Dean's Travels

Day 15 - 8th October

Corinna to Burbury Lake via Strahan

Distance Travelled - 206.5 km

After a night where it seemed like I woke up every 20 minutes I finally got out of bed at 6.30 am. Max and Rod were already up and we had a quick chat - it seems like my snoring was at its full blown freight train best. I went for a quick walk to see what was around for photographing and then came back to retrieve the camera and appropriate lens before heading off to snap a few shots.

The river looked amazing with a light mist rolling over it like steam hanging in the bathroom after a hot shower in winter. With the occasional log sitting partly proud of the river it looked quite eerie and spooky. I hope the photos turn out ok, I think they might have potential in black and white mode.

After taking photos for a while I went back to camp and had breakfast and a coffee or two with Max and Rod and continued to chat for a bit before we decided it was time to pack up and head our separate ways. The fly was just a little damp on the inside which was a little surprising given how cold it felt last night. I thought the top would have been wetter and the inside reasonably damp but it appears there was no dew last night. Everything was packed away and I rolled out of camp at 8.30 am.

The trip in to Corinna was only about 13 km which I did at a leisurely pace. The punt doesn't start operation until at least 9 am. Getting to Corinna I had become quite sunny so I decided to enjoy it for a while. The tent got set up to dry completely and sat outside in my cam chair and read my book for a while. About 9.40 am I went to the shop to organise passage across the river. For the princely sum of $25 (possibly insert extortionate fee instead of princely sum) I received my ticket and was told the next crossing would take place at 10 am. I returned to the car, packed and then drove the short distance to the boarding ramp.

I went on first followed by a 4 wheel drive behind me, filling the punt. We crossed the river in about 2 minutes and disembarked. Comparing this to the Wellington ferry I used in SA which took slightly longer, operated on demand and was free I felt somewhat cheated but despite that I was across the river and didn't need to drove the several hundred km to get to another access point.

The next part of the trip into Strahan was once again on very windy and twisty roads but an enjoyable drove none-the-less. Once in Strahan I looked around a bit and then entered the Visitor Centre. I was informed that the cruises around the small islands in Macquarie Heads were not running due to it being breeding season of some of the birds that nest there. The lady was not sure what sort of access or visibility I would get but suggested going to the heads and exploring. With a plan in mind I headed off.

The drive to the heads was about 15 km from town and it was around lunch time so I grabbed a tub of potato and egg salad and a couple of slices of ham from IGA and headed off. Out at the heads is a camp area and I found the caretaker quite easily. He said the easies way to photograph the lighthouses would be to drive along the beach and photograph them from there.

I headed out to the beach and found what almost constituted a main road with quite a few cars driving up and down with several groups of people pulled up and fishing or, further up the beach, running amuck on 4 wheeler motorbikes. The first 2 lighthouses were quite easy to spot and I took a few shots using my zoom lens. The last one at Cape Sorrell was not visible due to the amount of spray and sand in the air obscuring the headland which it is situated on. Happy with the shots I had been able to get I headed back into town.

I grabbed a coffee and posted my blog at the local bakery come coffee shop and then started off towards Derwent Bridge. I want to see The Wall, a huge artwork by a local woodworker. Apparently the carvings he has done are a must see. From what I have heard the panels are about 3 metres high and by the time he has finished the wall is planned to be 100 metres long. I am not sure at the moment how long it currently is. I will know more tomorrow when I go have a look see.

My afternoon drive took me through some extremely winding roads to Queenstown and then beyond to Burbury River campsite where I pulled up for the day. The rest of the day was spent reading, trying to take a few photos of some birds at the camp, going for an hour long walk, having tea and writing the blog and sorting photos. There is a nice undercover area for the tent tonight so that should make things drier for the night.

Tomorrow it is off to The Wall and then with any luck back to Lilydale.