Another truly amazing day today but in fact, it really started last night with the sighting of Quoll, long-nosed Potoroo (look it up!) and Possum. It was the campers sat huddled outside eating and drinking that were the ones who first spied the Quoll. Torches were shone but I wasn't quick enough to get a photo. I almost got the Potoroo, aimed the camera, pressed the button and forgot I had the set the camera settings to take photos of the night sky. (Which incidentally clouded over by 10pm so hopes were dashed once again) I did, however, manage to get the Possum only because it nearly ran over my foot!
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| I took this photo of the caged Quoll at Nature World. Several wild ones were running about during the evening. |
Next day we set off early, a good time to see the 'roos, in fact, it was a good job we were on a gravel road and going VERY slowly because they seemed to come out of nowhere and seemed intent on committing hari-kari.
We headed back to Cradle Mountain again. This time we wanted to do the Dove river walk. Roughly 6k boardwalk which was expected to take two hours. Again this took us much much longer. Not for rests, you understand, but because there was so much to see and plenty of wildlife to view.
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| Tasmanian Wattle bird |
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| Loved the way the bark had grown around the tree. |
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| Skink |
There should have been a shuttle service from the Ranger station back to the centre but the road was being repaired so the only way back was another 2k walk. On route more signs for waterfalls, we, of course, took the detours to see them.
I was completely exhausted on the return to the motorhome. God my knees were giving me some jip and at the back of my right knee, I kept feeling a twang of something giving. Hope it wasn't the tendon because there are still a lot more walks to do here in Tassie. Looking at the Fitbit watch I was amazed that both of us had walked over 8 miles. Converted to kilometres that's roughly 13.5k, no wondered I was knackered!
Thursday 5th March
Rain lots of it, all night and so glad not to have stopped by a river. Not far from Waratah Ian had located another freedom camping site. A large gravel area by a railway track and for once not a single vehicle joined us. It was rather isolated and some of the night sounds, snuffling and scratching late in the evening were a bit disconcerting.
Next morning we drove to Waratah to walk to the falls. After the rain, quite spectacular.
Our trip now took us toward Strahan. We had booked a cruise with lunch thrown in on Friday and Saturday the Wilderness steam train was to take us to Queenstown and back. Over 180k it should have taken a couple of hours but we hadn't realised the roadworks going on for a good 8k of that. And something the UK would never have permitted, leaving massive potholes without proper signage on partially tarmacked roads. In fact, we hit a pothole so hard I thought the tyre was sure to have burst! Pity that biker having to miss those!
We picked up a hitchhiker! Must have been when we had parked near to the falls
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| Arghhhh....I hate Leeches!!!! |
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