Hobart till Queenstown Lakes and Mines
Hobart – Granton – Bridgewater – New Norfolk – Gretna 67
I stay in Hobart 3 days. Well the first day I flight from Melbourne, it was a little complicated, as all the airport electronic broke down. So it wasn’t anymore possible to register and make the check in, except handle writing. I had to argument a little with the teller who did that, to have my check in do in time. Or I would miss the plane. Well in the end the plane goes off with 1h30 mn delay, so I suppose the captain have to wait for all the passengers to be in.
Anyway, when I arrive at Hobart airport, the parents of Rosie pick e up, to the house of Rosie and Stuart (warmshowers), the higher on the slope of the hill, at the foot of the forest, and with an incredible lookout on the bay and the sea ahead. Rosie, Stuart, and the four children were always happy, smiling and laughthing, and always tried to make me as comfortable as possible. I make a quick tour downtown in the afternoon. The next day I climb at the top of Mount Wellington, 1200m. And the last day I saunter downtown, visiting the shops and the museum, eating fish and oysters in the harbor.
Today is a sunny day, but rather windy. I go back downtown, with the bicycle and all the stuff that time. I meet there a couple of cyclists who had a 6 months journey in Europe. Then I go to catch the bicycle lane along the railway (ask to the tourist office). I follow it through the suburb for 14 km, till Bariendale, as Hobart looks like an octopus, with very long and narrow suburbs. Then I take the main road B36, which goes till Granton, through fields, crops and some wineries.
I cross the bridge and follow the B10 till New Norfolk. It is along the river, between the hills, and there are some lookout on the river and the swamp, with ducks, black swans and a pelican.
In New Norfolk I see a picnic area along the river with toilet, a good place to camp, but no table. So I cross the bridge to go downtown, where I find a park with tables and a very small shelter, where I lunch, protected from the wind. I ask to the tourist office which way is the best, and they don’t really know, tell it is the same scenery. As I met before the bridge 2 cyclists, who told me there is no traffic on the main road, I choose it. So I cross again the bridge, and turn left, on the road A1.
I follow till Gretna, along the river, through fields and crops, by an undulating road. In Gretna near the end there is the sport ground with a picnic area, toilet, table, roof, water, where I camp, protected from the wind.
Gretna – Hamilton – Ouse – Lake Deer - Lake Echo 76
It is sunny for the morning, and then cloudy in the afternoon, but the light rain starts only when I stop, at 4 pm. Till Ouse I follow the man road A10, through fields and scattered farms. There is a long and easy climbing till Hamilton, then it is undulating till Ouse. Hamilton is a village, and has a picnic area with table roof and toilet. Ouse is a little town, and there is a picnic area with table and roof, but it is prohibited to camp. Well I think no one would care for a cyclist.
Just after Hamilton I turn on left for 1 km, just to see Meadow Bank Lake, beautiful. There is a picnic area here, with roof table and toilet.
A few km after Ouse, I have enough of the fields’ scenery, so I decide to turn on right road C176, to Lake Deer and Lake Echo. The gravel road is smooth, but mostly rather steep climbing for 31 km. the scenery is beautiful, through the forest, part wild part eucalyptus plantation, with a few farms and fields. There are lookouts on the hills covered with forest on left, and on the hills covered with grass fields on right. For a long while the forest is mostly eucalyptus, laurel and acacia, with weeds blooming, white or yellow flowers. Before Deer Lake, the soil changes granitic, and I see fern trees and an other tree I don’t know, with yellow flowers. The eucalyptus have red leaves and some have pink flowers.
Deer Lake is large, blue water rounded by hills covered with green forest. I don’t see any place to camp. Then there is a steep climbing along the water tube for a few km, and it flatters when it joins the canal, till lake Echo. Here there are little places to camp, but no facilities. It starts to rain. The lake is very large, rounded by red eucalyptus.
I pitch the tent, eat and go to bed. It is too cold.
Lake Echo – Lake Bradys – Derwent Bridge – Donaghys Hill 105
From the lake Echo, I join the road C173, where I turn on left way to Ouse, make about 2 km more, and turn on right in Dee portal road. And I raise the lake Bradys, which is large rounded by hills covered by forest. There is a nice place to camp with grass. Then I follow the road and quickly I join the main road A10. All that part is smooth gravel road, with a lot of up and down, through the forest.
I take it on right, way to Queenstown. I make a short stop at the lake Bronte, which have a dirty picnic area, table and roof. Then the road enters in a flat area, with fields and swamps, undulating till Derwent Bridge. That place is just a hotel and a road house with a very basic grocery. There I decide to have a look at the Lake St Clair, which on right 5 km ahead. When I arrive there I discover I have to pay 12 $ just to enter in the national park. And there is no way to escape, there is a big tourist house to go through, and everywhere it is fenced. Well just before the house on right there is the boat ramp, I go here and have a glance at the lake, nothing special.
So I come back to the main road, and I continue. On the book “free camping in Tasmania” it is indicated a place to camp 4 km after the cross, take on left the second boat ramp till the lake, 800m ahead. The road climbs for 15 km, through forest and swamps, with good lookout on the peaks around. At the top there is a small car bay with a lookout, it is possible to camp here.
Then come 18 km of quick downhill, till Franklin river bridge and picnic area. I thought to camp here, but it is forbidden. I do the short walk, and I have a bad feeling, so I decide to continue.
On the map a campsite is indicated, about 10 km ahead. It continues downhill, but with flat parts and some sort climbing. So it is not so easy. After 1 hour, I yet don’t see any campsite, so I decide to camp at the first site. Well as it is all swamp or dense forest, it last a while to find it. But on left, suddenly I see a free and clean area, which is used to stock gravel for the road. I camp here.
Donaghys Hill – Queenstown 50
Well it is a short day, sunny and no wind. The road continues undulating or easy climbing, with a few short steep climbs, till the mine, through the forest and swamps. The walk at the waterfall is nice, with special trees, beech myrtle trees, huons pines, and sassafras, which come before the separation of the continents. These trees grow too in South America.
Just before the mine, I ask water at the farm on right, nice old couple. Then there is a steep and long climbing, and a very dangerous and winding downhill till Queenstown. Here the hill don’t have anymore forest, it is all cut because of the mine.
Queenstown is a little town, with a funny museum, and an oval at the entrance, where I decide to camp.
I stay in Hobart 3 days. Well the first day I flight from Melbourne, it was a little complicated, as all the airport electronic broke down. So it wasn’t anymore possible to register and make the check in, except handle writing. I had to argument a little with the teller who did that, to have my check in do in time. Or I would miss the plane. Well in the end the plane goes off with 1h30 mn delay, so I suppose the captain have to wait for all the passengers to be in.
Anyway, when I arrive at Hobart airport, the parents of Rosie pick e up, to the house of Rosie and Stuart (warmshowers), the higher on the slope of the hill, at the foot of the forest, and with an incredible lookout on the bay and the sea ahead. Rosie, Stuart, and the four children were always happy, smiling and laughthing, and always tried to make me as comfortable as possible. I make a quick tour downtown in the afternoon. The next day I climb at the top of Mount Wellington, 1200m. And the last day I saunter downtown, visiting the shops and the museum, eating fish and oysters in the harbor.
Today is a sunny day, but rather windy. I go back downtown, with the bicycle and all the stuff that time. I meet there a couple of cyclists who had a 6 months journey in Europe. Then I go to catch the bicycle lane along the railway (ask to the tourist office). I follow it through the suburb for 14 km, till Bariendale, as Hobart looks like an octopus, with very long and narrow suburbs. Then I take the main road B36, which goes till Granton, through fields, crops and some wineries.
I cross the bridge and follow the B10 till New Norfolk. It is along the river, between the hills, and there are some lookout on the river and the swamp, with ducks, black swans and a pelican.
In New Norfolk I see a picnic area along the river with toilet, a good place to camp, but no table. So I cross the bridge to go downtown, where I find a park with tables and a very small shelter, where I lunch, protected from the wind. I ask to the tourist office which way is the best, and they don’t really know, tell it is the same scenery. As I met before the bridge 2 cyclists, who told me there is no traffic on the main road, I choose it. So I cross again the bridge, and turn left, on the road A1.
I follow till Gretna, along the river, through fields and crops, by an undulating road. In Gretna near the end there is the sport ground with a picnic area, toilet, table, roof, water, where I camp, protected from the wind.
Gretna – Hamilton – Ouse – Lake Deer - Lake Echo 76
It is sunny for the morning, and then cloudy in the afternoon, but the light rain starts only when I stop, at 4 pm. Till Ouse I follow the man road A10, through fields and scattered farms. There is a long and easy climbing till Hamilton, then it is undulating till Ouse. Hamilton is a village, and has a picnic area with table roof and toilet. Ouse is a little town, and there is a picnic area with table and roof, but it is prohibited to camp. Well I think no one would care for a cyclist.
Just after Hamilton I turn on left for 1 km, just to see Meadow Bank Lake, beautiful. There is a picnic area here, with roof table and toilet.
A few km after Ouse, I have enough of the fields’ scenery, so I decide to turn on right road C176, to Lake Deer and Lake Echo. The gravel road is smooth, but mostly rather steep climbing for 31 km. the scenery is beautiful, through the forest, part wild part eucalyptus plantation, with a few farms and fields. There are lookouts on the hills covered with forest on left, and on the hills covered with grass fields on right. For a long while the forest is mostly eucalyptus, laurel and acacia, with weeds blooming, white or yellow flowers. Before Deer Lake, the soil changes granitic, and I see fern trees and an other tree I don’t know, with yellow flowers. The eucalyptus have red leaves and some have pink flowers.
Deer Lake is large, blue water rounded by hills covered with green forest. I don’t see any place to camp. Then there is a steep climbing along the water tube for a few km, and it flatters when it joins the canal, till lake Echo. Here there are little places to camp, but no facilities. It starts to rain. The lake is very large, rounded by red eucalyptus.
I pitch the tent, eat and go to bed. It is too cold.
Lake Echo – Lake Bradys – Derwent Bridge – Donaghys Hill 105
From the lake Echo, I join the road C173, where I turn on left way to Ouse, make about 2 km more, and turn on right in Dee portal road. And I raise the lake Bradys, which is large rounded by hills covered by forest. There is a nice place to camp with grass. Then I follow the road and quickly I join the main road A10. All that part is smooth gravel road, with a lot of up and down, through the forest.
I take it on right, way to Queenstown. I make a short stop at the lake Bronte, which have a dirty picnic area, table and roof. Then the road enters in a flat area, with fields and swamps, undulating till Derwent Bridge. That place is just a hotel and a road house with a very basic grocery. There I decide to have a look at the Lake St Clair, which on right 5 km ahead. When I arrive there I discover I have to pay 12 $ just to enter in the national park. And there is no way to escape, there is a big tourist house to go through, and everywhere it is fenced. Well just before the house on right there is the boat ramp, I go here and have a glance at the lake, nothing special.
So I come back to the main road, and I continue. On the book “free camping in Tasmania” it is indicated a place to camp 4 km after the cross, take on left the second boat ramp till the lake, 800m ahead. The road climbs for 15 km, through forest and swamps, with good lookout on the peaks around. At the top there is a small car bay with a lookout, it is possible to camp here.
Then come 18 km of quick downhill, till Franklin river bridge and picnic area. I thought to camp here, but it is forbidden. I do the short walk, and I have a bad feeling, so I decide to continue.
On the map a campsite is indicated, about 10 km ahead. It continues downhill, but with flat parts and some sort climbing. So it is not so easy. After 1 hour, I yet don’t see any campsite, so I decide to camp at the first site. Well as it is all swamp or dense forest, it last a while to find it. But on left, suddenly I see a free and clean area, which is used to stock gravel for the road. I camp here.
Donaghys Hill – Queenstown 50
Well it is a short day, sunny and no wind. The road continues undulating or easy climbing, with a few short steep climbs, till the mine, through the forest and swamps. The walk at the waterfall is nice, with special trees, beech myrtle trees, huons pines, and sassafras, which come before the separation of the continents. These trees grow too in South America.
Just before the mine, I ask water at the farm on right, nice old couple. Then there is a steep and long climbing, and a very dangerous and winding downhill till Queenstown. Here the hill don’t have anymore forest, it is all cut because of the mine.
Queenstown is a little town, with a funny museum, and an oval at the entrance, where I decide to camp.
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