Tasmania’s North East Coast

CONTENT: Tasmania / Waterhouse Conservation Area / Cape Portland/ Musselroe Bay / Mt William National Park / Eddystone Point / Bay of Fires / St Helens

TRAVEL JOURNAL:

10.12 – 29.12.2021

As George Town and Low Head was already visited, we oriented us towards conservation areas East from Low Head. Tasmania is a wonderful location for out-door enthusiasts and that has been encouraged by Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service which is managing hiking tracks and maintaining free campgrounds for national parks pass holders.

Not far from the coastal settlement of Bridport, a remarkable stretch of coast is protected by the Waterhouse Conservation Area. We first checked out the coastal lagoons: Blackmans Lagoon and Big Waterhouse Lake: both allow camping on patches of grass between coastal looking, but decide to follow the Homestead Road to the Waterhouse Point.

Village Green is an open campground next to Herbies Landing. Due to weekend it looks fairly busy and central clearing is favourable for trailers and motorhomes. The elevated notch looks a bit windy for our rooftop tent. We check out the Eastern side of the peninsula where we find dedicated camping spots between the wind-protective coastal bush. Though the spots doesn't offer direct view to the ocean, they are just few steps away from the beach. The following morning we take a walk around the peninsula.

The North-Eastern tip of Tasmania opposite to Cape Barren and Flinders Islands carries the name of Cape Portland and is the location we head for Christmas Eve.

Approaching to peninsula, we pass the renown Little Blue Lake which is just next to the B82 and easy to pass by the tourist hordes visiting the Bay of Fires. Little Blue Lake used to be an old tin and kaolin clay mining site. As part of rehabilitation program it was filled with the water in the 1980s. The blue color is caused by the aluminium minerals which are acidic and swimming in the lake is not recommended.

We take direction towards Petal Point campground. The drive is flat and rather treeless, road-signs inform about wombat habitat. Despite approaching holidays we are lucky to get a spot next to the long stretch of sandy beach. Similarly to the Waterhouse camping area, to protect the coastal vegetation, camping spots are fenced and operate on “first in, first served” basis. Though leaving a spot behind during Christmas break might be regrettable, on 26h December we decide to relocate. We visit the Musselroe Wind Farm and Tebrakunna Vistor Centre which is dedicated to the history of native people.

Musselroe Bay is supposed to have more camping but many spots seem to be occupied by permanents. After some beach walk we decide to try our luck at Mount William National Park. Afternoon at Forester Kangaroo Drive reveals some wombats and Forester Kangaroos grazing next to the road. Stumpys Bay offers unmarked camping under casaurina trees next to the beach. None of the camping areas look particularly crowded and the beach is sandy, white and the ocean turquoise blue. The dark brown tannin-rich marshland river is making it's way into the ocean and offers spectacle of colour mixing. On 27th December we drive through the Mt William National Park and arrive to Eddystone. The walk from the lighthouse along the beach is literally from magazine – the silica-rich sandy beach continues.

“No-through road” sandy track takes to Deep Creek campground. As the name states it is next to a tannin-dark river-mouth and looks like an extension to a quiet holiday village. The actual river-mouth is embroidered with cute holiday-shacks. Curious pademelons and birds are observing our pancake-making from the safe distance and a bit further is a wombat mowing the grass.

Mt William National Park is adjacent to famous Bay of Fires Conservation Area. Though we expect the Christmas time attracting a lot of people, we still follow the natural cause and arrive to the Gardens on the following afternoon. The parking lot is full and there are lots of people on the close-by tracks but walking a bit further along the beach, solitude creates a perfect location for an unprepared swimmer to have a quick skinny dip in the cool waters of Tasmanian Sea.

We had received some recommendations from the fellow-travellers about the pleasant camping at Cosy Corner. Have to agree that the camping spots are all beautifully aligned along the turquoise sea and white sand, but the Bay of Fires is chockers from campers. After checking number of camping areas and thankfully our set up being small enough not to block the way to other campers, we manage to get a rather unofficial spot at Moulting Bay.

The following day we finalised our North-Eastern beach-combing session with visiting St Helens, Stieglitz and St Helen's Conservation Area where in addition to notorious orange lichen covered rocks of the Bay of Fire continuing to cover the coast, we discovered Peron sandblow.

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We work for several local vineyards and on days off explore the area.