To the edge of the world

Today was always going to be a driving day, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised we covered nearly 350km. You’ll be pleased we made it to the Edge of the World, but we are on our way back, so it is all good.

Normal people would drive to the north coast, turn left and follow the highway, but that would be somewhat too boring for us. We chose instead to follow a selection of minor roads, forestry roads and just plain uncharted roads to go cross country and in to Arthur River, a town apparently so lacking in tourist attractions that they market themselves as having the Edge of the World viewing platform. Personally I think they undersell themselves and their river, but then perhaps we aren’t here in typical weather. Today has varied, unpredictably, between 20 and 30. I heard Hobart was 37, but that could be tomorrow. Uniformly fine and windy though. I still don’t understand the weather here.

In a day of driving through mostly forestry and dairy country, I guess there is not a great deal new to report. Hellyer Gorge was on our list of places to go to. After our range of spectacular rivers, it was notable mostly for the morning tea, but it was pleasant enough.

I think I have made reference before to Tassie’s list of its biggest butts. The list unfortunately doesn’t include locations, so I have no idea if this one is on it, but at 16m around the base, it must be up there. I imagine in the days of felling by axe and pulling out without machinery it was just too hard.

Just down the road was the Dip River Falls. Not spectacular in terms of the water, but the rocks are that groovy columnar-jointed basalt that looks as if it could not possibly be natural, but it is. It was also the site of a steam-driven mill for the blackwood extraction, so perhaps the big stringybark was of little interest to them just a km or so up the forest.

Being a little underwhelmed by the campsites available at the edge of the world and Arthur River, we took advantage of the almost endless daylight and headed north to Marrawah. Another of these towns attempting to attract tourists by providing a free campsite with basic facilities. While it is in a nice spot on a north-facing bay on the west coast, it is still camping on a beach and wind is always an issue. Adding weight to the folly of our decision is that this is in windfarm hotspot territory. We are well tied down on the only remaining flat bit of ground, unfortunately the top of a small hill. My theory that it would calm down after sunset isn’t looking great at the moment.