Day 6

Day 6
Monday
September 12
St Helens to Bay of Fires to Freycinet NP to Bicheno
226km
Sometimes cloudy and sometimes sunny 7 degrees to 15 but mainly 12degrees

(I must be getting used to Tasmania because I feel hot once it reaches 12 degrees)

Feeling great that it is Monday morning and I don’t have to go to work.

Heading to Bay of Fires
Sam Stosur just won first set.
Question of the day – Will we camp tonight????

Yes!!!! Sam Stosur did win the US open.

Up to Binalong Bay and then driving along the coast to The Gardens with a southern view of the Bay of Fires. Classic white sands, clear blue and green water, and rock formations with an orange coloured moss on them. I think it is a bit of a shame that the foreshore is being cut up into blocks for coastal development. It will change the nature of the place. Love the way the farms with cattle comes right down to the beach.

Morning Cuppa looking north along Bay of Fires.

Heading south along the coast and a brief diversion up mountain pass to St Marys, and then diving back down to the coast to Bicheno. Now, our plan was to make camp with our tent at Freycinet NP for two nights so that we could do the big Wine Glass Bay walk on Tuesday ..... but ....when we called into Bicheno Info Centre they informed us that they had just decided to close the whole park due to the use of helicopters to do up the lookout. Big change of plans. We also noticed this really good accommodation next to the old Bicheno Gaol - www.bichenogaolcottages.com – so we decided to splurge ($125) on the Stables Cottage rather than camp, checked in and head straight out to the NP.

The only way we could see the view of Wine Glass Bay, (as the lookout was closed), was to do the most arduous and dangerous walk to Mt Amos – “For highly experienced and fit walkers only”. We arrived at 2.45 and set straight off as it had a recommended time of 3 hours return. It was so steep, rough and slippery. The track was only marked with little painted arrows on the rocks, and most of it was scrambling up rock faces. We passed a French family who were coming down and she later rang me, (we had to leave our number at the sign in/out walking log book) as she was concerned that it was too dangerous for us and that we did not have enough time. We pushed really hard and made it to the top in 65 minutes. Feel so lucky that we made the effort. Took us about an hour to descend.

Back to Bicheno to enjoy dinner by the fire in our little cottage.

Originally when we planned this trip I was bit concerned that it was Tasmanian school holidays and that things would be crowded. The opposite applies as apparently Tasmanians all go to the ‘mainland’ for their holidays. That is why the St Helens backpackers was closed. Everything is so quiet. I also heard an interesting discussion on the radio of how some mental giant decided to sell seeds of some of the exclusive Tasmanian Plantation Trees to Chile – like Tassie blackwood, etc – and now Chile is under cutting Tasmanian exports of these timbers. Same as how they are cutting up a lot the tourist attracting pristine areas, like Bay of Fires, and developing into building blocks Gold Coast style. Anything to make a short term quid. Anyway, better put the soap box away and relax by the fire.