East Coast Tas.

From Hobart down to Dunalley Pub. They provide a large paddock for camping and unlock a portaloo for us at night. Had a good meal there one night. Very windy  when I was there.

Headed south via Eaglehawk blowhole. Amazing arch in the rocks also. Then off to Port Arthur to do the tourist thing. Queued for half an hour - felt like I was in Rotorua again with all the tour buses! Pretty amazing buildings and beautiful grounds but it drizzled all the time I was there! They certainly have done a great job here. Lots of guides explaining things. Decided not to do the short cruise that was part of the entry fee as it was so overcast I am not sure what I would have seen.
Friends did the night 'ghost' tour and loved it.

Quick drive to check out the town - what town. Now why did I think this was going to be a 'centre'! Back via Nubeena to check out a few camps. RSL now not available. Another good cheap camp at Sunset Beach.
 Picked some sweet juicy blackberries down a side road! I must say the berries and cherries, peaches and nectarines in Tas are wonderful.
Amazing seeing how the trees have recovered after the nasty Sorell fire a couple of years ago.

Back to the overnight camp at Sorell as I needed to see a dentist again. Will get a free ceramic crown done in March - they are getting a new machine and need patients to practice on!

Called into Buckland church - beautiful stained glass window. Was going to camp behind the pub on the grass but felt I wanted to get a bit further on.

 Triabunna - what a little treasure. Stayed 3 days in the free camp in the paddock opposite the pub. Walked around town, lunch in a very up market cafe, and visited an historic house with a shop which only sells Xmas decorations. What an amazing sight.

Chatting to a local Councillor about the new marina - 22 yacht bays and 40 people wanting them. The council is thinking of putting in more toilets and a laundry to cater for all the yachts that pull in here. Very forward thinking.

Then decided to go on a $50 half day fishing trip on the Matar Cara. Mine Host Chris made the trip very pleasant. Fresh home made muffins and plunger coffee for morning tea - and fruit from his orchard.

There were only 4 of us on board and we caught mackerel and little flat heads which Chris filleted for us so I have finally managed to have seriously fresh fish for lunch. We went over towards Maria Island and along the painted cliffs.

Had takeaways one night to support the local land owner who provides the free camp I was in - and who owns the shop. Had lunch one day at the fish van beside the pub. Only $11 for a cray roll - half a tail in a salad bun! Amazing when they sell a whole cray for $58!

 Next stop was River & Rock camp near Coles Bay. Stayed a couple of days. Quite a tight camps and so many people in and out. A stop over for people doing Wineglass Bay walk. Backpackers got stuck in the sand beside me. I finally suggested they go find a bloke in a caravan that could help before they dug themselves any deeper. Guy with the flash 4x4 arrived complete with winch but of course -

couldn't find the remote so ended up just towing him out! Apparently they cant be run manually  either.

Drove to Coles Bay but decided I didnt want to join the 100's hiking to the Bay so back to the Oyster & Mussell farm for lunch. Half a cray for $78! I did have some lovely scallops in garlic butter though. Then about 30 Asians turned up and they were getting the half cray, dozens of oysters and prawns between each group of about 4 people! The exchange rate must be really good for them at the moment!

Fuelled up at Bicheno but didnt go in to town. Camped at Chain of Lagoons. Found a great private spot on the southern end. Did Elephant Pass without the van thank goodness. VERY steep, narrow and winding. Had breakfast at the pancake place - actually they serve crepes! Found a very expensive laundry at St Helens then back down St Helens Pass to the camp. What a shame the tourism people dont get lookouts put in for us. All that way up and down and nowhere to stop for a photo!

St Helens  - WOW. Went in to Swimcart Bay first but too many in there so on to Cosy Corner North. Perfect! A couple of Kiwis that I met at Strahan were there also. 

What stunning crystal clear water - and the colours! Can see the rocks way out in the bay. Huge seaweed also. Pristine beaches. The tourism blurb says this Bay of Fires beach has been voted 2nd best in the World!

Did a morning trip to Pub in the Paddock and saw the beer swilling pig. Great money spinner - you buy a bottle of beer for her and she has to drink heaps for the photo opportunities. Very nice lunch there and chatting to the Kiwi publican. Drove to the St Columbia Falls but once again so many there, no room to park and a long walk down to see the falls - and it was drizzling.

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Hobart

Seems I have struck unusually damp weather here. Fortunately a friend looked after me while getting the ute clutch done. I managed to do a 100 page photobook ( the first 18 months of my travels) and send it off for printing while it was too miserable to go sightseeing.

 Camped in the bush way up on a hill towards Kingston at The Lea Scout bush camp for a couple of days while I had a new radio installed. It does NOT pay to put in the wrong security code too often or you get locked out of the radio and a major job to get sorted. I really do need an instruction book for the ute! Good thing I needed a new radio anyway and ended up getting new speakers as well. The young blokes probably dont get too many people who want just basic speakers, and just a basic radio, but I do now have a USB hub, a CD player that doesnt 'jump' and hopefully much better reception for 'outback' radio!

Drove up to Mt Wellington. A very long narrow steep winding road to get there and so many nervous drivers who didnt leave much room. To say nothing of meeting a bus! Spectacular views but very cold and a strong wind.

 Hobart is a pretty town with lovely old buildings. Very hilly and narrow streets but some good main roads. Great fish meals along the wharf. Lovely old wooden boats.

Did try the award winning Lark Whiskey but at $160 a bottle I resisted the temptation to buy it. Then paid half that for a liqueur  in a bottle half the size! They probably do very well from all the people who come off the cruise ships and wander around the port for the day. Saw a different ship nearly every day for a week.

Stopped at  Snug CP a night then down to the camp at Gordon. Found a spot right beside the beach. What a great camp. New toilets, but no water. So many here going to the Hobart Wooden Boat Festival. Lots of boats going up the channel. Drove back up to Kettering then across to Cygnet through apple orchards absolutely laden with fruit.
Cygnet is a lovely old town. Got a few groceries, drove around the bay a bit then back to Gordon. Was given a fresh flathead to cook for lunch. Yum.
Next stop was Shipwrights Point near Geeveston. srove from there down to Southport, and Ida but decided I didnt feel like sitting for 2 hours on a little open train so back to the Tahune Airwalk. Once again not feeling like doing the tourist thing after what felt like a very long drive with some nasty potholes. Did a trip up to Kingston and Huonville as well. Beautiful bays everywhere and some wonderful old boats. Just not many places to get of the roads for photos!
Back at Hobart for a night then off towards Port Arthur.