May | 2019 | Dave and Fiona's Travels

Thursday 2nd May 2019
Well, how to survive the night. This was last night’s challenge. And what a huge challenge it was. Up until midnight we had 10mm of rain and then by 7am this morning we had had 54mm. The rain was torrential, the thunder and lightening very consistent. At one stage we had to get down in to the car as we were in an open caravan park where we were the highest object. As usual DB did a bit of research and many people die in tents from lightening strikes.Apparently thousands of people die from lightening strikes each year, but e were not going to be one of them. So to be on the safe side, guess where we slept, or tried to sleep for about 2-3 hours. In the car. Our 2nd night since we got this tent that we have tried to sleep in the front seat. Fun, fun, fun. NOT!! DB apparently enjoyed it, so he just said.

We woke to a an overcast, rainy day. What to do. We had intended driving down the dirt road on the west coast from Arthur River to Zeehan. Not today, the road may have washed away. SO on to our reserve plan. A quick drive to Hobart. We had a swim in the pool at Burnie again, trying hard to keep a little bit of swim fitness. Then on our way to Hobart via Devonport’s Laneway Cafe for a yummy lunch, Deloraine, the Central Highlands, Miena and Bothwell. It was a lovely scenic drive albeit a bit wet.

Once bitten, twice shy, as rain was forecast for the next couple of days, we decided to stay in a villa at Kingston, just south of Hobart to stay dry, get some washing dry and dry out the bed linen which was really damp from the drive.

It was lovely again to just enjoy a few home comforts. We love the tent but it is nice to have a little respite from the cold, wet Tasmanian weather.

: On no! In the middle of the night we noticed a little leak in the tent. Pretty good considering the amount of rain that fell.

: Rain, rain, rain. Time to change our plans. DB investigating which way we can go that we haven’t driven before.

: The clouds are looking pretty grim as we drive through Deloraine, which is just south of Devonport.

: The lake was very pretty at Deloraine.

: The pastures in Deloraine are still a bit green but not as lush as in the west.

: Vision as we head to the Highland lakes area. We didn’t need to stop at any lookouts as we could only just see where we were going.

: Great Lake – Lakes Highlands about 1046m above sea level.

: As you ge up further the temperature drops. DB checks the temp outside..

: ..as you do, when you can. Hehehe!! Love being married to a mechanic-nerd.

: Orange markers on the side of the road we assume are for when it snows. There was a temporary sign warning ice on the road. So it was slow going.

: Great Lake – Central Highlands was part of the big fires earlier this year.

: also suffered in the same fires. Excerpt from news article on 19 Jan 2019 Firefighters are battling an uncontrolled bushfire near Miena in Tasmania’s Central Plateau, with people in the small town warned the blaze could place them at “high risk”. The fire, which so far has burned across approximately 4,000 hectares, is one of 46 ongoing fires in Tasmania, necessitating a call-out to mainland fire services for assistance.

: The pastures have changed colour, obviously not as much rain here in the Central Highlands..

: ..but the scenery is beautiful all the same.

: As the sun sets on a long day of travel we still have a couple of hours to get to Hobart.

: Smithton to Kingston – 414km – a big driving day

Wednesday 1st May 2019
Well the start of a new month. I don’t think it is going to help us weather wise. The forecast today is for rain, between 5-15mm. Hopefully we can get a few walks in today in between showers.

Well we started the day with a rainforest walk at Julius River, just near where we stayed in a freebie National Park camp last night. Wow, more fungi, I am in paradise. I am driving DB mad as a 2 km walk takes 1 hour 15 minutes. A bit slow for him, but I am in awe at the number of species of fungi I have seen in the last 2 or 3 days. It truly is amazing. After our cool temperate rainforest walk we then did the spectacular flooded sinkhole walk through old-growth myrtle forest, with more fungi. Woohoo!!

We then drove to Lake Chisholm Forest Reserve which has flooded limestone sinkholes and meandering walks through old myrtle forests and alongside still watered lakes. Then we went on to Dempster Plains lookout which has expansive views over buttongrass plains to the interior mountains and hills of the Tarkine. Then on to another sinkhole.

Next stop was Milkshake Hills Forest Reserve nestled among the eucalypts. This was a walk uphill to a lookout over the forest. It was very pretty and lucky for us the rain stopped long enough for us to walk without getting wet.

We then headed to our last stop for the day The Trowutta Arch Rain Forest Walk; a stunning and natural geological structure. And again with amazing fungi.

We walked a total 8km today but at a snail’s pace. Better than nothin I suppose.

Nestled in the North-West corner of Tasmania, Australia’s island state is the greatest expanse of temperate rainforest, and the second largest in the world, the Tarkine is an intriguing experience.

Unlike many places in the world the Tarkine remains as a hidden treasure and a forgotten wilderness. This expanse of uninterrupted 477,000 hectares of Tarkine wilderness holds ancient relics both plants and animals dating back millennia. Not only is it home to the largest temperate rainforest in Australia and second in the world, but is alive with unique creatures and habitats not found anywhere else.

The Tarkine is not just one wilderness, it provides an archipelago of experiences with vast forests of myrtle, leatherwood and pine trees.