Some special scenic places in Tasmania

The recent trip to Tasmania was more about socialising than touring. Catching up with friends of long standing.

But in a place like Tasmania, beauty is always close at hand. So what can you look out for if you are lucky enough to visit this small, beautiful island.

Light houses on spectacular headlands…

Shorelines dramatic in many ways…

Unique and colourful birdlife…

Fury marsupials that are found nowhere else but Australia and Tasmania…

And on Bruny Island, you may see an Albino Wallaby…

There are amazing mountains and valleys…

Architecture from times past in the cities and villages…

The Hobart Farmers Market offering beautiful foods fresh from the producer…

And of course, special for me are the forests….

So if you family or friends in Tasmania, plan a visit. If not just gofor the beauty!

Gippsland -Eastern Victoria

The major natural attraction in South Gippsland is Wilsons Promontory Naional Park (The Prom). A mountainous Promontory that juts out into Bass Strait.

But west of the Prom, between the lighthouse on Cape Liptrap and the Prom is Wararah Bay. A beautiful stretch of sandy beaches and rocky headlands.

On the western side of The Prom, there are the historic ports of Port Welshpool and Port Albert.

Port Welshpool above and Port Albert below provide access for all types of sailors to the sheltered waters of Corner Inlet at the northern end of The Prom.

I think the fish and chip restaurant on the jetty at Port Albert serves the best fish and chips in Australia!!! A big statement!

Just east of Port Albert is the western end of 90 Mile Beach. An uninterrupted sand beach that stretches 94 miles (151km) to Lakes Entrance. Its the longest beach in Australia and 3rd longest beach in the world.

The sand is beautiful yellow stretching on over the horizon.

Some local beaches are very popular with little villages and Surf Lifesaving Facilities for safe swimming on the wild coast.

Other sections are only accessible down rough, narrow tracks with the help of local knowledge..

Testament to the wild seas are skeletons of wrecks burried in the otherwise pristine beach.

Its a short distance north into the southern foothills of the Great Dividing Range and its high mountains and rivers that flow down to the Gippsland Lakes.

Near the town of Briagalong is the beautiful Blue Pool swimming hole in Freestone creek.

With a small campground, a short walk from the pool. A perfect spot for foe gazing at the moon while sitting beside the camp fire.

The Mitchel River National.Park is between the towns of Briagalong na Dargo.

The Mitchel River is the last wild river in Victoria and the national includes a beautiful river gorge and the southern moste temperate rain forest in the world.

The temperate rain forest is part of an aboriginal sacred sight- the Den of Nargun.

Its a 5km loop walk down into the Den of  Nargun and to the Mitchel River and returning via the bluff lookout.

At the end of summer, the waterfall over the Nargens Den is only a trickle.

The track to the river is along the creek through the rain forest with a series of water holes.

The Mitchel Rivers flows slowly through the gorge. Beautiful for a swim!

The final stage of the walk is a steep climb out of the gorge, where there is a beautiful view over the gorge.

The Mitchel River NP, is along the road to Dargo in the Great Dividing Range. It runs along the Wonnangatta River. There are a number of places to camp along the river both south and north of Dargo.

The mornings by the river may be misty but the nights in the mountains are clear. Perfect for sitting by the camp.fore and gazing at the Milky Way through the tree canopy.

Further up into the mountains, the forest becomes thicker.

The forest provides homes for Australia’s beautiful birds.

The dirt road from Dargo to Mount Hotham crosses out of East Gippsland and into the Victorian Alps.

On the top of Mount Hotham (1860 mtrs), it’s close to the top of Victoria with amazing views over the mountains.

These are relatively remote part of Victoria but well worth visiting.

Some little adventures around Melbourne – my home

As Summer morphs into Autumn, the volatile weather that Melbourne is renowned for eases and the days are more constant making it more predictable for outdoor activities.

Like sailing…

Candle light concerts…

A bit of trail riding, walking and swimming in the Lerderderg Gorge…

Wandering through the outdoor photo exhibition that is part of Photo 2024 that is happening in Melbourne…

For me, though, the most meaningful images were of two significant events that touched Australia.

When Australia sprinter Peter Norman, stood in solidarity with his American sprint compatriats at the Mexico Olympics.

And when Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, for the first time, recognised Aboriginal land rights in Australia, at Wave Hill Station.

The calmer weather means that the water in Honsons Bay is very clear so the sea grass and sea lettuce provide beautiful colours on the sea bed.

I do love Autumn in the southeast of Australia.

The fast way from Split to London

It was late September, and with my adventure in the Balkans complete, I bordered the overnight ferry from Split to Ancona.

From Ancona, it was an easy ride across Italy to Civitavechia, the Port of Rome to catch the ferry to Barcelona.

A restful way to travel and 14,000 km touring.

The village of Civitavechia is a little way from the port, but it is a nice place for a bit of sightseeing while waiting for the ferry.

There is a certain chaos at Italian ferry ports. There are no electronic tickets, and the ticket office always seems to be placed a long way from the ferry dock with a myriad of one way unmarked lanes to be negotiated between the two.

But the Italian ferries are relatively inexpensive, and it was a restful 20 hour crossing from Rome to Barcelona.

From Barcelona, I took a route across the Pyrenees through Andorra. Agh the beautiful Pyrenees.

I stopped for the night at Ax les Termes in the Midi Pyrenees. A beautiful hot spring village. With public hot foot baths.

My next destination was to Cahors and its famous bridge. Travelling along the tree lined back roads, past the Midi Canal, rivers, and beautiful villages.

Cohors is a vibrant city. To complement the famous bridge.

My last stop in Europe for this trip was the port city of St Malo, with its old walled town right on the Atlantic Ocean

Of course I had to join in for a swim!!!

For lovers of the maritime world the port  at St Malo is a treasure.

The overnight ferry had me soon back in England and my sister’s house in London.

Before boarding the flight back to Australia, I caught up with a mate for lunch in the Cottswalds. A beautiful part of England and reputedly an inspiration for the writing of ‘The Hobbit’ and the ‘Lord of the Rings’.

It’s February in Australia as I reminisce about last year. There are some adventures to be had here at home, but my mind keeps back to a sign at Civitavechia.

I’ve been to Spain (Spagna). Ive been to Greece (Grecia), Sardinia (Sargegna), and Sicily (Sicilia): but I haven’t been to Tunisia.

I think I’d better fix that this year!

Croatia 3 – the south coast and Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik was only about an hour from the Montenegro border on the return trip to Split after from Turkey. It was late September, and the high temperatures had moderated. Also there were a lot fewer tourists visiting.

Hence, it was a good time for this tourist to visit this famous city.

While the old city is the tourist focus of Dubrovnik, the new town is vibrant with lots of cafes and access to beaches.

Heading north along the coast toward Split in late September was a beautiful ride. In mid-August, an attempt to travel south from Split just led to gridlock and frustration.

There are beautiful views of the offshore islands and quaint villages and yacht harbours along the way.

One of the beautiful small towns is Omis. It’s only 25km south of Split and sitson the estuary of the Certina river.

Unfortunately, the skies opened (one of only a few wet days I had in 3 months of travel) at Omis, so exploring the town and its beaches was limited.

That put me back in Split, and as September was drawing to a close Iqas on the night, ferry back to Italy.