Date: 8-9th February 2022
Travelled: 135 kms from Stanley to Burnie, Tasmania.
Visited: Marrawah, Arthur River, The Tarkine Drive
Stayed: Cooee Point Reserve, free, S41.03904, E145.87761ย
Budget: 12 days @ $0 per day.
We didnโt escape Stanley until nearly mid-day, so the day was just going to be just about driving west as far as Tasmania allows. Departing Stanley we turn onto the Bass Hwy once again. The Bass Hwy has numerous signs identifying it as the Northern Forage, a bit of a tourist thing like the North Coast 500 in Scotland or the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland.
The single land road is an easy drive with little traffic. As you can see from the photo above the countryside has changed to sweeping grazing country. Itโs mid afternoon when we arrive in Marrawah.
Marrawah has an inn and hall, but more importantly it has a free camp by the Green Point Beach so we continue down to have a look. Itโs a little crowded but we manage a nice level spot on the bitumen so things are looking good. Mind you nowhere is perfect. As the afternoon passes we are sure that Marrawah is Aboriginal for โmany fliesโ.
While the beach looks lovely, itโs windy enough to lift the sand and some how the flies are still annoying. So we decide on a bit of reading and a nap until the sound of our neighbours chatting and drinking is loud enough to force us to go out and join them. Drink in one hand, swat in the other.
The camaraderie continues until just after 8pm when someone says shit we better call it a day. So luckily I had insisted on paying $24 for two scallop pies in Stanley earlier in the day or it would have been a toasted cheese sandwich. If you pass through Stanley, hit Stanley Seafood in Church Street and do yourself a favour.
Having our coffee in the morning we look out the Jayco window and see the flies best friend. Anyway itโs a very grey windy morning in Marrawah, perfect to drive the Tarkine. So we make the Jayco ready once again, say goodbye to our neighbours and drive south for Arthur River.
We cross the Arthur River passing through the village and turn to the โEnd of the Worldโ viewing platform. The guide book tells us with some scepticism that a plaque marks Tasmaniaโs most western point.
Not the ideal morning for wandering the coastline.
We have breakfast at the viewing point before continuing south following the Tarama Road along the coast. The country is low and windswept and apparently home to many Tasmanian Devils. There are numerous signs and sets of ripple strips to slow the traffic obviously to give the Devils a fighting chance to cross the road. Despite keeping an eye out we spot no devils on our drive.
At Couta Rocks we turn east for the Tarkine Drive. Our guide book highlights the Tarkine scenic drive as one of Tasmaniaโs best. No point me writing about it Iโll leave the following gallery to tell the story.
The tourist drive concludes at Roger River. We then continue north rejoining the Bass Hwy and driving east to Burnie. There is an excellent RV stop on the beach at Cooee Point, so we set the Jayco up for the night. Before you can say alcohol twice we start chatting with our neighbours from Queensland, so another debrief starts.
Michael + Pam
