Tues, 30th Jan, 2024 Mathers Campground, Waterhouse Conservation Area to Mike & Anne’s place, Bridport, Tas (exploring Bridport)

Warmer morning, 17 degrees, clear sky and light breeze.

The tide is out and the waves have redistributed the piled up sea grass.

Packed up and headed back out.

Calmer sea in Waterhouse Passage today.

Scared a flock of black cockatoos (yellow spot on their tails) out of the trees as we leave the Conservation Area and drive through the green grazing areas.

Turned off to check out Big Waterhouse Lake. Along the track lined with trees, across a swampy section with a view across to a sand hill.

A big of information - lots of black swans further along the lake towards the big sand hill.

Clouds building again in the east. Back to the bitumen and through more grazing land.

View across to Bridport - looks like everyone has a house with a view.

Into Bridport - the sign says, Village by the Sea. Across the Brid River via the bridge with the view over the tidal area.

Continued along the main road. Passed the foreshore camping area - still lots of people in there. Around to the Old Pier for a cuppa. New boat ramp etc beside it.

Found a history walk sign.

Walked back a bit to the next sign about Granite Point and Mermaids Pool. Lots of sea grass about.

Found the path and a sign about birds.

Down to the beach - a very nice spot. Tide was out so we can imagine how great is would be when the tide comes in as you can see the tide height marks. Then looking back to the old pier and Bridport.

Back to the old pier. I walked down to the new ramp - looking over Andersons Bay and the beaches.

Continued along the track for the history walk that runs along the foreshore through the camping area. Next history sign about how the locals made this track.

Nice walk - lots of different camping arrangements in the park and looks like a few permanent set ups as well. This camp must be owned by a trucker - great fire pit stack.

The beach though isn’t so nice here with the piles of sea grass.

Nice beach and open park at Croquet Lawn Beach though it looks like there was a game of cricket rather than croquet happening.

Further around to the next info board about another jetty that was built here. Nothing here of that one, compared to the pylons of the tougher logs of the old pier jetty.

Across the point to view the next beach - Eastmans. Amazing to think of how they all travelled out here on the soft sandy and bumpy roads and how much longer it took them. Now we complain if there is a few pot holes in the road and the air conditioning isn’t working!!

Next is Gofton’s Beach.

Reached the Village Green - lots of sporting activities here - cricket, footie, skate park, basketball and playground.

Turned around and went back to the truck. Back down the main street and up the street to Mike and Anne’s home. Great letterbox.

As we drove in and sorted where we were going to park, Mike commented that one of the rims has a crack in it. That will have to be replaced - hope no more have cracks. Steve says that things made in China seems to have poorer quality steel in them.

We parked up down the bottom.

The boys got to work taking off the rim as Mike & Anne are going into Launceston this afternoon to pick up their friends from the airport so they can pick us up a new one. He rang his friend at Jax Tyres. Steve said to get 2 but he wanted a bigger kilo rating and they had them which was great.

Had lunch then chatted for a while on their patio - great view. Tides out in the Trent Water Estuary - only the narrow channel at the moment. Bit hazy looking across the bay.

The Flowering Gum is showing off at the moment.

We were very sorry to hear that their friend Berkley who we met in Bendigo when we met Mike had passed away. Such a shock for them all.

Mike & Anne headed off to Launceston to pick up our rims and then their friends from the airport. They won’t get back till about 9pm so we will relax for a bit then go for a walk.

Fran texted that it was so hot and humid at home. Not nice for our pregnant daughter-in-laws.

I rang Wendy for a catch up and she was with Rebecca so we chatted about Tasmania for a while as she and David are planning to come down later this year. Rebecca and Clive are planning late next year.

Had a cuppa up on the patio - the tide is coming in.

Put on our sandshoes and we headed off for a walk. Some flowers in Anne’s garden.

Straight down the hill to where the water goes out via a channel. Found another history board about the Trent Water Estuary just along from where we turned around this morning at the Village Green. Walked out to the end of the wall.

Nice view back along the beach.

Across the opening to the sand hills where a golf course is.

Looking back up the Trent Water Estuary - very popular for water sports.

More info about the Forester River. The river has changed now since a chap changed the mouth of it to be able to drain the marshes.

Continued along reading the various signs. We like getting the history of a town this way rather than reading lots of books in museums.

Another amazing Flowering Gum.

More info boards.

Walked across the bridge over the Brid River. Fishing boats line where the water flows into the Trent Water Estuary.

Upstream.

Headed along another trail along the Brid River through a paperbark forest.

The track ran along the back of houses with not much to see other than a couple of openings with views down to the river - not very picturesque.

We thought we were lost when we came out to a road but the track continued. This persons fence line is all blackberries.

A sign so we know we are on the correct track.

Continued on. Eventually we came to a footbridge over the river.

Couldn’t see any platypus or fish.

Nearly across and we cross over a water race before climbing up the other side. Found out later that it sends water down to the fish farm near the Brid River bridge.

Continued along the narrow track near the water race. There were a few old viewing platforms over a wet area or it the river.

Left the water as we went around the edge of the hill then we saw the water race again. Crossed over it, the river is just through the bushes.

Just up a bit we saw the weir. There s a fish ladder too.

Another info board then we started to climb up hill.

Last view of the river then we turned onto a dirt track. We can hear a pump going which Steve thinks will be the water supply pump in the river. We didn’t go down to see.

Up the track then turned onto Elizabeth Street. Up and over to the view back to the bay.

View between some houses where the tide has come into the Trent Water Estuary. Looking over the area just left of the Brid River bridge.

Further along we got a view down a street.

We got our exercise as we then had to turn up that street and head over a couple of streets then down and around to ‘home’.

Earned our drinks and nibbles today. Great walk.

Cooked dinner and ate in the camper. Peter P from the Cummins DIY group rang to see how the engine was going so he and Steve chatted for ages.

About 9pm Mike and Anne arrived back with their friends from Yeppoon - Glen and Lynne. They also had our 2 rims which was so kind of them. Made a cuppa and joined them all upstairs for a chat. Lynne commented on how terrible the weather has been at home with high temps and humidity for at least the last 3 weeks.

Quite cool as we head back to the camper.