The highway took us through the centre of Hobart before we headed South West towards Kingston and Huonville. We arrived in good time and got set up at the Franklin Foreshore Reserve. This low cost reserve is run by volunteers and the council and is very well laid out. There is a public amenity block which is dated but clean. There is also a station to fill up your drinking water and a dump point. Cost is a very reasonable $10/night with the 4th night free. A volunteer comes around each evening to collect the monies and provide receipts. He also provided us with maps of the area along with a few local highlights. We both got a spot directly opposite the Huon River and had beautiful views. Well done council!
Once we got our caravans setup we did a small walk around Franklin. It's not a big community but quite pretty with lots of historic old buildings. We took a drive into Huonville in the afternoon to visit the Visitor Centre and pick up a few groceries at Woolworths. The evening was nice and calm so we enjoyed drinks down at a picnic table by the water. Lovely river with reflections of mountains and swans.
Friday we headed off to Hobart to pick up Carol and Stephen who were having their Ranger serviced at the Ford dealership there. We met them at the Visitor Centre and spent a few hours walking along the harbour area. It was quite calm again so we got some nice reflection shots along the water. Toured through the Salamanca shopping district as well before enjoying a nice meal at Irish Murphy's.
After lunch we decided to do a drive and headed East from Hobart to Richmond. We travelled through some pretty countryside which has quite a few small vineyards. The girls did a bit of retail therapy in Richmond which has some lovely old stores but was unfortunately very expensive. A bit like Morpeth or Berry in NSW. We did a bit of walking and got some lovely pictures of a few old churchs and the oldest bridge in Australia (1823). Lovely little town with lots of history. We enjoyed some delicious ice cream at Coal Valley Creamery before heading back towards Hobart. Some of the best we've enjoyed and all but one flavour was gluten free (gluten free waffle cones as well)!
We stopped at a cheese place on the return journey to kill a bit more time. Dropped the Ransleys off about 4PM to pick up their Ranger and headed back towards Franklin. Stopped in Huonville briefly to top up our diesel. Another beautiful afternoon along the river! As a special treat we enjoyed a lovely fish and chip dinner from the local fish shop. Girls were able to have Gluten free battered fish, potato scallops, and chips! Lovely!
Saturday we awoke to gloomy wet conditions but headed off in the Jeep for a tour South of Franklin. Our first stop was at Geeveston which is another quaint little village. Girls did a bit of shopping while Rans and I checked out the Visitor Centre. Would be a good place to stay as they currently have a couple of low cost options ($5/night) at the Heritage Park and RSL. We also checked out another low cost option at Port Huon Regatta Point which was lovely but not quite as level as Franklin.
We continued South to Dover where we checked out the caravan park. Not too enticing and not even on the water. We kept heading South towards Southport where again we were somewhat disappointed. The weather was poor and the roads were not any better. Rans and I had a beer at the southernmost pub in Australia but wasn't very memorable and we won't be returning any time soon. Not anywhere near the water and not historic/beautiful or any other reason to return! We drove down to Southport Beach which again was uninspiring.
On the return journey we took the scenic coastal route. My famous last words were that it couldn't be much worse than the main highway. Wrong again! The road as usual was posted at 100KM but I was lucky to hit 40-50. Narrow, winding, wet, and hilly! Some lovely views along the coast but of course no safe place to pull over to enjoy or take photos. We did find a few opportunities for photos near Dover and along the Huon towards Franklin again. Quite a long days drive although not far in distance. As usual the weather cleared near Franklin in the late afternoon and we had another nice evening near the water.
We woke Sunday with heavy clouds and rain. The girls eventually braved the elements to go to the local market across the street. Pretty quiet day hiding from the weather until it again cleared off in the afternoon. Had a few nice moments in the sun near the river again before the cold and rain set it. All in all a wonderful place to camp but wish we had be favoured with a bit warmer drier weather!
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