Archive for April, 2010

Reasons To Stay In Richmond, Tasmania

Monday, April 26th, 2010

The small town of Richmond, near Hobart in Tasmania, is best known for having the oldest bridge in Australla. Built by convicts in 1823 it is indeed a nice bridge, but there’s more to Richmond than that. For some it may even be a viable alternative to staying in Hobart.

The aspect which first struck me was that the whole town has historic charm, not just the bridge. Hobart was the first place settled by Europeans in Australia outside of Sydney, and towns like Richmond followed soon after. It has retained enough of its old buildings to keep a historic ambience, which complements its small-town appeal. In short, it has more character than your average Aussie town and is a pleasure to stroll around.

Another of Richmond’s assets is its bakery. Near the middle of town, the Richmond Bakery boasts a large range of yummy baked goods, with a cafe so you can dine in with a coffee. When I’ve been there the coffee was good (not quite excellent), but the food was wonderful. Suffice to say, the Richmond Bakery is one of my favourites in Tasmania. If you’re into bakery food, the bakery alone is reason to stop in Richmond.

Proximity to Hobart is another plus. You do get some weekend crowds from the city, but most of the time Richmond feels like a small country town. A range of hills forms a sort of barrier between Richmond and the sprawl of Hobart, whose centre is just 24km away. For anyone wanting to explore Hobart but preferring a quiet country base to return to, Richmond is a good solution if you have your own transport … particularly if you use caravan parks.

Hobart doesn’t have any centrally located caravan parks. If you’re staying in a campervan, caravan, or any of the other caravan park options, choices for Hobart are limited to the outer suburbs or fringes. In my opinion, if you’re going to have to commute, you may as well commute a little bit further and stay somewhere nicer than a suburb. I’ve stayed in a few caravan parks around Hobart, and liked the one at Richmond best. Not so much for the park itself, but the town it sits next to.

On my last Tasmanian trip, when I was driving a campervan, I enjoyed a stay at the Richmond caravan park. A very pleasant way to start the day was to walk the 10 or 15 minutes to the river. Then stroll along the river bank, near the historic bridge, soaking up the peace and stillness of a new day dawning. Then walk to the bakery for a nourishing (or otherwise) breakfast, followed by the return walk to the van, fortified for the day ahead. Exploring Hobart is then an easy drive over the hill.

Without your own transport, it makes sense to stay in the city when visiting Hobart. But with your own wheels Richmond can be a pleasant base - or, at the very least, a good walk and eat stop on the way to somewhere else.

More information:
Historic Richmond Village Tasmania

Topics: Accommodation, Tasmania | Add Your Comment »

Salmon Beach, WA

Saturday, April 17th, 2010

Rugged, pristine, scenic, isolated and deserted … If you like walking along beaches fitting that description, then you might like Salmon Beach. Just don’t expect to go for a swim there.

The Salmon Beach I’m referring to (there are probably others) is in the southwest corner of Western Australia, in the D’entrecasteau National Park. It’s just a few kilometres west of Windy Harbour, whose name provides a clue as to why swimming isn’t recommended. This part of the coast feels the full force of winds and swells sweeping up from the southern ocean, making the beaches a little windswept and rough for much of the time (but not all the time). Windy Harbour itself has sheltered swimming, but not Salmon Beach.

I found Salmon Beach when visiting the coastal cliffs at Windy Harbour. From this tiny hamlet of shacks and campsites, a nicely paved road winds up to the top of the spectacular cliffs nearby. The cliffs and dramatic coastal views are the main drawcard here, and provide good reasons to visit the area. A number of side roads branch off to lookouts, and one of the first you come to takes you the short distance to the Salmon Beach parking area.

A viewpoint just before the beach gives a preview of what you’ll find - unspoiled beach and cliffs, wild and untamed. If you visit outside of summer and holiday periods, you’ll probably have it all to yourself. If you don’t, it still won’t be crowded.

A short walk from the car park through dunes puts you on the beach. In one direction you see limestone cliffs rising sharply out of the sea, usually with waves smashing on the rocks at their base. In the other direction - a stretch of sand backed by high dunes, with more cliffs further on. What you won’t see is anything man-made, other than human visitors. The only developments on this beach are those brought about by erosion, climate and sea level changes.

So what can you do here? Salmon Beach isn’t somewhere you’d go to swim or sunbathe (although it’s possible if conditions are just right), but it’s a great place for beach walks. Also playing in the sand, or just chilling out watching waves crashing or storm clouds passing by. Beach fishing may be another option, but as a total non-fisher I’m not qualified to comment.

As someone who loves to relax and soak up the sounds, sights and smells of a wild beach, I do feel qualified to say that Salmon Beach is a great spot for that sort of passive nature appreciation. The sunsets can be delightfully moody too. And it’s somewhere that those with conventional vehicles can access the sort of unspoiled beach you’d often need a four wheel drive to get to.

Topics: Beaches, Western Australia | Add Your Comment »