Hobart Macquarie Probus' 4-day Coach Tour
08 Jan 2020
Hobart Macquarie Probus' 4-day Coach Tour
Recently a group of Members from the Hobart Macquarie Club enjoyed a four day, three night Coach tour which included “touristy spots” in the Tamar Valley and the North East of the Tasmania.
After an early start from Hobart they travelled to the highlands township of Bothwell for morning tea, then via Great Lake and over the rugged Central Highlands for lunch at Deloraine. Leaving Deloraine behind it was down to the Tamar Valley and across the Tamar River via the unique A Framed Batman Bridge to the West Tamar town of Georgetown for dinner and over night.
Next day, back across the Tamar to Beaconsfield, famous as a goldmining centre and the renown rescue (2016) of two miners who were trapped underground for many days. The guided visit/tour of the Beaconsfield Mine & Heritage Centre was interesting and informative as it featured the heritage of the District and a “mock up” of the situation and successful rescue of the trapped miners. It was then along to Beauty Point for lunch and a visit to the Seahorse World & Southern Ocean Aquarium. Juvenile seahorses are raised here and exported live around the globe as aquarium pets/specimens. After lunch it was next door to the Platypus House & “Monotreme Magic” where they came up and close to platypuses and echidnas; the world’s only two monotremes. Back to the Pier Hotel Georgetown for dinner and bed. After dinner as visit was made to Low Head to watch the Little/Fairy Penguins come ashore.
The penultimate and third day was interesting and varied. First they took the Georgetown Heritage Trail along the western shore of the Tamar River, with a visit to the colourful (painted vivid Red & White) Low Head Light House and then back to the Low Head Pilot Station Museum where Low Head’s living history was explored. As well as a museum site the current Low Head Pilot operates from here serving ships plying the Tamar River and Ports of Bell Bay and Beauty Point.
Leaving this area travel was to the North East to the Bass Strait Port and holiday township of Bridport and then to the nearby, unique, well known and picturesque Barnbougle and Lost Farm Golf Links, established on the sand dunes fronting Bass Strait. Having lunch at Barnbougle (no time for a few holes) it was a coach run to the farming township and fertile farming district of Scottsdale. Back on the Coach to overnight at Georgetown.
On the last day all were packed up and on the coach and headed south and home via Longford with a visit and lunch stop at the World Heritage Listed Convict Site; Woolmers Estate est 1817. UNESCO recognition was granted in 2010.
Lunch was taken in restaurant of the recently opened (8th Feb 2018) on site, Nigel Peck Centre, which also comprises two galleries, café and restaurant, meeting rooms and a shop. Nigel Peck AM the great-great-grandson of the original owner of Woolmers (Thomas Archer) with the help of his wife Patricia provided much of the funding for this Centre through public/private partnership.
A welcome sight is the modern creation in the Estate’s original apple orchard, the Rose Garden, which lies between the Nigel Peck Centre and the original buildings of the Estate. The enormous garden contains thousands of species of roses through old varieties to modern cultivars. Each November Woolmers is famous for its “Festival of Roses”.
On the coach for the last time with a mid afternoon arrival at the Club’s “home” the RYCT Sandy Bay.”
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