Wednesday, 14th April .....

We’ve been home for two days so it’s time we were off again. We’ve started to refine our packing and have a few more clothes and food for a longer trip. I’m keen to spend a few days at Narawntapu National Park which is about 50Km from Deloraine. It’s lunchtime before we’re ready to drive out. I know that it will take us another hour to have lunch at home so I suggest we go anyway and stop somewhere along the road for a picnic.

Five or six kilometres out, Marilyn realises she has forgotten the bread. It’s just as well she remembers now as we are able to stop at ETC at Elizabeth Town. Any later, and we would have had to make a lengthy detour to stock up. Parramatta Creek is the choice for a lunchtime stop, before turning off the highway at Sassafras to head for Narawntapu.

This is the first park in Tasmania to be given an aboriginal name. It is on the coast not far from Port Sorell. We have a beautiful site among mangroves and casuarina trees. There are lots of animals and birds around and the place comes alive at dusk.

Camped across from us are two middle-aged women with a Corolla and tent. They seem to be pretty well organized and know what they are doing. We’ve only managed to say hello to them as they are keeping pretty much to themselves

Not far from them is Mike who is traveling alone in a Jayco Heritage van pulled by a Territory. He has recently retired from the Public Service and we had an interesting chat about his time as State Director of Disability Services.

Marilyn and I did a fantastic walk today, through a ti tree forest and coastal heath, then across some sand dunes on to a beautiful deserted beach. The round trip took about 90 minutes.

Tomorrow, we have to go up to Launceston for the day but will leave the van here and come back to it tomorrow evening.

I’ve just finished The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest so, for a change of pace, I’ve started The Ancestor’s Tale by Richard Dawkins. I’ve read a few of his books and articles and find his explanations of evolution fascinating. Mike recommended The Book Thief so I’ve added that to my list.