Location

Waterhouse Point (Tasmania) – Flashback

Posted on May 7, 2015 by John Sear

Leaving Deep Creek we checked out some of the other sites in the park and were very surprised to find that many of the beachfront ones were totally empty. Whilst visiting the Stumpys sites (there are 4) the kids got out to try to pump an old bore handle with varied success as the photos show.

Xavier makes it work!
Oscar gives it a go
Hannah at hand pump

To the North-east of Bridport in North Tasmania there are a few camping spots within the Waterhouse Conservation area. Driving around some of these we were very surprised to find some of the beachfront camps empty. After visiting Stumpys 1 to4 we ended up settling for Waterhouse Point. Once again we were the only people there until a late arrival. The beach was home to thousands of soldier crabs who fled when the kids descended, burrowing rapidly in a clockwise circular motion into their holes. At the far end of the beach the kids searched through knee-deep weed for “sea treasures”.

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The site looked like a great place for Tassie Devils so I got the camera ready, rugged up and sat quietly. My hopes sank when a feral cat showed up but when I scared it off as soon as the sun set a particularly brazen brushtail possum swaggered into the camp, and after repeated attempts to scare him off I decided it wasn’t the night for devils.

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Categories: Adventure, Animal Action, Australian Outback, Beach, Discover Australia, Explore Australia, Journey Narrative, Kids Travel, Location, National Park, Offroad, Photography, TAS, Tasmania, Travel, Travel Adventure | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Bushflies

Posted on May 2, 2015 by John Sear

Firstly, this blog comes with a warning. There is some detail that may induce nausea with those of a delicate disposition.

 

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The bad news is that the flies have finally got under our skin. Not literally, thank goodness, but close as they are crawling into our ears, and they love squeezing their bodies into the corners of our eyes, nice and snug, so that legs get left behind when you wipe them out. A fly rapidly making its way into your ear is alarming enough but when several of them attempt to do so simultaneously it becomes quite distressing. Worse still the amplified crunch that results when your finger finally denies them further access. All of us have also experienced the doubled over coughing and spitting fit that brings tears to the eyes as we try to dislodge a tracheal intruder.

Any cuts will be swarmed with voracious flies within seconds of exposure to the open air leading one to wear new fashion accessories that we have christened “fly rings”. Poor Amanda, at times, felt like  her skin was crawling.

We all have fly nets, though mine (an SA model) appears to only filter out the big blowflies and not the recent wave of smaller bushflies that have arrived in their swarms.

It started just after the cyclone just prior to Easter. At the Pinnacles we were initiated into the outback fly plague. At Sandy Cape they got a little more persistent. From then on they have been consistently bad, the locals even conceding that this is the worst and most prolonged that they can remember.

I’m jumping ahead of my blogs but at Cape Peron it became unbearable with Fifty Toes constantly running back to the car where we could control their numbers. Uncomfortable yes, but  one  evening camped on the beach at Waroora Station, a few days later, we didn’t bother with the awning. The weather was beautiful and yes, there were plenty of flies, but by now we are used to having at least a dozen flies crawling over our faces at any one  time, crawling across  your lips, in the eyes and seeking entry into ears, whilst having a conversation with someone. We have all perfected our own personalised versions of the “Australian Wave” but as soon as the dinner was served into bowls, wave after wave of kamikaze bushflies plummeted into the sauce. For each one that was  scraped out with a knife or finger,  three more had sacrificed themselves. We tried in vain to eat from our bowls under our fly nets. I gave up, figuring that the additional protein would add an interesting crunchy texture. When the crunchiness became the dominant texture, revulsion got the better of us all and in unison we dashed for the car again, cranked up the aircon and ate dinner in the car.

As we sit out Cyclone Quang, we are optimistic that the winds will have sorted the flies out. In recent days we have laughed at people wearing fly nets because we no longer need to wear them. Words can only begin to describe what it has been like but to conclude on a positive note if you ever see me chuckling to myself I am probably remembering the sight of the ladies in bikinis sunbaking on Kalbarri beach with fly nets on their heads, or the canine in Carnarvon walking around wearing one.

Categories: Animal Action, australia, Australian Outback, Big Lap, Discover Australia, Explore Australia, Journey Narrative, Kids Travel, Photography, Photos, Travel, Travel Adventure, WA, West Australia | Tags: , | 1 Comment

🎄🎄🎄🎄Ho,ho,ho Mrs Clause here!!!🎄🎄🎄🎄

Posted on December 21, 2014 by John Sear

WIshing all our family,friends and loyal followers a wonderful Christmas and an amazing 2015!

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Maybe some of you will visit us on our travels?? Hint hint!! Just having you all follow the blog and sending us messages and challenges brightens our days! So keep them coming… If you have troubles logging on or responding to a post let us know.

So… 8 weeks on the road – where has it gone? And what have we done? And what have we achieved and learnt??

Leaving Sydney, packing up our home and trying to decide what a family of 5 has to pack to travel for 12 months in a little camper trailer…. Hmmm  tough job – I still remember the last day and squeezing the last of our belongings into our storage and other stuff into the car – 2 of our lovely friends C and S helping us close up the camper – because we had only taken delivery of our CT only a week earlier we were still learning – it took a while!! And I’m happy to say we have it down pat now!!  Our first stop at green patch ( which is divine!! Sydneysiders – tip go outside of any holidays) where we stayed 4 nights just to get over the pure exhaustion!!

The kids are learning what their jobs are and are getting better at packing away their sleep bags and camp chairs, washing up😉,helping with tent pegs and ropes for the awnings, filling drink bottles etc,etc! They have barely seen tv, and are learning to find there fun elsewhere – climbing trees, finding beetles, bird watching, beach combing, looking for bones😁 of various animals ( even a whole seal at one beach!) do they still fight ?? Of course they do – especially in the car😠 but they are learning so much about life and nature etc! Distance education is amazing – I am happy to say we are on holidays though !! Yay !!

Four wheel driving is not one of my favourite things – in fact my stress levels go into overdrive – if any of you read about a track we did coming into the Huon valley called Jeffrey’s track 😖 I could barely watch and thank goodness for the 2 guys that helped us out  I couldn’t do anything!! I was asked to take photos – but not being able to even watch made that quite hard!! We got stuck in sand recently which wasn’t as bad but still had the grey hairs emerging! We had to turn back to the road to go another way that time! But we finished the day with fish and chips ( a big treat) and Christmas carols in Robe SA.

Christmas for us is on Kangaroo island – I am hitting the shops tomorrow for some Christmas cheer – will try and sneak some home made rocky road in ( we are staying in a house! Yes a house for the first time in 8 weeks- thanks Hugh 👍) some Bon bons – J is hoping to catch us a crayfish for lunch???? I heard Oscar telling one of his classmates on the phone that no Santa won’t find us this year …. But grandma is sending a small parcel!! My heart melted- he was so ok with it!❤️

My my favourite places so far …. Hmmm Green Patch NSW is definitely up there, I loved the VIC countryside around Omeo, Boat harbour TAS, Narawntapu NP in TAS is gorgeous as was friendly beaches and bay of fires TAS , the Coorong is very pretty SA and I am sure lots more to come.

Animals – we have seen lots!!!  Today we found 3 shingle back lizards which was cool! Tassie Devils, rare black carnivorous snails, seals, echidnas,wombats,kangaroos,wallabies and other hopping things of all shapes and sizes – I’m officially confused as to what wallaby is what and what is a pademelon or a bennets wallaby etc etc!!! We have seen only a couple of snakes,dolphins, koalas,emus, thousands of birds – John has turned into a serious twitcher!!

Cooking for a family of 5 on a 3 burner stove – sometimes I see the photos on Instagram that friends are posting of things like weetbix slice!!!! Thanks B!! Made my mouth water!!!! We do lots Like fried rice, fajitas,bbq, damper and toasting marshmallows has been fun – we still need to perfect our damper if anyone has any recipes – Hannah is our damper chef!!!! Hamburgers, Koftas,bacon and eggs and tuna pasta is a rough idea!! Any recipe ideas? Send them through!!!!

Anyway, enough from me! Have a wonderful wonderful Christmas – think of us – we think of you all, have an amazing holiday break and fabulous 2015,

lots of love from all the fifty toes! 🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁

 

Categories: @travelaustraliawithkids, Discover Australia, Explore Australia, Journey Narrative, Kids Travel, Location, SA, South Australia, Travel, Travel Adventure | Tags: , , , , | 8 Comments

Ewens Ponds

Posted on December 19, 2014 by John Sear

Our next stop was to a favourite of mine, Ewens Ponds, located near to the fishing town of Port Macdonnell. I had to show the kids the pristine waters that bubble out of the sandy bottom and flow down eight mile creek to the sea. The water is very cold though reaching 15-16 degrees, if you’re lucky.

Algae in Ewens Ponds
Freshwater Crayfish
Ewens Ponds
Ewens Ponds
Galaxid
Ewens Ponds
Ewens Ponds
Ewens Ponds

Freshwater Galaxids, Ewens pygmy perch (Nannoperca variegate) and even black fin bream can all be found relatively easily in the ponds, though in the cold water they proved harder to photograph. The big spiny freshwater crayfish are always a highlight. This little conservation area is a gem, and even whilst snorkelling through the three ponds I could hear loads of birdlife in the surrounding wetlands and reeds.

Categories: Adventure, Animal Action, Australian Outback, Big Lap, Discover Australia, Explore Australia, Journey Narrative, Photography, SA, South Australia, Travel, Travel Adventure | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

Back to the Mainland

Posted on December 12, 2014 by John Sear

Just before leaving Tasmania we met a local farmer who we spent a while talking to. He owned hundreds of acres and cultivated poppies and pyrethrum for the pharmaceutical industry, potatoes, cattle for the top end restaurant market and more besides. A beautiful oak and sycamore stood near the entrance of what appeared at first glance to be a poppy field but there was also a graveyard in the middle of the field.

Bruce's poppies

Bruce showed us how the opium extraction begins then explained that the trees used to be at the entrance to the church that once stood there, and that a school used to stand next door. At nearly 80 years old he told us some of the local history that was slowly being forgotten. We took a photo with him then bade him a farewell after over an hour of chatting in one of his paddocks.

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Tasmania is the only state that is legislated to grow opium poppies. Farmers must have an approved contract with a pharmaceutical company and the whole operations are monitored very closely by satellite, police and locals. Last time Amanda stopped to photograph a poppy field on a previous visit we had a police car arrive before she had got back in the car!

Our final thing to do was get some fruit picking in and close to the ferry we found a “pick your own” farm with raspberries, tayberries and strawberries. All the kids loved the photo opportunity involving a horse’s rear, as well as in the field with the fruit.

 

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Then as we queued for the ferry in Devonport our last final excitement in Tasmania as the car in front us was descended upon by police. One man fled with cops in hot pursuit and his female passenger was escorted away. Before we got on the ferry the undercover cops arrived and were stripping the car!

Categories: Adventure, Discover Australia, Explore Australia, Journey Narrative, Kids Travel, TAS, Tasmania, Travel, Travel Adventure | 1 Comment

Narawntapu National Park

Posted on December 8, 2014 by John Sear

Narawntapu National Park hadn’t been on our radar but when Hannah rejected our camp in the middle of the river at garden island near Clarence, after we had set up camp I may add, but we stumbled upon it as we headed towards Devonport, with only a few days left before we leave Tasmania.

NarawntapuNP

Dubbed the Serengeti of Tasmania it comes as no surprise to see vast expanses of short grassland, but instead of wilderbeest, lions, and elephants, this national park is full of marsupials. Forresters Kangaroos, Bennetts Wallabies, Pademelons, Bettongs and Potoroos all can be found here. I still can’t work out which is which but the ranger told us the rule of thumb was whether they are knee or waist high, and bigger or smaller than this, but there are so many joeys around too they are starting to all look the same. The wetlands are a haven for bird lovers and one of Tasmania’s top 60 short walks is the Springlawn walk to the bird hide in the middle of the lake. Our camp was surrounded by wombat holes, but no sign of them yet!

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The boardwalk takes you past swamps, melaleuca and silver banksia forest, then on to the lakehide. Black swans and coot were everywhere but also to be spotted were Australasian grebe, maned duck, pacific black duck, egrets, herons, blue billed duck, musk duck, hoary-headed grebe and many others.

Just beyond the hide the path takes you on a bush walk to the top of Archers Knob, where commanding views over the park can be enjoyed, including the full length of Bakers Beach. This beach has millions of soldier crabs parading the shoreline at low tide and the kids had a competition to see who could find the most shark and ray eggs. They found at least 4 different species.

I also spotted my first snake here – a tiger snake basking in the sun on the walking path.

The poor wombats are suffering from Wombat mange caused by mites and seeing a wombat with very little fur staggering around during the day, covered in flies was not a pretty sight.

Categories: 4WD, Adventure, Animal Action, Australian Outback, Beach, Big Lap, Discover Australia, Explore Australia, Journey Narrative, Kids Travel, Location, National Park, Natural World, Photography, TAS, Tasmania, Travel, Travel Adventure, Twitcher, Walks | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Eddystone Point and Deep Creek

Posted on December 7, 2014 by John Sear

On the far eastern point of Tasmania, above the Bay of Fires, within Mt. William national park is Eddystone Point. Our new home was the Deep Creek campsite several kilometres away, where a handful of fishing shacks line the shoreline. A short walk from the campsite up the shallow creek takes you to a large deep pool that would be great in summer but given the weather we have been experiencing no-one was up for the challenge to jump in.

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A quick visit to the lighthouse built at the end of the 19th century was followed by a visit to nearby Larc beach. Recent storms had laid bountiful piles of seaweed on the beach, but on closer inspection one pile turned out to be a particularly gruesome seal carcass. The kids loved this, though were a little disappointed that it wasn’t a Thylacine (extinct Tasmanian Tiger). It was so badly decomposed all we saw at first were the big canine teeth and fur. With storm clouds approaching we had a quick look at the Bay of Fires beach, recommended as being one of the whitest sands to be found, before returning to camp. When we returned the following morning Xavier found a Hooded Plover nest with two eggs in it.

Categories: 4WD, Adventure, Animal Action, Australian Outback, Beach, Big Lap, Camper Trailer, Discover Australia, Explore Australia, Journey Narrative, Kids Travel, Location, National Park, Natural World, Offroad, Photography, TAS, Tasmania, Travel, Travel Adventure, Twitcher, Walks | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

Blue Tier Forest – Goblin Forest Walk

Posted on December 7, 2014 by John Sear

The Blue Tier forest reserve sits off the road between St. Helens and Weldborough, and has a number of walks but we couldn’t resist the name of one of Tasmania’s top 60 short walks. At around 750m high the hills were shrouded in cloud when we arrived. Entering the forest took us into a fairy tale world where branches and rocks were coated with lichens, ferns and mosses of all shapes and sizes. In some areas the ground even looked like it was coated with snow.

Fungus on Wombat pooh!
Goblin Forest
Colourful Mosses
Goblin Forest Walk
Lichen covered forest
Forest Log

The boardwalk snakes through the humid forest, and wombat trails can be seen winding their way amongst the trees and fallen logs. We found some beautiful pink orchids on the forest floor but at this stage my lens decide to seize (and later a piece of metal fell out).

We chose to drive on along the road expecting it to take us out of the reserve but very soon we found ourselves on an increasingly challenging 4WD track. It was a bit late in the day to continue, especially without any phone coverage!

Categories: 4WD, Australian Outback, Big Lap, Discover Australia, Explore Australia, Journey Narrative, Kids Travel, Location, National Park, Offroad, Photography, TAS, Tasmania, Travel, Travel Adventure, Walks | Tags: , , , , , | 4 Comments

Bay of Fires

Posted on December 6, 2014 by John Sear

Cosy Corner was our camp for a couple of days in the Bay of Fires. Luckily the day we arrived the sun was out and we got to enjoy the pure white beaches and beautifully coloured water. A day trip from the beach took us up to the St. Columba Falls and a forest walk through tree ferns (or “man ferns” as they are called here). With the rain we have had recently the falls were looking very healthy. Apparently these are the tallest falls in Tasmania

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On the way back we stopped at the Pub in the Paddock for early refreshments and the opportunity to give the resident pig a beer. Unfortunately for us it seems Pinky was nursing a hangover from the previous day and was not interested in a couple of stubbies. Her predescessor’s sty still stands next door, though unfortunately Priscilla passed away recently.

Next stop the Holy Cow Café for Cheese-tasting and to watch the robotic milking process that even included an impressive automated neck, back and bum massager for those cows in need. The cheese recipe used is the original and the mature cheddar is highly recommended by FiftyToes!

Categories: Australian Outback, Beach, Discover Australia, Explore Australia, Journey Narrative, Kids Travel, Location, National Park, Photography, TAS, Tasmania, Travel, Travel Adventure, Walks | Tags: , , , , | 5 Comments

Douglas-Apsley National Park

Posted on December 3, 2014 by John Sear

A short drive north found us in the town of Bicheno, the biggest we have been in for a while and the first where we could top up the gas. First stop was the famous blowhole, for a photographic opportunity, then down to the Gulch! None of us were quite sure what a gulch was so we had to go and have a look.

 

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It was the narrow channel of water between the boat ramp and islands inhabited by hundreds of birds, particularly the crested terns. The office near the boat ramp where the glass-bottomed boat trips can be purchased caught the kids eyes and a showcase of Tasmanian underwater secrets drew them in. With giant crab pincers as long as your arm, sperm whale jaws, urchins, abalone shells all displayed randomly in a big glass showcase the kids noses were pressed against the glass trying to find some new treasure previously undiscovered – it turned out to be the piranha, and only alien in the tank. After a very informative chat with the man in the office we drove to Chain of Lagoons to camp. This lies just to the east of the Douglas-Apsley National Park, just behind the beach. All day the hills in the national park were masked by low lying clouds that constantly drizzled, and periodically this stretched down to our camp.

Waterhole at Douglas-Apsley NP

Waterhole at Douglas-Apsley NP

Next day in pouring rain we decided we couldn’t miss a trip to the famous waterhole in the national park, and somewhat reluctantly the kids agreed to come along too. It rained, and rained but that didn’t stop Xavier from finding a frog!

Frog

We then decided it was a good day to focus on schoolwork until the rain stopped.

 

Categories: Australian Outback, Beach, Camper Trailer, Car, Discover Australia, Explore Australia, Journey Narrative, Kids Travel, Location, Mitsubishi, National Park, Photography, TAS, Tasmania, Travel, Travel Adventure, Twitcher, Walks | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

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