After we finished breakfast we decided to take a stroll down to Stewart’s Bay which is right behind the Port Arthur Caravan Park. We came across some incredible wild flowers which we are not sure of their names but one reminds me of an orchid. This bay looks so ideal that if it had been warmer (much much warmer) we could have considered swimming here. But today is a chilly day.
We left the park heading back towards Eaglehawk Neck which is the very narrow strip of land that connects this area to the main island. Because the Port Arthur area is virtually an island with a very narrow strip of land connecting it to Tasmania it was deemed an easy way to control traffic and prisoners movements. However, this is the only way to drive away from Port Arthur too. But we wanted to stop at a couple of places as we left this small almost island, that is the Blow Hole, the Tasmanian Arch, and Devil’s Kitchen. No idea how these interesting sights got such names.
The Blow Hole is exactly as it sounds. It is an open pond of water that has a natural tunnel feeding water from the ocean. I suspect that at one time it was a cave with a tunnel from the ocean where the cave collapsed leaving the tunnel in tact but greating an open pond. When it reaches the end of the tunnel in the open pit it surges upward sprays thus the term Blow Hole.
The Tasmanian Arch, a bit further down the road, is exactly that. It is an arch of land over an opening to the sea. This is very impressive and very deep.
We then walked over to look at the Devil’s Kitchen and I am still not sure what we were expected to see or why it was given such a name.
We left the Port Arthur area and continue up the eastern coast line with the goal of reaching the Wineglass Bay trail. But we had to stop for some groceries at Sorell in case you are following along on a map. After some shopping we continued along the highway – which I should point out is VERY narrow with virtually no shoulders. I am getting more comfortable driving on the left side of the road but there were a few times where I am not sure how we squeezed by oncoming traffic. I guess they are watching out for anyone in a Wicked Campervan.
We have been trying to figure out the gas tank capcity of this van. When we got the van it registered no gas in the tank so we went to fill it up. It only took about 30 liters which seems a very small tank. The gas gauage only registered about ½ a tank but I know it would not accept any more when I was filling the tank. We figured the problem was the gas gauge does not work. When we had gone to the point the gas gauge registered E again we again filled it up, again only about 30 litres and this time the gauge registered full. So today when the gauge worked back down to ¼ of a tank we decided to fill it up and once again, only about 30 litres. However, just as I was shaking the van to see if there was an air lock in the gas filler line the gas blew back some gas and sprayed me. What a stink and it is very hard to get out. I am still not sure what is up with the gauge or what the capacity of the tank is, but I suspect it is a 40 litre tank. I will do some research later online to see what I can find out. Yes, I stank until I was able to take a shower and I wore the shirt into the shower and with soap washed it too. Hopefully the van will not burp again on me.
We finally arrived at Freycinet National Park where we were able to get a campsite. We learned about the Wineglass Bay circle hike would be about 5 hours so it is our plan for tomorrow morning. Because it is still a bit early we decided to do a couple of other views. These are basically drive to places with short walks. We drove up to Cape Tourville where there is a walk around the top with views that are spectacular. The Lemon Rock is a rock at a headwater that stands on its own and used to have a lighthouse on it. Now the unmanned lighthouse is on Cape Tourville and we were walking around it. Again the road up to this location is even narrower than the highway and really not possible to pass anyone at some places. Fortunately I only met people in wider sections.
On the way down we stopped at Sleepy Bay and took the walk down to the sand and the bay itself. A couple of things to note was the color of the water in the bay. For some reason some of the water was greenish while the rest was dark colored. This made for a picturesque view. Then when we got to the bay we found rocks that had been hollowed out. Wes called it an easter egg look.
The campsites here have water and electricity but only a partial camp kitchen. This means that for dinner we either cook with the facilities in the van or go to the kitchen and cook there. The kitchen has an electric BBQ and this appealed to me so that is where we headed. The meal could be completely cooked on a BBQ that was scheduled for tonight. When we got there we found that 3 of the 4 BBQ were being used by one party with 2 famiies. The 4th BBQ did not work or they would have used it too. But they were happy to let us use one of the BBQ when they were finished which was not too long and we had a place to cook and eat. The wind here is very chilly so it was not the most comfortable.
The campsites here have water and electricity but only a partial camp kitchen. This means that for dinner we either cook with the facilities in the van or go to the kitchen and cook there. The kitchen has an electric BBQ and this appealed to me so that is where we headed. The meal could be completely cooked on a BBQ that was scheduled for tonight. When we got there we found that 3 of the 4 BBQ were being used by one party with 2 famiies. The 4th BBQ did not work or they would have used it too. But they were happy to let us use one of the BBQ when they were finished which was not too long and we had a place to cook and eat. The wind here is very chilly so it was not the most comfortable.
Back in the campsite we are working on the blog with no electric lights to help. I hope we do not deaden the van battery as we sort things out.
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