We had a leisurely breakfast of scrambled eggs and watched the waves wash along the rocks at Sulphur Creek. It is hard to tear yourself away from beautiful places like this. We had the most restful sleep listening to those waves dance along the shoreline last night. Except maybe for the noise of those beautiful little fairy penguins that call this place home. But really those penguins are a delight to see and they soon settled down to sleep as well, oh until dawn breaks 😂.
free campsite gets a 10/10 from us
Our journey today isn’t that far, it is only 91 kilometres but of course we are sailors, we can’t possible go in a straight line. No we are going on a meandering course that will take us all the day. However we do need to find our next campsite at Peggs Beach but that won’t be a worry as the sun is currently setting at 9pm so plenty of time. we do like this Daylight saving in summer. This next campsite is part of Tasmania’s National Parks. You will need to have a pass for your car and a permit to camp. We talked about the cost of National Parks Passes in our previous blog on Cradle Mountain. If you are going to visit a lot of parks in Tasmania it is worthwhile getting the holiday pass or the annual pass.
From Sulphur Creek we make our way firstly to Burnie. Burnie is a port city with an industrial past that has reinvented itself as a vibrant and creative city on a beautiful stretch of Tasmania’s north-west coast. Nestled around Emu Bay on Bass Strait, Burnie has been an industrial centre for most of its existence. Since the closure of its paper pulp mill, the city has taken a creative approach to promoting itself and the many artisans who call it home.
It has a lovely beachside feel and downtown you will find a vibrant mix of shops and eateries which you find in most small towns. So if you are needing a Bunnings, Kmart, Target, Coles, Woolworths etc. this is certainly a great place to find all of these and more.
There is also a free campsite down by the bay, at Cooee Recreational Reserve. You do need to book/register with the council to stay there. The Burnie City Council provides a short stay (max 2 nights) free camping for fully self-contained vehicles the reserve is about 2.5km west of the Burnie town centre.
When we checked it out there were six camping there still with plenty of room for more. You do have to be self contained as there are definitely no facilities. We were happy to have a look and put it on our list, for if, we needed a regional town spot, this would certainly be useful. Info on how to register below 👇 There is also liquid waste discharge point and a water supply point provided within the vicinity. We also needed a top up on fresh water in our tanks. We stopped into the Coles Express filled our diesel tanks, then used their fresh water tap to fill the very depleted fresh water tanks. Last time we filled was Melbourne.
The industrial history of Burnie and the surrounding north-west region can be explored at the Burnie Regional Museum where you can wander a replica Federation street and see how ordinary people lived more than 100 years ago.
Burnie also produces award-winning cheese and at Hellyers Rd Distillery, Australia’s largest boutique whisky distillery, you can sample some of the world’s best whisky at the cellar door.
Wynyard was our next stop. From the hustle and bustle of Burnie, Wynyard is totally relaxed. A seaside town located at the mouth of the Inglis River. It is a popular holiday spot for beach activities, ocean and river fishing, and lazy drives through out picturesque landscapes. When we passed over the river there were all sorts of watercraft coming and going. Everyone seemed to be in the water. We shivered at the thought, way to cold for us in the middle of summer.
But what Wynyard is really famous for is For flat-topped Table Cape and fields of stunning tulips. Why tiptoe when you can dance through the tulips …… well it’s not spring 🙄 so there was no disco in our step when we saw fields and fields of freshly dug dirt. Oh well something to put on the list for next time. Spring not Summer …. Is it summer we still have coats on 🙄 Queenslanders!
We headed back on the A2 because we had been told of a waterfall…. We know ….. by this stage you are saying, “we should just do a blog on all the waterfalls in Tasmania”. But this one promises to be something totally different to anything we had seen before. Not much detail other than that was given … “you just have to see it” was all we kept being told. So we turned off the A2 and followed the signs to Dip Falls.
Wow oh Wow. “You just have to see it” ……
Join us in our next blog when we discover Stanley……..
Ok just our little joke 😂 here are all our thoughts and details on Dip Falls. It’s probably easy to be overlooked and miss seeing these falls, as it really isn’t up there on the top 10 things listed to see or do, but it should be. Dip Falls are located between Stanley and Wynyard in Tasmania’s North West, 27 km or a 1/2 hour up a quiet and mostly sealed road that passes through pleasant countryside.
They are one of the most beautiful falls in the state or should we say that we have ever seen. It’s a two-tiered structure that’s right “a structure” and the unique rock formations make it well, totally different to anything we have seen.
From the parking area next to the falls in the Reserve, it’s a short walk to a platform with an unsurpassed view out over the top of the falls.
Another path leads down some 220 steps to the base of the falls and its unique rock formations are right there for you to study. This walk to the base needs a fitness level, however if you can’t manage the stairs, still visit as the viewing platform at the top gives you a brilliant view, and it shouldn’t be missed.
Once you have caught your breath from the climb back up the 220 stairs you can take the extra 5 min drive to the “Big Tree” in the Big Tree Reserve. Now this is super special. Not only is visiting this giant tree unique but the rainforest walk which is very easy and short (10 minutes return) is one of the best walks we have done. But don’t let us be the judge for you checkout the following pics.
To see such giants still in our forests after we know of so much logging history it is unbelievable. The circumference of the featured tree at its base is nearly 17 m and definitely worth a look if you’re here. But there is not just one, they are everywhere.
Ok time to get a wriggle on as usual we are a bit behind our schedule. We start heading for our next campsite, but when we arrive at Peggs Beach it is blowing 35 knots straight into the campsite with no protection. Good sailors always have a plan B to bail to and we had marked a spot on the map at Forrest, a little inland that hopefully would give some protection.
Forest is a small quiet rural community, located about 11 kilometres south of the town of Stanley. This would be a perfect overnighter as we plan to visit the historic town of Stanley the following day.
On arrival in Forrest we firstly checked out the potential campsite. WikiCamps has it listed as a paid site of $5 per night (paid at the general store). Well if you are looking for a great campsite with clean amenities (toilets, water and camp kitchen) you can’t go past “BlackBerry Inn Forrest Sports Centre”. Here is a review of another camper.
We were totally protected from those wicked South West winds and had a very enjoyable night surrounded by like minded people.
Join us next time when we explore the historic township of Stanley and the Nut. Please find following further photos of today’s exploration.
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Burnie City Free Campsite registration information
https://www.burnie.net/Explore/Parks-and-Reserves/Cooee-Point-Reserve
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