Wineglass Bay and Bicheno

The East Coast

The next morning we set out for Wineglass Bay. The Freycinet National Park is simply stunning. Freycinet peninsular was visited by Abel Tasman in 1642 and named by Baudin in 1802 so this area features in the earliest chapters of European development. Prior to European contact the Oyster Bay Aboriginal tribe had occupied the area and lived off the abundant shell fish. There are massive middens along Richardsons Beach.  Many of the middens were burned to make lime used in the construction of houses in the Swansea area. Sealers were early occupants who quickly decimated the wildlife then left.

We arrived at Coles Bay at lunchtime… just in time to see the finish of the Coles Bay Classic triathlon event. We organised our lunch (picnic at the summit) and then headed for the car park at the start of the Wineglass Bay walk. The walk was quite crowded (being a Sunday) which made our ascent slower. We noticed that the four of us walk at generally the same speed which made the politics of walking so much simpler. The unspoken rules included… no-one is permitted to overtake the leader. At each stop there is a change of leader. At each stop, the group needs to provide adequate recovery time for the slowest walker. Generally, the men lead on the uphill sections and the ladies lead on the downhill run. All nice and simple! Clear expectations, lots of structure with appropriate rewards and penalties… Governor Arthur would have approved.

The views from the summit were picture postcard perfect. The water was a deep blue, the trees were a deep green/grey and the rocks sparkled in the sunshine. We  had to wait our turn for our portrait photos at the prime summit spot. We were expecting the crowded conditions to continue on the downward trail descending into Wineglass Bay. However, we discovered that 90% of the walkers retraced their steps back down to Coles Beach… which left us to walk onward at our own chosen speed. At the beach at Wineglass Bay we were greeted by a tame wallaby (who survives eating the tip-bits scrounged from tourists). This was a thrill for Joan and Johnny who hold a northern-hemisphere reverence for our wildlife. We continued our 11 km walk across to Hazards Beach via Hazards Lagoon. On the beach we met a father and son who had kayaked around to Cooks Beach where they had camped overnight. Their return trip was being assisted by a 20 kph wind that pushed them along at 5 kph, virtually removing the need to paddle. The last of our hike from Hazards Beach back to the car park tested our durability without providing as much scenic pleasure.

At the car park we met another wildlife member who had adapted to the opportunities at hand. This time it was a wombat that was willing to trade photo opportunities for pieces of carrot or other vegetables carried by the tourists. Again Joan and Johnny paid much respect to the local celebrity… and we all got good pictures. By the time we reached our car we were exhausted.

Bicheno

We drove into Bicheno seeing it as a one-horse town where even the tumble-weed crossing the road looked lonely. We had not had any coffee for some time… which would have biased our assessment somewhat. But as the amount of time spent in the town grew, the more we understood Bicheno’s particular charm.

The next day we had no planned agenda. We walked to the beach and at random, decided to walk northward towards Diamond Island.  Each day was no different… the cleanliness of the environment always took us by surprise. The beach was magnificent. We passed some petrels feasting on a dead penguin. We watched the crystal clear surf forming perfect parabolas of waves gently lapping the beach. The isthmus adjoining Diamond Island to the mainland is open only at low tide and we had timed our walk well. We crossed to the island and walked through the area of penguin colony [keeping to the path!]. There was evidence of activity at each of the burrows indicating a healthy number of birds living on the island. Dogs and cats must be wary of the tides isolating them on the island, because there was no sign of feral attacks.

We then walked back to the mainland and investigated the coastline south to Bicheno. The rocks had moss growing on them giving an intense red colour… adding to the beauty of the area. There remains some great real-estate on offer in Bicheno… prime positions… uninterrupted views. We interrupted our walk to savour our daily cup of caffeine.

After coffee, we made our way around to The Gulch where a fishing boat was unloading its crayfish and giant crabs. The catch looked extensive. However, the fishermen said they had collected their pots after a few days… so the catch represented a small return for their efforts. (Primary producers are always doing it tough.) We were amazed at the large size of the giant crabs. They are caught in slightly deeper water and it are usually sent to the Sydney markets.

We continued to wander down the coast until we ran out of track… then switched inland and made our way to the rocky outcrop that overlooks Bicheno.

We managed to 'tick' another wildlife box when an echidna presented itself in the grounds of our cottage. Joan and Johnny were suitably impressed.

That evening we had a meal that was probably the best of our holiday. When seafood is "instant" fresh even uneducated palates can tell. This meal presented flavours rarely carried to the plate… magnificent.

Our next day started with a quick walk to another lookout over the town. We took our snaps… collected our coffees and started our drive to the Bay of Fires.