Sunday 28^th December

Today turned out quite eventful! We set off in the sunshine along the Tasman highway from Launceston that wound its way through a pastoral valley between Mount Arthur and Mount Barrow, before climbing over forested hills to Scottsdale. Shortly afterwards we went on a minor unmade road, a stony forest track, to look at Ralph Falls and then onto St Columba Falls. Both these were great waterfalls and well worth the effort of getting there and Iain did a sterling job driving our little car over a road really designed for 4WD vehicles.

We continued on to St Helens and Bingalong Bay where we were booked for two nights. I was driving and managed to stall the car on a very steep lane up to the accommodation. Luckily Iain took over, reversed down and got us up to the top in one piece! There we discovered that they had no record of our booking (made over 12mths ago by TasVacations) and we were unable to stay there as they were full. Fortunately they rang a hotel in St Helens and managed to get us a room but its not the same. Actually the hotel is very good and has a nice swimming pool and we have a verandah and a spa bath so it’s not all bad news!

Having sampled the pool and the spa bath

we decided to stay at the hotel for dinner rather than walking into the centre of town, which we shall no doubt do tomorrow!

Saturday 27^th December

Another sunny day and after a late start we made our way to the chairlift over Cataract Gorge. Unfortunately we took a wrong turn and ended up toiling way up and then down a hill that we could have made our way around but we did eventually find the chairlift which has the longest single span in the world.

We then walked along the gorge and back before returning on the chair lift and walking around the other way over the suspension bridge and back to the end of the gorge and the harbour area, where we caught the 3pm river cruise. We went up the Tamar for about a third of the way (it is about 70Km long and the longest tidal estuary in the world) and then up to the gorge and the River Esk (North and South). The trip took 2.5 hours and included a small wine and beer tasting session as well as afternoon tea and was very pleasant.

Friday 26^th December

It was another sunny day and we drove via Lake Cathune lookout (rather unspectacular!) and Round mountain lookout (which was much better!)

and stopped near Mole Creek to go for a 40 minute walk up and down through a lovely forest to a lookout over the Alum Cliffs.

We sat there admiring the view and having our lunch before returning and driving to Launceston. We are in a charming little cottage (Scottish cottage so very appropriate!) which has a lovely garden. There are four cottages altogether but we are the only guests. It has been renovated with great love and care and it shows, and feels this. We relaxed with a cold beer in the sunshine in the garden and then wandered down to the waterfront and booked a Tamar boat trip for tomorrow afternoon. We got back about 5.30pm and opened the champagne that we hadn’t wanted to drink yesterday while I prepared dinner and updated the diary and Iain sunbathed.

Thursday 25^th December

Today we decided to do the Dove Canyon circuit in the morning. We caught the shuttle up to the Ranger Station and saw a wombat grazing at the side of the road.

We then did the 2.5-3 hour walk (5Km but graded difficult) in 2hours 18minutes! It had some rough stony bits and steep ups and downs but with beautiful scenery. The sun was shining again and the walk ran across button grass swamp to Knyvet Falls, and then alongside Pencil Falls and Pencil Creek.

There was a steep rocky scramble up and then a path along the edge of the Dove Canyon which was so deep we couldn’t see the bottom from where we were walking.

The path then wound up through forest before returning across button grass swamp again on a boardwalk. Apart from the start and end of the walk the path was unmaintained but no worse than many we’ve been on in the UK. We arrived back in time to change for lunch and catch the shuttle bus up to near Cradle Mountain Lodge where we had a fantastic buffet lunch.

After lunch we had a short stroll along the Enchanted Walk which was all on boardwalk but quite lovely and then watched a video and relaxed for the rest of the day.

Wednesday 24^th December

I woke at 6.30am to brilliant sunshine that continued more or less all day! We went to the visitor’s centre (about ten minutes walk) and picked up the shuttle bus that goes up and down to Dove Lake underneath Cradle Mountain. We alighted at Ronny’s Creek and took the Overland Track across to Crater Falls and Crater Lake.

 It started on a good boardwalk across swampy land covered in button grass and with lots of different wild flowers and shrubs and then climbed up a beautiful little valley with Crater Falls tumbling down at the end. The whole walk was transected by numerous small creeks and burbling streams. We climbed to around 1000m looking over Crater Lake and then took the path down past the Wombat Pool and Lake Lilla to Dove Lake which involved quite a few ups and downs.

At Dove Lake we decided to do the circuit as the weather was still so good.

We stopped to eat our sandwiches and then continued along a lovely path, sometimes stony and sometimes with boardwalk and then had to go up another steep hill (not fair!!) before continuing with gentle undulations back to the car park. We climbed up Glacier Rock and took some photos and altogether we did around 13Kmand had some great views of Cradle Mountain. We caught the shuttle bus back and relaxed with a well earned beer!

Tuesday 23^rd December

Today we decided to divert to look at Dip Falls and the Big Tree before travelling to Cradle Mountain.

It was cloudy and overcast but the road was fairly good, even the unmade sections. We drove through varied countryside, forests and farmland and the rain only started once we had seen the falls and the tree (which was indeed extremely large) and eaten our lunch in the picnic shelter. Some of the trees in the forest around the Big Tree were even taller than the ones we saw at Mount Field NP.

We then drove up to Burnie to stock up at the supermarket and get fuel and got lost a few times!

We then travelled through heavy rain, with thick cloud obscuring the mountains, to Cradle Mountain Wilderness Village where we have a cabin for Christmas.

We had some excellent flathead (a locally caught white fish) that I fried, accompanied by potatoes and spicy vegetables.