This blog covers Days 2 and 3 of our trip to the far south of Tasmania to celebrate our 15th Anniversary.
I absolutely loved waking up and taking in the early morning view of the misty Huon River from our attic bedroom window. It was like looking into an painting. It was a very special and beautiful start to our 15th Anniversary. By the time we had a quick breakfast and got going, the light had changed rather dramatically β the mist had lifted and the light was clear and strong. The I can make is the cloudless sunny bright day that magically appears after an early morning frost.
I also loved our walks through the small township. The streetscape is full of character and charm, and it was easy to lose ourselves as we admired the architecture. Equally absorbing was the walk along the waterfront. This section of the river is also famous for its mirror like reflections, and I lost count of how many photos I took of the very friendly duckies, pretty yachts and old school wooden boats at the marina. It was stunning beyond words.
We celebrated our 15th Anniversary with a dinner at the small Italian Osteria @ Petty Sessions. We had heard many glowing reports about this eatery and had been ravenously looking forward to our meal. However, the service wasnt great (on the night we went) and only half the dishes were noteworthy. The pappardelle pasta with lamb ragu was fabulous, as was the tiramisu, but the other dishes were disappointing.
Driving south, the Huon Highway to Geeveston took us along the river through Castle Forbes Bay and Port Huon. We were entering Atlantic Salmon farming country now, with trucks and processing plants reminding us how big the controversial farmed Salmon industry really is. However, we detoured off the main drag a few times to explore the patchwork of orchards and small cattle farms that make up the back roads.
We really acted the part of βtourist to a tee when we kept stopping to take photos of road signs that warned motorists of animals crossing or the particular heavy vehicles β like tractors towing trailers or log trucks β in the area. π
little road stalls with honesty boxes. They predominantly sold apples, but also had Dutch cream potatoes, garlic and all manner of garden vegies and other fruit. One stall sold rare Geeveston Fanny apples, which not only made me chuckle (yes, I have a juvenile sense of humour) but also made me reflect on the resurgence of heirloom apples that are so local and However, our most favourite of all the stalls was the Little Black Fridge road stall, which is exactly as it says β a black fridge on the side of the road (or in front of a house to be exact), stocked with all manner of baked goods. Stymied by a lack of cash (we really seem to be moving into a 100%% life), we bought some Monte Carlo biscuits for the hike the next day, with the promise of returning for more goodies later on.
Geeveston isnt a drawcard in itself, but is a functional hub for the area. Given we wanted to maximise our time at the Toll House, we decided to get Turkish takeaway from Geeveston One Stop for dinner on one of our nights in the far south. We were
there because wed heard their gozlemes (Turkish bread filled with a variety of ingredients) were good. So, we stocked up on chicken kebabs, and gozlemes filled with lamb, and a spinach and feta one. These were very much enjoyed with our ciders on our deck that evening with a gorgeous dusky view of the Huon River flowing past.
Further south of Geeveston sits Dover. Its a small fishing town that curves around the picturesque Port Esperance, with a few interesting streets to explore. We drove around until we found a spot to sit and admire the view of bobbing boats with a ballet of black swans and their cygnets in the foreground.
Dover is literally the last place to buy petrol and supplies on the way south, or to put it another way β its the last petrol stop before the end of the world! And what a quaint BP petrol station it was too.
