Dreamtime Van

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On the Road to Tasmania blog posts 👇

On the banks of the beautiful Nambucca River, Macksville offers the perfect holiday spot for fishing, boating on sparkling waterways and enjoying wonderful natural attractions. Relax in the riverside parks or on the verandah of the historic Star Hotel and you may even spot bottlenose dolphins in the sparkling waters. 

Finally on the Road South to Tasmania - 1st stop Macksville 

Although a small town, Gundagai is a popular topic for writers and has become a representative icon of a typical Australian country town.

Tasmania will have to wait we are on the road to Gundagai 

Avenues of Honour are a living way of remembering and honouring the lives and sacrifices of our service personnel, lest we forget.

Honouring our service men and women along our highways 

One of the main reasons why Tasmania draws us back, again and again, is that Tasmania is an island with four distinct seasons. 

The Spirit of Tasmania was a little bit more spirited than expected 

Entering the Mersey River on the Spirit of Tasmania 1, through the very narrow headlands that didn’t seem wide enough for a ship to pass through is how we start our exploration of Tasmania this beautiful southern island full of history, spectacular vistas and adventures to be found. 

A trip into some fascinating Maritime History in Devonport - Tasmania

On the road ….. now finally provisioned up on fresh Tasmanian produce it was time to kick Le Frog into gear and head up into the central North of Tasmania to Cradle Mountain. But of course we aren’t taking the normal route, no we are going to take some of the back roads and discover some of the hidden gems along the way. 

Cradle Mountain a place you always want to return to

True to our nature we were off to find new gems that Tasmania had to offer. So out with the map to find some back roads for “Le Frog Box” to navigate. One of our key tasks today was to visit a winery and farm stalls, along what the Tasmanian’s call the “Forage Trail” and lucky for us we were right in the heart of it. 

Is it Preston Falls or Delaney Falls?

They are one of the most beautiful falls in the state or should we say that we have ever seen. It's a two-tiered structure that’s right “a structure” and the unique rock formations make it well, totally different to anything we have seen.

Dip Falls are the most beautiful falls we have seen

Stanley is a truly remarkable town. Not only is it steeped in the early history of Tasmania (for it was from here that the mighty Van Diemen's Land company operated from Highfield House) but it is also a town full of beautifully preserved historic buildings.

Stanley is truly a quaint seaside town

Take a step back in time and join us when we visit the Highfield Historic Site in the northwest of Tasmania, near Stanley. Remarkably intact, the house is a gentleman’s home and farm from the 1830's. With gorgeous views of Stanley and the popular tourist attraction the Nut, combined with the lavish gardens, the site is a pleasant visit that will fascinate history buffs and give an interesting account of an important period of Tasmania’s history. 

Highfield House is the story of success or tragedy – you decide. 

If you are looking for the ultimate Tasmanian road trip into the wilderness, then you need to head west. Home to untamed rivers, ancient pine trees and giant sand dunes, the west coast is at the heart of Tasmania’s wilderness. It is isolated rough country, associated with wilderness, timber harvesting and mining. It served as the earliest location of an convict settlement in the history of Van Diemen’s Land, 

and contrasts sharply with the more developed and populous northern and eastern parts of the island. 

https://dreamtimevan.wordpress.com/2022/03/09/the-western-wilds-of-tasmania-tarkine-wilderness/

The campsite is only small 8 sites in total, however there are the ensuited, eco- friendly retreats for those wanting a little more luxury. We were delighted with our campsite with views of the Pieman River at our doorstep and an abundance of wildlife that just walked, hopped, flew and crawled through the site whenever it suited them. We were exactly where we wanted to be. 

Gold, Cannibalism and Bob Brown - Corinna

We wanted time-out and we needed to find a campsite. Well …… a campsite we found. Bare with us when we use every superlative we can in this next paragraph. 

https://dreamtimevan.wordpress.com/2022/03/26/the-best-ever-free-campsite-in-tasmania/

This incredible, sleepy giant is located on Tasmania’s Wild West Coast and is accessible via an easy yet very scenic rainforest track. It is certainly amongst the most stunning waterfalls in Australia with a permanent drop of approximately 104 metres. And for this reason it is perhaps one of the most rewarding short day walks in Tasmania. We found that the Montezuma Falls track was a great addition to our visit to the West Coast. We had initially had this walk listed as a maybe, if we had time sort of thing, wow we are certainly glad we did it.

https://dreamtimevan.wordpress.com/2022/03/30/montezuma-falls/

Strahan is full of stories from the days of convicts and pioneers toughing it out in Tassie’s wild west. Nearby, in Macquarie Harbour is Sarah Island, once a notorious convict prison and a powerful reminder of the brutal treatment of Tasmania’s convicts.

From Mining Riches to Busts and a fight to save one of the most important Wilderness in the World 

Sarah Island was established in the remote reaches of Macquarie Harbour in 1821. From 1822 to 1833, Sarah Island was the home of a harsh convict settlement. It is Tasmania’s oldest convict settlement and reputedly one of the severest penal establishments in the history of transportation to Australia. 

Through Hell’s Gate where it was said You Will Never Return 

East bound taking in Queenstown, Derwent Bridge and Mount Field National Park

East of Queenstown we have the 99 bend challenge…. The staging ground for one of Targa Tasmania’s toughest sprints, the 99 Bends may not actually have quite as many twists and turns as its moniker suggests, but it is still an incredibly challenging drive that any hillclimber will love. A quite reminder to Rob that we were in “Le Frog Box” and not a Porsche 🙄

A Pilgrimage to the most Southern road in Australia.

There is even more of Tasmania, south from Recherche Bay, including Australia's southern most point. So often we hear of the legends of Cape York Peninsula, those who have made the trek north to one of Australia’s ‘last frontiers’. But how often do you hear of those who have been to the most southern point in Australia.

Taste Testing Tasmania’s Best Part 1

Tourists are drawn to Bruny Island for many reasons but the main attraction is the amazing walks through the South Bruny National Park with towering cliffs overlooking long sandy beaches, coastal heathland, and underwater gardens of kelp seaweed with some amazing bushwalks to take it all in. However in recent years Bruny Island has been promoted as a foodies heaven and this is what has drawn us to spend some extended time on the island. It is home to producers specialising in oysters, cheese, wines, honey, berries, spirits and chocolate. What more could we ask for?

Taste Testing Tasmania’s Best Part 2

“Some Stories Last Longer than a Lifetime” Port Arthur 

There is so much already documented about Port Arthur that we will not give you another history lesson here. However we will give you 5 interesting facts to ponder.

Tasman Peninsula an unforgettable trip of spectacular proportions. 

Have you ever been totally gobsmacked at the sheer beauty of nature around you. Has it been one of those overwhelming experiences that you just feel you could never put words to the beauty to explain it to someone else. We if you have you will know the difficulty we are having to explain just how magnificent the Tasman Peninsula is.