Wednesday the 3rd of December
We all attempt a sleep in.
Then ask for another night in Queenstown CP but their fully booked. 9-10.30am mad rush to pack up and get out.
Derwent bridge Free camp
Sri Lankan curry (so GOOD)
Movie night
Thursday the 4th of December
Epic tow. Steep hills and sharp corners, fully loaded with water.
Breaks on fire.
We make it to Teds Beach by 1.30pm. No one camping on the beach, its empty. I pick a spot halfway down. TAN says go for the end spot, so we do. Wow. We’ve got the place to ourselves. It starts to fill up but most people stay off the beach near the toilets and camp kitchen at the other end. This place is heaven. Tan cooks Bolognese. Leo and i start a fire (not allowed but I clear it as safe). This place is something special. Thanks to my fishing videos from the 80’s when I heard about lake Pedder. Had to chase a big trout on Pedder so we scout some fly fishing spots.
Friday the 5th of January
Cloudy start to the day. We cook pancakes with bacon and Maple syrup. I rig up all the rods ready for fly fishing at the wooden bridge we scoped out yesterday. Gyoza for lunch.
Then Tan finds a walk only half an hour away called the creepy crawly nature trail. On the way there I remember we only have the fuel we have to get us out of here. The nearest town is 1.5 hours away and were down to half a tank.
The walk is amazing. You have to creep and craw over and under trees. Then the trail disappears and you have to find your way out. Everything is coverd in moss and it looks prehistoric.
We get back and strap the rods to the roof and we go for a fish in the waders down by the bridge. This spot feels like man has never step foot here before. No luck but when we get back everyone is fishing so I have another crack. A local guy teaches me how to cast properly.
Leo and I light a fire again and put lord of the rings on the TV outside. A beautiful day indeed.
Saturday the 6th of January
Slept in until 7:08
Dean and Jett go fishing at the wooden bridge.
Swim.
Check out the Gordon Dam– only Dean and Leo do the walk. Scary, Jett plays basketball.
Tanya discovers the Lake Peder Wilderness Lodge. We have drinks and oysters.
More swimming for boys.
Dean cooks nice dinner for the family.
Sunday the 7th of January
5.30am start Hugo.
Coffee in bed then start the epic pack up. We all help out and hit the road by 8.30am! Probably earliest start ever. We make it to Norfolk to fuel up and re stock the supplies at woollies (Tans favourite!).
Then it’s Wonder Woman’s 2nd trip on a ferry over to Bruny Island. We arrive by 2pm at the Captain Cook Holiday Park. Were in the unpowered area which were getting used to. Much more space with tent campers and fisher man’s boats. We set up a full privacy version just before the rain starts, right next to a tap so were sorted for water. We’re expecting 30mms and Victoria has flood emergency warnings and 100mm expected. Leo gets the fire going in between rain and we set up the TV outside for a movie night.
Monday the 8th of January
Hugo up at 5.05am!
Bacon and egg sandwiches for breakfast.
It’s rained all night and rains on and off all morning.
No sun for solar power so I have to run the generator for 6 hours and only get back to 92%.
We go to the chocolate factory
then the neck look out
and finish up with some oysters at GET SHUCKED. the panko crumbed are so good!!!!!
Rain stops after lunch. We head for another rainforest walk. This one is super prehistoric. The tree ferns are massive, I’m in heaven.
Tan and I have duck wraps for dinner and I light another fire. Very relaxing day.
Tuesday the 9th of January
I get up before Hugo and go for a fish off the jetty. I’m chasing squid but there are no bites so I switch to soft plastics and bang ! Snook strike. A tour boat pulls up so I enquire then book the 11am for me and the boys (Jett and Leo).
Im told the building where tours leave from that is also a restaurant was the 2nd caravan park on Bruny island. We hit the water and there is a 5 meter swell with cross winds. The tour guide is relay good. He explains about the 1967 Black Tuesday fires that ravaged southern Tasmania including Bruny island. We can see tall dead tress with new tress underneath. He explains the new tress wont reach that height for 150 years and the old dead ones will remain as Tasmania has no termites. We make it to the sea lions and about 30% of the passengers have started to spew. On the way back it catches up with Leo too! Jett and i never spew thankfully.
Tanya and Hugo check out the Raspberry Farm.
Lunch at Pennicott Tours.
Then a river/beach session, swimming, vortex, digging tunnels.
Dean cooks bbq dinner and then goes for a fish.
