Hidden Arthur River Camping Spot

After not getting out camping over the Christmas / New Year period we where pretty keen to get the trailer out and get out and about. Although this time of the year is busy it’s lucky that we have a few hidden gems of spots up our sleeves that we can get all to ourselves, so after a sleep from night-shift and Jacinta knocking of work we where on our way at last for the weekend.  I was dreading the whole week that just my luck there would be someone there but I think I was overreacting as there wasn’t anyone.  So after cleaning up a bit of rubbish left by some scum of the earth we set up camp and instantly turned relax mode on (at last). To top it off the weather was fantastic also so we spent most of the afternoon indulging in beers and swimming.

Creek Near Camp Site

Arthur River from campsite.

There where plenty of insects that bite in fact I’m pretty sure they all did as we are both covered in insect bites, I think this butterfly or moth was about the only thing that didn’t.

The next morning we where off to have a look around the area and once again the weather was going to be great.  I found a short cut on the way to the Victory Springs area but this turned out to be a long way as we where stopping every couple of hundred meters to clear fallen trees and then we came to an area were a bridge had washed out but luckily there was a way around.

Pretty much straight after the crossing there was a big culvert dug into the road to stop people going through it.( It was just a pity they didn’t do it from the end I came in from or I wouldn’t have gone down it) , I wasn’t going back either as the poor cruiser had already coped enough scratches from the overgrown track so we spent an hour or so building up the track to get out  once we got through it was basically another 200m to the main track so we were back on track again as such and on our way for the second time in 12months to try to find the Victory Springs Site.Come across this on the way, not to sure what it is but I’m guessing it has something to do with the timber industry. Victory Springs is a thermal spring that was hit by miners back in the day and once again we didn’t find the site but I will next time and I will swim in it even if it is in the middle of winter. After a bit of disappointment of not finding it we decided to go back to the cave system in the same area that we had visited before Hidden Secrets of the Tarkine (I actually thought we found it then but I have since found out it wasn’t the springs) and have a look, this cave system is part of the Karst Magnesite   system found in northern Tassie believed to be the biggest occurring system in the world.

I did stick my head in and have a look but straight away didn’t like it as I came face to face with a cave spider  and it was very claustrophobic as I would have had to slide along on my fat gut to get in there. So instead of going in we decided to follow the now dry creek bed downstream to see what else we might be able to find in the area and were rewarded as we did actually find a spring Just not the one we were originally looking for.

From here we were on our way back to the car and I was checking the GPS to see if we were going in the right direction and just as I looked up I let out a “Holly F@#K”  and Jacinta Said what’s wrong and about another step away from me, now slithering away was an angry tiger snake

 

 

After this it was very cautious walking back to the car, even though Tassie is a small state you can still be hours and hours away from help sometimes as it is very isolated and generally has horrible phone reception.  From here we went to check out the gate way to isolation and mystery, it is a ford on the Arthur River but the southern side hides a lot of secrets unbeknown to a lot.  There countless waterfalls, cave systems (some believed to have aboriginal paintings in them) and ancient forests.

unfortunately all the forestry tracks that where once in this area are quickly becoming engulfed by the bush once again so the only real way to check some of it out is by walking great distances into the abyss.  There was once upon a time a bridge into the area but this was destroyed back in the 70ies for whatever reason

Old bridge Site and looking towards the Ford from the bridge.

From here it was back to camp to have lunch and a swim and then relax with a few beers and enjoy the spot for the rest of the afternoon.

Now this will come as a surprise to some as it did me but the water was absolutely beautiful you didn’t get a shock from how cold the water was but got a shock from how nice it actually was and was also great relief from the hot sticky day it was.  That evening we tried some fishing but once again failed so I got the drone out and caught the beautiful sunset.

The next morning we were awoken to the sound of rain, although forecast it was unexpected but it didn’t last long at all and by 9 the rain had cleared and the sun came out with fury and it was horrible for the next hour or so as there was no wind so it was like been in a sauna so just standing still for me I was soaked with sweat so the best place was in the River again to keep cool but we couldn’t stay there for ever so unfortunately we got out and went for a bit of a poke around whilst everything dried and then packed up and went home dreading going back to reality.

Hope you enjoyed

Cheers

Brendan & Jacinta

Full Video here.