SUNDAY 19 DECEMBER   COLES BAY TO HOBART   238kms

We were up at 7.45am and left the park at 9.45, so it was an excellent pack up of everything.

After studying the Road Atlas, I gave John a choice of routes: the standard way we had been before, down the east coast, through Sorell. On this, he had previously found difficult patches on the narrow river stretch out of Orford and on Bust-Me-Gall Hill, near Buckland. Or he could choose the unknown B route from Cranbrook to Campbell Town, over the Lake Leake Plateau. He chose the latter, for something different, and because coming down from Royal George yesterday, through similar country, had not been too difficult.

The Hazards and Freycinet Peninsula, across Moulting Lagoon and Great Oyster Bay

The way was a good road, wide and well sealed. There was a steady climb up to the plateau, but it was not too steep or bendy. Up the “top” the forests of closer to the coast had given way to semi alpine timbered country.

We could see glimpses of Lake Leake through the trees.

Then there was a gradual descent to Campbell Town. As we drew closer to this historic farming region, there were some beautiful old houses on the sheep properties.

Then we were onto the main Midland Highway.

I persuaded John to deviate into the Ross township, as I have never had a chance to stop and look around there. Ross dates from the very early 1800’s, not long after the initial settlement of Tasmania. Governor Macquarie named the Macquarie River and also the future township – after a friend.

Ross was rather like Richmond, but the buildings were not quite as substantial. Nor was it as crowded with tourists! We went to the Tasmanian Wool Centre, where they had some interesting produce – this being the heart of the wool industry in Tasmania.

We bought sausage rolls and pasties for lunch from the bakery.

Took some photos down by the interesting old stone bridge that spans the Macquarie River. This was completed in 1836 and designed by the then Colonial Architect, John Lee Archer. It is unusual in having carved arch stones, showing people, animals and Celtic symbols.

On the Ross Bridge

The carved arch stones on the Ross Bridge

We saw a quaint little caravan park, beside the river. It was very open, but has an historic building amenities block.

We continued south, through the various old villages along the way, that date back to the early settlement times.

We went back to the Treasure Island Caravan Park at Berriedale, where John talked the management into a 10% discount if we paid for three weeks all at once. So we paid $266.40, which worked out at about $12.65 a night. Since this is the peak summer period, we were quite pleased with that. It is our intention to stay here until after the first week in January – that should get us past the peak public holiday period, and we will, by then, have a better idea of where it will be feasible to go next. I hope! It will still be school holidays and peak mainland tourist time.

We set up – down the bottom of the hill, as before. Then relaxed.

Tea was tinned fish and salads.

John is so pleased to have lots of TV channels to choose from, and clear pictures again.