This Adventurous Age

Adventures travelling and working around Australia.

Monthly Archives: August 2017


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1999 Travels December 3

FRIDAY 3 DECEMBER     WHITE BEACH

We did our food shopping at the supermarket in Nubeena, and also at the shops near the White Beach road junction. I had found that the fruit and vegies there are much better than the ones at the Nubeena supermarket.

Apart from that, we had a quiet day. It was very windy and so not conducive to doing much outside.

We expected mail today, but there was none at the PO when we went to collect it. John then realized that when he spoke to P on Tuesday, he told her to send it Priority Paid, rather than Express, so guess that may have made a difference. He knew what he meant, just didn’t say it!

The power went off for most of the afternoon – due to the wind, we guessed.

We could not have bought fish and chips for tea. Due to the power outage, the shop had shut! So we had toasted cheese, and sardines on toast – no hardship, as we think these are yummy items. The grill in the van stove is too feeble to do meat, but great for toasty things.

The weekend influx to the caravan park started this evening.


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1999 Travels December 2

THURSDAY 2 DECEMBER     WHITE BEACH

I did our washing in the morning – before the park got busy at the weekend. It included our bed linen, so I had to turf John out of bed!

That done, we drove to Waterfall Bay, north of Port Arthur, and just around from Eaglehawk Neck.  We went via Port Arthur, where I picked up my photos. The shop there did an excellent job on them.

Waterfall Bay was reached by road – unsealed of course. The views from the car park at the road’s end were of vertical, high cliffs – quite giddy making! The cliffs on this eastern side of the Tasman Peninsula are amazingly high.

From the car park, we followed the slightly rough walking track around the Bay, south, to Waterfall Bluff. In places the track was very close to the cliff top edge – that sort of drop really makes me tense! We crossed a series of little streams, which became waterfalls as they plunged over the top of the cliffs – hence the name, I guess.

12-02-1999 Waterfall Bay track along cliff tops.jpg

The cliffs at Waterfall Bay

From Waterfall Bluff, there was a good view south to Cape Hauy, with its distinctive island stacks.

12-02-1999 cape hauy from waterfall cave tk

The coast to Cape Hauy from the Waterfall Bluff Track

We went back the same way – the whole walk took us about 90 minutes.

From the same car park, we then walked the other way – to Patersons Arch, on a properly formed path, which was easy going. The Arch was really a cleft or cave in the steep cliff face.

12-02-1999 Patersons Arch & Eaglehawk Neck

Patersons Arch, with the beach of Eaglehawk Neck in the background

12-02-1999 Patersons Arch

Patersons Arch

The walking path was made really pretty by lots of wildflowers, including orchids. John saw a big tiger snake on the path! A one-snake walk! This jaunt took us about 40 minutes, return.

At one stage, on the path, we heard a ripping, tearing noise – it was a little group of black cockatoos, demolishing a tree in their search for grubs.

We got back to camp in time for me to get in the washing before it got damp in the late afternoon.

Tea was leftover barley pilaf from last night.


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1999 Travels December 1

WEDNESDAY 1 DECEMBER     WHITE BEACH

This first day of summer was a grey and windy day with some rain showers.

John really wanted to try fishing at a place that C had told him about, near Remarkable Cave, where there were rock ledges.

Remarkable Cave is just south of Port Arthur, so we went to the shop at the settlement that processes film and put in the used rolls I had.

We continued on to the end of the road, then walked down the path and the stairs to the Cave. This was worth a visit in itself, but we could not find any paths that looked safe enough to get to the rock ledges for fishing. It looked distinctly dangerous, with quite a swell running.

12-01-1999 view at Remarkable Cave.jpg

The cliffs at Remarkable Cave

The Cave is actually a cavern open at both ends. It was possible to walk into it.

12-01-1999 remarkable cave.jpg

Remarkable Cave

The view from the lookout at the top of the cave track was along the cliffs to the south, to Cape Raoul in the distance.

12-01-1999 view from Remarkable Cave LO.jpg

Looking along the coast to Cape Raoul

So, after what turned out to be just a bit of sight seeing, we drove back to Nubeena and fished off the jetty there. It was extremely windy, which took away some of the enjoyment. I caught a pike, and John caught two flathead. We also bought a fish from a fishing boat that was tied up at the jetty. So – enough for a little re-stock of the fish supply in the freezebox.

After the fishing I had time to cook a reasonable dinner. I made a barley, broad bean and pumpkin pilaf – something different. It was alright, but not as nice as I had anticipated. The recipe actually called for kumara, but I only had pumpkin, which may have made a difference.

Just as we were finishing tea, C came round to look at the van. He stayed and talked for a couple of hours. He is good company, and is obviously interested in our life style.


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1999 Travels November 30

TUESDAY 30 NOVEMBER     WHITE BEACH

John had committed us to play social bowls this afternoon.

After doing not much at all in the morning, we got to the club at Nubeena for a 2.30pm start. However some club competition was happening, and we had to sit around waiting for ages, before we eventually played.

John was in a team with C. They won the day and won a small frozen chook each. It just fitted into the van’s freezebox!

We were not very hungry so tea was just salad.

John phoned K and asked him to send our mail Express – we were expecting some paperwork to do with shares.