One thing I DIDN’T pack…

I am not good at packing light… but one thing that never crossed my mind, but would’ve been useful this morning, was an ice-scraper! I woke to beautiful sunshine after all the rain, crisp, clear and cold ~ very cold with ice on the cars, paths and handrails… well it is late autumn and I was up in the mountains!

I was staying just outside the National Park boundary, so after breakfast, like everyone else, headed into the park, to the Visitor’s Centre where runs shuttle buses to various parts of the park where different walks/hikes begin.

Like most on the bus, I went in as far as possible, 15 minutes ish on the bus, spying sun-bathing wallabies and a young wombat en route, alighting at Dove Lake… wow! What a sight to behold ~ Cradle Mountain and other peaks in the clear, cold, autumn light; crystal clear water in the lake; native bush; and just peace…

I did a couple of the short walks to a boat hut, and to a view over the lake on top of a huge glacial boulder, and enjoyed every moment. I then took the shuttle bus to another stop, just briefly, as it’s an area renown for being frequented by wombats, and I wasn’t disappointed. These funny, furry marsupials are not nocturnal like most others, so wander around, grazing, in the sunshine. I think I saw 6, including a mum with her joey bounding around, but too far away to photo ~ just have to remember! But one fella was just a foot away from me, munching away, totally uninterested in me…

After I left the National Park, ahead of the weather changing, which I could see looked a little ominous, I headed north to the coast, and reached the small town of Burnie.

Caffeine was required, so first stop was a recommended cafe in an old chapel called, perhaps unimaginatively, “The Chapel”! Refuelled I also visited Burnie Regional Museum, which was mentioned in guide books ~ a free, quaint local museum, with lovely volunteer ladies who chatted with me. The main attraction is ‘Federation Street’, a faithful reproduction of Burnie in the late 19th century, using local timber etc to create a scaled-down street of shops and other establishments, as they were, filled with items from one man’s collection. The whole thing his labour of love, and really interesting.

I then headed west along the coast to Stanley, my pit stop tonight. En route I paused in a couple of places to take photos of the shoreline and views, with somewhat dramatic clouds, before arriving in Stanley. 

Stanley is a small town, lots of colonial buildings, and most famous for being located at the base of a volcanic outcrop known as “The Nut”. 

I explored a little, but it got rather dark by 6pm! So I enjoyed some local seafood and retired to my abode for the night…