This morning we decided to leave early as it was going to rain in the morning and my mates didn't want to pack up a wet tent. That suited me because I was keen to get on the road. I had a beautiful swim in the cold water (thanks Wim Hof philosophy) which washed the most of a killer headache away and got on the road.
'The road' being the road along the coast to the Tarkine drive, a tourist route in the North West that I thought I should do. It would take me up to Smithton, where I'd need to be to go in any direction - east coast or more west coast, and avoid 170k of gravel roads, which I thought would be better to do with the 4WD.
The road was pretty sparse and open, with little coastal settlements of two to six houses in clusters along the way - wild and windswept with sheltered harbours for fishing boats. It was great to crank the tunes on the bluetooth speaker and wind my way on extremely empty roads. I hardly saw anyone else all day.
The first stop on the loop was Sumac Lookout. The smell of leatherwood gum was sweet and noticeable. The majority of Tassie honey comes from leatherwood.
Along this route are a few bushwalks and lookouts to enjoy, from half hour to three hours or more. The headache that started yesterday was persisting and I wasn't in the mood to stop for long. You could spend a few days here certainly.
I stopped to look out over the Arthur River from the bridge and as I was standing there I heard a tree branch creak and crack thunderously to the ground. It missed my van by a couple of metres - very nearly where I parked.
I wasn't overly impressed with the drive itself if I'm honest. Whilst there were pockets of incredible beauty, much of the area is sixty year old logging forest, which they say is 'regenerated' - but you could never regeneration the old growth forests that used to be here. Still, it does give you a taste of what Tassie has to offer, and if you didn't feel confident going into the full on south west wilderness, it'd give you a taste, that's for sure. I'm just being fussy.
STill, this drive was only a snippet of the much, much larger area:
‘A relict from the ancient super-continent, Gondwanaland, the Tarkine contains Australia’s largest tract of temperate rainforest, and is home to more than 60 species of rare, threatened and endangered species. These include such unique animals as the Giant Freshwater Lobster – the world’s largest freshwater crustacean, and the Tasmanian Wedge Tailed Eagle – Australia’s largest Eagle, and the famous Tasmanian Devil. The Tarkine is also one of Australia’s most important Aboriginal regions, and contains a diverse array of landscapes, from giant forests to huge sand-dunes, sweeping beaches, rugged mountains and pristine river systems.’
www.tarkine.org
Where I did end up pulling over for a longer amount of time (my head was thumping again and I just didn't fancy a longer walk anywhere else) was Trowutta Arch, a huge sinkhole accessible from the northern end of the drive. It's a lovely fifteen minute walk down to the sinkhole. There was absolutely no one at all around and I could hear the creaking of the myrtles and the wind whispering through the trees - kinda spooky if you let your mind work like that.
It was a fairly easy walk and I loved seeing the different fungi sprout from rotting logs. It's Autumn here and I'm wondering where else to find mushrooms, and if there are any edible ones about.
The sinkhole itself is pretty amazing. It was formed by two cavities joined together as rock collapsed. There was no guardrail so I could clamber up to get closer but lost my nerve thinking about the fact there was no one around and I didn't want to end up a corpse in a lonely cold pond in the middle of nowhere.
Back in the carpark I made lunch. The kitchen set up works a treat and I didn't end up pulling the cooker out of the drawer as I thought I would - it worked fine as is. Noodles and the last of my vegetables - I need to get that cord for the 12v fridge so I can have fresh veg again!
After that I headed to a campground I had read good reviews about, dying for a shower and needing to fill up with fresh water. I'm writing from there - it's an awesome spot with views of the Bass Strait. For twenty bucks a night, it's a bargain. Tomorrow I'm going to head over to the East Coast - it's going to be a wet day but I think I'll be happy to be in the van watching the water over the ocean than being in teh dark and damp forests of the drive down to the West Coast. I fancy a good week more of beach time before Jamie arrives on Sunday. I miss him, but I'm really enjoying just chilling on my own. I thought I might get a bit down but honestly I feel super chilled and just loving being in nature, which is my favourite companion always.
Hope all's well in your worlds - sorry if I'm a bit tardy getting back to your comments! With reception in and out and busy days it's as much as I can do to get these posts out. I'm trying to do the 365 day thing so don't be suprised if you see some posts come up on schedule! The crazy goals we set ourselves, huh?
Much love you you all!
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