Penguins at Sulphur Creek

We love the area between  Devonport and Cooee Point so we decided to stop once again but this time we free camped at Sulphur Creek and hopefully we can avoid some of the wind that we encountered at Cooee Point the first time. We are only about 10km further east of Cooee Point.

I was hoping to see some Fairy Penguins

I have a burning desire to see various animals and Sulphur Creek has the advantage of having a small penguin colony adjacent to the camping area. I have always wanted to see animals in their own wild environment. I have seen platypuses (saw my first at Nagambie, Vic and my second at Geeveston), wombats, (they wandered under our caravan and around the park at Bendeela), emus, camels, kangaroos and wallabies. I have yet to see wild koalas, dolphins, quolls, and Tasmanian Devils. I did see penguins at Wilson's Promontory, Vic, but I want to get up close to one and hope to do this here at Sulphur Creek.

The beach at Sulphur Creek

It is also a place where some penguins come in to roost and feed their young from approximately October to March each year. I also liked that Sulphur Creek is closer to sea level and surprisingly more protected from the wind than we found at Cooee Point.

A sign seen on the road elsewhere

On our first night there, we went to the little track on the western side of the park. Rob has his night vision goggles. We met with some other campers that were also hoping to see the penguins. They had some cellophane over their torches but they were still rather bright. I am not sure how bright the penguins can handle even red light?

The Robbiebago camped at Sulphur Creek

We could hear the young penguins calling out to their mums as it was getting rather dark. Then at 9.21, we see one lone penguin come out of the surf. One of the men with the torch, shined it on the penguin and scared it off back into the water. We waited patiently and that same penguin came back out and scuttled up the path somewhere. We waited and waited for more. We left the others and walked along the beach a bit and hoped to distance ourselves from their light and noise hoping that this would encourage more sightings all to no avail. We gave up after about another hour. It wa jolly cold and as Rob says it was a lazy wind, meaning that the wind goes right through you rather than around you.

Rob admiring the lichen on the rocks

The next day, I had to go to the local hospital for a CT scan and Rob enjoyed a decent sleep in. Then we did a little bit of shopping and fellowship with other campers espeically made friends with Kerry. I had spent some time on the internet researching sighting around our area, what environment the penguins favour and what to look for.

Penguin tracks

I had the idea to look for their tracks in the sand and set out along the sand dune edges to see where there was a proliferation of tracks. I narrowed it down to two major areas. Sadly I also found 2 dead penguins. I saw a little blood on the side of one head but I have no idea as to the cause of death.

It was sad to see some dead penguins

This time we decided to start our vigil later. As soon as I hop outside the motorhome, some other campers, pointed out a couple of penguins up on the grass very close to where we were camping. I was so excited and very surprised to see them wandering around on the grassy area a third way between the sand dune edge and the train line. I told Rob and ran off to get Kerry. Neither Kerry or Rob get to see these ones.

Fairy Penguin at night - source Australian Geographic

We took off down the same tracks as last night but went west along the beach only about 100m. We could hear the chicks all around us. It was a much warmer night and thus much easier to stay out longer. We were rewarded with seeing a couple of penguins. Eventually we went back to the bushes near grassy area where I saw the earlier birds and were rewarded to see some more that were a tad easier to see without the goggles, though obviously the goggles made it much easier to sight them.
All in all we saw about ten birds and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We called it a night after about 90 minutes.


(I saw Kerry again 5 days later and she told us of seeing more penguins the next night and had the delight of one penguin actually walking over her foot! She was also blessed to see a pod of dolphins off the shore at the park too in the afternoon.) We had to move on as we had an appointment to meet up & stay with some people at Wesley Vale just 15km outside Devonport towards Port Sorrell.

Happy travels until the next time

Michelle & Rob

Free camping at Hellyer Gorge

A couple of days quiet free camping at Hellyer Gorge with no side trips and what nots was just what I needed. I love having some time out ie days doing nothing more than grabbing a book or craft, a short quiet stroll in the bus and a game of cards at night with my hubby.

One view of Hellyer River

 
It was overcast most of the time we were here, with patches of rain now and then. By the end of two days here our motorhome batteries were sorely in need of some decent sunshine to recharge the lithium batteries, but I am getting ahead of myself here.

Waratah Waterfalls right in the middle of town

We did stop at Waratah to see the waterfalls right in the middle of town and they were great, but since it was raining quite heavy we didn't do anything else there nor did we spend much looking at the falls. On we go to Hellyer Gorge.

It was a tough road for the Robbiebago going up hill and down dale let alone the twisting, winding road. Rob was quite exhausted at the end of the drive from the tension.

Second view of Hellyer River

Hellyer Gorge is on the Murchison Highway from Wynyard and Waratah in north west Tasmania and just a hop, skip and jump south of Somerset and Burnie. It is a steep road with many sharp bends and you are driving through some spectacular scenery.

How nice that they make the walking tracks so easy in Hellyer Gorge

First off you have a marvelous canopy of rainforest surrounding you and above you. Every now and then you get a glimpse of granite mountains through the canopy of trees. The gorge itself is a magical place and the rainforest is full of tall myrtle beech, encrusted with mosses and fungi.

Giving you an idea of the size of the Myrtle Trees in Hellyer Gorge

The Hellyer River passes through and the whole area is quite picturesque and there are some short easy bush-walking tracks that have been created so that tourists such as ourselves can see the magical forest up close and personal. One is centred around the gently flowing river (though it is a white water rive at other locations) and the other is through the primitive myrtle forest where you don't need much imagination to see a land reminiscent of Lord of the Rings etc.

Colourful Fungi

Water clings to the wispy leaves

As to the free camping spot itself, there are flushing toilets and a covered picnic area. There's enough bitumen parking area for several RV's and grassy area for tents. Across the road there is more camping area amongst the trees and you can get your feet on to the grass if that suits you better.

Hellyer Gorge Picnic Area (not our photo - sadly ours was lost somehow)

Happy travels until the next time

Michelle & Rob

Zeehan

We just had to stop in Zeehan as this is where Rob's sister lived for some years. We found her old house though I think it has since been painted. Many people drive straight through the town, not realizing there is an excellent museum at Zeehan which I would recommend to anyone to visit before passing through town.

Gaiety Theatre

Zeehan Post Office

Zeehan School of Mines (now the museum)

The main street of Zeehan is a beautiful feature of the town. Points of interest around the town include the old Gaiety Theatre (built in 1899), and apparently once the largest concert hall in Australia; the West Coast Heritage Centre, which is in the old School of Mines building and now encompasses the whole block as the museum including the theatre. I believe it is one of the best regional museums in Tasmania if not Australia, it houses early pioneering memorabilia, mining equipment and steam locomotives. You will need a couple of hours easily to see all of it. The entrance fee is quite small being something in the vicinity of $15.

Rob admiring an exhibit

It is certainly much larger than one would think from the outside. There are rooms dedicated to mining and minerals. It is reported that their mineral exhibition is considered world class and was certainly extensive.

I enjoyed the fashions of the day

Upstairs the heritage centre houses a rich and detailed pictorial history of the West Coast with many photographs recording the region's mining, timber milling and convict histories extensively through quite a few rooms.

Early photography equipment

Out the back you have a much larger area and one can enter the Masonic Display, the Police Station, Court House and the Gaiety Theatre and Grand Hotel. The Masonic Display demystified Freemasonry ... without giving away any of its secrets! The theatre included an interesting display dedicated to some of the pioneer women of Strahan.giving a history of each building and the what and why fors of each building.

A jeep?

Further back there are boat sheds, a blacksmith shop, a motor vehicle display, a marine display, a machinery shed, an underground mine simulation and some railway exhibits.

Steam engine

I must admit I was on information overload. In hindsight it probably would have been better to stop overnight if you really wanted to get as much as possible from the museum.

A couple of trains

Zeehan itself is a remote mining town that has gone from being the third largest town in Tasmania to a deserted ghost town it is slowly clawing back as a prosperous mining town again, thanks to the relatively nearby Renison Bell tin mine.

Happy travels until the next time

Michelle & Rob

A Cruise on the Gordon River

The sky was beginning to lighten and the air was still. Early mornings are precious, a special time wherever you are, as it is the promise of a new day. However Rob is definitely not a fan of early mornings. To him anything earlier than 8am is too early. However today we had a very good reason to be up and about. We are going on a cruise up the Gordon River. Yay!

The lighthouse marking Hell's Gates

A short drive into town and we are on the boat and then off we go. First though we are headed out to The Heads, the place where the Gordon River and Port Macquarie Basin meet the Ocean proper. This are was so turbulent endangering early ships that rock walls were built directly into the waters creating deeper channels by holding back the sand and the channels open for sea traffic.

Salmon Farm feeding time

We got to see some islands and an up close view of a salmon farm feeding by hosing the food onto the farm.

One of the ruins on Sarah Island

It is not long before we sight Sarah Island, a prison island for repeat offenders. We alighted here and had a good walk around. There is a free guide that makes the history come alive. This penal colony was quite brutal place even by prison standards as it was meant for repeat offenders. The island was quite densely populated with trees before the colony started and one of the first jobs the prisoners had to do was cut down every tree on the place, all of it used for building or fires. It was was rather short sighted of the officials as there was no shelter from the winds, as the island lies right in the path of "the roaring forties", coming across from South America. Its bad enough anytime but in the winter it became unbearable for both staff as well as convicts. The trees are now slowly regenerating naturally.

Submerged Huon pine - part of how they reclaimed some land from the sea

One aspect we were taken with (maybe a tie in to Rob's Dutch heritage, is the evidence still visible of the reclamation of the land from the sea in some areas, which is one of the earliest examples of land reclamation in Australia. The method used here consisted of mixed fill consolidated with Huon Pine logs. We quite enjoyed the walks amongst the ruins.

The ruins of the 'luxury' tower complex

Leaving Sarah Island behind us, we head up the Gordon River at last and disembark at Heritage Landing where there's an elevated boardwalk that threads its way through ancient bush or precisely cool temperate rainforest. This rainforest receives an amazing 3-6metres of rain per year!

One of the huge dinner plate fungus on the trees

It was a lovely easy board walk although it was packed and I felt like we were being herded like cattle. In spite of this though there is a rare stillness and a silence to the area - you get a feeling of a lost time. It would be pure bliss to be there all on one's own (or just with your partner!)

Fungus and lichen are everywhere and add a magical touch to the forest

The rainforest is quite magical. It is home to a myriad variety of trees, lichen and birdlife. I am sure there is a lot more than what we can see. You will see the famous Huon Pines, myrtles, leatherwood trees and species of pines found only in Tasmania. The raised timber walkway leads you through the verdant forest to a fallen giant — a 2,000-year-old Huon pine that fell to the ground but continues to support new saplings.

Ancient Huon Log believed to be 2000yr old

Finally all good things must come to an end and the return cruise is blissful as we glide across the harbour waters back to Strahan in the midst of beaut sunshine. We've been blessed with just a tiny glimpse of one of the most unspoiled and wildest areas of Australia, rich in convict history and an unique pioneering spirit. The tour, service and knowledge of the team was excellent. We enjoyed our cruise immensely and we can't recommend it high enough. It is something you must try to do when you visit Strahan.

Looking back up the Gordon River

Did I mention the fabulous buffet that is offered on the cruise?

Happy travels until the next time

Michelle & Rob

The West Coast Wilderness Steam Train

The West Coast Wilderness Railway operates as a steam train journey from both Strahan and Queenstown. There is something magic about steam trains. I love to be able to step back in time reliving the history as you sit in the comfort of fully refurbished carriages. The first part of the Railway, from Queenstown to Teepookana was completed in 1896. The rest of the line, linking Queenstown to Strahan was completed in 1900, when the final link to Regatta Point was completed.

The romance of old world travel

You have a choice of full day trips and half day trips. We took the full day trip and we loved it even though it made it a very long day. Bookings are essential for the fully catered carriages, however we were happy to pack a picnic lunch and look after ourselves rather than wait for several days if not weeks for a vacancy.

The King River and the wide variety of rainforest foliage

The trip starts at Regatta Point, just outside of Strahan. The scenery is absolutely superb and unique. There are aspects of the forests and the rivers that you will not be able to see in any other medium even by strenuous bush walking. You will see how the bush is almost impenetrable at times and recognize the difficulties of the steep terrain that challenged the railway builders let alone the weather and such that made life very difficulty. It certainly gave a more realistic idea of what the builders had to put up with. It is such a steep gradient from 12-1 and even 20-1 at one stage, that a very special rack and pinion track had to be brought in from Switzerland, who's designer, Mr Abt, is where the name of the railway comes from. It is thirsty work for the steam trains and though we cross something like 40 bridges,(in just 38km of rail lines, the water has to be collected and 'fed' into the train at numerous stops along the way. Around 8000 litres of water is needed for the return journey, hence the frequent stops but that's good as you get to hop out and have a look around.

A steam train needs a lot of water

You will see the King River Gorge with its quiet waters and at times the white waters of the rapids, and you'll discover why the Queen River is extraordinarily yellow. The last couple of hours appear to drag and the scenery is rather repetitive, mainly because you've seen it on the way up, it was really just that we were totally worn out by the long day. However it was a very entertaining, informative and interesting day and we are both glad we went. I must say that I can thoroughly recommend the trip on this unique steam train.

Being on a steam train is a trip down memory lane for me

Happy travels until the next time

Michelle & Rob

Strahan

Our next stop is to be at Strahan, (pronounced "straw-n"), which is significantly the port town that services Queenstown on the Macquarie Harbour, into which the Gordon River flows. It also strategically close to the north western edge of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Its economy is now largely dependent upon tourism mostly connected to the Wilderness Area.

Once again we are faced with lots of corners as we drive down to Strahan. We camped at the Strahan Golf Club for just $10 per night. We are supposed to be self contained but there is a single toilet at the club and we are encouraged to join them for happy hour occasionally during our stay.

The lovely open village centre of Strahan

I also noticed that there are FREE showers in the council car park in town, if you want to partake of this. Rob managed to get a hot shower. Mine was luke warm which ran cold within minutes, still one can't complain.

Silly me forgot to take a photo - here is one from Downunda's

We were blessed with sunny weather for most of the 5 day stay too which is absolutely terrific anytime but certainly for the two trips we took here: the West Coast Wilderness Railway and the  World Heritage Cruise up the Gordon River here which also covered lunch and a couple of walks including the Sara Island Penal colony.

Abt Rack & Pinion Railway

Unfortunately we just didn't have the energy to get out and about after our cruise and train trips we were zonked. We took a day in between to recover.

Gordon River Cruise ship

Happy travels until the next time

Michelle & Rob

Queenstown

You know it's really going to be extremely twisty drive when your map shows lots of twists and turns in the road. We have come to the conclusion that Tasmania just doesn't have many straight roads. Rob even goes as far as to say that there are more curves on Tasmania's roads than on a dozen women!

Huge steel sign for Queenstown

We drove down on the Saturday to have a look around and to find out what church services we could could go to on Sunday. We walked up and down the town centre and did a little grocery shopping. We had a nice afternoon break with a pie and sausage roll at a bakery in the town for our afternoon tea before heading back to Burbury Lake.

The view over Queenstown

Empire Hotel

Queenstown, is almost a ghost town and as such it seemed like a sad community. The mining industry has collapsed though there is hope that the mine will reopen later this year and this will help regenerate not only an income but add a more purposeful and positive note that will hopefully flow through the town. We were told that most people who live there are only there because they work for the mines, so they invest their money in tangible items that they can take with them when they go, instead of maintaining their houses and property. As it is many of the houses look neglected as though people have given up and just can't be bothered. However we did see one die hard footie supporter who made it very obvious that they were Geelong Cats supporters, through and through.

We decided we would see more of Queenstown when we came back up on the Abt Heritage Train. I was keen to see the Queentown Gallery Museum.

Colourful rock to be seen at Iron Blow

A part of the open cut part of Iron Blow Mine

We timed our move to Strahan so that we could stop at Queenstown Anglican Church/Uniting Church on the way. The people there, especially Susan, made us feel very welcomed and she also invited us back for coffee, homemade pikelets and some fellowship after the touching personal testimonial at the service.

Queenstown Railway Station

Happy travels until the next time

Michelle & Rob