Tassie - Bridport

Well here we go, onto our last destination in Tasmania. Where did those three months go?
North from Hobart, we took the Heritage Hwy to Launceston. Back past all those beautiful historical homes and towns, we just couldn't resist one last coffee stop at Campbelltown, and Oatlands, and Ross, and Longford. Only kidding!! We made one stop in Oatlands, at the Bakery opposite the mill site, in a beautiful old convict built, sandstone building.

Our lovely site at Bridport Caravan Park.

Driving through Launceston, we travelled up the eastern side of the Tamar Valley, through the vineyards and on up to Georgetown, and Low Head at the mouth of the Tamar River. The area around Georgetown is quite industrial. There are two power stations and an aluminium smelter. It is also the point from which electricity is exported and sold across Bass Straight, to Victoria.The area also has a lot of maritime history, as it was a base for pilot ships, for vessels entering the busy trading ports along the Tamar. There are a lot of restored buildings, and historical walks around the area.The caravan park here was to be our fall back if the caravan park at Bridport, which we had heard mixed reports about, was not good. We didn't have to worry, Bridport Caravan Park was great.

On the 1st tee at Barnbougle Lost Farm.

The lady at the caravan park was most helpful. She gave us 6 sites that she thought would suit us, and told us that we were free to choose any site that was vacant. We chose an elevated site opposite a small beach. A walking track went past, just below our site, which gave us a steady stream of locals to talk to. It also provided a pathway into the township, about 15minutes walk. We really loved the site and the town of Bridport. It was a nice little town with all that we needed to survive. Two pubs, a great bakery, lovely little cafe and a good supermarket. What else could you need? Oh I know, two of the worlds best golf courses, just 5 minutes out of town!! The magnificent, and now world acclaimed, Barnbougle Dunes Golf Links, and its new addition, Barnbougle Lost Farm Golf Links, are now a major reason why people visit Bridport, and I have to confess, it was my motivation. Something every golfer has on their bucket list. Now only 93 to go!!

Rolling fairways among the dunes.

A little indulgence please, for the golfers among our readers. www.barnbougledunes.com.au 
www.barnbouglelostfarm.com.au 

A Golfer's dream.

Clubhouse at Barnbougle Lost Farm.

The courses have been designed along the lines of the great Scottish and Irish links courses. The magnificent sand dunes and coastal location were perfect, and renowned course designers Tom Doak and Mike Clayton did the rest. These are Public Golf Courses, both are walk only, and each course has 4 separate tees, to ensure that golfers of both genders and all abilities enjoy their golfing experience. When you add the local rules, that allow balls to be dropped out of fairway divots and footprints in bunkers, as well as lost balls being treated as hazards, thus allowing you to drop a ball near where you lost it, makes it very enjoyable indeed. Big wide fairways, and huge greens, it is an unforgettable golfing experience. The club houses at both courses are excellent, and there is accommodation at both, as well. Barnbougle Dunes has cabins, whilst Barnbougle Lost Farm has a new Resort Hotel with Day Spa and a beautiful restaurant perched atop the dunes, looking down over the course and along the beach. We enjoyed a wonderful long lunch here on our last day. Beautiful fresh local seafood washed down with an excellent local pinot grigio. It doesn't get much better, and was a perfect culinary end to our Tassie adventure.

"Renovators Delight" at Gladstone

Between golfing adventures, we enjoyed the many wonderful coastal walks around Bridport. We took a drive out to another beachside town about 40 kms east, and with the intriguing name of Tomahawk. Apart from some lovely beaches, there is nothing at Tomahawk, apart from lots of fishing shacks. A little further down the road is Gladstone, and having thought that Tomahawk was close to the end of the earth, we soon realised we were wrong. Gladstone is!! We were tempted to pick up a bargain at the local real estate agent, but resisted the temptation. We drove back to Bridport, amazed at how modern and out of order it is with the surrounding area. Beautiful modern homes, both permanent and holiday. One can only assume it is the result of the Barnbougle influence, and that of the nearby premium wineries. Some of Tasmania's best known wineries are in the nearby Piper's River district. Names such as Piper's Brook, and the magnificent Aussie sparkling Jansz, are from this region. Many of the lesser known local wineries are just as good, but it is a shame they are so expensive. The cellar door price for local Pinot Grigio and Pinot Noir is $30 to $40 per bottle. Not many people can afford to drink wine at these prices on an everyday basis. But I guess the answer is they are not everyday drinking wines. Their volumes are small when compared to mainland producers. Their quality is mostly high, so therefore can be sold at premium prices. The great shame is that all wines are not great or even good, yet they command the same pricing!

Relaxing in Bridport

Bridport provided us with mostly good weather and a chance to relax, and reminisce over what has been an amazing time in a wonderful part of our great country. The scenery, the history, the wonderful produce and friendly people, have all made it a time to remember.

So on Friday 20th April, we packed up. This had been a very quiet caravan park with hardly ever more that 10 caravans staying at a time, and when you consider the park has 140 sites, you can look pretty lost! We took the chance to give the caravan a good scrub and wash, before we hitched up and headed for Devonport. We found a parking spot for the caravan and car and then did a last look through the centre of town, with the Spirit of Tasmania looming large in the background.

At around 5.30pm we joined the queue to board the boat, and at 7.30pm we were sitting on the deck, drink in hand, watching the lights of Devonport slide by as we turned around in the Mersey River, and headed out to sea, and our overnight trip to Melbourne. The seas were quite calm, and we enjoyed a smooth sailing.