We had a great two and a half hour drive from St Helens to Freycinet National Park. Luckily l phoned ahead as it gets booked out quickly and you have to book ahead apparently. We arrived at the visitors information center and booked into Richardson's beach camp site for $15.50 per night. The camp site was beach side but bloody hell the ground was hard and we bent a few pegs pegging the tent down!! We have toilets (flushing which is bonus) and cold showers (argh!). Anyway, we had set up in late arvo so didn't have much time to look around. Couldn't be bothered with a big tea do we heated up some soup and had toast too. Then we took a walk up the beach, the girls loved collecting more shells, we now have a few bags full! The surrounds of the camp site are awesome with the beach, bay of clear blue water then on the left we see the harbor of Coles Bay and to the left of us are the four huge rock mountains called 'The Hazards'...spectacular. We sit and watch the sunset which is stunning with it setting behind the clouds and mountains behind the ocean. Pretty cool that our campsite is only two meters from the beach. We settle early as we have had a few big days with the Woods, l must say it is quiet!! Lol...
We wake to a nice morning, had had a few light showers overnight. After breaky we decide to have an easy day and take a drive up to Cape Tourville to check out the lighthouse. The views were amazing and seeing their wasn't much walking the girls didnt complain too much. It was only early twenties but the sun was out and boy did it have some kick. We had remembered to slip, slop slap thankfully, didn't want to burn. After the lookout, we headed down a little way to Honeymoon Bay. It is another fantastic spot with the orange stained huge rocks and crystal clear water. We enjoyed our wraps looking out to the beautiful ocean horizon while the girls had fun climbing on the rocks. After this we headed back to camp where Boo, Meg and l decided to take a swim. It was bloody cold but nice, think this will be the last time l swim in Tassie. Can't get used to the chill factor, the water is just so inviting to look at!! After a short swim we headed up to take a cold shower! Wasn't looking forward to it but hey, we just swam in the cold ocean! Meg screamed all the way as it was too cold and l decided this would be my last shower until we had a hot one available! In the late arvo we had a lazy day. Started Boo's schooling, she's now in Grade One!!! Been a while since we'd done school so after procrastinating and Boo whining to start, l took out her books and off we went, like duck to water. We had some much needed veggies for tea then did our ritual of taking a walk up the beach after tea.
On the second day we had a look around Coles Bay, not much really to look at though. So then we head off to Friendly Beach to take a look at the campsites as they are free and Julia and Andy (our friends from Eddy's Camp) had stated there. We arrived to see stretches of white sand and small waves of blue ocean. It was a tad warm so the girls and l put our bathers on to go for a swim. We were very disappointed when we got down to the beach to see washed up blue bottle jellyfish on the beach! No wonder no one was swimming. After explaining to the girls, who were shattered, we headed back to the car. Marty and l decided to take the girls to Honeymoon Bay again and they could have a splash there. They loved it and we enjoyed a lie down on the crushed rock beach. Really weird how the beaches all have different coverings from white fine sand, to grainy sand then small soft rocks. Anyway when the girls teeth started chattering we got them out and headed back to camp. Another lazy late arvo, starting to enjoy this! Read my Kindle for a bit while the girls played on the beach making sandcastles. Marty and the girls had the shortest attempt at fishing, ever!!! Then Marty cooked tea which great. Whilst peeling the veggies a wallaby came out which Marty proceeded to feed the scraps too. We were all watching this wallaby feed when l think he'd had too much or it went down the wrong way cause next he coughed to a gross green spew (from the broccoli)! A cute moment ended up a tad gross so we got the rest of the scraps and chucked them in the bin. Marty's new friend didn't last long, when he noticed the food gone he moved off into the bush.
Our last day at Freycinet NP was to be the most intense. We had planned to go for a walk to Wineglass Bay, first to the lookout then to decide if we are going down to the beach. The girls weren't looking forward to it do it was great that we were greeted by a little young wallaby. The girls both sat and had a pat for a while, then it was time to make tracks. We signed in to register our walk and up the bloody stairs we went. It was either going to be a one and a half return walk or three hour depending on how much we did. So it's either Meg or Boo who acts out on the walks and today Boo decided it was her turn. She sooked and winged up the stairs even when we tried to make a game of it. Finally we reached the top to the lookout over Wineglass Bay, whilst Marty and l took our happy snaps the girls quickly found a seat and chomped on their muesli bars. The view was amazing. I know l keep using these words to describe what we're seeing, but l cant think of any others to sum it up. It was the whitest beach and aqua blue waves coming in, so beautiful. After a few moments we let the girls decide if they wanted to go down to the beach, they talked together for a bit and said they wanted to go down for a swim. So we took off down the steep decline of steps and rocky road. Now it was Meg's turn to winge. Marty and l figured out that Boo doesn't mind going down hill but hates going up, and Meg hates going down hill but doesn't mind going up. Again, opposites.. After a little journey down, about half an hour or do of continuous walking down steep hills and steps we finally step out onto the white sand. Disappointingly it was course sand and not fine like it looks. We have our peanut butter sanga's by the beach, in the shade as the sun has alot of kick to it. The girls scoff it down then get changed into their bathers, then off they went into the shallows of the ocean. They were laughing and having do much fun. Was a great reward for them with all the effort it took to get down here. We let them go for a bit then packed up to head back up that bloody steep hill. Marty and l weren't looking forward to it but we didn't let the girls know that! The girls started off ok then l had to being out the big bribe and tell them if they didn't moan about the walk up to the car they could have a crunchy bar. It worked! The climb up the hill wasn't too bad and we were up the top before we knew it. Marty and l agreed going down was worse. After our four hour walk we headed back to camp to enjoy out last arvo and sunset. Was a tad cool and the clouds came in that night. Looked amazing over the top of 'The Hazards', cloud covering the top of the mountains.
Our time here has been great and was well worth a visit. Tasmania has been an awesome place to come and visit, cheap too with most sights to see being free. Nature at its best!
Tomorrow we pack up again to head to Port Arthur, Marty is looking forward to this part of our trip, me too.....
Bell Xxx