Sun, 1st Feb, 2015 Premaydena Recreation Ground (exploring Eaglehawk Neck area)

After late night watching Hoges & ‘Kenny’ so we didn’t wake up till after 8. It was 16 degrees inside and 12 degrees out so Steve didn’t get out of bed till 10am. Windy and overcast still but not raining.

Headed off after a cuppa and stopped at a Taranna camp area, coffee shop and museum at the intersection of the Arthur Highway and the road to Premaydena. They charge $10 per night for unpowered in the paddocks. It was $10 to see their museum though which is a bit dear. Had a chat with the lady, they have only been open a month and she was going to light the fireplace for the first time – a little earlier than she thought. She heard it will jump to 30 degrees soon!!!  

Taranna was established in 1836 as a safe shipping port for the convict settlement at Port Arthur. Its jetty was the starting point for the first passenger-carrying railway in Australia.  It was built so people could avoid the often treacherous sea journey around the Tasman Peninsula via Storm Bay. The convicts had to push the carts loaded with people and goods along the tramway over the mountain and down to Long Bay near Port Arthur – amazing. The old port buildings still exist and have been continuously occupied since convict days.

Turned onto the Arthur Highway and down to the forestry road to Fortescue Bay. First through the Taranna State Forest – sign saying Trackwork and Helicopter Operations in Progress on the Cape Pillar Track in the Tasman National Park. That is a long walk so we won’t be doing it anycase and it is drizzly rain again. 

Lots of forestry spur roads through here and even a block of land for sale. The signs say timber was cleared in 1969 and 1971. Lots of walks from the campground. You can hike all the way from here up to Waterfall Bay (8 hrs) and down to the bottom of the Tasman Peninsula to Cape Pillar (2-3 days). Cape Hauy is only a 4 hour walk!!! The campground is popular as you have to book the sites on line and there are two camp areas.

We could have done the hour walk to Canoe Bay where the wreck is but the rain is heavier now but can’t do everything.

Put on our raincoats and wandered down to the beach for a look. Would be a lovely place to camp if it was sunny!!

Back on the road and then north again through Taranna to Eaglehawk Neck area. Turned off and headed south down the east coast through Penzance and Doo Town to Tasman Blowhole. Erica had said to be careful as you can get very wet. They have fences everywhere now keeping us back. The tide was half in, still a bit drizzly but at least no wind.

The Blowhole is more a sea tunnel as the water shots through the tunnel from the open sea in the open area. It sprays up where it hits the end and other rocks. Looking from the walk above the blow hole, to Fossil Bay lookout.

Out onto the point, spectacular cliff faces.

Looking back across Pirates Bay to the point on the other side of Eaglehawk Neck.

Pacific Gull on the ledge that looks like a profile of a face complete with eyelashes.

White water swirling around the kelp trying to hang onto the rocks.

Walked back to the other side of the blowhole. Took some videos.

 Interesting information about the blowhole’s formation.

 Another spray blows up.

 Zoomed into the tunnel as the wave rolls in.

The wave rushing in blocks the light at the other end then fires out into the open.

 It swirls around the edge then fires out.

Back in the carpark and Steve couldn’t resist getting a cherry icecream from Doo-Lishus Icecreams!!

Will have to check out all the Doo home’s names.

Down the road and we turned off to the Tasman Arch and Devil’s Kitchen. The Arch was spectacular.

Zoomed in on the flat rocks on the ocean side with the kelp hanging on as the waves crash over them.

Wandered around to the Lookout. Great view down the south east coast to Cape Hauy and The Lanterns (the little ones on the left) even though it is overcast and raining.

A Pacific Gull has a great perch.

Walked over the archway to head to Devil’s Kitchen. Looking back to the other side of the Archway.

 Looking down where another tunnel of water is coming into the back area of the Arch.

Followed the path to the Lookout over Devil’s Kitchen. Impressive walls.

New caves are being formed still as the water washes in and out.

Further round we could look straight up the opening to the ocean.

The walk to Waterfall Bay starts here so we followed it for a bit to another lookout. If  it was a fine day I might have done the one and half hour walk.  Great views. Another couple of videos.

The boat tour zooms past heading to Tasman Island and Cape Pillar, not a windy day but the swells are pretty big. They look at Tasman Lighthouse, got the info off a brochure. It was built in 1806 and is one of the two most isolated light stations in Australia. At 276 metres above high water it is among the highest of Australian lighthouses. There is a narrow passage between Tasman Island and Cape Pillar of only 100 metres. Pigeons were used for the first 20 years for emergency messages. Stores were transferred from a vessel to a launch, then to a flying fox, extending from a rock 8.5 metres above sea level to a ledge on the island, 30 metres above the sea. Good were then hauled by an engine-driven winch, to an elevation of about 215 metres. A horse-drawn tramway took them on the final stage to the lighthouse, at an amazing 215 metres above the sea level. The island was once thickly forested and it is now almost bare, the result of cutting trees for firewood and two severe fires.

Too misty to get a good photo of the Hippolyte Island.

Back to the Tasman Archway. Amazing rock formation, some like pillars others sideways to support the arch.

Looking north over Pirates Bay to the other side of Eaglehawks Neck.

Drove up a Penzance Road (named  probably because of Pirates Bay – Pirates of Penzance!!

Great view back over the bay to the jetty and the Blowhole.

There is any opening beside it that must have been another blowhole but it has collapsed.

One house has Nearly-a-Doo as they are nearly in Doo Town. Back down to the beach and looking north then south over Pirates Bay.

Back through Doo Town. There are a few shacks but a lot a nice houses now. Some names – Just Doo It, Doo Drop Inn, Mal’s Doog House, We Doo, Doo Mee, Rum Doo, Doo Little, Toucan-Doo, Make Doo, Doodle-Doo, What U Gunna Doo, Dr Doolittle, Gunna Doo, Nickle Doo, Ittle Doo 4 Now and Doo Stay.

Drove back to the Blowhole to check out the collapsed one. Parked at the boat ramp. Even the boats have Doo.

 Got some photos of the water rushing over it.

Another look at the blowhole as the tide has come in more. Took some more videos. Water rushing in making it more spectacular.

Looking back up Eaglehawk Bay as we cross over Eaglehawk Neck.

Stopped at the Officer’s Quarters and Dog Line historical site. The 1832 Officer’s Quarters is now a Museum.

Lots of interesting information.

An aerial view looking towards Port Arthur taken over Pirates Bay showing Eaglehawk Neck and Eaglehawk Bay.

Great map showing the mountain ranges we have been climbing up and over.

Found the railway line that transported people from Norfolk Bay to Long Bay at Port Arthur. The convicts had to push the carts full of people – amazing.

Governor Arthur’s interesting notices to the aborigines.

Each of the rooms has some information about it.

  

The model showing where everything was situated around the Dog Line and the Neck.

The dogs names.

Information about the soldiers.

Semaphore Stations.

On the old radio you could listen to the diary of Lt Bunbury and the wives of the soldiers and what their lives were like living here.

After the guards left.

Followed the path down to the Dog Line. Hard to see now but you can see the gap between the two sand dunes.

 Great sculpture. He enjoyed chewing on Steve’s hand!!

Wandered down to the beach over Pirates Bay. Great view and would be fabulous on a fine day.

Drove down the road to the Tessellated Pavement and Clyde’s Island. With fossil cliffs that were of interest to Charles Darwin when visiting Tassie in 1836.

The surfers are all floating about.

Noticed another fire down the road. The one on the right we saw as we headed here – someone burning some rubbish. The one on the left is very grey. A fire engine drove past and now we notice it is very white.

Followed the road around the ridge and up to the Tasman Seacliff Coast Lookout. Great view.

Interesting information about all the rock formations.

Looking over the Neck.

Decided to drive back to the Blowhole as the tide is coming in. Passed where the fire was, it was a bongo van – hope the people didn’t get hurt.

Got a couple of better spray shots.

Norfolk Bay Convict Station circa 1838. Now the township is called Taranna.

 From this jetty people were conveyed by tramway cart pushed by convicts all the way to Long Bay at Port Arthur.

On the way back to the truck we drove down to Shelly Beach, pretty little spot, very secluded.

The Convict Trail signs are not the easiest to find but we are slowly getting the idea of where they hide them. Missed the ones at Koonya or as it was known back then, Cascades. 

Can’t find the posts for the tramway though. Impression Bay is now Premaydena.

Back to the van, only one bongo van here tonight on the other side. Rang Dan to see how he is – all good, getting back into his remote controlled cars again. Do miss my boys.

TV still got a few channels so enjoyed watching ‘The Lake House’, nice mushy one with Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves. Cooling off again tonight. Weather said it might start to warm up by the end of the week!!!