Bay of Fires

I have met some interesting people on this trip and even had some repeated meetings. This morning I met Margaret for the 3rd time! She calls it fate and describes me as "the hiking lady". We first met at Cradle Mountain, then days later in Hobart at MONA, again today at the Bay of Fires. Perhaps she is stalking me!

When I called in at Freycinet yesterday it was raining heavily and the rain followed me up the coast. Today is very overcast with a few sprinkles but not cold.

 The East coast is a very popular holiday destination for Tasmanians and with beautiful beaches at every turn it is not hard to see why. Coastal towns like Bicheno and St Helens have huge tracts of land between them: legislation prohibits sub division of many areas so many big properties remain intact, traditionally farming sheep and wool but more recently also diversifying into grape growing. 

Vineyards and cellar doors are everywhere  - I have enjoyed the local whites, especially the Pinot Gris with seafood. 

View from my hotel windows in Scamander.

After breakfast I drove out to Binalong Bay at  the southern end of the Bay of Fires. From the lookout here,  there is a wonderful views of the dramatic red and orange rocks for which the area is famous. 

This rich colouring is actually a combination of lichen and algae on granite which has a high component of pink.

In less gloomy weather the colours against sand and sky would be spectacular- alas no sunshine today. The lady from Ecotours said the easterly weather had made the seas too rough to run the tours for the past 11 days!

A further distance along the coastal drive is an area know as The Gardens. Here signage directs you to remain on the paths to avoid nesting seabirds. The rocks are flatter here but no less colourful.

Looking from The Gardens , so named by Lady Franklin in 1835 because of the wildflowers she observed here. 

Lady Franklin appears to have been an intrepid horse woman and walker as she visited a number of wilderness areas including Lake St Clair.

Several walking companies offer Bay of Fires 3/4 day walks staying in comfortable camps or lodges. Walking in the whole area is often on sand which is very soft and very white - certainly give calf muscles a good workout! These guided walks utilise the Northern area of the Bay of Fires which in itself stretches from Binalong Bay to Anson Bay. 

Eastern Bettongs call this area home too.

Having bought lunch with me and it being early afternoon, I decided to drive to the Eddystone lighthouse, some 60k from St Helens. 

The first 45k is on gravel road, though well serviced and in excellent condition.  The final 15k is over possibly the worst road I have driven on in a long time. The corrugations are never ending and get worse as you approach the lighthouse itself. 

This historic lighthouse celebrated its centenary in 1989 and so remote was it, that it was serviced from the sea only, until the 1920s.

Eddystone Point is in the Mt Williams National Park and is probably a popular remote camping area for fishers and bike riders. But remote is the exact description: the bush is scrubby, sandy and dry.

This far north eastern area of Tasmania has always been remote and challenging to reach. Mining was a major industry and with its demise many small towns basically died out. Now the area is enjoying renewal with tourism and alternative activities and better access roads. Mountain biking is a new lifeline for places like Derby.

Farms along the road to Anson Bay seem incredibly remote - the school bus pick up doesn't extend this far! St Helens seems a world away.