Tasmania Central North Part 2

CONTENT: Tasmania / Liffey Falls / Brushy Lagoon / Greens Beach / Badger Beach / George Town / Low Head
TRAVEL JOURNAL:
27.11- 30.11.2021
Newly arrived to Tasmania we apply for seasonal agricultural jobs and Launceston-Devonport area seems to be promising. Waiting for response, we keep us near-by and explore local free camping options and head towards Liffey Falls State Reserve.
We drive over Red Hills and Meander Valley country roads, eventually getting connected to Bogan Road which leads us to Liffey Falls Lower carpark. We find a spot next to a picnic table and open our roof-top tent. It doesn't take long when we notice a middle-aged couple carrying cool-bags approaching to us. Instead of asking to share the picnic table the strangers are offering food and a bush-toilet. They explain that similarly to us they are from Queensland and after hiking around Tasmanian trails, are catching a plane back to home and if we would care to use their left-over resources. For sure we let the food not to get wasted and thank the couple for the donation.
Though it's past 5pm we decide to pursue the walk to Liffey falls. The return trip is considered to take 2-3 hours, but the summer-days are long and we hope to be back before sunset. The cool temperate rainforest track follows an old logging tramway. A walking bridge takes over Liffey river which collects it's water from the Great Western Tiers and the dense vegetation opens up just enough to carefully fly the drone over the falls. Liffey Falls are common name for series of sandstone cascades.
Though Liffey Falls are listed as Tasmanian devil habitat, we experience no notorious sounds overnight and in the morning take the Gulf Road over Liffey village to head towards our next camping destination - Brushy Lagoon.
Our arrival to the dammed lagoon is greeted by an echidna who is minding it's business on the dirt track - already our first week has shown success in wildlife encounter which culminates with spotting a tigersnake at the marshland adjacent to the dam wall where Wolf tries his luck with fishing. Meanwhile Agni befriends with local leeches. There is a fairly spacious area for camping next to the eastern boat launch ramp. The morning is offering a magnificent spectacle with the mist on the lagoon.
As we are hoping to get some answers for our job application, we drive into reception and decide to check the Greens Beach at the Western side of the Tamar river mouth. Greens Beach - a seaside settlement seems to enjoy it's off-season peace and Badger Beach Lookout at the Narawntapu National Park offers a nice view over Badger Beach. Before taking Batman Bridge over Tamar river we stop by a boat ramp at the river. It's low tide and the shore is covered by wild oysters but the signs warn not eating shellfish from the Tamar river estuary. Fertile lands of Tamar valley are hot-spot for local food operators - signs direct tourists to vineyards, dairies, berry farms and restaurants announcing “paddock to plate” experience. But the famous Tamar produce comes with a price and shellfish is declared to contain high levels of contaminants that pose risk to public health.
We sleep at Lilydale Campsite and while browsing Wikicamps for ideas, discover an abandon tunnel not far. Though not advertised big and locating practically in the middle of nowhere, we must have found the spot as we notice two guys with metal-detectors roaming around. The men have researched the railway history and explain that the nowadays insignificant curb of the countryside road used to house a train station and might still hide some historical treasures.
George Town at the eastern shore of Tamar river is our next stop. The town with it's current population below 5000, was established in 1804 which makes it the third European settlement in Australian continent - just after Sydney and Hobart.
The mouth of the Tamar river was a fitting harbour for early settlers and has a lot of landmarks from the early colonial history - for example Low Head Pilot Station which is Australia's oldest pilot station dating back to 1806 and nowadays houses a museum and offers accommodation, and Low Head Lighthouse which is our next destination.
Besides the light-station built in 1833 is Australia's oldest continuously working lighthouse, it's erected to a notorious location of Little Penguin colony. With it's average 30 cm height, Eudyptula minor are smallest penguin species in the world and local tour operators offer guided sightings. As we have previously attended such events, we sign us into East Beach Tourist Park where we find a nice indoor kitchen with an oven. Equipped with fresh self-baked bread, wine and oysters, we head to lighthouse for sunset. On the way back we find little penguins randomly waddling on the streets - they are on the mission finding their way to the chicks. The burrows seems to reach into the gardens of the private houses.
NEXT
Getting beachy - we are going to explore Tasmanias North-East Coast.