After the most amazing sleep in the wonderful Addlestone House, I woke to a massive storm!! The wind was howling and the rain lashing down, not the best day to be seeing one of this part of Tasmania's main attractions - the (apparently) stunningly perfect Winglass Bay. Still, being English and made of stern stuff, I thought what is a little rain at the beach!
After a getting myself sorted I took myself off to the kitchen where Peter was waiting with the most fantastic spread for my breakfast! He joined me with his toast while I tucked into cereal, toast, bacon, eggs, mushrooms, beans, more toast and we had a good old chiwag about his photography, his travels and Tasmania. As it was were were talking so long I didnt leave till nearly 11, but it was still raining and I was in no rush as Wineglass Bay and the National Park it sits in (Freycinet) where my only stop offs before Swansea (Tasmania, not Wales...)
After biding farewell to Peter and his lovely home, I stopped in at his partners shop just down the road, The Purple Possum, and chatted with Elaine and had a coffee. So by the time I left to head off it was nearly midday! Then came the afe old problem - Petrol. Despite being here as long as I have I still had not got it into my head that a lot of places dont open on a Sunday, or at all before 12, so realising that I really should have flled up last night dawned as the 2 garages nearby were shut. So, to cut a very long strory short I had to head beack 15 miles to St Helens to find one that was open and then head back the way I had come to continue! Still, the rain had eased and there was now more than enough blue to make a salior some trousers (he may even get a shirt too....) so I enjoyed another wonderful drive through lush, green farmland and forests, with more of the winding roads thrown in for good measure. The very undersated A3 takes you past some amazing coastal views on this route too, but sometimes it is so frustrating as you see a view that takes your breath away but you cant stop and the road is too narrow, or bendy, and there is just no where to stop! But they are forever scorched on my memory! I did pull in at a little place called Bicheno which had some wild and wooly surf and those gorgeous red rocks. Then I pushed on as time was catching up with me and arrived at the start of the National Park, Coles Bay.
Gorgeous place and the 3 granite mountain peaks that loomed into view scarly as you turned through the roads, made the most amazing backdrop. Now, Wineglass Bay had been named as one of the worlds top 10 beaches by some American Magazine and the only way you can get to see it is by climbing through one of the afrementioned granite mountains. They have been kind enough to provide a path but it can still be tough going. The weather had now become a scorching hot day, and even though it was now 3.30pm I was feeling a wee bit hot in my jeans and jumper! So I changed my top and headed out on the walk. They say it takes about 1 1/2 hours return. Little stop off at Honeymoon Bay on the way then it was onto the main event.
Christ, I wish I had changed the jeans too!! They acted liek compression stocking and I could hardly lift my legs!! Still I soldiered on and God was it worth it. There is a Coles Bay lookout at half way and that was spectacular enough but when you get round the last bend and over the last boulder you forget that your thighs are screaming. Stunning. The weather was in my favour too as the sea was as blue as blue can be and glistening in the sunshine. Then it is the last push to the top and the view you have come all this way for. And what a view. WOW. You can see why it had been talked about like it has. Perfect horshoe shape, sparkling blue sea and white sand. And there is a view of 3 other bays beyond that just complete the picture of perfection. Definately ranks up there with other beaches on this trip. As the walk down to get on teh beach was another 1 1/2 hours I decided not to undertake it and stayed put for a while. There were a few peple up at the top but we were all as awestruck as each other so found oursleves talking in whispers. I made a slight tit of myself (surely not I hear you cry) when I saw a guy with his son perched on a rock looking at the view and I though it was just a lovely picture, so I asked him if he wanted me to take one for them. He said yes please so I began snapping away from different angles. When I was done he said thank you and this woman appeared and said "I will take the camera thanks, I'm his partner.....' Well done Lisa!! I apologised more than once and the guy was fine but the woman did not look too impressed! I then made her get up on the rock so that i could get her in the pics too.!!! He did come over and say thanks when they left saying he was really grateful!
Then I got chatting to an old guy, Robert who turned out to be 81, who had done the same walk as me dressed in jeans, a rugby shirt and broges!! He was an old sailor and kept himself very fit and we had a lovely conversation. I took his picture for him too, but aked if he was on his own first, and he said he had left his partner half way up. After sitting there for a fair while and soaking up the view whilst spining a yarn, we decided to walk back down together. We got to the part where the path splits and there was a lady on the seat there but he spoke to he then we carried on. She followed and as he turned round she said to me "where is her going?" and I said that he had left his partner on a bench and we were trying to find her. You guessed it, she was the partner he just didn't recognised her as he had forgetten his glasses!!!!
Once we had negotiated the way down (a differnt track and far worse than the way up!) it was time to head away from this beautiful spot and head for my next B&B in Swansea, Meredith House.
Lovely heritage building, filled with antiques and I was met by one of the owners, Noel who showed me to my very nice room (which had a lovely sea view) and recommended a great little resturant at the end of the road called Banc. So off I toddled to enjoy some food and wine.
And enjoy I did, so much so that I blew a whole days budget on that meal!! It was gorgereous and I went for the tasting platters to give me a bit of everything, along with a lovely local wine. So, full to the brim and just a wee bit tipsy I headed off back up the hill to bed-fordshire! Needless to say I went out like a light!
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