The END of the WORLD is closer than you think!

 

It’s true…….. on Friday we went to the end of the road. The southern-most road in Australia is at Cockle Creek, Southern Tasmania. When you read the signs surrounding the bronze whale statue, you will learn that it is closer to Antarctica than it is to Cairns. And the wind blowing in off the ocean will not allow you to forget it either! We were all freezing cold.

Just the drive to this most amazing landmark is worth every effort to get here. We stopped at some spots around Southport (in Tasmania, YES it does exist!) Dover, Lune River, and Ida Bay and took in some of the panoramic sights of the crystal blue waters stretching to the Southern Ocean. What an amazing drive! The road from Hounville meanders lazily along the banks of the Huon River and through Esperence Bay.

The kids reached the point where “Dad! it’s just another beautiful bay!” “are we there yet?”

Lunch was partaken of in the only established business in Southport – the local pub! There was a display board inside with a local Giant Crab on it. This had the kids intrigued for a while, so they cornered the barman and asked millions of questions, not all of them related to extremely large crabs. After lunch we pushed on southward. Cockle Creek is almost solely a bush campsite. there were a multitude of caravans, motor-homes and tents stretched along the beachfront campsites. What an idyllic spot to spend a few nights.

Here is some of the scenery we encountered.

AND then bonus of all bonuses! On the way back we received a phone call to say that someone wanted to purchase our old car! Praise the Lord! AND she is willing to pay the asking price. We have already had one sale for the car fall through at the last minute, and we had to negotiate pretty hard for that deal. This one just fell into our laps with very little effort. I think God is just showing off, because as I write this, I have had to tell 2 more people that the car is sold since last Friday.

So now we are all feeling elated and relieved, so we though it was time to relax in a hot bath – or spring – as nature may provide. Hastings Hot Springs are an interesting experience. They have made a swimming pool and diverted water from the springs into it. So it’s like a normal swimming experience in a place where everything thus far has been freezing and unswimmable (for non-Tasmanians).

As a final stop, we saw the most amazing sight in Dover. As we approached the local fishing jetty, it appeared to be completely white, and looked like it was moving! Upon closer inspection, the jetty was completely covered in seagulls. Thousands of them!

Cool, huh!