Cradle Mountain to Montagu

15 October - Cradle Mountain to Montagu Beach

Cradle Mountain Campsite

A cold (1 degree) but sunny morning greeted us in Cradle Mountain as we looked to move on after three nights. Our pipes weren't frozen - nor was the caravan's - so we packed up and set off around 9:45am. Our site here was great once we were in, but getting in and out with the van was really tricky due to the wrong angles and bushes and buildings and poles and tree stumps and rubbish bins and one way only roads etc that all got in the way.

For those of you keeping notes, the easier way by far to get to Cradle Mountain, particularly with a van on, was the way we went out which was to the west through Fingerpost towards Burnie. Coming in from the east from Sheffield, the roads are very steep and windy. Our speed from that direction most of the time was around 20 - 30 klm and in 2nd gear going up and down the range. Coming out the other way we just cruised along over rolling hills and through forests of regrowth timbers. Our target was Somerset Beach van park just west of Wynyard. We hit the target after less than one and a quarter hours.

Somerset Van Park

The van park is an old drive-in theatre which, for those of you under 25 years old, is where us oldies used to go to watch movies when we were under 25. Going to the drive-in is like getting in your car, finding a big paddock with a toilet block and hamburger shop in it, parking beside a whole lot of other cars pointing the same direction and watching the exact same movie all at the exact same time on your iPad with no pause or rewind option. The iPad screen however, is a great big one at the end of the paddock on a stand. When the movie is finished you re-read the reviews in last weeks paper because, if you're lucky, you didn't see hardly any of the movie and nor did your girlfriend. When your parents ask how was the movie you quote verbatim what the movie reviewers said. You come unstuck when your parents have read the same reviews - but that is another story from yesteryear.

We parked down the back of the old drive-in theatre (now caravan park) probably out of habit, and set up camp.

Wynyard Tulips

The tulip festival was on the previous weekend, so after lunch we set of to look at the nearby tulip farm with sections still in full bloom and then went on to Table Cape lookout for some spectacular views of the coastline towards the east.

Table Cape

The night was relatively calm but cold so we decided to set off to the nearby penguin looking spotting spot. A little after 8pm the little critters started appearing on the rocky shores of Burnie. A wonderful group of local volunteers kept us fully informed of the regular nightly rituals and lifestyle of the little fairy penguins and took us to where they nest. Four week old chicks lay in wait for their parents who had been out feeding and fishing since an hour before sunrise this morning. After about 30 minutes the parents were dry and up they hopped and waddled to the nests. Next minute all hell broke loose as the chicks pillaged the parents of the raw fish stew they had brought home for dinner.

Fairy Penguins

Raw fish bits were flying everywhere as the fluffy little babies had their fill. 

All done, the parents then got down to the business of making next seasons crop of penguins. Lots of squawking and flapping of flippers, succumbing and laying back thinking of the English coastline and it was all over for another night. This whole scene was played out within a metre or two of us. We were fascinated and stayed on well after the other visitors had left the viewing area.   Having a little old lady with her red cellophane covered torches flashing everywhere during this display took me back to drive-in theatre days - but I've already talked enough about that.  

Next day was Leven Canyon day.

Leven Canyon Lookout

We travelled south-east to a remotish spot to experience yet another one of the Top 60 Walks in Tasmania. There is a great camping/day use area at the start of the walk. The walk itself has two viewing platforms - one high, one low. Between the two there are exactly 697 steps. To build the steps, overseer Stephen McTurk and his team spent 12 months carrying the equivalent of three carloads of bagged concrete, 132 posts and 550 litres of water to mix the concrete to make the steps. They worked in -2 degrees to more than 30 degree temperatures during this time. We just walked down the steps and were tired. 

697 steps down - Leven Canyon

Next we became even a little more adventurous and headed even more remotish down an ever narrowing dirt track to the start of the walk to Winterbrook Falls - which we knew nothing about. While we were at Leven Canyon there were two other 4WD's. On going to Winterbrook Falls, one of the cars was coming out and one was following us in. We came to the end of the dirt track and spied in the scrub a sign pointing in 150 metres to an information sign. We walked in, followed by the other couple, who had been travelling behind us.

Clear signage to Winterbrook Falls

While we were reading the information sign the other couple walked past us and down the poorly formed track into the forest. Distracted by that counter move we stopped reading and followed them in. 

To our delight we came across a narrow boardwalk that took us through mossy covered trees and beside and along an old wooden tram/railway line. The boardwalk ended and the track became more indistinct, only marked by pink ribbons tied to tree branches. After an hour the couple we were following came back towards us and we asked what the falls were like. They informed us that the track ahead was too muddy so they turned around.

Old timber train/tram track

With no sound of rushing water or high escarpment from which water could fall to create a waterfall, we decided the track ahead was too muddy too - without having seen it - and turned around to follow the other couple out of the dense Tasmanian wilderness. By the way, when we returned to the information sign we kept on reading and it said the walk to the waterfall was two hours each way - we had travelled about an hour or so in. However, the walk was just stunning. It followed the old wooden logging tram/railway line and we came across numerous old wooden bridges related to it deep in the forest.

Next day we were in search of another animal that started with a "P" - that's right, the platypus. Nearby Fern Glade was said to have platypus (platypie if there are two or more - encased in pastry and baked for an hour) in it, at least according to the penguin volunteer from a couple of nights ago. Arriving early (good for platypus) with a cloudy day (great for platypus) we slowly walked the full stretch of the stream where the platypus were supposed to be lurking. We saw nothing. 

Getting LFPES

A platypus!

Suffering from LFPES (looking for platypus eye strain) we were about to leave to visit the local optometrist for treatment when there in the water was ..... a ..... platypus. It swam away as we raced screaming to the edge of the river bank shouting "a platypus, a platypus". Eventually we calmed down and, doing the Bear Grylls thing, we blended in with our surroundings, ate beetles and rubbed ourselves with leech infested mud. We then stood beside a bus load of screaming school children as the platypus came right up to us and swam on the surface, dived down to feed and generally ignored us as it got on with life. P.S. - there were no school kids - we were by ourselves. Also, there were no beetles or leeches or mud we just stood on the bank. But what a buzz it was finally seeing a platypus!

After such a successful morning we celebrated by heading off to Boat Harbour Beach, further west. We were here with Mum four years ago where we had a lovely lunch at the Jolly Roger cafe. The place is still beautiful but the Jolly Roger is no more - new owner or new name?

Boat Harbour Beach for lunch

The cafe served us a nice seafood platter as we sat outside overlooking the view.

Boat Harbour Beach

It was now 18 October and time to move on. We were quite excited as Stanley and The Nut were our next stop. Packing up and leaving around 10am we travelled for 90 minutes, including a stop for morning tea at Bricklayers Beach, Port Latta and arrived at the all but empty Stanley Van Park. Julie negotiated a great site (No 12 for those taking notes) right on the waters edge, well protected by trees and shade cloth fences - for the wind. We were fully set up and finished lunch before 1pm.

A walk around the picturesque village kept us entertained for the afternoon as did the pair of alpacas in an enclosure in the van park.

Alpacas at our campsite at Stanley Van Park

Stanley has several good and one great restaurant. We decided we would go to the great restaurant for dinner. All dressed up we arrived at opening time and were told they were booked out but to try the restaurant on the wharf. The wharf restaurant was booked out too. Next we tried a cafe and that was also booked out! Disheartened and hungry we arrived back at the van and cooked dinner for ourselves which is what we usually do. We don't know where everyone came from as Stanley was not busy at all. It was Saturday night though. We did book the great restaurant for the next night and the meal was excellent.

Highfield convict ruins and the Nut

Sunday was filled with a drive south to the very pretty Dip Falls, the Big Tree and to Highfield just out of Stanley with it's convict ruins where we sat and enjoyed a picnic lunch overlooking The Nut. 

A big tree lying down

A big tree standing up

That afternoon the famed winds arrived. Blowing a gale on the beach out front, our campsite gave us good protection from the wild weather. Just as the sun sets, it is far too cold to be outside so our little van and Rheater looked after us during the wild overnight weather.

The walk to Cathedral Rocks

Next day was just perfect - no wind, no clouds and warm enough. Thanks to Willyweather we knew the day was set to be perfect so we set off east to Rocky Cape to walk the headlands to Cathedral Rocks where we sat and enjoyed the view while partaking in a fine morning tea.

Morning tea at Cathedral Rocks - just stunning, very private and out of the way

Arriving back at the car we headed to the lighthouse and on the way spied a marked track to an Aboriginal cave.

Rocky Cape

We walked the short track to a lookout overlooking the cave which contains 1000's of years of discarded shells (midden) from many feasts enjoyed by the local tribes. 


Next was the chairlift ride up to the top of The Nut and an hours walk around the top. There are fantastic views right along the coast, over to Highfield and convict ruins and over Stanley out to Rocky Cape where we'd been that morning.

Nice view

I agree

Coming down The Nut on chairlift into Stanley

Stanley looking over to "Highfield" from The Nut

Helicopter about to fly over our van

The local helicopter pilot decided to buzz the top of The Nut while we were there too. This was our last day in and around Stanley - a place we can thoroughly recommend. Remember to book your restaurant if you come here on a Saturday night though.

our campsite at Stanley

21 October - the forecast strong winds arrived overnight. Normally the Roaring Forties provide regular strong westerly winds to the region. Todays winds were from the east at over 50kph. We were headed west which suited us just fine. Sailing through to Smithton we dropped anchor to do the supermarket shuffle and fuel up.

our campsite at Montagu, Stony Point

Setting sail again we pulled in to our intended camp at Montagu Campsite, Stony Point in the north-west of Tasmania. This a great bush camp that doesn't officially open until 1 November. The gates are open and there are a couple of camps set up. The sites are spacious, located under shady trees with non-drinking water and flush toilets.

We selected a site based on the prevailing winds - blowing easterly - then the sun for the solar panels - northerly and finally for view which was both in front and behind us. Next caravan we get will be round! Our site is well protected from the extremely strong winds, the solar panels get about five hours of full sun a day (if not cloudy) and we have glimpses of Robbins Island through the trees.

As far as we could towards NW Tasmania

We set up, had lunch then set off to Cape Grim and Woolnorth Point. We were frustrated by the sign indicating the final few kilometres to the very top of NW Tasmania was on a private road and there was no entry. We took a photo of nothing and sadly turned around and headed home. A stroll around the campground filled in the rest of the day. As only two other campsites are filled the place is really quiet.

The next day was filled with connecting tracks from the 4WD Tasmania book we purchased back home. The connected drives create a loop from our camp to Smithton then south through the Trowutta Forest Reserve to the west coast at Couta Rocks then north through Arthur River, Edge of the World lookout then via the western back track back home. We pulled into all the little nooks and crannies we came across. Basically we did the South Arthur Forest Drive.

Trowutta Arch

It's enormous - Julie is bottom left - Trowutta Arch

By far the best thing was the Trowutta Arch Rainforest Walk. The region is littered with sink holes. A beautiful yet relatively unformed walk through an enormous tree fern forest took us to a small black lake created by a collapsed cave. The attached rock arch and tranquil setting was just stunning. Mother Nature spent a little more time than usual on this part of the world. 

Morning tea stop at Milkshakes Hill Forest Reserve

Lake Chisholm reflections

Tribal headdress

Keeping up with the sinkhole theme we also did the short walk into Lake Chisholm which again is a dark lake twice the size of a football field. Normally the water drains from the porous sink holes but in the case of Lake Chisholm 1000's of years of decaying plant matter has sealed the floor of the lake. The surrounding tree covered steep walls into the lake protect it from the winds and thereby stop the churning of the waters. The deeper depths are freezing cold with the top layer being very warm. This gives rise to an unusual wealth of micro-organisms and algae unique to Tasmania.

The Edge of the World lookout at Arthur River was very different. The dark tannin rushing waters of the Arthur River enters the sea here. A raging surf from the Great Southern Ocean and the Roaring Forties meet them. Huge piles of whole trees swept down the Arthur River are piled up along the river mouth and surrounding coastline. Huge waves crash into the rocky shores. Each wave is two coloured - one part black from the river waters and the other part a contrasting blue ocean water.

Returning home after a full day exploring this remote part of Tasmania we were rewarded with a calm and sunny afternoon. This wasn't wasted as we walked to the boat ramp in front of our campsite and along the little jetty.

Edge of the World, Arthur River

Edge of the World, Arthur River

Tomorrow we leave the north-west and head south towards Strahan and Queenstown. So this is probably a good time to end this Post. 

Unusually calm in front of or camp at Montagu looking out to Robbins Island

Our car and van, as well as ourselves have experienced some extreme weather since the start of this post. -6 degrees in Cradle Mountain up to a scorching 20 degrees once or twice in recent days. Gale force winds at Stanley and Montagu Campsite and on that rare occasion a calm sunny day, but these are only for a short time. We just love Tasmania, particularly this time of year. There is hardly anyone around - except in restaurants in Stanley on a Saturday night -  the spring flowers are in bloom, the countryside is lush from the wet winter and early spring rains and most things are open after their winter hibernation. 

We are both well - well except for me who has a cold at the moment.