We decided not to tackle climbing the Nut. Not only was the path extraordinarily steep but the wind was strong enough to blow you away. We opted for the more gentile pastime of visiting the restored Highfield House, the oldest house in the district built in the early 1800s for the Van Dieman's Land Company which took up large land holdings in the area. The restoration of the house is remarkable and filled with furniture inside as well as papers and letters. Outbuildings have also been restored and the garden has won prizes in Open Garden competitions.

We passed through Smithton on our way west and poked up some side roads to the coast being quite surprised to find a pretty full campground at the end of the road to Stony Point which overlooks some large offshore islands. Apparently the fishing is excellent here which explained the jetty, the ramps, the fishing boats, the fishing gear and the influx of keen fisherpersons.

The countryside here looks more like Ireland than England now. The fields while still very green don't have the easy lushness of further east, the land is more windswept and the feeling is one of more remoteness, of more disconnect from civilisation.

We stopped for a tourist experience that we had been told about: Tarkine Forest Adventures at Dismal Swamp run by Forestry. Here a beautiful sleek reception of iron and timber perched above a huge sinkhole. The sinkhole drains so is not filled with water, though the ground is indeed an almost impenetrable swamp. We took the quick way down, donning hairnets and helmets, getting into a sack with handles and sliding down a huge curved tube just like a waterslide. It got quite fast on one corner - something they forgot to mention - and I found myself at right angles to the ground. Interesting. Once at the bottom, there are criss-crossing boardwalks through the swamp with interpretative signs about the vegetation. At various places there are art installations, some quite stunning though some are a little strange. Fortunately the walk back up the side of the sinkhole wasn't as steep or as hard as expected.

And finally the west coast proper. Here the land is constantly buffeted by the Roaring 40s - and so we expect to be also! The west coast has surfing beaches for the very hardy (foolhardy?). The water is freezing and the waves rough and treacherous. An off-shore wind was adding to the scene by blowing spray off the crests in curling plumes. Great to look at but you wouldn't get me out there…

As we headed south we took another short detour through the West Point Conservation Area to the coast. Here the coast was unbelievably rugged and rocky with a gale blowing. A surprise was a concrete bunker dated 1916 perched on a small rise overlooking the Southern Ocean.

The day's destination is the Arthur River and we are hunkered down behind a wall of vegetation sheltering from the wind in a NP site. It's chilly again, but ever so quiet with only the sound of birds and the distant breakers on the sand.