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| Erin on Hazard Beach, in gorgeous Promise Bay on the Freycinet Peninsula |
| Erin's Tasmania Journals 12-17-02 Today we got up and checked out, saying farewell for a day to our Swiss friends, and headed for the Freycinet Visitor Center for hiking permits and maps. We drove up to the carpark amid a crowd of other hikers, and signed the book as to which route we'd take. I thought going over the ridge to the bay and back would be plenty, although there were a couple of other routes back we could have taken that would be longer but flatter. We set off up the mountainside, and I was soon reminded of Table Mountain. It wasn't as bad as that though, because we made it to the top in just 45 minutes, panting and sweating as we were. There was a great lookout point to Wineglass Bay from there, which we of course shot several photos of, before heading on down the mountain to the bay itself. The trip down was just as steep as the way up, and I found myself dreading the return trip. Plus we'd seen a hint of Promise Bay on the other side of the peninsula from Wineglass, and that was looking very nice indeed! When we arrived at Wineglass beach, we spent some time just soaking in the beauty. Just like the Bay of Fires, this stretch of beach featured white sand so fine that your shoes and feet would squeak as you walked, and we perched on some rocks for a better perspective. We noticed some pink things floating in the water, and on closer inspection found them to be jellyfish! The high winds today had driven many of these huge jellyfish right up into the beach, and people were carefully avoiding them - they had long skinny tentacles that we weren't going to chance being non-harmful! We decided to take the longer, flatter way back, as the day was beautiful, and took the 30-minute overland trail to Promise Bay, at Hazard Beach. This was more exquisite than Wineglass, actually! The water was clearer, bluer, and calmer, as the intervening land had cut off the wind. The beach was practically deserted, and the views of the mainland way across the bay were gorgeous. We ate lunch there with an older couple from Perth, discussing our mutual travels and marvelling at the beauty before us. After lunch and chat, we started the trek back to the carpark. It was estimated at 3 hours, but we made it in 2. I was very tired by the end though, as it wasn't quite as hilly or steep as the Wineglass climb, but still had some good hillocks to navigate! A good hiking day, still. The sea breezes and views made the long walk very pretty. We arrived at the car sweaty and ready for a break! We drove on from there to our next destination southward along the Tasmanian coast - Port Arthur. This was on the Tasman Peninsula, which from the Freycinet Peninsula is about 3 hours. Our hike had kept us occupied till almost 3, so it was close to 6pm by the time we pulled in at the Port Arthur caravan park and located Marcel and Eveline. Once again we'd share costs and cabin, and this time were located near a fishing bay, and were lucky enough to get a fresh fish for dinner. It was huge, coming right off the boat, and the boys were given the task of gutting and dressing it, while we girls got the veggies & rice together. I also showered, such a relief! The fish was a dodgy operation in such a small basic kitchen, but we managed to cook and eat it all! That night we decided to forego the Shanghai Rummy and go straight to bed! |
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| Glenn enjoys Wineglass Bay from the lichen-covered rocks |