Arthur River to Somerset - "The first 100 days"

Well we have been on the road for 100 days.

Time for reflection, maybe, but there is a long way to go on our travels yet.

When we think of "Relections" now, it will be associated with "Arthur River Reflections", this was the name of the boat that we cruised into the wilderness on, for a day trip to the never never, or the Tarkin wilderness.

This is the boat that was a vehicle to a special world, where only the really adventurous venture on foot.






This is the river bank, there is no penitrating this unless you cut a trail, but both aborigines and the first settlers - in Tasmania's case the first settlers were all convicts - blazed a trail.

They found many things and now the most valuable at present is the wood - some of these trees are worth tens of thousands of dollars.

The area we were in is protedted so after 400 years they rot and die.Unfortunately the wallabies eat the young shoots of the trees


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The view from the front boat tells you the depth of wilderness we were entering.












This indicates the temperature at mid day in the wilderness








Albeit it is the wilderness, the fruit on the palm of Katherine's hand is very edible, but it would take a week to gather a meaningful serve.




















This is one of Katherine's interests - Flora of the fungi sort.

This colour on the forest floor is quite exceptional.











This fingi relies on water gathered in the centre of the flower.







When we visited "Dismal Swamp" there were a number of special scuptures around, one of which was this pair of "Preying Mantis"










Is this a scupture or a relic from the dim and distant past.

Certainly it fitted the environment.




















These were again very approptiate, a vivid imagination is a prerequisite for appreciating their form.









Just to illustrate the primeval nature of "Dismal Swamp"

The centre as this shows is quite modern which incorporates a very long Slide to the bottom of the Sunken Hole" 110 metres deep and took 5 seconds to descend.








After "Dismal Swamp" we ventured to The Nut " at Stanley and there we joined 20 other motor homes having a free stop on the waterfront.
It was like a tinkers camp - with people from all over Australia.






At the next stop, beside "Detention River" and met this bird who obviously thought it was his site and not ours. So as always we co-existed.

This is Detention River in the evening and you can see why we stayed for a few nights.

After the rver bank we went to "Table Cape" at Wynyard.

The view from our Van was this.

The nightime scene was even more rewarding.

Distance Travelled = 6650 Kms

Distance from Perth = 3951 Kms

Number of days on the road = 100

Port Fairy to Tasmania

The Port Faiy to Torquay sectoion of the Great Ocean road brought a number of land and seacape scenes that were worthy of recording with the man made sculptures found in Apollo Bay perhaps the most artistic.





The first three Photographs capture the style and artistic merit of the woodwork involved








There were another 10 of these works located on the Apollo Bay foreshore.














The sublety, colour and integration of natural wood formation needs to be seen to be believed.





This was another manmade phenomena.

The vertical concrete support column rises about 20 metres from the face of the rock.

On top of the colunm sits a 10 metre square accomodation area that is linked by a walkway to another part of the house built normally on he side of the hill.

From the accomodation area on the colunm an uninterupted view of the Ocean is obtained.

In winter it must be cold!!


This reinforces the view that whilst the Ocean is large, a flight of birds like that shown mean that there is food a plenty out there.










When compared to the last Bog Photograhs you can see at the eastern end of the Great Ocean Rd the coastline has changed significantly, but is still wild and energetic.









This lookout commemorates the builders of the first Road.

These constructors were the returned serviceman from the first world war.

It was considered a gift to the peoplr who served that war, i.e. if the war doesn't kill you the road will - must have been the motto.

Luckily the Govenment policy has changed now, if survive current day wars, you are offered counselling.

From the signage on the road, working on this road was a war in itself.

Just to re-emphasise the Great Ocean Rd trumas with current day living, the Sapphire Princess was docking at Port Melbourne just as we were leaving for Tasmania.

The Photograph does not do justice to the size of this jugernought.











On arrival in Tasmania at 7.30pm we sought refuge for the night and found - Braddons Lookout.

This embodies a lot of Tasmania -Sky full of rain that feeds the River Forth - which in turn provides a huge market garden for Australia. In future Blogs we will deal with the Sea and the Forests of Tasmania.

Just to prove that there is a sea culture Stanley has this monsterosity in the main street

Distance travelled = 6410 Kms

Distance from Perth = 4025 Kms

Total days on the road = 92

The Great Ocean Road !! - to Port Fairy

The name Great Ocean road does not really do justice to the vision one experiences on this very interesting section of the Australian coastline.

Typifying the first section of the road is this photograph




The next group of photographs illustrate the extent of the beauty and age of the Australian landscape as it merges with the sea.


The rise and fall of the sea and the consequences of land erosion over the millenia is clearly demonstrated by the shape and configuration of thr rock formations.

Whilst the next photograph also demonstrated illustrate the "Aussie" inguenuity.




Katherine made it to the base of the Cliff but to see it, you will have blow the picture up quite a lot.




Australia and it's age on view with the following rock formations.

The next 2 photgraphs prove that our time on the road is both energitic and harduous.

The Distance from Perth = 3256 kms

The Distance travelled = 5546 kms

The number of days on the road = 79