Glorious Tasmania: North and the Tamar River

Glorious Tasmania: North and the Tamar River

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The northeast coastal area was not intensely explored although we did drive out to Cape Portland at the tip. The scenic road from St Helens to Bridport was mountainous, wooded, and super winding so towing was a challenge. There were plenty of tempting unsealed side roads but the rainy weather made exploring them with the caravan a bit risky.

The roads traveled in the northeast.
Trail along the St Helens-Bridport route. A moment of sunshine and we were able to escape the car for a bit of a hike.
When we saw this sign we got a bit excited about the possibilities.  But the irony is it was an awful little town with pathetic holiday shacks and absolutely zero going for it. We hope it remains a secret.
The Barnbougle Golf Course has appeared on the list of Top 100 Golf Courses in the World many times over the years. The fairways looked like velvet and the greens like velvety velvet. For $77 we could have played 9 holes. A bargain, we thought. Instead we spent a third of that on 2 glasses of wine and this view of a few duffers.
Bridport at dawn.
The remains of Bridport’s old pier. The caravan park stretched one kilometre along the shoreline and most sites had a filtered view through trees to the sea.
The eastern side of the Tamar River opens to Bass Strait at Low Head. There were numerous lighthouses for several kilometres along the shoreline, most no longer operational but with historic significance.
Cataract Gorge at Launceston is unique in that it’s only a 15-minute walk from the city center. Among the recreation opportunities: a swimming pool, the longest single-span chairlift in the world (at over 1,000 feet) spanning the South Esk River basin, a Victorian garden of exotic plants, bushland trails, and a walk along the cliff face of the river which flows to the Tamar. The original Toll House at which pedestrians had to pay to enter the walk is seen here from Kings Bridge.
The Tamar River Valley is wine country as well as rich farmland.
Notley Fern Gorge is a patch of rainforest above the Tamar Valley. The ridiculously steep path drops down through the tree ferns and eucalypts to a meandering creek before the brutal climb back up. It was still worth it.
Tamar Island Wetlands is another one of the 60 Best Walks with 4 kilometres of boardwalk. It is host to an array of birdlife including pelicans, swans & cormorants.

7 thoughts on “Glorious Tasmania: North and the Tamar River”

  2. Don will love the view of the Barnbougle Golf Course. Is that sunrise on the Tamar River, opening to Bass Strait? You captured spectacular colors, Mary! Love the pic of the Cataract Gorge at Launceston … Funny, I could almost imagine that this was the Garonne River in the South of France, with a “lock” coming up around the bend during our barge experience with Stephen and Lana. Beautiful.

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  4. wow Mary! you have captured more beautiful spots and all so interesting.
    your photo’s and blog have made me think about Tassie in a good way, worth even visiting!
    so enjoying your travels, well done with all the time and effort put in.

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