Freycinet

Part of the track to the Wineglass Bay Lookout

Ray at Wineglass Bay Lookout

Beautiful Wineglass Bay from the Lookout

Walk from Wineglass Bay to Hazards Beach via the Isthmus Track

Walking down to Hazards Beach

A pretty beach through the trees on the Isthmus Track

Wallaby love

View from the Cape Tourville Lighthouse Lookout

Richardson's Beach (in front of our campground) looking towards The Remarkables

Panorama of Coles Bay from Freycinet Lodge verandah

Lunch yesterday at Freycinet Lodge, looking back towards Coles Bay

It's been a short stay at Freycinet this time (only 3 days) but I wanted to show you the best of Freycinet before we start off on our 4-day Maria Island walk on Friday.  Can't get your Freycinet mixed up with your Maria Island!

The National Park campground here was almost deserted on our first day/night but today there are vans, caravans and cars going left, right and centre.  The campground is well run and within a minute or so walk of Richardson's beach, and about a 10 minute walk through bushland to a well stocked IGA at Coles Bay.  We've discovered Connoisseur Salted Caramel ice cream there, which is worth the walk each day.  Unfortunately it's only sold in small tubs so we've just had to share!

It's still not swimming weather here (when is it?) though it's doubtful if either of us would set foot in the water here, with a 5.5 metre Great White having been sighted in the Bay only a week or so back.  (I kid you not, it was in the local paper).

Yesterday, before we checked into the campground, we drove to Cape Tourville, easily one of the loveliest views on the east coast, though the photo perhaps doesn't do it justice.  It's a 5km drive up a narrow, winding road, but definitely worth the effort.  There have been a few whales sighted travelling back down the coast to their Antarctic home, but we didn't spot any that day.

Today we packed up early and drove to the start of the Wineglass Bay walk.  It's approximately 3km from the campground to the walk, but on such a narrow, unsafe road that it would be suicide to walk or bike it, especially with the cavalier way motorists treat the road.  There's plenty of parking for large vehicles, so we left early and breakfasted in the car park before the walk.

It's approximately 1 hour's walk to the lookout and then another 30 minutes down to Wineglass Bay, but the steepness of the track is such that coming back up is a difficult climb, so we chose instead to take the lower Isthmus track via Hazards Beach back to the car park.  It was only another 8 kilometres (3 hours estimated) for the return trip, not much in terms of Favourite Daughter's 100km run last weekend, but it seemed interminable.  There are very few markers along the way to give you an idea of how far you have come, and each time we rounded a corner, I expected it to be the last, but no.  In the end it was just a case of one foot in front of the other and keep on plodding, and we finally completed the round trip in 1 1/2 hours longer than the estimate!  There was satisfaction of a kind once we got back to the van (and stopped at the Freycinet Lodge for a little light sustenance).

We've been assured that the 4-day Maria Island walk we're embarking on this Friday is an easy, guided walk, complete with glamour camping (glamping), candle-lit dinners and all food and wine provided.  If it turns out to be anything like today's walk, I think Ray will be calling the Rescue Helicopter!

We'll be out of touch (we think anyway) for the time we're on Maria Island, but are really looking forward to hearing the history and seeing the sights with a local guide.  Wish us luck!

Sally and Ray