Mon, 2nd Mar, 2015 Tall Timbers Hotel camp area, Smithton to Smithton East Esplanade RV park (Tarkine Dismal Swamp slide and tourist drive)

Freezing night. It was 8.6 degrees at 7am so autumn has arrived quickly. Packed up and headed into Smithton. We had 4 nights at the hotel and are supposes to only have 3 so didn’t want to do the wrong thing since they are so nice in letting people stay for free.

Filled up with water and then parked with a few other vans at the RV camp area near the boat ramp.

Looking over Duck River out to Duck Bay.

Just after we set two more vans arrived, more Queenslanders. First thing the guy did was come and ask Steve about the intercooler!!!

Ducked back into the shops for milk and a couple of things then made some lunch. Drove back towards the west again to stop at the Tarkine Adventures at Dismal Swamp. That bit of road has to be the bumpiest bitumen when we have been on so far.

There are hundreds of butterflies fluttering around the flowers by the road. Unfortunately a lot won’t live for long as they flew straight into the truck.

Tarkine Forest Adventures, Dismal Swamp has a very unusual looking building – award winning apparently. It is run by Forestry Tasmania.

In 1828 Surveyor John Wedge and his group area recorded as having a ‘dismal’ experience surveying the swamp. They were constantly wet, cold and slept on fallen logs and in trees as an attempt to stay dry. The swamp area is a sink hole. Due to the formation of the huge sinkhole (624 ha) and its being surrounded by steep ridges, Dismal Swamp has evolved as a natural eden devoid of invasive weeks and, for the greater part, feral pests. It is a blackwood ‘polje’ (pol-ya), a special type of sinkhole and the only one of its kind in the world.

The 110 metre slide from the reception area to the swamp floor adds a bit of thrill to a conservation site. There is 1.5km of boardwalks around the floor of the swamp with information boards and artist’s impressions here and there.

Not the greatest look but off he went. I took a video of Steve heading down the shute.

Next my turn. It was fast and had quite a bump in one spot that I thought I might turn over and then it was over. Looking back up the shute. You can do more slides for $2 but you have to walk back up the 350m walk to the top.

Down on the floor of the sinkhole we wandered around with our map following the board walks. There was a bit of an arty side to it with people’s ‘feelings’ etc but it was quite a nice walk. Of course we have read so much on all the timber types and it was the same info provided by Forestry Tasmania.

This is the Living Room by Simon Archer. He created a living room that is both ‘inside and outside’. Its curved ribs reach up like the bones of a prehistoric animal – This is the arty side.

Interesting fact about this sinkhole.

And another blocked sinkhole, Lake Chisholm.

There was a cut-out cow in one section to represent the fact that the area could have been turned into pasture for cows. A District Forester, Wes Beckett, managed to save the area. In 2001 Dismal Swamp was made a State Forest.

Scary creature hiding in the grass.

Another arty bit. Door made out of Blackwood that grows very well here.

Lots of burrowing crayfish holes everywhere. We didn't see any crayfish though. They help turn over the floor and help the blackwoods grow.

A chair for contemplation about the environment!!

This poor tree obviously had a break but mended itself and kept on growing.

Another section had lots of crayfish and their holes made by an artist. Crayfish shed their skins as they grow. They mate from July to December and carry their young on their tails.

As we head back out we are greeted by two huge Praying Mantis created by Greg Duncan from the Walls in the Wilderness.

Nice wide wheel chair friendly ramp to walk back up the 350m on.

A lookout on the way up overlooking the slide.

Up the top we walked out onto the cantilever platform to look out over the tree tops and the sinkhole rim.

 Looking straight down.

I went to the toilet and this is the view – not bad.

A fancy bit of glass work at the car park.

Headed back out. I wanted to follow the Tarkine Forest Drive and noticed there was road cutting across to join up with the Drive. It turned out to be a forestry road but was in good condition except for the couple of road hogging ute drivers and a couple of big dirt carrying trucks. Past a forestry site that had just been logged.

Onto the Tarkine Drive route and across the Kanunnah Bridge over the Arthur River. Kanunnah is an aboriginal word for Tasmanian Tiger. The blackwoods in this area are reputed to be the largest, tallest and straightest in the world

Up the road is the Sumac Lookout (210m elevation). Information board about the Tarkine Drive.

Made a cuppa then wandered down to the lookout. It even had a picnic table with a fabulous view of the Arthur River.

The sign at the lookout was carved out of one piece of timber.

Big forestry trucks use this road too. More beehives tucked into the forest making the Leatherwood Honey. Old forestry spur roads leading off here and there. Old signs nearly hidden in the scrub about when the area was last logged etc or “Pulp and timber 1976, burnt 1977”.

Next stop was Julius River Forest Reserve. Nice little creek and a forest walk. Skipped the walk as it didn’t look well maintained.

As we drive out I noticed the sign says Julius Rivulet. No wonder it was so small.

Turned off to Lake Chisholm Forest Reserve. The lake is one of many sinkholes in the area but only a few have filled with water. There are no creeks flowing in or out of this deep pool of water.

As we walked in there was a lovely archway made by a bent over tree fern. Nice place for a selfie.

Then Steve got a good photo of me. Even I like it.

Lovely walk in then it started heading down hill.

Great reflections on the Lake though the wind was rippling it a bit on the other side.

Lots of tall trees still growing around here.

Back on the Drive we headed down another road to Dempster Plains Lookout. Scrap your shoes before going up so not to spread germs.

Up the stairs, along the path through the buttongrass to another platform.

 Magnificent view over the buttongrass plain – I was going to skip this one but glad we didn’t. Norfolk Ranges in the distance. These plains have a long history of burning by Aborigines and many plant species rely on fire to regenerate.

Another road off here leads to Wes Beckett Forest Reserve and Falls. I had been looking for the falls as it was on the NW Waterfall list I had. We headed down the road but the sign said it was an hour return walk that was steep and rocky and as it wasn’t on the walk list for the Tarkine Drive we reckon it wouldn’t be maintained. It is also 5.30pm so decided to give it a miss.

Very dark tannin stained Rapid River.

Across the Arthur River again.

Over the Tayatea Bridge which was built by the Forestry Commission and opened in 1969.

Steve found this big rock balancing on a post. It had lots of shiny silver stuff probably Galena.

Out of the forest to dairy farms which are surrounded with eucalypt plantations.

Through Trowutta and down the range to Roger River. Back through more dairy farms and a big Devondale dairy.

Unusual spotted horse.

Back to the van. Breeze getting cooler so into the van for dinner. Rang Dan and Jon while Steve cooked the burger patties. Erica rang from Cootamundra where they will start their Murray River trip from.

Beautiful sunset colours through my kitchen window.