Six days around Tasmania

We have only a few days before we have to fly back to the UK so the amount of Tasmania we can see is quite limited. The rough plan is:

Wednesday	Drive around the D’Entrecasteux peninsular in a hire car to see some rural Tasmania close to Hobart
Thursday	Swap the car for a van, drive to Strahan and see whatever we can of the West Coast
Friday	Drive north west to Stanley
Saturday	Drive half-way across the top to Kelso
Sunday	Drive around the north east corner and down to Coles Bay and Freycinet
Monday	Walk in Freycinet National Park, then head back to Hobart

Around the D’Entrecasteaux Peninsular

As a taster for rural Tasmania, we are driving down and around what we assume is called D’Entrecasteaux

Peninsular, so named because the general area was surveyed in 1792 by Bruni d'Entrecasteaux

Nine Pin Point overlooks the channel

and on the other side is Bruny Island which has a reputation as a great place for wild life. Unfortunately, we do not have the time to go there.

We have no idea why this view is one of “Eggs and Bacon Bay”. One theory is that this might be where Lady Jane Franklin (an 18th century governor's wife) once either ordered or was served eggs and bacon. Believe it if you want to.

The nearby town of Cygnet (so called because D’Entrecasteaux saw swans swimming in the bay there) has its quota of 19th century buildings.

  

Here a general store which looks the same now as it did then (other than a colour change and plate glass)

   

and here an astonishingly beautiful house in remarkably well preserved condition – the town has an “official colour scheme” and both of these buildings have been painted in some of the “official colours”