Riviera of the North
Tasmania Take 2 Tour: Day 27
Wednesday January 30, 2019
Bridport
It was hard to leave the beautiful Mt William National Park. Even the Bennett Wallabies were hard to leave. They’re obviously been fed by campers in the past and are not shy to approach us even with a joey in the pouch. Before breaking camp we watched one forage with its joey right by our camp table.
We drove west towards Launceston following the north coast of Tasmania. We detoured through farmland towards another small coast settlement of Tomahawk. It was a really nice slice of old time coastal community – stunning beaches, crystal clear water and populated by small fibro fishing shacks. As it was mid-week we saw no people about, not one living soul. It felt a bit surreal being so deserted.
Driving further west we attempted to visit another coastal community, Waterhouse but gave up when the unsealed road became too rough for our poor city car.
We had no idea what to expect from the next town on our westward route -Bridport. It was a pleasant surprise, a lovely thriving coastal community with beautiful sandy beaches and crystal clear ocean. And on this particular day the weather was perfect – little wind and very warm so we decided to stay for the rest of the day. We pitched our tent in the caravan and camping area by the beach and went for a swim.
We learnt a little bit more about the history of the town on our late afternoon walk around town. In the 1920s Bridport was a popular holiday destination, being referred to as The Riviera of the North. Being relatively close to Launceston it is still a popular summer destination.
Reading the paper after dinner we discovered that we had a lucky escape from the South Coast. So pleased we made the decision to leave Cockle Creek when we did, otherwise our road out would have been cut off by the ongoing wildfires.
