Day 64 / 2015 - Launceston to Burnie

Leaving Launceston we wound our way back out towards the Bass Hwy heading in a westerly direction towards Burnie. During our stay in Launceston we had tried several routes in the car to try to find an easier way  bypassing all the hills but alas no success so just went out the way we came in.

On the way to Burnie we decided to camp overnight at Deloraine again. we hadn't been to the Wall in the Wilderness at Derwent Bridge and since it we had decided not to drive the road between Queenstown and Hobart this was going to be our best opportunity being the closest point. Derwent Bridge is about 125km from Deloriane where the road takes your up onto the Central Plateau and past the Great Lakes alpine region down through Bronte Park coming out onto the Hobart Queenstown Rd about 20km from Derwent Bridge.

The Wall in the Wilderness is a one mans mission to creat a large carving depicting stories of the local region. The wall is about 100 metres in length and has incredibly detailed carvings. It is made up of panels which are linked together all being housed in pupose built building. There were other carvings around one which captured our imagination was of a glove which looked so life like you could even see the stitching in the fingers. This must have caught a lot of people's eye as most we had talked to always mention the gloves.

From the wall we travelled into Derwent Bridge which really wasn't much more than a pub and Garage but is the the gateway into Lake St Clare which is part of the Cradle Mountain Lake St Clare National Park and is Australia's deepest lake. There is an interpretation building with lots of history as well as a viewing platform. The are a number of walking trails you can do of various lengths there is even one that goes to Craddle Mountain which takes about 6 days. We took a short walk that takes you along the edge of the lake and through some of the surrounding rain Forrest.  

The drive back took us again through Bronte Park this time we turned right and followed the road between the Great Lake and Arthur's Lake where we ended up travelling down another steep pass through Poatina and back up the Midlands ending back in Deloraine. This loop is a little less travelled by tourists and takes in some spectacular views over looking the lakes as well as the views into the valleys below.

From Deloraine we towed the van to Railton aw here there is nother free camp within a town boundary. There is not a lot at Railton but it is known as the Topiary Town with many examples of Topiary in the front and back gardens of people's homes. Railton was a good place to base ourselves and was in close proximity of Sheffield the home of the Muriel's. We could have free camped at Sheffield but Steamfest was on the same weekend so attracted many caravaners as well as a fee for staying.

Steamfest is held every 2 years and brings together a large collection of antique steam powered engines. There were large tractors as well as stationary engines and small steam driven cars. There was also a tractor pulling competion which we found facinating and sat and watched for hours. The idea is a typical rural farm tractor is attached to a trailer and has to pull this trailer for a hundred metres all the time the load is increasing on the trailer trying to slow the tractor down. There were many styles of tractors from small ride ons to the very large built like a tank types. There was also quite a bit of skill needed as just sheer pulling power didn't always get you through.

From Sheffield you travel about 15 kilometres south to Tasmazia located near Barrington Lake. Tasmazia is a collection of different types of mazes as well as a number of miniture villages you can walk through. The latest village is a dedication to all the countries of the world consulate's by building them in a theme style for that country. All the villages are designed with humour many having funny quotes written on them.

One of Tasmanias premier attractions Cradle Mounton was only 70Km from Railton so we decided to leave the van there and day trip. We though we could't come all this way and not see it. Packing a picnic lunch we headed off in the morning. I was kinda glad we didn't have the van behind as there were 2 mountain passes to go over in typical Tasmanian style quite steep and windy. Arriving at Cradle Mountain the most popular attraction to see is Dove Lake which has Cradle mountain as a backdrop. Being the most photograped view it is easily recognised. There are 3 ways to get to Dove Lake Dive the car, walk or take the Bus. Only 50 cars at a time can park at the lake itself where you have to wait at a boom gate until space becomes available.Walking didn't apeal either as it was over 6km just to the lake. The bus runs regularly and is included as part of your entry fee so this seemed like the best option to us.

Arriving at Dove Lake you instantly recognise the mountain in the background. There is a walk track that goes right around Dove Lake is about 6km in length and takes about 1.5 to 2 hours to complete. You have to sign a log at the gatehouse to let parks and wildlife know you are there in case something happens. The track is not disabled friendly but there are many boardwalks and well formed paths with lots of signs to make sure you didn't get lost. The track weaves in and out of rain forest up hills and into open areas giving you a view of the montain from different angles. There were periodic showers falling as we walked but nothing to heavy thankfully we had taken plastic ponchos with us keeping us mostly dry.

Once completed we made our way back to the gatehouse and signed out on the log book then caught the bus back to the main carpark. The skys cleared for a while so we could enjoy our lunch and the hot coffee warmed us up. We could drive down to the ranger station where there was an interparive centre for the region and there also a number of short walks you could do from there. These walks tooks us through dense rain forest and past waterfalls in full flow was a nice way to finish the day.

Leaving Railton we headed west towards Burnie. We located a caravan park just west of Burnie in Somerset. The park was a bit old but the amenities were clean and the site fees were quite cheap at $27.00 per night. There was plenty of room for big vans and the owners were quite friendly and very helpful.

While in Burnie we visited the Makers Workshop. This is where a group of artist share a common area were they can develop and display their products they have made. There is hand made paper, jewellery, wood carvings,etc...