Paddling on the Mersey

Paddling on the Mersey River and walking in Kelcey Tier are two activities accessible to me within minutes. Nothing beats that for a daily exercise!

I try time my paddling with the coming and going of big ships, more than the tides or the currents. Watching a ship glide past you when you are in the kayak is an awesome view. Maybe it is a male thing...

Lily is less impressed. She just loves coming out with me. Not sure if it is to please me or to go for the paddle, but she is happy to come aboard any time.

Just need one more www.ebay.com.au/itm/281233367593 so I can pull both the kayaks down.

Walls of Jerusalem

The Walls of Jerusalem has to be one of my favourite spots for a hike! Just this weekend I went up with friends. The first day we left about lunchtime and walked past Trappers Hut to the comfortable tent platforms at Wild Dog Creek, just below King David's Peak. On the second day we took daypacks and hiked to Dixons Kingdom hut and some of us went up Mount Jerusalem and the others went up Solomon's Throne on the way back to the tents. The third morning we hiked back to the cars. Always great! The tent platforms have a watertank and toilet too.

Dropping Keith and Malinda onto the Overland track

What a great winter day! Drove up to Ronnie's Carpark and started on the icy track. For some reason people have been stepping into the cubed wombat poos on the track, I thought that was just vandalism, they are such pieces of art!



The Nothofagus Gunii was completely bare, the only deciduous native tree that I know of in Australia. Button grass looking really green, Pandani Trees everywhere, plenty of Pencil Tree Pines, Scoparia's... We walked up to Crater Falls, past Crater Lake and up to Marion's Lookout. No views today, just wind and rain, icy cold, just what you'd expect on a blistery cold day in the Tasmanian Wilderness. 


Cindy and I split at Marion's Lookout before returning back to the car. A quick stop at the Scout hut (available for rent!) on the Horse Track and a hot Milo with Brendan from Don there.


Tonight our happy campers will sleep "in" Waterfall Hut where they will be warm. CF Tasmania received a $100 donation from them! I was on new nebulised drugs and felt awesome too.

Nothofagus Gunii

I took Robert from NZ to Dove Lake last week. Perfect timing as the last week of April is the time that the Beech tree changes their leaves! Nothofagus Gunnii is a deciduous shrub native only to Tasmania, and is Australia's only deciduous tree!


Here is  a view of the Pencil Pines, King Billy Pines and the Nothofagus Gunii in AUTUMN colours.

And below my favourite bird the Tasmanian Black Currawong...


Robert admiring Dove Lake and Cradle Mountain....


Another great day, love this place!

Bakers Beach

Bakers Beach is only 15 minutes from Devonport, and is such a lovely spot. I walked up Archers Knob in (Narawntapu National Park) with my Hash House Harrier friends on the easter weekend.

Through the ti-trees...

Grasses are awesome... as are the fungus and the wildlife!

Views always good...

And walk home along the beach, the only semi-recognised nude beach in Tasmania!


Can't wait to go again some time soon. See the Forester kangaroos and the wombats...

Badgers Range - Kimberley's Lookout

Ree and Mouse went with me today up to Kimberley lookout. Followed by a quick ale in the Sheffield pub before returning to Devonport. Lovely afternoon once again.

The first part of this walk is a bit steep but then it levels out it. An easy going walk with medium gradients. Excellent views of Sheffield, Mount Roland. A good 90 minute return walk just out of the Sheffield township.

Here is the new postcard doing the rounds shortly.

PS. Be careful when requesting specialty nude cooking, becareful not to tempt me with modeling nude for life drawing nor tempt me to walk nude on the beach!

Kayaking with Frank

Took colleague Frank for a paddle on the Mersey recently. My favourite spot to go, and only a minute from where Ree lives. We paddled to the cormerand rock below the Bluff, past the Lighthouse, and back again past the Port side marker.  We paddled over the shipwreck which was completely covered by the tide. I went back the next day and took some photos.
I saw what looked like a plastic bag floating in the river and decided to pick it up. It turned out to be a floating rock! We also had a huge seagull dive 10m. in front of me into the water and come out with a fish. The fish darted out of its beak, somersaulted and landed back inside as the bird flew off. My camera was on my lap...

The shipwreck in the river is the G. Ward Cole, an iron twin-screw steam dredge, 431/196 tons. Built in Renfrew, Scotland, 1889 and registered in Melbourne in 1890. Lbd 146.5 x 32.2 x 11.3 ft. Whilst under the command of captain F. M. Calvert it parted from her cables in a heavy squall and grounded on the Mersey River breakwater on 29 October 1930. Damaged beyond economical repair, dismantled and abandoned.