Set off for Burnie early in the morning, as they had a farmers market on this Saturday. The first thing we noticed was the air was hazy with smoke, and we were told there were fires in the north-west. Apparently they had been started by lightning strikes, and the whole of Tassie was very dry this summer, so they kindled immediately.

Took a wrong turn looking for the market (the signage was dreadful), and found ourselves half way up a mountain on a narrow winding road until we could find a spot wide enough to turn around. Then we had to drive down again, which was perhaps worse.

Anyway, eventually found the market, and it was just off the highway, on a nice flat oval area. (Get your signage right.) We found some wonderful fresh fruits and veggies - apricots and cherries of course, straight off people's trees that morning. Then had a 'Tassie burger' for brunch, made with all local produce.

We then went on to the Info Centre and the Maker's Workshop housed there. According to the brochure, Burnie is the town of makers, and at the Info Centre were a number of areas where different craftsmen (and women) would demonstrate their crafts and present their wares for all to see.

In fact, there was a paper making display, which you had to pay big dollars to see. Apart from this, it was basically just a shop. There were some nice paper sculptures strewn here and there though. And in the shop we made one great find - a "Roadkill Recipe" book, with some great favourites such as Skippy, the Bush Vindaloo.

So we moved on to see what else this town had to offer. Went to the museum - and found it shut - on a Saturday afternoon (???) So we walked around town, but found it even more boring and empty than Devonport had been. There was a good free-camping site just out of town where we had planned to spend the night. But it was still early afternoon and there was really nothing else to do. So we decided to push on to the next town, Wynyard, which was about fifteen kilos further west. Less travelling to Stanley tomorrow.

Wynyard was a really nice down to earth town. The Tourist Info centre also had a vintage car museum - some amazing specimens collected by one of the locals over years. George was in his element.

There was a free-camping spot here too, on the town oval. However, being a Saturday afternoon, the local cricket club was having a game, and we could not move in until they had finished. So we went off to visit a spot called The Bluff which was on the beach, and apparently had some fossils. It was a nice beach, although a bit cool and windy, and there was no sign of fossils. I think we had missed the tide - or something.

As we drove back we noticed a nice looking park on the river, just after you cross the bridge, where many people were picnicking - including several motor homes. So we stopped off and chatted - they were also killing time until the cricket game finished. So we relaxed, considered fishing (but didn't), then moved across at about six. We spent the evening catching up with several Grey Nomad couples, and the old guy who lived across the road from the oval, who came across every night to chat with whoever was there. One of the couples lives in South Australia, but spends four months every summer in Tassie (because SA is too hot), then they drop by home briefly before moving up and spending four months in Queensland over the winter (because SA is too cold.) They have been doing this for over ten years.