Flinders Island - don't try to change this place, let this place change you
The weather is wild and woolly as we take off from Bridport
with Flinders Island Aviation. We’re flying into Lady Barron at the southern
end of Flinders Island but conveniently, you can also fly commercially with
Sharp Airlines straight from Launceston Airport to Whitemark.
Our flight is surprisingly smooth, with breathtaking scenery
every step of the way. From the blue seas to the misty mountains, there’s
something different to see in every direction – and you can see it all in this
small airplane as it doesn’t get too high on the short 30 minute flight.
Today we had an unexpected treat – a short stop at Cape
Barren Island to drop a passenger off. Steeped in Aboriginal history and home
to more than 100 members of the palawa community today, it is a strikingly
beautiful place.
Arriving into Lady Barron Airfield, pilot Luke suggests I
bring the hire car over to the plane so I don’t have to wheel my bag over the
wet grass and mud. The keys are in the ignition waiting for me – there is no
crime on Flinders Island, this is the Islander Way. You sure can’t do this at
Tullamarine!
This is not my first trip to the Island, I’ve learnt a thing
or two from the locals on my previous visits, so my first stop is to see Max at
the Lady Barron Store. He unashamedly claims to make the best coffee on the
island – and I think he’s right. Fortified with caffeine, it’s time to hit the
road. We’re literally about to traverse the entire north-south direction of the
island, as our first stop is the Quoin Farm at Killiecrankie. Run by sixth
generation farmers Tom and Jo, their cattle farm is not an uncommon sight
across the lush green fields of the island. Farming has been a successful
undertaking for many generations of farmers.
Next on the itinerary was North East River – standing at the
navigation beacon you are at the northern most point of Flinders Island. Where
the river meets the sea, you can see change in water colour and turbulence –
from calm river waters to frothing seas. It’s a great spot for camping, to soak
up the nature and share a pre dinner drink with a wallaby or a wombat.
Heading back south, another Islander tradition is evident –
the Flinders wave. It’s iconic, the one fingered wave every single driver
shares with every other driver. You fall into the habit very quickly, with a
smile on your face.
Our accommodation for this trip was in a very comfortable
beach house at Emita. There are many short stay options available covering all
budgets, and all across the island. Many will provide a welcome pack of food,
or breakfast provisions. As we unlocked the door to our beach house, the
delicious small of freshy baked bread wafted towards us.
Dining options are limited, but delicious. The shops close
at 5:30pm so it’s always best to plan ahead. If you’re not dining out, stock up
on provisions at either supermarket in Lady Barron or Whitemark. We ate in for
our first night, in front of our cosy woodfire as the westerly wind howled
outside.
The weather is unpredictable on Flinders, although some
would say the wind is predictable. So we rugged up the next morning for a walk
to Lillie’s Beach and through the hauntingly beautiful Wybelenna Chapel. The
chapel and graveyard are the only physical reminders of a very dark time in Tasmanian
Aboriginal history. In 1834, George Augustus Robinson gathered hundreds of
Tasmanian Aboriginals from mainland Tasmania and brought them to Flinders
Island for the so-called purpose of being ‘Civilised and Christianised”. Many
died due to the terrible conditions until the remaining few were transferred
back to Oyster Cove in 1847. The site is now remembered as a site of immense
suffering and injustice for the palawa people.
Today’s visit was the amazing new home at Sawyer’s Bay of
the Furneaux Distillery. Recently relocated from the Wharf at Whitemark, the
new building is perfectly at one with the landscape and features a large and
practical distilling room, a beautifully designed cellar door and tasting room,
all of which opens out onto an amazing deck and lawns which are perfect for
summer events. Today was wet and windy so I can’t tell you how nice it was to
settle in front of the fire talking to Cass and tasting some of the new (and
award winning) whiskeys. Matched with a cheese platter, the drinks and nibbles
went down so easily it was difficult to even get up for a sneak peak through
the bond store, with its amazing store of barrels.
That night we headed down to the RSL and Sports Club for a delicious
meal cooked by Liz and shared with locals. It’s places like this, or the
Interstate Hotel in Whitemark or the Furneaux Tavern in Lady Barron, where you
really connect with the locals and hear their stories.
Time was against us the next morning but we were very keen
to squeeze into a couple more beach visits. The beaches on Finders are not only stunning,
but they are the perfect place to just be yourself. You certainly won’t run
into crowds here. First stop was the stunning Castle Rock, an iconic image for
the island, evoking powerful senses. Then you contrast this with the rolling
green pastures and rugged rocky mountains as you drive south, around the base
of the famous Mt Strzlecki to the slightly more protected beaches of Trousers
Point and Fotheringate Beach. Standing on clean white sand, resting against orange
covered rocks looking up at the magnificent craggy peaks of Strzlecki is awe
inspiring to say the least.
A visit to Flinders Island is not just for the stunning
scenery. This place is deeper than quiet beaches and coastlines, mountains and
mist. These islands have a rich and ark history and an intensely passionate
community that wants to reckon with its past and the right future together. So
while you’re here, connect with this unique community. Let them welcome you –
into their homes, their community, their life. Volunteer some time with WRAPS
and their glass crushing program at Killicrankie, help out with the Local Food
Network, or nurture your caring soul whilst assisting Kate with her rescued
wombats and give back to this place which will give you so much in return.
Don’t try to change this place, Let this place change you.
Days 33 and 34 - Euroa to Geelong, Devonport to home - Friday 31st May & Saturday 1st June
All good things must come to an end - and so here we are, home sweet home.
Yesterday morning in Euroa dawned clear and cold, with the rain all gone from the night before. We had already planned to go out for breakfast with Lisa and Paul so after our traditional cuppa in bed (the last we could do on this trip), we all piled into the Landcruiser and headed into town. Plenty of coffee, more catching up and a yummy breakfast wiled away the morning. We had arranged late checkout so after arranging for Neill and Jude to come for our last elevenses together this trip, we started the packup. Lisa and Paul needed to head home so we waved them off with lots of hugs and thankfulness for their visit.
Ironically, we even enjoyed our elevenses in the sun before it was time to hit the road. Down the Hume, through our old home town of Broadford, stopped for fuel in Romsey at an awkward patrol station that had me doing lots of manoeuvring to get in and out, a snack and toilet stop in Riddells Creek and then into Geelong just before 4pm. We knew we would be too early for check in but planned to park up in the carpark, have afternoon tea in the van (with the heater on as it was cold and windy) and join the queue closer to departure time. We were still on board by 6pm before drinks and dinner. However, the smooth sailing finished once we got out the Heads and we were rocked in our uncomfortable beds for several hours until the wind eased and the seas settled. Disembarked by 6:45am so we drove just around the corner to park up on the beach, put the heater and coffee machine one, and watch the sun rise while we had breakfast.
Home to a very happy dog and cat - we had such an enthusiastic welcome! The new van got parked up, and we had a quiet but relaxing day. We realise all good things must come to an end so we look forward to our next trip in the wonderful new van.
Some people to thank for making this trip as great as it was:
- Neill and Jude, our travelling partners for 2 1/2 weeks of the trip. Such dear friends, with whom we have shared so many trips, and this one was no exception.
- Wayne and Heather, for being such awesome housesitters. We have felt so reassured that our fur kids and home is being looked after well and super blessed to have had Wayne complete so many extra jobs around the farm!
- Lisa and Paul, for making the effort to come and visit for such a short period of time. A real pity about the rain but we made it work and we enjoyed time together while also being able to show off the new van!
- people from our Sunlandian family who helped out at various stages of the journey.
- Andrew and Courtney for hosting us
- Julie and Garry for the birthday catch up
- Clare and Justin and the girls for allowing us to gatecrash Clare's birthday dinner
Day 32 - Euroa - Thursday 30th May 2024
Friendship - so important to us in all aspects of our life, including travel. In our travels, we have been fortunate to meet some wonderful people who remain friends to this day. We have also been fortunate to have some wonderful friends to travel with. This camping trip was no exception, with Neill and Jude rearranging a few things to be able to spend 2 1/2 weeks caravanning with us. We said a sad but deeply appreciative farewell to them today. And then in a gesture of true friendship, my dear friend Lisa who has been my best friend for almost 40 years, came to camp with us for our last night. One night. In the rain. After a 2 1/2 hour drive. Because that’s what friends do.
We had a quiet day in Euroa, after a slightly disturbed night with the tree next to us dropping random nuts or seeds on the roof. We also got really hot in the night - oh, the irony as we travel south!! So we took it slowly this morning and enjoyed the mild weather ahead of the rain we knew was coming. We went out to a local bakery for lunch and bought a selection of sweet goodies in anticipation of the visitors we were expecting to arrive this afternoon. Little did we expect they would all arrive together! Neill and Jude and the girls arrived first - the girls had got over their initial shyness from last night and were a lot of fun. Then Clare popped in on her way back from a work event. The Smeg coffee machine was getting a workout! Then just as the first few drops of rain fell, Lisa and Paul drove in. More coffees were made, more sweet things eaten, Lisa and Paul had a quick catch up with Neill and Jude, more fun was had with the girls before they left. It was really raining by this stage and the wind had eased but it wasn’t too cold. So the four of us settled in for drinks and nibbles under our awning almost out of the rain. Despite our best intentions for a night around the campfire, the rain wasn’t going to let that happen so we went to the pub for dinner - second night in a row for us at the Seven Creeks Hotel. We enjoyed a delicious dinner and then sat in couches in front of an open fire - almost like a campfire! What matters is that we are together.
Day 31 - Ariah Park (NSW) to Euroa (VIC) - Wednesday 29 May 2024
Happy 40th Birthday, Clare!! For the second time this trip, we have gatecrashed a significant birthday celebration! Fortunately, we both really like both people (the 70th birthday person and the 40th birthday person) and it was a great excuse to wear my champagne glass earrings!
It was a cold morning in Ariah Park this morning so thankfully we had the heater running all night. On the road by 9am as we had 374km to cover today. We took the back roads which is always more interesting and has a lot less traffic. Morning tea was at The Rock, a quaint small town with a saddle shaped rock overhanging the town. We stopped at the recreation ground which was surrounded by a white picket fence, reminding us of our wedding venue. The sun was shining so we felt virtuous to still be wearing shorts! Back on the road, through some more small towns via back roads, we stopped for fuel and lunch in Howlong. The bakery was a satisfactory destination for lunch and from there it was a pretty easy drive once we hit the Hume Freeway.
Neill and Jude peeled off just before Euroa and we continued into the caravan park where we have booked for two nights, including a special visit tomorrow. It was nice to get out of the car and we have a lovely site right on the river so we got all set up before afternoon tea.
To celebrate Clare’s birthday, we joined the family for a lovely dinner at the Seven Creeks Hotel. It was wonderful to see the girls - 4YO Chloe has been a favourite of mine ever since they came to visit us in Tassie and I must admit, it’s nice to have a little fan. We will see her again tomorrow. A lovely end to the day, although also highlighting that we are very close to the end of our trip :-(
Day 30 - Dubbo to Ariah Park - Tuesday 28th May 2024
How good was that gas heater last night?! It must have got down to about zero but we were toasty warm in our van, even if I did worry serval times in the night that we were going to run out of gas (and I didn’t fancy going outside in subzero temperatures to change the gas bottle!).
The day dawned with brilliant sunshine so we decided to brave shorts again, figuring this might be our last chance this trip. We were on the road by 9am and it was easy driving today. Elevenses was in a roadside rest area just outside of Parkes, coincidentally where we camped a night back in 2012 in our Jayco Discovery! We got fuel in West Wyalong and had lunch there in a park. 40 minutes later we pulled into this fabulous camp.
Set up by the local community to try and encourage people to visit their town, it has power (if you go and get a key for power box from the pub in town), water, fire pots, firewood, an attractive setting in amongst the football, netball and golf venues. We got the fire going early - we still had firewood from Narrabri but also used some of theirs. We did walk into town to buy milk. Apparently Ariah Park is known as the town of “wowsers, bowsers and peppercorn trees”. The town has many heritage buildings, most of the shop ones are empty but have decorated shop windows at least. There are indeed some heritage fuel bowsers along the main street and plenty of peppercorn trees but I don’t know about the wowsers. We felt a bit guilty that we only spent $18 in the local store and resolved that next time we would have a meal in the pub.
Back to camp to a roaring campfire, drinks and nibbles and then a delicious corned beef prepared by Jude in the DreamPot. The immediate area came alive when the footy oval lights came on and plenty of people arrived - for footy training! And it was even AFL! Apparently plenty of successful AFL players have come from here (Just up the road in Mirrool is the annual “Kick the footy over the grain siloes” event! Anyway, footy training was over by 8pm and we settled in to our fire and music, enjoying our sort-of last travelling night on the road.
Day 29 - Narrabri to Dubbo - Monday 27th May 2024
Another beautiful morning on the banks on the Namoi River. We took it slowly this morning as we had decided we wouldn’t leave until after elevenses. Because it is truly lovely to enjoy our coffees in the sun on the riverbank!
We were on the road just after 10:30am and it was easy driving down the Newell Highway. Arriving into Coonabarabran just after 12pm, our lunch destination was Feathers Cafe right near the designated caravan parking (we do like towns that provide this separately - Launceston really needs to do this). It was a delicious lunch. Back on the road for cheaper fuel in Gilgandra, so that was our next stop. Then Dubbo by 3:30pm with a quick stop at the Stihl shop for a new chainsaw chain - the new electric chainsaw has had a good workout this trip!
And so we pulled into Red Earth Estate winery before 4pm. We have now been here so many times, including on the way up this trip! Obviously not with a caravan then so we only stopped for lunch (See Day 3). The camping out the back is pretty basic and unfortunately we were a bit late today to be located vine-side but given how cold it is going to be tonight, we figured we wouldn’t be sitting outside anyway. We had our coffee in the last rays of the sun before ordering our dumplings for dinner. This meant an early dinner (takeaway pick up was at 5:45pm!) which we enjoyed in Cafe Phoenix. I even set the table and picked some flowers for the dining table. As always, the dumplings were delicious. We then spent some time planning our final travel night destination before calling it an early night.
Day 28 - Narrabri - Sunday 26th May 2024
So much to do while camping - cooking, collecting and cutting wood, descaling the coffee machine, dishes, cleaning - we were so busy today.
I woke early and so dropped the bottom blind in order to watch the sunrise but it was a bit cloudy. Still nice to watch the early morning bird traffic on the river. Eventually it was late enough to wake Greg and have our morning cuppa in bed. Then it was time for the Sunday morning fry up - Neill and I shared duties and we all enjoyed a combination of eggs, bacon, toast/muffins, hash browns, baked beans and mushrooms. Delicious.
Fortified, Neill and I set off on firewood collection. We found many appropriate limbs so cut them to length and dragged them back to camp. That was hot and sweaty work - so much so we were tempted to jump in the river to cool off!
Then there were all the domestic duties, including the need to descale the coffee machine!Thank goodness Jude brought the necessary bits and pieces - not something I had thought of! But its now on the list!
Eventually there was some quiet time on the river banks to read. Such gorgeous weather. For our further entertainment, Neill decided to try his luck fishing. Imagine everyone’s delight when he caught something in the first 10 minutes! And then imagine our disappointment when we all found out it was carp!!!
We had lit the fire at lunchtime in order to make good coals as we were having a roast in the camp oven tonight. By 5ish the coals were perfect and so the lamb went in one camp oven and the vegies in the other. By 7pm, we were serving roast lamb with gravy and/or mint sauce, roast potato, carrot and pumpkin (Courtney and Andrew, the pumpkins still keep on giving!!!), steamed cauliflower with white sauce. Who says you can’t eat well camping?! We did have a go at the people (in various online camping groups) who feel the need to pre cook and pre prepare their meals - for us, half the fun is cooking either on a fire or at least outdoors. And you should absolutely be ale to east as well as we do at home.
