Our Australia trip

Before we leave, Marjo checks out the beach on a short walk with the dogs and finds some things left behind by the ocean.

Then we follow the road along the north, driving west. On one side is the ocean, on the other hills. And in between lots of shrubs.

Suddenly we’re happily surprised when we see a live animal along the road. Not a cow, sheep or horse but a wombat. We have seen so many dead small animals in Tasmania, every two kilometers there’s a flat wallaby, possum or wombat so you can understand our surprise to see one that must have paid attention when they explained the dangers of traffic in Native Animal school.

Oops, wrong picture.

He crossed the road after we left.

We stop for groceries at Bridport and find it hard to access the beach. Not only retracts the ocean from the beach leaving a smelly foreshore but also the council has made the foreshore inaccessible for dogs.
So we follow a dirt track to where we can access the water.

Dotti thinks that the word “access” is grossly overstated and so I give her a hand.

Marjo finds a smorgasbord of stones.

And we follow it with interest.

We come to the Bellingham bush camping and find out that the council must have changed the rules about camping in the area.

Instead we have lunch and go for a walk.

Then we decide to head to Greens Beach which is across the Tamar river and cross the bridge.

When we come to the campground it’s packed and a sign “Park Full” indicates that there’s not much room left. We schmooze with the manager and get a last spot. Apparently there’s a beach run on and some event at the golf course. We don’t participate in either but are happy with a spot. After saying goodnight to the resident pets we have an early night.

A nice day.

Posted from Miena, Tasmania, Australia.

It was a very cold night and when we wake up the thermometer in the bus seems stuck at 6 degrees. Dotti is awake at 6 am and I let her go for a pee and then return under the doona. It’s way too cold.

When we get up I feel sorry for the die hard push bike campers. First they need to pedal their bikes up the hilly roads and then freeze their buts off in a little tent. Brrrrr.

We stock up on fresh water but can’t empty our toilet cassette as they have a sceptic system.

We drive on towards the west and stop at Derby.

Marjo visits the galleries while the dogs and I wait in the bus. After a while and a little while more i decide that I can as well empty the toilet cassette at the public toilets in Derby. That seems like a busy place and I need to wait until the passengers of two cars and a motorbike rider have completed their toilet trip. So when we returned Marjo was relieved to see us. She kinda was a little worried that we had driven off in the sunset. I’m glad that she had already bought me a raspberry muffin before we returned, as she wasn’t impressed by our unplanned detour.

Then we turned off towards the north.

And bravely followed the road, even when the bitumen turned into dirt.

(Yes, I know, we need a window wash).

This is quiet country, where you are left with only animals to turn to for directions.

Then we arrive at Tomahawk and find a nice spot close to the beach, just behind some bushes out of the wind.

The beach is nice but there’s not enough wind to kite.

Nevertheless a great day.

Posted from Tomahawk, Tasmania, Australia.