11th of August - More Freychinet

Oh dear, it seems I had become quite recalcitrant and lackadaisical in the maintenance of my blog for the last few days of my stay in Tasmania. I shall have to endeavor to bring its state back up to date as promptly as possible.

In this post, then I shall be recounting my adventures where I left off.

Me and the cessna

On the very next day, we headed off rather early in order to catch a plane we had booked, more or less on a whim, the day before. No, we hadn't suddenly decided to return home, fed up with the Apple Isle! This was a charter service to fly us around and give us the best views of Freycinet national park. This being the first time in a small propeller plane for both of us (the machine in question was a Cessna), we both had certain emotions about the flight. However, while Ally's were trepidation, mine were excitement. However, Ally soon came around to my own attitude as we took off and she beheld it was not as frightening as she had anticipated.
And what can one say about such a flight? It was spectacular, and the pilot very knowledgeable and informative.

Wineglass bay from the air

If you are yet ignorant of the nature of the national park, I shall endeavor to explain it to you. It comprises of an extended peninsula on the east coast of Tasmania of nearly unspoilt wilderness. It was established as a national park over 100 years ago, making it one of the two oldest such parks in Australia. It also has one of the two best beaches in the country - Wineglass bay, which is only accessible via an hour-and-a-half walk. Other beaches (arguably as beautiful) are also to be found on the peninsula, but they are even more remote, requiring a full days' hike to reach. However, with our small plane we were able to see them both within the short space of half an hour.

Freycinet from the air

How many seals can you spot?

Following our safe return, we proceeded to complete a handful more short walks in said national park. The first, at Cape Tourville, led over a series of boardwalks around a cliff and a squat lighthouse. It also presented us with an excellent view, via a set of handy binoculars set up for the use of passers by such as us, of a group of rocky islands which is a favoured spot for seals. Of those creatures, we fancied we could spy one or two lounging near the water, but we cannot be sure.

I considered moving in, but the wi-fi is not great.

The next walk was somewhat longer and led us past the so-called Sleepy Bay to Gravelly beach, an appropriately named little cove where the sand was comprised of pieces of granite broken off nearby boulders. Two such boulders lay at the far end, with interesting holes cut in to them by the action of the sea, which makes for perfect photo opportunities.
Scrambling up the rocks behind these boulders, I found the opportunity to ramble much further along the coastline, climbing over craggy granite. Had I been travelling alone I may have considered it, but Ally was not as keen to go exploring off the beaten path.

Gravelly beach

Friendly Beaches

Finally we concluded our tour of the region with a visit to Friendly beaches. As we had decided against going to Wineglass bay due to time constraints (and given the weather was hardly suitable for beach activities), this proved to be a decent compromise. One of the things that makes the beaches in the area so beautiful is the high silicone content of the sand, making it incredibly white. This is true as much of Friendly Beaches as it is of Wineglass bay, and I believe we were suitably dazzled by its whiteness.

Promptly we continued our journey to our next accommodation, stopping in the town of Swansea on the way to make a delicious lunch of salt and pepper squid, and with another brief interlude to view an ancient bridge (by colonial Australian standards) built by convicts. Thereafter we made it to our rather miserable (but cheap) hotel and retired, both being rather exhausted.