The final week in Tasmania began with a visit to Trowunna Wildlife Park, just outside Mole Creek. I arrived shortly after opening time & was the first customer on site. As the first feeding tour began it looked like a would be the sole participant until a small group of Chinese tourists arrived. Our guide began the tour by firstly directed us to the wombat enclosure while rattling off facts about the animals. While no doubt factually correct, the lack of enthusiasm and monotonic droll of the guide would have had Steve Irwin turning over in his grave. A tape recording of the information would have been more entertaining. Still, I was able to hold a cute 1yr old wombat that was rescued from his dead mothers pouch after being hit by a car. The tassie devils were the main attraction though & we sauntered over to their enclosure for breakfast. They were given a fresh pademelon carcass & went hell for leather at it - fighting, scratching and biting each other for a piece of the action. Below is a short clip of the days action.
Leaving Gowrie Park we headed for the NW coast, stopping at Sheffield along the way to replenish our water supply. It took much of the day as we drove along the north coast past Burnie & Stanley before veering inland & eventually arriving at the expansive Manuka Campground at Arthur River. We weren't in the least surprised to discover there were no other campers here & we found a little alcove in the bush to call home for a few days. As the sun began to set we drove to Gardiner Point, coined ‘The Edge of the World’ by a local poet. It's a fitting title - the coastline is lined with jagged rocks & on a day when the roaring forties are battering the coastline I can imagine it's a wild scene. Despite the small swell, the river entrance was awash with whitewater & large logs floated haphazardly in the current...definately not a bar to mess with.
The following day we drove to the Tarkine, a large expanse of forest managed by Forestry Tasmania. We explored the Tarkine Forest Drive & ended up at the picturesque Lake Chisholm with moss covered tree’s defining the shoreline.
With only days remaining of our Tassie sojourn we began to make our way back to Devonport, stopping at the Black River campground, 15km out of Stanley. The weather had been average the past few days, rain our unwanted companion so I decided to curl up in bed with a book - the perfect way to spend a rainy day.
The clouds had cleared by the next day & I awoke at dawn for some fishing action. Although 'action' is probably not the most appropriate description as I failed to even register a bite. After brekkie the three of us drove into Stanley. It's nestled at the base of the towering landmark known as 'The Nut', a 143m high volcanic plug. On arrival Tomoko was delighted in the news that there is a cable car to the top & was more than happy to forego the steep 40 minute ascent by foot. The fine weather we experienced earlier in the morning had given way to windy with showers & it was blowing a gale at the summit. We ventured on the 2km loop walk, enjoying the views and finding a colony of pademelons hidden away from the wind in some protected scrub. Following the descent on the cable car we rewarded Shaka with a stroll on the beach before the heavens opened up & we made our way back to camp.
We were looking for a convenient free camp close to the Spirit of Tasmania terminal & found it at Forth, a small village just outside Devonport. We camped at the recreation ground & Tomoko took the time to tidy things up inside the van while I gave the outside a bit of a detail. The cold nights in Tasmania often left the inside of our pop top dripping with condensation & with clear skies & a stiff breeze I opened all the windows to dry out, much to Tomoko's displeasure.
Our last morning in Tasmania was spent with a trip into nearby Devonport. We only had a fleeting glimpse of the town when we first arrived in Tassie so it was nice to have a decent look around. Besides, we had a bit of a windfall on some Tasmanian scratchies & this was our last opportunity to cash them in. I also took the opportunity to wash the car, visit the supermarket & we checked out the terminal setup, finding some potential parking spots for later in the day.
The afternoon flew by & before we knew it we were parked at the terminal with an hour to spare. The remaining time was spent walking with Shaka so he could 'free things up' downstairs. We walked & walked, had a rest, then walked some more but Shaka's rear end was clamped tight. The final boarding call beckoning, we admitted defeat & Shaka was led into his kennel, a look of resignation on his face.
In the early evening we departed Tasmanian shores. We had a wonderful time here - met some great people, saw spectacular landscapes & ate some tasty tucker. One day we will be back but until then...adios amigos.