SUNDAY 19 MARCH     STANLEY

I encountered S, briefly, on her morning walk. Saw K and A and got their address details for our visit there on Thursday.

Socializing done, packed lunch, then set out driving. Went south-ish, through Irishtown, Edith Creek, the Trowutta area, the Tayatea  road to the Milkshake Hills Reserve. What a great name

Stopped at the Tayatea Bridge, over the Arthur River to admire the river and surrounding forest.

Lunched at the Milkshake Hills Reserve, in a very pretty forest-surrounded picnic area. John encountered a large tiger snake by the path to the toilet. It slithered off and hid in a nearby tree stump.

We took a walking track through the forest, then up to the top of one of the Milkshake Hills – these are buttongrass country, rather than forest. It was a very pleasant walk with interesting changes in vegetation as we went.

When we returned from the walk, the snake was back in position, coiled up in the sun again. It quickly slithered back into its stump home, though no doubt cursing us in snake-talk.

Drove on, to the Julius River Reserve and did the nature walk circuit there. Part way into it, John realized he’d left the keys in Truck, so we completed the rest of the circuit very quickly. There was lots of myrtle, silver wattle and sassafras trees along that walk.

Next destination was Lake Chisholm, and we walked in to that – another pretty walk in big forests.

The reserves we visited today are not National Parks, but are managed by Tasmanian Forestry, which means they are areas which may have been – or will be – logged.

Drove on and admired the outlook from Sumac Lookout, on the Sumac Road, then stopped again at the Kanunnah Bridge over the Arthur River – again. This was further downstream from the bridge we’d stopped at, this morning.

We travelled through the Roger River area and linked up with the way we’d come, thus completing a circuit that took us through some of the Arthur River valley.

Bought some produce from a roadside stall – tomatoes and raspberry and strawberry jams.

Drove 190kms today. It was a very enjoyable day with a good mix of driving and exercise.

Tea was cold pork, potato and fresh tomato – yum.