Hubby is a little concerned with my record-keeping and the fact that we are well and truly past the 4th week. So, I’ve changed the title of these posts to ‘Updates’ to keep him happy. You know what they say “Happy Husband, Happy… ?” (… still thinking of something that rhymes with husband). Anyway, I’ll aim to for a weekly update.
Apex Beachside Holiday Park, Ulverstone, TAS – 7 nights
As sad as it was to say goodbye to our Eugenana camp, we were excited to check out our next spot, Picnic Point, on the beach at Ulverstone.
We’re discovering that with each new spot, there is new nature and wildlife to explore. I thought the last place and animals were cool, but then… this place just took it up a notch!
Nestled in the bushes right outside of our caravan were little penguins. I discovered one as I took a solo stroll up the beach, the first night we were there, and by the time I got back to tell the family about it, they had already spotted another couple while taking the rubbish over to the skip bins! They have nests in and around all of the garden areas and along the beaches of the caravan park. It was amazing! Fairy penguins everywhere.
Then, we spotted what is my new favourite marsupial… the Long-nosed potoroo. My goodness, this little darling is like the tiniest little wallaby you’ve ever seen, crossed with a bandicoot. They are soooo cute… and he’s like a ninja! We were watching an outdoor movie (all rugged up under our electric blankets – excellent idea from my Aunt in Canberra) and this little guy, affectionately named ‘Potty’, was hopping around right under our camp chairs, helping himself to bits of popcorn that had been dropped. We didn’t even realise he was there! Turns out, he has an affinity for strawberries. The kids may have accidentally dropped a few on the grass, after our berry picking outing and he was a big fan.
This location is a beautiful, soft sandy beach, with incredible geological rock formations (lots of mica). Huge driftwood beach forts – one had 2 bedrooms! Also, rock pools teeming with life, especially at night! Sea anemones, prawns, crabs, fish and teeny tiny starfish. We spent hours at night exploring the rock pools. In the daytime, we discovered Samphire growing among the rock crevices and I showed the boys how to forage for this ‘sea asparagus’, enjoying its’ salty crunch. The caravan park was quiet, spacious and close to amenities. Although, we used our own showers instead of paying for their hot water.
We also did a bit of sightseeing around the Ulverstone area.
Leven Canyon – Loongana, TAS
Leven Canyon walk is not one for those with knee problems, as it is all uphill to the first lookout, followed by 697 steps down to the next lookout, and another uphill climb back to the carpark. But it was gorgeous country! We spotted a little bit of bushtucker on this walk too – pink mountain berry. The taste, very similar to lilli pilli, but chalkier. The trees there were some of the biggest I’ve ever seen, reaching up high towards the heavens. The paths were dense with ferns, moss and fungi – the tree ferns in particular were massive!
After this walk and a packed lunch, we drove a little further down the road to the ‘Canyon Floor Walk’. This was a great experience to have been all the way up at the top of the range, then all the way down deep in the valley, without having to hike all day. We climbed another 305 steps down to the canyon floor and onto the bridge, above the roaring rapids. I could feel my anxiety peaking, with the boys being crazy and jumping around on the bridge! But the scenery was glorious! It was such a beautiful day out.
Gunns Plains Caves – Gunns Plains, TAS
Gunns Plains Caves was truly awesome. One of those natural wonders that makes you feel insignificant. The stalactites and stalagmites grow in length, only a few cms over a thousand years. There were these giant ‘curtain’ formations that have taken upwards of 60,000 years to form, all from deposits of calcium, iron and other minerals left behind from the ground water as it drips down to the stream below, over thousands of years. The caves were discovered 120 years ago, when the farmer who owned property was chasing away a possum from his crops and followed it down a burrow…. which turned out to be a giant fucking cave! Imagine that!
The boys all enjoyed this tour, and it was great value – $55 for our family of 5. The tour guide also busted out plenty of dad jokes, which is great, if you’re into that sort of thing. Personally, we get enough of them at home, so could happily go without. The glow worms at the end of the tour were an added bonus!
Turners Beach Berry Patch – Turners Beach, TAS
Berry picking was berry, I mean, very cool. (That was a mum joke). It was the end of the season for blueberries and raspberries, so we only found a few here and there. We picked loads of strawberries, however, and nothing beats the flavour and juiciness of freshly picked fruit. We all enjoyed having a go at berry picking. You had to pay $15/person for a punnet, so not a cheap way to buy berries, but it was a great experience, and we went home with 5 punnets worth!
Hellyers Road Distillery – Havenview, TAS
Hubby did a Whisky Tour, where he got to bottle his own Tasmanian single malt whisky, straight from the cask, including the wax sealed top. In his words “it was insightful and interesting”. The tour was lead by a very knowledgeable lady, and due to it being winter (very few tourists around – just us nutjobs!), he got to have a one-on-one tour. His favourite fun fact was that whisky comes out as a clear liquid and the colour comes from the barrel it is aged within, either old wine or bourbon barrels.
Emu Valley Rhododendron Garden – Romaine, TAS
While Hubby was off getting drunk – joking! – we checked out the local gardens at Emu Valley Rhododendron Garden. They were spectacular! Lots of volunteers help to keep the gardens looking so beautiful all year round. We didn’t see any wildlife, but the garden is divided into different regions, so the boys and I enjoyed going “around the world”, from Japan, to China, and North America. The boys enjoyed some Devonshire tea while we were there – you know, with scones, jam and cream – and i enjoyed a coffee. I’m loving the fact that Middle Man has now discovered and is getting into tea drinking, with plenty of sugar and milk of course. It was a lovely little outing.
Live@TheWharf – Ulverstone, TAS
Each Friday night, Live@TheWharf hosts a music concert for the community to attend. This is a non-profit group, run by volunteers, that arranges for local and visiting musicians to perform for all ages to enjoy. It only costs a small cover charge for adults to attend, and you can BYO nibbles or dinner, plus it has a bar operating. It kicks off at 5pm and wraps up at 7:30pm, so it’s perfect for families. The artist that we saw perform was ‘Pete Cornelius Trio‘, a rhythm and blues band. The boys had a brilliant time drinking lemonades, and Big Boy, in particular, danced up a storm, even getting up on stage with the band, showing off his smooth moves to a crowd of oldies cheering him on. This was such a brilliant night out!
That’s pretty much it for this week. Let us know if you’ve been to any of these spots, or share any stories that come to mind of your travel adventures. There’s so much more to explore.
Much love,
MumOf3WRs