Hobart, Port Arthur and Maria Island

 

Ian's 70th was fast approaching when we heard the news that Jetstar were introducing direct flights from Newcastle to Hobart. We decided this was an opportunity too good to miss so booked our flights ($250 each return) and hired a motorhome for a two week celebratory trip. I hesitate to use the word holiday because when you are retired, every day is pretty much a holiday. 

We were arriving early evening so opted to stay in an hotel in Hobart then pick up the motorhome the following day. The Skybus took us into the centre of the city but not quite as close to the Allurity Hotel as we had hoped, leaving us with a bit of a walk. The motorhome hire people had suggested bringing soft bags as they would be easier to stash in the van, which was a very good tip but they were not as easy to troop around with as a nice wheelie suitcase. 

 The Allurity was quite expensive and a bit ordinary but in a good location and the pubs all around were jumping as we had arrived on St.Patricks Day. The Matildas were playing in the Asian Cup semi final at 9pm and, as luck would have it, the RSL Sports Bar was just around the corner from our hotel! Not quite as luckily, it was closing at 9pm so we went back and watched the match in our room. 

Next morning saw us set off in great excitement to pick up our home for the next two weeks. Ian and I have often debated whether we would prefer a motorhome to our caravan so this was a good opportunity to find out. The booking was with Cruisin Campers and we found them to be extremely helpful and easy to deal with and after a run through of how everything worked we set off to Hobart Showground, $50 with power. The stay at the showground was unnecessary with hindsight but we were a bit cautious and didn't want to drive too far before we had got the hang of everything. We needn't have worried, the van was easy to drive, everything was clearly labelled and we had been furnished with an idiot proof guide to all the controls.

 The bus into the centre of Hobart stopped outside the showground gates and took us to Mawson Place which was beautiful. Lovely old buildings around the dock where the cruise liners come in and the tugs are berthed. Many of the boats moored were flying Danish flags because King Frederick and Queen Mary of Denmark were arriving the next day for a visit. Australians, particularly Tasmanians, are very proud of Mary as she is one of their own. Unlike Frederick and Mary we had to find our own dinner so went to one of the string of fish and chip shops on the dockside to fill up with Tassie scallops. 

Hobart is a very attractive city built on the hills around the river Derwent where a huge number of the houses have water views. I was surprised how dry it was but apparently Hobart has the least rainfall of all the capital cities in Australia (some say Adelaide but there is not much in it). We quickly decided that we could not do justice to the city and complete the travelling around we were hoping to do, so agreed to return for a city visit in the future.

 There was a huge amount of construction work going on at the showground and it was only ok, although I did like the little individual shower and toilet room arrangement. The amenities were very clean and there were not many camping options around Hobart so it was good enough. 

We were happy to set off the next day to Port Arthur where we headed for the NRMA caravan park, there were rules about not using the van on unmade roads which meant the free camps in that area were out. The van also did not have the same level of solar and battery set up as our caravan so we knew we needed to use caravan parks more than we usually would. This park was at Garden Point on the edge of the Stewarts Bay State Reserve and it was one of the best I have ever experienced. Built on a hill, the sites were all flat but with nice views nestled amongst the woodland. The amenities were excellent, there was a fabulous camp kitchen with pizza oven, amazing wildlife and unbeatable stargazing all for $40 with power for NRMA members. There are 12 bird species endemic to Tasmania and 3 of them wandered past while I was enjoying my first cup of tea! There was a gorgeous walk from the campsite to Port Arthur Historic Site and as evening fell Long Nosed Poteroos started to emerge and we wandered along astonished at how pretty Tasmania seemed to be so far. 

 The following morning we drove to the Historic Site, I'm glad we did because the day involved a lot of walking and to walk there and back on top would have been a bit of a chore. We chose to splash out on the Premium Tour of the Historic Site so paid $41 entry plus $30 tour each, it was well worth it. When the guide arrived looking breathless and using a walking stick I was not sure how the tour would go but she set off at a brisk pace and kept us all in order as she showed us around some of the more significant buildings. There are so many bits to look at that, attempted without a guide, the visit could involve much wandering about and missing things. As it was we covered a sensible route taking in a church, cell blocks, punishment block and beautiful gardens. The tour included a boat trip at the end around the Island of the Dead and the island where boys were imprisoned and given a rudimentary education to set them up ready for when they would be released. 

The whole place was very disturbing as it brought home the absolute cruelty of transporting people away from their homes and families and then punishing them again when they arrived. Some inmates who had tried to escape or otherwise played up were kept in complete darkness for up to 30 days at a time, no wonder there was a sanitorium next to the punishment block. These days Australians remember Port Arthur for the 1996 mass shooting and I was pleased to see the memorial to the victims of that infamous event was away from the main thoroughfare and a peaceful spot for quiet reflection.

 Our ticket was valid for two days but we chose not to return for a second visit and instead headed up the East coast. We were topping up with fuel every time we saw some thanks to Donald Trump destroying the world economy and trying to jeopardise our driving holiday. We were not so bothered about the price of fuel, more the possibility of running out, but fortunately Tasmania is small so we didn't get through too much. 

The first place we drove through was Doo Town, so called because someone built a house and named it Doo I? Then everyone copied so everywhere is called Doo....something. Nice little port there and lots of birds, made use of the cafe and pressed on. We had a plan but got sidetracked when a sign appeared for Triabunna because a) we wanted to watch The Matildas in the Asian Cup Final and it looked like a decent sized town with a pub and b) the ferry to Maria Island left from there and seemed like a good idea as a treat for Ian's birthday.

 There was a paddock right by the harbour and opposite the pub where campers could stay for $10 a night unpowered. There were no toilets but the public ones were two minutes walk away and showers for $4 in the laundromat, so we paid in the convenience store for two nights. We checked in both the pubs to see if they were showing the match but they either did not know it was on or said their regulars preferred AFL! The landlord of the pub opposite us relented and said he would put it on in the back room, the national team playing in a major final relegated to the back room, I ask you! 

 I bought our tickets for the ferry the next morning (45 each) and a National Parks Pass ($95) then returned to the pub where, lo and behold, the Matildas were on the big screen in the main room. A family with kids all wearing Matildas shirts had turned up and made everyone feel guilty so we were able to watch the match. They lost but we all had fun. 

 Next morning we walked the two minutes to the harbour for the ferry and were fascinated by a boat moored there covered from top to bottom, front to back in lamps Apparently it was a squid fishing boat, the squid are attracted to the lights. 

 It was a beautiful, smooth crossing and  Maria Island was stunning. We planned to take two of the walks and look around the convict settlement but we saw so much on the Fossil Cliffs walk that it took twice as long as it was supposed to. There were Cape Barren Geese, Chestnut Teals, Yellow Wattlebirds, Tasmanian Native Hens, Yellow Rumped Thornbills and Wombats. No Devils unfortunately but we hadn't expected to spot them, I think they come out when the return ferry leaves and snigger from the dock. One lady said she saw one but we have our doubts. 

 The Penitentiary, shops and houses were really interesting and it is possible to stay on the island overnight and have the full convict experience, without the Cat O' Nine tails of course. The crossing back was lumpier as the wind had got up but it was a wonderful day and we ended it with fish and chips on the harbour at Triabunna for the second night running. 

Yowah, Bollon, St.George, Yelarbon, Texas

 The wild flowers were amazing on our journey from Quilpie to Yowah, one positive outcome from the recent floods. This was the middle of channel country where the water is expected to flow through in floodways (channels) during the wet season. In some spots the road dipped for a floodway every few hundred metres but they were not up to the job of directing the huge amount of water that tore through the countryside a couple of months previously.The damage was devastating and we passed several teams of Blaze Aid volunteers fixing fences. 

 Clouds started to gather as we drove the two hours to Yowah and it began to rain as soon as we had set up in the big donation camping area. Last year the weather was so wet when we were in Yowah that we were caravan bound for a couple of days so we were hoping to be luckier this time.

 The tiny opal mining town sits on the artesian basin and benefits from hot springs. The camp area is great and has fairly new toilets and showers. This time we decided to park across the road from the amenities, backing on to the hot stream which was an excellent choice for sitting by the van watching birds. 

Yowah is quite well provided for compared to some other outback towns. Apart from anything else, they have constant hot water thanks to a bore driven down over 400m one hundred years ago. After enjoying a long wallow in the artesian spa baths, $5 for a day pass, we reacquainted ourselves with The Nut Cafe and the little grocery store. The whole place was much quieter than last year when we had foolishly managed to be there in the week leading up to Opalfest but there were still a few tourists about. 

 On Wednesday and Saturday nights the Miners Club serves dinner. We did not expect it to be terribly busy but people appeared from nowhere and gathered around the huge outdoor fires. The choice was Fish and Chips or Baked Chicken Diane at $28 a head which was pretty reasonable considering the price and availability of groceries in remote areas. Yowah did not flood in the recent rain event but it was cut off. Food and medicines were helicoptered in and I noticed a sign in the Miners Club asking 'Do you have enough medication if we the flooding reaches us again?' 

 After doing a bit of fossicking and visiting a few opal galleries a very short drive took us to The Bluff on the recommendation of one of the miners. He told us the 360° views really made it possible to imagine looking out over the inland sea in ancient times. He was right, it was an amazing panorama.

 We decided to splash out another $5 each on the spa. There are two pools, one hot and one far too hot. I usually swim around in the less hot one but there were quite a number of other people in it sitting and chatting which meant I had to sit still. Unfortunately they were caravanners telling very dull, one upmanship stories about the challenging roads they had driven just for the hell of it. I was very quickly bored and too hot so escaped back to the caravan. 

A notice at the cafe had detailed the scheduled Flying Doctor Clinics in Yowah and there was one due the following day. When we heard a plane at 8am we jumped in the car and dove out to the airfield to see them unloading. Sadly there was nothing there and the clinic was well underway at the Miners Club by the time we got back. A local told us that, because Yowah is fortunate enough to have Flying Doctor Clinics, their health care is brilliant. They can always get in to see the doctor and specialist appointments are arranged quickly. The plane drops a doctor, dentist, nurses, alcohol counsellor and others but presumably the plane had more important things to do than just sit waiting for us to take some photos. So we had breakfast at the Nut Cafe before packing up and heading off. We will be back, Yowah is one of our favourite stops.

 Four hours of dodging sunbathing lizards along the Adventure Way (it's not much of an adventure, very long and straight although I did get breathalysed) and we reached Bollon and set up camp at Wallam Creek, a beautiful riverside donation camp with showers and toilets within a short walk. It was quite busy as usual but not as packed as last year when campers were all hanging out there before going on to the Outback Music Festival. It was disappointing to discover the pub had burnt down since our last visit and the cafe had closed. Apparently the cafe and pub were owned by the same people and when the cafe lease expired they decided to move the whole operation to the pub which burnt down two months later. So the town now has no pub or cafe, such a shame for locals and visitors alike. 

As usual, pretty much everyone except us was up and away by sparrow's fart the next morning. Some very nice riverside locations had become vacant so we performed a quick pack up and moved to a gorgeous riverbank spot. A couple who run the art gallery in town provide firewood for campers, lead tours and feed the ducks, many of whom are relocated pets. We took some firewood and went to pay at the gallery, which was delightful, mainly indigenous artwork and gifts. The roadhouse sold groceries but was eyewateringly expensive so we made do with what we had and spent a pleasant evening cooking on our camp fire under the stars.

 St.George was our next destination. We had popped into St.George a couple of times in the past, once for a new tyre and another time for an electrical component for the van. We thought St.George was a bit grim having only seen the industrial area so were surprised to read rave reviews for the Riverfront Caravan Park. The town advertises itself as The Inland Fishing Capital of Queensland and we discovered it actually has some very nice bits indeed, especially a riverside park with pubs and shops overlooking it. There is an IGA and Foodworks so we were glad we hadn't bankrupted ourselves in the Bollon Roadhouse and we stocked up and drove back to camp. As we passed the Showground we discovered a week long horsey festival was about to begin featuring a mysterious event called cutting. 

 Our caravan Park was 10km outside of town on the river and a 'park where you like' place which we enjoy. It had not long been taken on by new owners and they were embarking on an ambitious project to build a huge dam for 7 megalitres of water with cabins around the edge. I hope they succeed, it will be wonderful when completed. The young couple who own it lost their home in a fire so decided to take the plunge with a new project, good luck to them.

 The woman in the visitor centre told us about Sandytown River Cruises which run twice a day, 11am-1pm and 4-6pm and are pet friendly, $45, BYO drnks and nibbles, strictly no plastic packaging on board. The boat was basic but comfy enough, the driver provided a commentary and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The wildlife on the river was brilliant, the highlight for me being a tree full of spoonbills and the houses along the river were beautiful. After the 2012 flood which reached 13m the government built a 14m levee to protect the town disguised as a park with excellent bike and walking paths. 

 The next day we went to see what the cutting event was all about. This trip had provided some wonderful free entertainment for us and the cutting was no exception. Cutting refers to a horse and rider isolating one cow from the rest of the herd. I can't say we really understood what made one rider the winner each time but we enjoyed ourselves. Out of a field of ten there was only one female rider and she came second so even better! 

 St.George was cotton country but we very quickly entered grain territory as we sped along the bumpy Barwon Highway towards Texas. We were a bit undecided about where to break the journey and in the end plumped for Yelarbon Showground. The town was very small and didn't look too promising on the way in but the showground was one of the nicest we have come across. $10 unpowered and the spotless amenities were housed in the old railway station buildings. The town had won a Tidy Towns award in the past and it was easy to see why as we walked to the pub for dinner. I had checked the Facebook page to see the menu but could only find posts asking the patrons to stop fighting! It was a well presented place, the landlord and staff we very pleasant but the clientele that night could possibly have been the ones the FB post was aimed at. We downed our pizza before anything kicked off and made it safely back to the van.

 Our wonderful trip was drawing to a close as we were getting close to the New South Wales border on our way to Texas. It was getting colder too. Last year we left Texas for home when snow was forecast but this time we were determined to tick off the things we had missed, namely to visit the Rabbit Processing works and to spend a few days at Goat Rock. We set up at Dumaresq River Crossing, free, no facilities and they ask you to put your receipts for anything spent in the town in a container with your post code written on the back so the council can see the money the town rakes in because of the campers. 

After a coffee in The Swagman's Rest Cafe we noticed the Texas Rabbit Processing Works was only open Tuesday and Thursday, it was dog friendly so we headed there straight away. It was a much more interesting visit than it sounds. At one time rabbit meat exports made more money for Australia than coal! The museum was impressive, some of the videos were a bit gruesome but it was rather a grisly industry. Apart from the rabbit related tour there was a collection donated by a local family, the Wilsons. Mr and Mrs Wilson started collecting historic objects when they wanted to put stories about the past into context for their daughter. Over the years this all got a bit out of hand and they amassed a collection that filled a warehouse. They donated this huge collection of stuff and it was quite good fun to look through.

 Texas is a beautiful town but it was getting very nippy overnight. We phoned Goat Rock to try and book in but were informed there was a wedding there over the weekend and we could not stay until the following week. As with last year, the cold in Texas got the better of us and we headed home. We had a brilliant three months on the road and look forward to doing it all again next winter, with a diesel heater installed.

Opalton, Jundah, Quilpie

 The next destination on our epic winter trip was Opalton. We tried to visit Oplaton last year but got lost on the dirt roads and drove for hours in gathering darkness, finally ending up 275kms south in Jundah. We couldn't face driving all the way back so left it for the next time. Well, next time had arrived so we struck out from Winton again hoping for better luck this time. 

It really was not easy because tracks go off the dirt road and it can be difficult to be certain which is the correct path to take even though the road was in pretty good condition. Driving through a vast expanse of red dirt is great though and we saw Brolgas and Rainbow Bee Eaters as well as more Budgies along the way.

 Eventually we made it to Oplaton Bush Camp, $2.50 per person a night with toilets and a donkey shower (heated by a fire). there was red soil as far as the eye could see, a Happy Hour every day at 4pm (bring your own happy) and a daily free tag along tour at 7.30am. We needed to go to both because we did not know whether there was an actual town or just the Bush Camp. 

Happy Hour carried on a bit longer than usual because we came across a couple we had met at Lawn Hill. We still managed to get up for opal miner Glen's early morning tour which was pretty interesting and confusing all at the same time. It was incredibly generous of him to do the tours, he brought along fossicking equipment for the unprepared to borrow and return the next day, he had a little shop at his claim but his directions to get there were so complicated we couldn't find it.

 Opalton turned out to be just the Bush Camp surrounded by opal mining claims dotted about. The areas Glen showed us were where visitors were allowed to fossick without encroaching on the property of others. He showed us how to look for Fairy Opal and Boulder Opal, which is opal in the rock rather than big stones and both Ian and I found a few nice bits. 

Ian got rather bitten by the fossicking bug after months of watching Outback Opal Hunters on TV and went on Glen's tour again on the second day. This time all the attendees decided to meet up later and between us find the way to Glen's camp come hell or high water so we could visit his shop. We gathered at the Bush Camp and Nola the caretaker gave us much more straightforward directions, which we followed and found it with no trouble. Glen gave us a tour of his place and showed us the bits he had for sale. There were some very pretty pieces, mainly ironstone with flashes of colour, not what we usually think of as opals. Ian showed Glen a stone he had found and asked if he could cut it. Glen thought he could get 4 pieces of Matrix Opal out of it and started the process there and then with his impressive array of cutting and polishing wheels.

 The Big Opal Find of course meant we would have to stay a few more days while the cutting and polishing was finished. We discovered the Historic Town Loop which was a series of signposts in the dirt showing where various buildings stood when there was a town at Oplaton. It was pretty fascinating to see there once was a Police Station, Stage Coach Stop, Bakery and other shops , very different from today. Now the miners get together once a month to do the 600km round trip to buy groceries in Longreach, if they forget anything they just have to do without. There was frozen bread at the Bush Camp and I spotted plenty of cans of soup both there and at Glen's place but it must be very tough and take a certain type of person to be able to live that way. 

 The next day we went up to the lookout and walked around the waterhole, which was very pretty with a surprising number of birds. At the Happy Hour that evening we were pleased to discover that Glen had finished the opals. He had got four pretty ones out of the lump of rock and we arranged to pop up to his place in the morning to pay him for cutting them. After settling up we hit the road again for Jundah. These roads had really become our nemesis, the roads are pretty good for dirt but the signage woeful, non existent really. Having missed Opalton altogether last year, we must have missed a turn again because this time we treated ourselves to a gruelling 330km schlep to Jundah which should have only taken half the time and distance. We could not face trying to find a riverside spot when we arrived so drove straight to the caravan park beside the pub $20 unpowered, really good, new amenities and wifi. 

 Jundah looked very different from when we visited last year. There had been dreadful floods a few months back, the surrounding landscape was incredibly green and the fields were covered in wild flowers. The lady in the Post Office told us the floods were the worst she had seen and she was 79 and had lived there her whole life. Blaze Aid, a group of volunteers who help out after fires and floods, were still there working on broken fences and cleaning homes. One of their volunteers told us the flood had arrived like an inland tsunami resulting in the loss of a huge number of livestock and much damage to farms and homes. At our caravan park we saw the temporary accommodation huts Blaze Aid brought with them and assembled. A pallet formed the floor then the little hut was made of corflute, they came as a pack and were put together in moments. The occupants could use the showers and toilets at the caravan park and had temporary shelter while their homes were made habitable again. 

 The 3 hour drive to Quilpie was a magnificent journey through green countryside with masses of wild flowers, very different from the brown, dusty drive along the same road last year. We dodged out of the way of road trains bearing down on us on the single strip road and finally arrived in Quilpie where we headed straight to the dry, dusty riverbank we camped on last time only to find it lush and green. It felt like a completely different spot, I even saw a new bird as soon as I sat down, a Black Faced Monarch. The stars were amazing and the weather was beautiful, cool overnight and warm during the day and just a short drive into town for toilets and coffee. 

We like Quilpie. It has an excellent pub, The Brick Hotel, two supermarkets, petrol stations so it was a good place to chill and restock. The staff in the information centre were also chuffed with the wildflowers and asked us to stand by a vase of them for a photo to put on their website. They told us the flood had come over the bridge where we were camped but only reached the edge of town because it was built on a bit of a rise. Apparently there was a big golf tournament on during our stay which attracted big crowds because of the spectacle of a golf tournament played on red dirt. 

 There was also a trivia night taking place in aid of the local school so we trotted along. We were put in a team with two women who were volunteers for Lifeline helping with the clean up and the mental health of those affected by the flood. The evening started at 6.30pm but unfortunately the quizmaster was very fond of the sound of her own voice so we reeled out 4 hours later at 10.30 and the quiz was still going on! It was not easy to find the van in the pitch dark but we got there in the end. 

 Quilpie still had a few attractions we were yet to see - Amy Johnson's Landing place when she was doing a bit of a victory lap of Australia, a church with an opal altar and Baldy Top Lookout. The lookout was great, an easyish climb with fabulous views where we saw White Browed Woodswallows and Painted Firetails.