WEDNESDAY 22 MARCH STANLEY
John had played games on his computer until nearly 5am, so he only had a short sleep before getting up this morning.
We discovered that the same front tyre was flat again! K Mart tyres in Burnie had put in a new tube. John phoned them. They suggested that the rivets inside the steel wheel might be rubbing the tube. Wonder if the rivets have moved under recent stresses? Clearly, it needs checking.
We put the van spare wheel on Truck and set out for a final drive – hoping, yet again, not to have another flat tyre!
Refuelled at Smithton – 95cpl.
Drove to the west, to explore the north west section of coast. From Smithton, took the Montague road, which became a gravel one after that township. But it was in good condition. Went right across to Marrawah, then south along the coast to West Point and south to Nelson Beach, Arthur River and Temma.
Temma
That last section of coast was truly windswept – the scrub and low trees all leaned at an angle, away from the west!
Not hard to tell the direction of the prevailing winds!
Temma was just the usual collection of mostly seasonal shacks on a small bay. One of the more substantial houses was elevated, and had a huge store of cut firewood under it.
The entire under-house area was filled with firewood
We retraced the way we’d come, sidetracking and stopping off at Couta Rocks. Arthur Beach and the mouth of the Arthur River. I remembered that my father came over to Tasmania, on several occasions, to go to the big annual Arthur River fishing competition with Uncle T and cousin B, so I’d long had some curiosity about the place.
Around the mouth of the Arthur River there were lots of old logs littering the beaches – a legacy of the logging days, and subsequent floods.
Log debris at the mouth of the Arthur River
It was a very windy day and the seas over on this coast were really rough.
We found this coastal section of the Arthur-Pieman Protected Area fairly bleak – rather dreary coastal heathland. There were several small fisherman shack settlements, like Temma.
However, the country between Marrawah and Smithton was pretty – mostly dairying country, with thick stands of blackwoods in the gullies.
Dairy cattle on the lush pastures of the north west
On the way back into Stanley, we detoured towards “Highfield”, to the Stanley Lookout, which gave excellent views over the town, The Nut and the general surrounds. Continued on that way and came back into town the back way.
“Highfield House” like “Woolnorth” to the northwest, is a legacy of the time, from the 1820’s, when the Van Diemans Land Agricultural Company owned all this part of the state. Highfield was built in the early 1830’s and is a substantial place, now a Heritage site, whereas Woolnorth is still VDL Company owned. The Company certainly managed to acquire some excellent farming land.
We drove 268kms today.
Packed up the awning and the outside furniture.
Tea was curried zucchini soup, which John really liked. Then lamb chops and vegies.
It was still very windy. Heavy rain set in about 9.30pm.
This Adventurous Age 