Tasmania - a return trip by the Travellers - Stanley

In mid March our 'Travellers' group set off for another visit to Tasmania, that small island state with a huge amount to see and do. Twenty-one of us took the over-night 'Spirit of Tasmania' ferry to Devonport and disembarked for a nineteen day exploration of the north of the state.

I shall let my photos tell something of our trip, which started on the western side and ended in the east. We spent three days at each base camp (cabins or holiday apartments) and radiated out from these places daily.

We did not all do exactly the same things so these photos record what Kelly & I did, mostly with parts of the group but occasionally by ourselves.

 Of course, our mascot Aldo came with us!

                          
First stop was morning tea at Penguin. Penguin is a small sea side town looking straight onto Bass Strait.

The new Penguin bring and swap Library.

Lunch was at Wyndham where we enjoyed Tasmania's famous scallop pies ... are you seeing a pattern already? 

We also visited the motor museum which had many beautiful old cars.

The first three nights were spent at Stanley, at the foot of The Nut. Some lovely old architecture and a seafood feast gave a good first impression.

 The whole group took a tour of the 'Woolnorth' property at the most western point of Tasmania. Originally settled in 1826 by the Van Diemen's Land Company as a sheep stud, it is now a wind farm and Australia's largest dairy farm. The wind farm has 68 turbines and is directly in line with the Roaring Forties, thus producing lots of power! The dairy farm is actually thirteen separate dairies, each milking over 1000 cows twice a day.

The rugged scenery is stunning and even Cape Grim looked good to us! All agreed that 'Woolnorth' was a highlight of our trip.

The next day some of the group did a tour on the Arthur River, near The End of the World. We decided to drive the Tarkine Wilderness loop.

We passed through Irishtown on St. Patrick's Day but we didn't check if they had green beer - a bit too early.

The Tarkine Wilderness includes the Savage River National Park and amazing rainforest. It was extremely quiet, beautiful and untouched, a joy to be there.

The Trowutta Arch is the result of a complex geological formation over millions of years involving sinkholes, of which there are hundreds in the Tarkine. The caves and sinkholes in this area are unique in the world, both by their formation and the animal life that lives within them.

Another sink hole with stunning reflections.

The not so rapid Rapid River.

Button grass on the Dempster Plains.

A rare sight, a Tasmanian Tiger protection sign, but not as rare as seeing a Tasmanian Tiger in the wild.

More pristine and ancient rain forest on the walk to Lake Chisholm.

Lake Chisholm, a flooded limestone sink hole.

The forest was full of wonderful plant like, especially lichens.

The next day we were moving from Stanly to Burnie but there was more to see in Stanley before that.

Highfield Historic Site - Highfield is a very good example of a gentleman's home and farm in the 1830s. It was another part of the Van Diemen's Land Company property and is now administered by the National Parks & Wildlife. 

It has a great view overlooking Stanley, and nearby another unusual road sign.

Joseph Lyons (1879 -1839) the 10th Prime Minister of Australia, was born in this cottage in Stanley. Now a small museum, it pays tribute to Joe Lyons and his wife Dame Enid Lyons.

There was so much more to see and do but it was time to move on.