Choose a diary entry31/03/2004 - Retrenched! 02/04/2004 - Farewell Lunch 03/04/2004 - Preparation 1 04/04/2004 - Preparation 2 05/04/2004 - Packing 06/04/2004 - Sydney to Hobart to Mt. Field NP 07/04/2004 - Tarn Shelf, then into the Southwest 08/04/2004 - Western Arthurs Hike - Day 1 - Up Alpha Moraine 09/04/2004 - Western Arthurs Hike - Day 2 - Lake Cygnus 10/04/2004 - Western Arthurs Hike - Day 3 - Lake Oberon & Square Lake 11/04/2004 - Western Arthurs Hike - Day 4 - Lake Oberon to Lake Cygnus 12/04/2004 - Western Arthurs Hike - Day 5 - Lake Cygnus to Junction Creek 13/04/2004 - Western Arthurs Hike - Day 6 - out to Mt Field NP 14/04/2004 - Back to Hobart for resupply and on to Southport 15/04/2004 - Southport, Hastings springs, Cockle Creek 16/04/2004 - South Coast Track - Day 1 - Cockle Creek to South Cape Rivulet 17/04/2004 - South Coast Track - Day 2 - South Cape Rivulet 18/04/2004 - South Coast Track - Day 3 - back to Cockle Creek, then Hobart 19/04/2004 - Hobart to Lake St. Clair 20/04/2004 - Frenchmans Cap Hike - Day 1 - to Vera Hut 21/04/2004 - Frenchmans Cap Hike - Day 2 - Tahune Hut and the Summit 22/04/2004 - Frenchmans Cap Hike - Day 3 - Tahune Hut to Vera Hut 23/04/2004 - Frenchmans Cap Hike - Day 4 - out to Derwent Bridge 24/04/2004 - Derwent Bridge / Lake St. Clair to Hobart 25/04/2004 - R&R in Hobart 26/04/2004 - Hobart, buying a new Camera 27/04/2004 - Hobart to Port Arthur 28/04/2004 - Port Arthur Historic site, then to Fortescue Bay 29/04/2004 - Tasman Trail Hike - Fortescue Bay to Eaglehawk Neck 30/04/2004 - Eaglehawk Neck to Hobart, Targa 01/05/2004 - Hobart R&R, Salamanca Markets 02/05/2004 - Tiger Trails Tarkine Hike - Day 1 - to Wombat Flat 03/05/2004 - Tiger Trails Tarkine Hike - Day 2 - to Mt. Ramsay 04/05/2004 - Tiger Trails Tarkine Hike - Day 3 - Mt. Ramsay to Huskisson River 05/05/2004 - Tiger Trails Tarkine Hike - Day 4 - Camped at Huskisson River 06/05/2004 - Tiger Trails Tarkine Hike - Day 5 - Across the Huskisson 07/05/2004 - Tiger Trails Tarkine Hike - Day 6 - Out, then to Strahan 08/05/2004 - R&R in Strahan 09/05/2004 - Dissapointing Gordon River Cruise 10/05/2004 - Strahan, R&R, Preparation for Overland Track 11/05/2004 - Strahan to Lake St. Clair 12/05/2004 - Overland Track - Day 1 - Lake St. Clair to Pine Valley Hut 13/05/2004 - Overland Track - Day 2 - the Labyrinth and Acropolis 14/05/2004 - Overland Track - Day 3 - Pine Valley Hut to Kia-Ora Hut 15/05/2004 - Overland Track - Day 4 - Kia-Ora Hut to Mt. Ossa to Pelion Hut 16/05/2004 - Overland Track - Day 5 - Pelion Hut to Windermere Hut 17/05/2004 - Overland Track - Day 6 - Windamere Hut to Cradle Mountain Village 18/05/2004 - Sick!, Cradle Mountain to Launceston 19/05/2004 - Recovery 1 20/05/2004 - Recovery 2 - Doctor, and Cataract Gorge 21/05/2004 - Recovery 3 22/05/2004 - Recovery 4 23/05/2004 - Recovery 5 24/05/2004 - Launceston to Bicheno 25/05/2004 - Freycinet Hike - Day 1 - the Hazards to Cooks Beach 26/05/2004 - Freycinet Hike - Day 2 - back to Bicheno 27/05/2004 - Exploring Bicheno 28/05/2004 - Bicheno to Launceston 29/05/2004 - Exploring Further in Launcestion 30/05/2004 - Cataract Gorge 2 31/05/2004 - Launceston to Liffey Falls to Deloraine 01/06/2004 - Trowunna, Devils Gullet, Walls of Jerusalem National Park 02/06/2004 - Walls of Jerusalem Hike - Day 1 03/06/2004 - Walls of Jerusalem - Day 2 - Out, then to Hobart 04/06/2004 - Mt. Field NP, Styx Valley & on to Triabunna 05/06/2004 - Maria Island - Day 1 06/06/2004 - Maria Island - Day 2 07/06/2004 - R&R in Launceston 08/06/2004 - Flying Back Home

Tasmania Diary

 

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Saturday, June 05, 2004

Maria Island - Day 1

Getting up early, I went to the supermarket, and bought some food for taking to Maria Island. After finding the ferry wharf, I drove around the northern side of the bay in Triabunna, looking at the views. I went back to the wharf, and packed what I needed into my pack.
The Ferry left about 9:30, and chugged out into the bay. On the northern side, near the entrance to the bay, we passed another depressing tasmanian logging sight - the Gunns woodchipping mill. It was visible from a long way off, because there was literally a mountain of woodchips piled up at the mill. A Japanese freighter ship was being loaded with some of the woodchips, and looked small in comparison to the mountain of woodchips behind it.

Heading out into the Tasman Sea, the water was very calm - virtually no swell. We saw couple of dolphins fishing. Soon we arrived at maria island - a fairly mountainous island. The first thing you notice when you arrive are the abandoned cement silos which are a relic from the 1920's. The region where the wharf is located is grassy, but the mountains in the distance are covered in forest. The first task was to go to the Commissariat Store, built in 1828 during the convict era. Here, I paid for a camp site, and discovered I was the only one camping.

I walked the short distance to the camp area, next to a small creek. There were many Cape Barren geese and other ground birds pecking at the grass in the camp area, and their droppings were also everywhere. I set up my tent in the sun, so it would dry, then packed some gear to go on a day hike up to Bishop and Clerk - the northernmost mountains on the island, which are surrounded by cliffs.


I set off back toward the wharf, then went across the open grassy plain, passing several old ruins. The barn was in good condition, but most required a fair bit of imagination to visualise what they had been like. As I got to the northern coast of the island, tall cliffs were visible, dropping straight into the water.
The track then started climbing up toward the mountains, and after a short way, went into dry bushland. I was quite hot, due to the sun and the climb. The track kept on climbing for a long time, and nearing the top, came to a a massive scree slope, which had to be climbed. After this a small amount of rock scrambling brought me to the summit. There were spectacular views out over the sea - I could see all of the northern part of the island, Triabunna on the mainland, and even the Freycinet Peninsula far to the north. The summit was a couple of flat topped boulders only a few meteres wide, with sheer cliffs on three sides.

After spending a while on the summit admiring the view, I descended, and returned to the campground via the Engine House ruins. After relaxing for a while, with the geese honking nearby, I walked down to the wharf to take photos of the pretty sunset.

Whilst cooking my dinner on my fuel stove, I had an unwelcome visitor. A big possum who'd smelt my dinner, came to see if he could get some. The possum didn't seem concerned that I was sitting there, and started sniffing my pot. I tried to shoo it away, but it ignored me, so I gave it a shove. It backed off a bit and then went around to the other side and sniffed from there. I was rather surprised, so I gave it another, harder hit, with exactly the same result. After a while of this, I tried hitting it on the nose and scull which made it back off for a little longer. Soon it was time to pour the water out from my pasta, and as I did so, with both hands full, the possum came in and checked out the water, and scalded its nose briefly on the hot water. After that, I figured that it would not be back, but only minutes later, it was back. By this stage I was getting very annoyed, and I remembered that a local had told me you can pick a possum up by its tail, and it won't struggle, so I decided to give it a try, figuring that I could always drop it quickly if it tried to scratch or bite me. Sure enough, when I grabbed its tail, and picked it up, the possum went stiff, and made some hissing noises to voice it's displeasure. I carried it about 50 metres away and put it down, then went back to finish my dinner.
To my disbelief, a few minutes later the stupid thing was back! This time I grabbed it's tail and carried it further away, to the creek, and dipped its front legs and chest in the cold water, and dropped it on the other side of the creek. I managed to eat the rest of my dinner and clean up without seeing the possum again, but was still a little worried it would try to get my food in the night. I was wishing I'd gotten a room rather than a campsite.

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Sunday, June 06, 2004

Maria Island - Day 2

When I woke this morning, I found that the possum had not gotten into my food. I also found that my tent was covered in a thick layer of ice, as it was very cold last night, so that the entry flap opened like a door, as it was so stiff. I put on plenty of clothes, as it was still very cold, even at 8:30am.

I decided to go for a walk to the painted cliffs, and set off south toward them. I bypassed Darlingon township, and walked up a small hill to Mrs Hunt's Cottage, then down the other side to hopground beach. It was still quite cold despite the clear skies. After walking along the short Hopground Beach, I came to the Painted Cliffs. These are named so for the spectacular colours stained into the sandstone rock. The cliffs are not very tall, but drop straight into the sea. To see them I had to clamber over the rocky coastline and around rockpools. I sat at the cliffs for a while soaking in the warmth the sun was now providing.

Upon making my way back to Hopground Beach, I discovered that the tide had come in quite a bit in the time I'd been at the Painted Cliffs, and it was now very difficult to get back without getting very wet. Back on Hopground beach, I headed inland, and came to Howell's Cottage which was unusual in that you could go inside. Its interior walls were plastered with old newspaper, and much of it was still readable. I saw one page which was dated 17 April 1921.
Heading further inland, I passed the Oast House (a Hops kiln), then made my way back toward Darlington township. The township is a collection of restored historic buildings from the convict era, and is fairly interesting.
I decided to catch the early ferry back to the mainland, as I'd seen everything I wanted to see, and so packed my gear and headed to the jetty. The water is amazingly clear at Maria Island, and you can easily see details on the bottom in more than 5m of water.

Once the ferry returned to Triabunna (I was the only passenger), I drove north to Swansea where I had some lunch. There were good coastal views along the way. Leaving Swansea, I drove back to Launceston, and checked into the Launceston Backpackers. Before dinner I washed some of the dirt off the car, so I would not have to explain about taking on unsealed roads.

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Monday, June 07, 2004

R&R in Launceston

This morning, I returned the hire car. I then wandered around Launceston for a while before having lunch.
I phoned a airport shuttle bus and organised a pickup for tomorrow. Back at the hostel, I spent some of the rest of the day readying my stuff for going home, emptying fuel and food, as well as cleaning stuff.
I was a little sad that this would be the last night in Tassie, but I'd seen prettymuch everything I'd wanted to, and it was getting very cold with winter.

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Tuesday, June 08, 2004

Flying Back Home

I packed my gear ready for the flight home, and after sitting around in the lounge of the hostel for a little while waiting till the shuttle bus was due, I went outside to catch it.
I waited some more outside. The time I'd asked for pickup came. I waited some more. Five minutes went by, then ten. after 15 minutes, I called the bus company, and the driver answered and said he was sorry, but he forgot me. I was rather peeved, and a little worried I'd miss the flight, I rang a cab, and after a fairly lengthy ride, it got me to the airport (for about three times the price). I made it with about 10 minutes of checkin time left.
The flight was uneventful.
I caught the train home from the airport, and it was nice to see Sydney harbour again. I walked home from the station, and discovered that my parents weren't home.
It was very nice to be able to use a full sized towel, and have clothes and food in cupboards ready.

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