We have been in the Gingerbread house for less than a week now, and nearly settled in. Spent most of that time cleaning up and doing odd jobs that the toll of years of temporary residents and long periods of sitting empty have taken on it. It’s now coming back to life.

The homes fires are lit. The woodstove cooked our dinner and the fireplace warms the rest of house. Been dry and warm, Tassies say hot, while we cleaned and mended and weeded, tonight it cool the morning will be cold till the sun comes out.

The stove warms the water for hot shower and dishes. The water in the tank is good enough for washing but not drinking as there is a lot of tannin in it. Lucky the truck tank is full.

Spotted wombat poo cubes under the house. Nice and fresh. The next day we noticed it all flattened out which means the pooer was female and the male came along, it smelt good and rolled in it.  Noticed wombat diggings of burrows. Might be we will see the babies before we go.

 

 

                                     our driveway through the forrest to the Gingerbread house

Snow on the bluff

Gidday all,

 

Well it’s that time again, the monthly fire meeting at Loongana. We rolled up at the shed and set up camp out back in the familiar spot. Had a good arvo catching up with the locals and finalizing some details for taking over the Gingerbread house up the range a bit for a while.

 

The Gingerbread house, a great little cottage in the Myrtle forest of Loongana, a hideaway from civilization and a great place to stop and embrace nature. It will be our base for the coming weeks and while there I will do some repairs and maintenance as a thank you for its use, and to insure the cottage lives on into the future, as most people who stay there do. Such a privilege to be to be entrusted with its care.

Have to head to Burnie to pick up some supplies and materials for alterations to the truck and cottage then back to the mountains for the Christmas break.

 

Gidday all,

A nice few days at Lake King William, only a couple of passers-by to disturb the solitude. Time to move on though, packed up and headed off northward. Through Brontie Park and on to the Great Lake.

 

Thought we’d treat ourselves so headed for Sheffield, there is a shower at the visitor information place there. Arrived and promptly showered, then walked around town and found a café for lunch.

Sheffield, the town of murals, they have a competition every year for mural artists and they are on display around town all year. Some very good pieces amongst them.

The duck needed new shoes.

 

 

 

Gidday all,

After a week of patchy weather, it was time to move on. Hit the road toward Queenstown, more winding mountain roads and spectacular scenery. Next stop Roseberry, called in to stock up on veggies and stuff, then off again. Closing in on Queenstown, snaking down the hillsides, the sulphur scarred surrounding mountains stood out amongst the rest of the landscape.

 

Early mining and ore extraction methods have left a devastating legacy to the surrounding countryside. It will take several generations, still, to recover, if at all.

 

Was getting late, so, we found a sports oval and parked up for the night. Off again in the morning driving eastward through the Franklin/Gordon world heritage area to Derwent Bridge. Just outside of there is Lake King William, a place we have camped before.

Drove up the dirt track to the banks of the lake. The water level was down quite a lot from what we remembered. Found our old campsite and set up. The water was way down, just a puddle now, don’t know why, maybe the dry last couple of years. Still, it’s a nice spot. Will spend a few days and then start going north back towards Loongana. Have got phone reception for a change.

Gidday all,

Corinna, an old settlement on the banks of the Pieman river, now home to a small, low key, accommodation / tourist setup. An old boat takes tours up the Pieman river and there’s a barge, which is the only way to cross the river. We have been there before, so had a look around and boarded the barge to cross the river and head on southward.

The weather forecast for the next week or so was for rain and windy conditions, so down the road was Reece dam, another place we had camped on our first trip here, a nice place beside the water. We arrived and set up camp. Ended up spending the next week there. No one in sight the whole time. The weather alternating between cold, showering, and bright, sunny days. This is Tassie.