LEODESTRAVELOZZ

20160221  Kempton has a free camp with power and as our sola is low because there’s no bloody sun that was to be our next stop.  Kempton, originally called Green Pond was established as military station in 1828.  The streetscape, with its inn, church and shops is apparently very much like it was in the 19 th century.  The town was named Kempton after Anthony Kemp who brought the first land grant. This model of times gone by stands at the entrance of the town. Powers on, now to walk the town and this impressive arch is the war memorial of Kempton, behind it is part of the old probation station which it’s most famous prisoners were a group of Canadians who revolted in  favour  of joining the United States of America in 1840. St Peter’s Catholic Church was built in 1886, today it is being turned into a luxury residence. Look! said Des, this is the first Church of England I’ve seen, and your point is, I said, well, I’m Church of England...

20160224   In a valley on the Clyde River lies the town of Hamilton, once a bustling town with several working breweries, a string of hotel and a roaring illegal liquor trade.   These days the town is a little quieter and it has the feel of a village in the 1800s with many of the town’s few small shops dating back to convict times. The sandstone built Hamilton Inn is dated back to 1834 and now serves as a cafe and a hotel after 4pm. Theirs free camping and the first pay showers we have found in Tassie so we stayed the night and Des shouted me lunched at the old Inn. 25-02-2016  New Norfolk was the third settlement to be undertaken in Tasmania, after Hobart and Launceston.  In 1807 the European population on the Derwent was “483 starving persons”, the food supplies were so low that convicts were sent out into the bush to kill kangaroos for meat issues from the stores. This massive hedge stands out as we entered New N...

 Here we go again climbing up the windy roads to the mountain range, I can understand why the bikes love riding in good old Tassie and trust me there are lots of bikes. After leaving Queenstown we climbed the once mountainous landscape of Lyell Hwy to much devastation caused from the mining activity over a 100 years ago.  Stripped in the 1890s and 1900s to provide wood for the mines smelting furnaces but it is slowly grown back. We stopped at Derwent Bridge to check out the 35m high Nelson Falls the and its only a 20 min return trip. The Wall In The Wilderness is Australia’s most aspiring art project undertaken in recent years.  Greg Duncan, creator/designer plans to carve the history of the highlands in 100 metres of timber, most of which will be in the rare Huon Pine, well worth a look. Each panel is 1 metre wide and 3 metres high and the panels will be placed back to back so, by the time it is finishe...

20160220 Entering Queenstown and yes we’ve been here before also but not for a good look.  And guess what? Yep, it’s another old mining town packed with loads of history and lovely old buildings. The first thing that’s that grabs your attention as you enter the town are the murals depicting the town’s history. The monument honour's the simple minors of old Queenstown. One of Queenstown’s major attraction is the restored Steam Train which takes you for a for hour trip through the mountains at $90 a head, a 4 hour train ride didn’t appeal to me. One of the town’s quirky displays sits outside a 2 nd hand shop, the lady said it’s the only man to have. Look! Des just found his 6ft 8 twin brother and of all places, in the bottle shop and you wouldn’t guess it but he was a basketball player in his day. The Empire Hotel was once a thriving pub, built in 1901 it dates back to the wealth of the mining era at the turn of the 20 th Century.   I...