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Published: September 12th 2014
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WILD TASMANIA...Mt William N.P. They returned to Winmalee in the Blue Mountains with sirens screaming...heavy smoke....bushfires raging.
A firey stopped them near their home.
"You cannot enter. What is your address?"
"Oh...I'm very sorry...you are too late...your house has gone."
There we were...pristine beach wilderness...wind raging...surf pounding...cheese and bikkies...wine and beer...sharing with our new friends.
Just them and us...the very north-east tip of Tasmania...Mt William National Park.
You don't hear better stories...than in an out of the way place...like right here.
******
Left Nawawntapu N.P. after hot showers and a chat with Peter the Tassie ranger...no idea that would be our last shower for I won't tell you how many days.
Through deep gullies of giant grey gums...haven't been to Californian redwoods...but these were really tall.
No idea then that on this part of the trip I'd become enamoured...with these that were really small.
Our agenda is to buy some fold up chairs, visit the Bridestowe Lavendar Farm at Naboula, grab some provisions, and spend a few days in sand & surf wilderness.
Denise's loves the driving and I don't mind it either...feet up...concentating on my
important duties...changing the music...bit of map reading...gotta ensure a girl has a good time.
Stopped at Beauty Point on the Tamer...Seahorse World & Platypus World...cultivating seahorses for the Asian market...$78 for two to tour both sites...platypuses, echidnas and heaps of seahorses.
Beaconsfield for fold-up chairs...Batman Bridge across the river...North via Georgetown to Bridestowe Lavendar Farm...pictures of it on the covers of Tassie Tour Guides.
But first a sign that introduced us to a highlight of Tasmania...big red plump delicious cherries...$10 a kilo...first of many bags consumed...raspberry, blackberry and cherry jams...flavours determined by the soil colours they are grown in.
The Lavendar farm since 1922...massive car park...hills of striped mauve rows...many like me vying for that iconic shot.
Scottsdale for provisions...time to head N.E. for an hour and a half and find a spot to camp.
******
Mt William National Park Got a tip that Scrubby Beach was full so headed up to Top Camp.
The road ran out at Musselroe Bay...RHT along scrubby track for a few kms...then suddenly a dip...lagoon RHS...Beach LHS...track sweeping into paradise...colours spectacular.
A large open area with picnic tables...a pit toilet...two
sites with 4WDs and tents...balance empty.
So we parked and set up camp between them.
An American..."What are you doing? You can't have a fire here unless you bring your own wood in."
A New Zealander..."Come and join us around our fire."
And that's how we spent New Years Eve with Grant & Margaret...NZ Diplomats from Canberra with their 3 children...swapping lots of yarns and laughs around the campfire...a really memorable NYE...why camping can be among one's most pleasurable experiences.
Den's mobile rang at 3 a.m...shades of Timbuktu...this time it was our daughter ringing from Paris...and this time not asking how to start the car. Amazing we could get reception...signal dropping in and out...amazing all the same.
******
The seagulls crowding the trees...watching the Americans and New Zealanders leave...sad to see Grant and Margaret leave...left us their firewood...great company.
There's something kinda nice being alone in such a beautiful place.
The sand was whiter than white...the water like blue emerald...the wind whispering sweet nothings to only us that were there.
Sounds idyllic and it was.
A vehicle pulls up...like a tortoise with wheels with a house on its back.
And out popped Tony & Glenda from Winmalee...usually traversing deserts...3 months exploring Tassie for a change...some people have all the luck.
When you meet a guy who has an Inverter voltage converter that can charge camera batteries in the middle of nowhere...its kinda easy to bond.
But when he wears a pair of strides as cool as the ones he had...fait de complet...you know you're in good company.
So we went for a walk along the beach..
Denise and Glenda like old mates...Tony and I like brothers in arms.
The dunes ahead ancient and awesome...the glistening beach sand like an easel of light.
We wander among the dunes...the girls going back ahead...small dots in the distance while Tony and I dallied.
Photographing the dunes...furrows of wind carved strokes...little things thrown onto the sand by the tide...then rearranged with the next wave...little moments in time...captured by our lens.
I've never photographed like this before...nor had Tony.
Our creative juices flowing...laughing...glowing...showing each other our LEDs...artistic pics of little things...male artistic bonding.
Then it started to rain.
The girls commenting when we came in...that look on our faces...first of many connections...proud
to now know them as our friends.
******
The rain fell...spitting at us at first...then steadier.
Under our rollout awning...brie with crackers...cherries & raspberries...beer & wine...yarns you only hear out here.
They had returned to Winmalee in the Blue Mountains with sirens screaming...heavy smoke....bushfires raging.
A firey stopped them near their home.
"You cannot enter. What is your address?"
"Oh...I'm very sorry...you are too late...your house has gone."
Time stops...hold our breath.
"No...can't be...Number 7 ***Street!"
"Oh...sorry...it was Number 7***Street...sorry...the street next to yours!"
You could feel the relief as we sat there...awning dripping...wind howling.
Life's like that...sometimes disaster avoided by a whisker...sometimes not so lucky.
Then the wind ripped the awning off it's plastic housing secured to our van...can't believe it's plastic.
Lucky we can turn the front seats so four can sit around the little table. "Let's adjourn inside?"
******
The rain has stopped this morning but the wind is still howling.
Tony & I still buzzing from our photo session the day before...my camera batteries fully charged...how lucky am I?
So we went back onto the beach for a
walk...Denise & Glenda brewing coffee...munching on Chrissie cake...off you go boys.
The surf was up...white tips tossing little things onto the beach...next wave whipping them about.
So so different from the day before when the waves neatly arranged the little things...not so this day...totally different photographic experience.
Around the lagoon...the tiny hill that is Mt William beckoning Tony & Glenda to climb.
We'll leave you to it...sorry to say goodbye...could stay in this spot for many days but we have many more places to go...maybe see you somewhere else on the road.
Yep...we did see them again a number of times...but that's another story.
Mt William N.P...magic spot we'll always remember...white sand glistening...emerald blue waves dancing...trees bending in the wind waving...and little things.
Relax & Enjoy,
Dancing Dave
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
Wow, wow, wow
Glad you are in charge of changing the music Dave. The fires bring such sadness. Glad you escape tragedy. Looks like your time in the National Park was grand. Amazing photos once again.