2 Geckos Travelling Australia: Tues, 2nd June, 2015 Garden Island, Clarence Point (Low Head and George Town sightseeing)

Frost this morning but we weren’t freezing as it is 5.9 degrees at 6.30am in the van.

Mist lifting off the river and covering George Town. I noticed that these towns have Town as a separate word rather than Qld’s Georgetown version – Campbell Town, Elizabeth Town etc.

After we had warmed up we headed off to check out Greens Beach. There is no wind today so it is actually a lovely day as long as you are standing in the sun!! Read the info board near the beach about the history and environmental issues of the area.

Walked down onto the beach which was lovely except the piles of seaweed. Chatted with a couple from Gravelly Beach.

They said the black swans have only just started coming to this area.

Looking across to the lighthouse at Low Head.

Cute beach huts line the beach.

Found the one and only shell on the beach.

Walked back up the street and stopped at the shop. Kerry’s friend Sharon owns it and she and her husband Neville were outside so we stopped for a chat. They said that the frost is quite rare to be this close to the water.

Neville said to go up the hill for a great look over the area. He was right – looking across Port Dalrymple with Hebe Reef in the middle, to Low Head Lighthouse with Tenth Island in the distance.

Then looking down on Greens Beach. Certainly is a beautiful day.

This gardener has turned the local shrubs into cute shapes.

Drove out to West Head in the Narawntapu National Park. Walked down the narrow valley to the beach which was very rocky.

Looking over Badger Beach then round to Badger Head.

Looking up to where we are going to walk out to the lookout.

The Black Cockatoos were making a racket as we headed back up the path.

Out onto the lookout – great view to the west.

Zoomed in on the coastline further west which would be the Devonport area.

West Head.

Drove back then stopped off at Pebbly Beach. Very smelly seaweed here and yes lots of pebbles.

Looking back to the lighthouse.

Headed back through Kelso where all the houses have lovely river side views and green esplanade.

Went back to the van for lunch then headed off across Batman Bridge again to head up the East Tamar Highway through George Town to Low Head. Stopped at the lighthouse. Found a plaque about a yacht race in 1907.

Lots of information to read.

The Low Head Lighthouse, built in 1888. The original one was built in 1833.

The walls are very thick.

Great view from here too, back down the Tamar River then back up to the mouth-Port Dalrymple.

Zoomed in on Hebe Reef.

The old Foghorn housed in this shed, has been rebuilt and still sounds at midday on Sundays.

The Foghorn.

View around to East Beach to the east. Great day for a boat ride, it is so calm.

The point is also a nesting area for the Fairy Penguins.

A number of other buildings were later added to the lightstation complex. These include a new Head Keeper’s Quarters built in 1890 and the Assistant Keeper’s Quarters, built in 1916. The Head Keeper’s Quarters is now used for holiday rental.

More information about the lighthouse and communication methods.

A replica semaphore mast.

More info about Dotterel Point where the penguin rookery is located.

Lots of historic homes along this road.

This one seemed to be lots of small cottages all joined together.

‘Braeside’ then ‘Kuranui’ built in 1888.

This is ‘Gunns Castle’ which was a Gentlemen’s Retreat built in 1929.

Lovely sheltered boat ramp. Apparently the weather can be horrendous, hard to believe when we are having such a lovely day.

Drove in the entrance built to commemorate the 150^th anniversary of the oldest existing building and the 180^th year of continuous manning of the Low Head Pilot Station in 1985.

Very neat and tidy. The main buildings on the left are now home to the Maritime Museum. It was built in 1835 using convict labour to house four pilots and their families.

Went for a walk around reading all the information. This ship’s bell is a replacement one as the original that was there from prior to 1900. It was used to rouse the crews and could be heard throughout the whole pilot station.

It is beside the repositioned octagonal Chart Room which used to sit closer to the jetty. It was the original Watch House (shown here in the 1880s – the tall building on the left was the Sea Reach Lead Light). Its three windows were aligned with Barrel Rock, the Lighthouse and the Lead Light, evidence that Low Head’s early sight lines were used over a long period.

Unfortunately the signs haven’t been maintained but this shows the sight lines from where the octagonal room was.

Matthew Flinders memorial on the site of the octagonal room commemorating the discovery of Port Dalrymple on November 3^rd, 1798.

Great info about piloting in the area and the convict pilot that made off with a ship.

One of the semaphore masts.

Looking across to the two Lead Lights.

The original jetty that the pilot walked out onto to board his row boat to go out to the ships.

PLA Wooden Marker Buoy was used at Hebe Reef. Constructed of Huon Pine and used from 1835 to 1960 to mark the channel and other hazards.

This capstan was salvaged from the four mast Barque ‘Farsund’ which ran aground and became a wreck at Vansittart Shoals, Flinders Island on March 10^th, 1912 and placed here in 1913 to haul out buoys and boats. Around the base it says ‘Stockton on Tees’, probably where it was made in England.

The other side of the Pilot Station buildings.

Lovely little church built in 1877.

Information hut showing a map of the Pilot Station buildings and descriptions. Looking over the area.

More information and Pilots Bay.

Down the road we turned off to She Oak Point to check out one of the Lead Lights. There was a plaque dedicated in 1974 to commemorate the location of the first signal mast at Low Head by Lieutenant-Colonel William Paterson in 1804 and the building of the Low Head Lighthouse in 1833.

Very rocky beach.

The next Lead Light.

Into George Town to check out the Water Tower Mural we saw on a sign as we drove through. Unfortunately they only give you one sign off the main road then it is ‘find it yourself’. Shouldn’t be too hard to find a big water tower but it was as it was over a hill!! It was in Arnold Street (Dad’s mother’s maiden name). Great murals though, which were completed in 1985.

Drove down to York Cove – picturesque.

Looking across the Tamar River to where our van is.

Then around to Windmill Point. In 2013 Eddie Freeman transformed some old Macrocarpa Pine Trees on the site of the old ‘Cable House’ which was built here in 1892.

It depicts a mother whale and her baby, some penguins and the cablemen hauling of the submarine telegraph cable ashore.

The next tree had three men but no information.

On the point is a memorial to Lieut. Colonel William Paterson, NSW Corps, who landed near here from HMS Buffalo on 11^th Nov, 1804 and took possession of the northern territory of Van Diemen’s Land in the name of his Britannic Majesty King George III.

Another info board needing some tidying up. George Town was originally called Outer Cove. It was competing with Launceston as the northern capital. Bit like Cairns v Townsville.

Through George Town and up to Mt George. Steep climb which some crazy people were walking. A flagmast at the top with lots of other towers. The mast was donated in 2001 and was part of the recommissioned semaphore communication system that extends throughout the Tamar Valley. The flags were Marryatt’s Code flags.

There was also a Semaphore Mast and information about sending messages.

This lookout was placed here in the 1930s when the road up Mt George was constructed. This project was part of an unemployment scheme introduced during the depression years. Obviously there were no trees here then as you can’t see anything from it now.

This lookout though has fantastic views (though a few trees could be pruned!!) The Lions Club installed it in 1993.

Great info boards showing the area and the big companies working here.

Then around from Clarence Point to the mouth. Read on a brochure that George Town is now Australia’s oldest town because Sydney (est 1798) and Hobart (est 1803) are both now cities, not towns!!