Huon Valley

Huon Valley is a pretty area as well as a wonderful food growing area. We based ourselves at Geeveston which is a great place to reach many areas south of Hobart for some interesting day trips around the southern areas of Tasmania.
 

The historic train at Ida Bay

We were there towards the end of a cool summer and just before the end of the cherry season and so we were able to indulge in kilos of fresh succulent cherries. Apples were also in season and pears were just about to start as were the berries. There are salmon and fisheries all along the water edges. With the appropriate licenses you can indulge in catching your own fish or seafood. Obviously with so much great fresh food, there are great eateries in the area too. We had intended to stay 3 or so days in Geeveston as a central base. However when we got to the campsite, we met up with a very friendly bunch of people and enjoyed their company and as it worked out they knew the Rutlands and told us that Kim and her delightful family were on their way, so we decided to stay a bit longer. This is one of the reasons I love about free camping: one is rarely ever tied to a timetable or schedule and a few extra days here and there can easily be accommodated.

Free camping at Geeveston's Ex Services Club

We felt very comfortable with leaving the bus at the free camp next to the Ex Services Club to do day trips. There's so much to see & do if you want to or you can sit back and relax by many of the creeks and bays in the area too. You can drive to Ida Bay and take in a little historic train ride, you can go & see the wonders of Hastings Caves and then relax in the nearby Hot Springs. You can even easily make trips right down to Cockle Creek from here if you didn't want to take your RV everywhere.

Cockle Creek

Hastings Cave

On some days we just went for a drive around the country. One short trip was just a bit south to Police Point and the little fishing village of Dover following the twisty windy coast road where we saw salmon farms, quiet little coves and some interesting old buildings. One spot had us puzzled for quite a while... there was this little block of land right opposite a club and next to a catholic church with maybe 20 posts with these odd looking chains and 'something' on each one. We finally figured out that the site must be the location for some serious wood chopping contests. Pity we didn't get to see these strong burly men in action.

The mysterious blocks

A view of the Huon Valley

Another slightly longer trip was north to Huonville and then across the river and east to do a loop through Cygnet, Gordon, Kettering (where the ferry to Bruny Island runs from). It was lunchtime by the time we reached Snug, so when we saw this restaurant there The Spectrum Cafe, we just had to try it out and what a wonderful meal we had there. It was 'just' a pizza but oh what a pizza. It was one of the best I have ever had. Eventually we continued on our way to Margate before turning west to rejoin the highway near a horribly named town of Sandfly. Even though the weather was not so nice for our drives, it is good to get out and still we can get to see some lovely places from the dry warmth of our car as well as it gives one a break from sitting indoors all day when it is raining.

Police Point

The weather had been less than friendly for much of our time here as there has been an extraordinary amount of rain. Still with small breaks in the weather and great company we managed to have a grand time other than Rob getting an infection. On that note we can certainly recommend Dr Clare at Geeveston's Medical Centre. He is very thorough and lovely to boot. We were going to have to have further test to find the source of Rob's infection and that necessitated staying around as well. As it worked out, especially with Rob's illness, we ended up being in Geeveston for nearly 2 weeks.