a couple of smaller ones.

The dam for Geeveston’s water we think.

Cute church letterbox. When we pulled up the owner was on the other side so I said I liked the letterbox – he said we can have it!!!

It was 31 degrees in the van when we got back as the windows were all closed.

Home a bit late at 6pm but Steve got straight into getting some coals going for the camp oven so we could cook this big bit of pork I have carted around for a while now. Rang the Pinks and had a lovely chat with Tracy then Steve chatted with Grant. I ran off as I had spotted the platypus. He is only a little one but so cute.

Followed him all the way up the river along the edge, snuffling along finding his food. He swam across to me at one point so was able to get some video footage of him. Told the family with the young girls so went further up looking for him again and found him under the bridge. Lost him then but we had fun teaching the kids about playing Pooh Sticks on the bridge.

Mother duck came along with her surviving duckling (she had 5 to start with) so Steve fed them some bread. Mum didn’t favour her chick and pushed her out of the way to get to the bread first – got a video of them too.

Such a balmy night it is so lovely to be sitting outside. Rang Steve Allard to see how he was after another birthday!! A chap popped in for a chat and to enjoy our fire. We had nibbles and a drink while we waited for dinner.

9.30pm at last the roast and vegies are done. Delicious, so worth the wait. Had a cuppa by the fire then headed in for a shower. It was 25 degrees in the van with the windows open – such a contrast to the other night. We certainly didn’t need the sheets on.

Mum and Dad in Port Arthur.