THE EDGE OF THE WORLD

Fred visits countless beaut free camps and witnesses some of the most untouched wilderness in Tasmania

WORDS BY FRED WRIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY BY FRED WRIGHT AND JOHN HABERFIELD

After our stay in Longford, we drove upwards and west to explore the regions surrounding Sassafras, Ulverstone and Penguin and finishing up at the Edge of the World, in the far North West of Tasmania. This part of Tas is a magical place where you’ll experience four seasons in one day and find yourself transported through magnificent rolling hills beside brilliant blue water coastline. With a fantastic collection of coastal and inland free camps, natural attractions and a brilliant distillery, this tour of Tasmania’s North West is great for RVers wanting to get back to nature and all its raw and primeval wonders.

Before setting off on our coastal journey north-west we took time out to experience the Sassafras Heritage Farming Weekend, which ran from the 26 to the 28 of February, 2016. It’s only held every two years, but the passion of local farmers to bring history and heritage from years gone by to the present day is palpable. We liked the fact that you could park your self-contained RV for the entire weekend, take a Clydesdale carriage ride around the thousands of working machinery exhibits or slow down and check out all the fantastic displays and learn how each piece works. We also found a miniature railway to ride on and plenty of miniature tractors, four wheel drives, cars and steam engines. Although approximately five farmers organise this weekend, you’d be forgiven for thinking there’s a cast of thousands as they hurriedly busy themselves mooring around the exhibits in this huge paddock.

ULVERSTONE TO PENGUIN

Leaving Sassafras, we headed off on a tour of the west coast, starting our journey at Ulverstone and finishing up at Woolnorth – otherwise known as ‘The Edge of the World’.

Ulverstone is to the North, situated on the beautiful Leven River. Take some time to check out the shops, many of which sell genuine Tasmanian made products, but don’t overlook the History museum, with its well set-out displays and if you want  to look up family history here there’s a fabulous centre for that too.

From Ulverstone it was off to Penguin, a simply delightful seaside village that takes its name from a nearby penguin rookery and it’s obvious this town dearly loves its little feathered friends, as they’ve erected a three metre fibreglass and cement penguin to greet you, directly opposite the Information Centre. Of course, the real thing can be seen each night at Penguin Point. If you wish to visit the penguins, the visitor’s centre has a great list of instructions for the intrepid penguin seeker. First of all, the penguins are best viewed at night, using a dim torch covered with red cellophane and you should never use a flash or spotlight, as this will scare them away. Approaching from the beach, is also a bad idea, as the penguins will spot your outline and assume you are a predator, and the most important instruction was not to walk through the penguin colony, as you can damage their burrows. Before venturing out to Penguin Point, be sure to stop in and get the full list of instructions from the friendly staff at the visitor’s centre.

With a quick check of the Camps 9, we dropped into the Hall Point, Midway Point and Preservation Free Camps, not far out of Penguin. These fantastic campsites are all located close to water and make a great spot for selfcontained free campers to set up and explore the region.

We could hardly take a tour through the north west of Tasmania and not stop in to Burnie, so after frolicking with the penguins, we continued along our way to the large port city. The main attraction for us was a visit to Hellyers Road Distillery. Even if you’re a non-drinker, the education from a guided tour is a beauty. While you’re here my recommendation would be to pour your own bottle of whiskey and wax seal the tap. You’ll get a certificate to commemorate your visit and I’ll bet you make plenty of new friends at your next free camp. The single malt whiskey is world class while the staff are friendly and helpful.

While you’re in Burnie, you ought to check out the Coo-ee Point Free Camp, located to the north and right on the coast. There’s a dump point and fresh water plus rubbish bins. It can be windy, but the penguins who return to their burrows here every night are delightful.

Tasmanians are well known for preserving and protecting their environment and the Lobster Pond Haven is a perfect example of this. The Lobster Ponds offers a unique experience to view and learn about the Giant Freshwater Crayfish. These extraordinary creatures are the largest in the world and exclusive to Tasmania. The tanks and ponds are displayed within the native gardens, so you can enjoy the peaceful, relaxing atmosphere as you learn about these fascinating creatures.

Travelling on, we came to Rocky Cape Tavern and Free Camp, a bright jewel on this trip. On our first night staying at this beaut free camp, we popped into the Rocky Cape Tavern for a refreshing ale and one of their famous $12 specials. As we were sitting back and relaxing, the owner, John, approached us to say that he’d seen the DVDs and was very interested in organising a happy hour with us. We agreed straight away and the next night we gathered everyone in the park and had a fabulous happy hour in the tavern. There happened to be some musicians also camping at Rocky Cape and they provided some wonderful music for entertainment and such a great time was had by all. Of course the friendly owners aren’t the only reason Rocky Cape Tavern is now my favourite free camp in Tasmania, it’s centrally located to any attraction you might want to see in the north-west of Tassie, they have large grassy sites perfect for easy parking and unhitching, they’re dog friendly, they have a dump point and if you’re self-contained your stay will be entirely free – except of  course if you pop over to the Tavern for a $12 special, and how could you not?

The next cape over is Stanley, home to that special scenic free camp you’ve been searching for. You’ll also find The Nut – a 150m high volcanic plug formerly known as Circular Head.

For stunning 360° panoramic views, visitors can climb The Nut or take the chairlift. Rich with history of the Van Diemen’s Land Company and perfectly preserved historical buildings, the town of Stanley has a feeling of being frozen in time around the 1800’s. The blue stone buildings, quaint shops, cafes, hotel and gorgeous sweeping sandy beach will certainly hold your attention and the Stanley Cabin and Tourist Park makes for convenient accommodation. The free camp is called Stanley Recreation Ground and located right on the beach! You couldn’t get closer if you tried. Although occasionally windy, this magnificent campsite has the best views around. However, you must be self contained to stay here.

It’s from Stanley that you can take a cruise up the Arthur River, book Woolnorth Tours and experience ‘The Edge of the World’. The Arthur River is one of Tassie’s last wild rivers, located in the Tarkine Forest region of Tasmania’s North West. Be sure to book a cruise with Arthur River Cruises to be gently drifted up the river, toward The Edge of the World at Gardiner Point. The Edge of the World is aptly named, as it is the longest uninterrupted expanse of ocean in the world. The current sweeps, unimpeded, from Argentina and more than halfway around the planet until it hits this point.

To finish our trip we travelled to Woolnorth, once a giant sheep growing business with over 80,000 woolly bodies to be shorn, it’s now a huge series of dairy farms. Nigel runs Woolnorth tours and took us to an old cook’s cottage. The exterior is as it was in the early 1800’s and paints a picture of how hard that life must have been. All I could do was imagine the wife who cooked meals on a small cast iron stove for all the workers and convicts and her family as well. Tough times no doubt bred tough people.

The Woolnorth Tour also includes a visit to a large windfarm, where clean energy is fed into Tassie’s power grid, and to Cape Grimm – a windswept peak that gives fantastic views of this tall, rugged coastline. There’s also a weather station that monitors the climate but be warned, it can be very windy so be prepared and don’t forget your camera.

There are many stunning regions in Tasmania, but the Wild West coast and the Edge of the World always keep me coming back for more. Until you come here your bucket list will never be complete.