Week 2 Tassie

Christmas Parade at Penguin

We left Penguin Saturday with a feeling we were leaving an old friend. Friday evening was remarkably still and balmy for the local Christmas parade and capped off a great first week.

Father Christmas in the Penguin parade

We headed through Ulverstone, Latrobe, Railton ( town of Topiary) with plans on spending a couple of days at Sheffield. The free camp #220 was great and there were 11 other rigs in there for our first night with all but two joining us for happy hour. Drinking water available but toilets only open during sporting events.
Sheffield is a beautiful town full of brilliant wall murals with a wonderful back drop of Mt Roland. We did a bit of tripping around and went through the mountains to Mole Creek, Chudleigh and Deloraine, all beautiful little country towns.

Phone pic in early morning at Sheffield

Murals in Sheffield

Mural WIP

They are amazing

The rag and bone man Sheffield

After three nights at Sheffield it was time to move again, a "long" journey of about 70km to Chudleigh for a $5 camp at the showgrounds. Toilets but no drinking water. Beautiful spot and met a couple in a bus pulling a trailer loaded with books and operating as a book exchange. "Paperback Express" was their road name and Rosemary and John their real tags. Keep an eye out for them as you travel and especially if you need a book.

We then started east again and finished up at free camp 202 at Bracknell. Very peaceful on the banks of a running stream. One night only and after a great curry we decided that the Tamar Valley would be worth a look. We headed to Launceston and eventually took the correct turn onto the west Tamar Highway. First mistake was to miss the turn and finished up near the water front and some very narrow, windy and hilly streets but we were able to extract ourselves without too much trouble. The gorge that appeared on this detour right in town was truly spectacular and was like a glimpse of wilderness in the middle of the city. Unfortunately I couldn't stop to take a pic.

Chudleigh

We headed along Beaconsfield ( site of the great mine rescue) then up to Greens Beach caravan park #264 for a couple of nights and some laundry chores.

Opium poppies in bloom everywhere

Tide out at Greens Beach (mouth of the Tamar)

Whilst stopping to have a coffee on the wharf at Beauty Point the owner of the Platypus Park stopped for a chat and gave us some back ground on his and other tourist attractions in the vicinity. He must have impressed us as we returned the next day and took in both the Platypus Park and the Seahorse Farm both located on the wharf. We aren't big on touristy type attractions but thoroughly enjoyed them both. Unfortunately my phone pics were not good enough to upload.
We were only going to stay a couple of nights but the weather changed for the worse so we decided to stay an extra night then another so plan to leave here on Sunday morning.
Yesterday we did a trip over the Batman Bridge to the other side of the Tamar and went to the top via Georgetown to Low Head. Bought some great fresh seafood at the  Georgetown fish factory and also some fresh raspberries along the way.
Tasmania continues to impress and distance between camps is minimal.....great for the fuel bill!