We celebrated the sale of our farm with a week’s holiday touring Tasmania in February. Strangely we did not walk the South Coast Track again but we did camp in the Franklin-Gordon and Arthur wildernesses amongst other things. This sounds a lot better than it is, particularly the Pieman-Arthur and Tarkine wildernesses which as far as we can see are just huge lifeless peat bogs which Tasmania should donate to Riotinto – if it would accept it. It could not be much worse if it was just one vast hole in the ground! In the Arthur wilderness we camped at a ‘delightful’ spot named ‘Prickly Wattle Camp’ That said it all. We were supposed to pay, but reused. Parts of the East and North Coasts were nice. We particularly enjoyed ‘Beauty Point’ (named after a bullock!) on the Tamar River downstream from Launceston where the local pub (The Riviera Hotel!) had excellent steaks. The Tahune Forest ‘Airwalk’ near Geevestown was interesting as were the ‘TessalatedRocks’ at Lufra near Eaglehawk Neck on the Tasman Peninsula, and the Hobart Botanic Gardens.
16/2/12: As you may have realised from our silence, Della and I have been away for a week touring Tasmania which is something to do if you are very bored and cashed up. Camping in both the Franklin-Gordon and Arthur-Pieman wildernesses sounds really romantic on paper, doesn’t it – but the reality is somewhat different: the endess lifeless buttongrass plains of Tasmania’s ‘world heritage’ wildernesses are something which should be donated to Conzinc Riotinto post haste! Surely they could make something of them? Absolutely the best wildlife experience was found (conversely) at the aptly named ‘Beauty Point Holiday Park’ on the Tamar. Photoshopped photos from Della will surely follow…
