Queenstown in the Western Wilderness

The area around Queenstown has some of the most ruggedly beautiful countryside I have seen —it appeals very strongly to the Scottish part of me!

Queenstown (once the world's richest mining town) is set in an almost surreal moonscape, partly natural but mostly due to the copper and gold mining that has gone on for over a century.

Revegetation is slowly occurring and the town is starting to experience a revival and is now home to a small but thriving arts community, and has inspired writers, painters, photographers and historians by both its unique beauty and history. This is reflected in the Heritage and Arts Festival which has been held yearly since 2010.

There are a number of historic buildings spread throughout the town which has an last-frontier feel to it — no cafe lattes here (yet) though.

The Western Wilderness is dotted with many beautiful lakes which are a walker and fisherman's paradise.  Bronte Lagoon is just one of many hundreds.

Skye's Scottish heritage likes this area as well!

High Country

Today I'm camped on the shores of Brady's Lake sharing the solitude of this highland lake with two young travellers who arrived yesterday evening in a whizz-bang with writing and pictures on it (you know what I mean).

The occupants were a lovely young Dutch couple, Jimmy and Veronique, who are visiting Australia for a couple of months and who have travelled 12,000kms in just 6 weeks!

Anyway they asked if there was a supermarket nearby and when they heard that the closest was at New Norfolk they weren't too happy as they're doing a lot of walking and needed some bread. I offered them a loaf from the freezer but they insisted on either giving me money or goods in exchange. I explained to them that about 35 years ago I'd been travelling in the Netherlands and everywhere I was met with kindness and offers of help and so I saw this as Karma and it was my way of repaying what had been given to me all those years ago, and that somewhere along the line they'd have a chance to do likewise … hopefully not having to wait 35 years!

In any event they still proceeded to give me some teabags and a small tin of tuna (which I took as it seemed to make them feel better).

This morning we shared a lovely "Dutch style" bacon and egg breakfast and many cups of tea, cooked by Jimmy, before they departed for Mt Field National Park.

Summer — at last

Summer has at last arrived in Tasmania and today, at Hamilton, as I sit by the effervescing creek, eating cherries the size of plums (thanks to the nearby cherry pickers!) it truly feels good to be alive.

It wasn't quite the same story last night though when Skye disappeared for an hour — there were at least 5 of us searching and calling her but no sound did she make.  Finally, in desperation, I looked down the 2 metre high riverbank beside the motorhome and there she was …  not a peep out of her through all the calling of her name … she was just sitting there patiently waiting to be rescued.

She must have gone down to do a bit of paddling and couldn't get back up the steep bank.  One of the young folks here climbed down and passed her up to me, thank goodness as I wouldn't have been able to get down where she was.

Hamilton is a tiny hamlet with a very good campsite complete with showers, toilets, water, electric barbeques, children's playground and a dump point.  At present the cost is $5 per vehicle.  The town has a couple of cafes, fuel and a pub.

This is a view of the campsite on the Clyde River — taken from the toilet area.

Hamilton "main street"

A meander around Hobart

It was a blustery day, after gale force 95kph winds last night, so a wander around Salamanca Square enjoying the 19th century sandstone wharf buildings seemed like a good idea.

A new year — a new place

and lots of new possibilities …

One of my favourite camping spots in Tasmania is the historic town of Oatlands, just off the Heritage Highway which runs between Launceston and Hobart.

Oatlands is a quaint colonial town with lots of Georgian buildings, dry-stone walls, cottages and of course the Callington Mill.

The town provides a beautiful freedom camping area right on the banks of Lake Dulverton which is a fly fisherman's paradise as the lake is regularly stocked with trout by Fisheries Tasmania.  Last evening Jim, one of the locals, caught this magnificent 4.4lb (gutted) trout.

Lake Dulverton has many faces ranging from warm and sunny to blustery days with dark menacing skies.

And you see all kinds of sights here — never a dull moment.

Just a walkin' … the sheep; but don't worry dogs get a look in as well.