Now before we begin our exploration of Adventure Bay we have to get one thing straight.....it's name. Given the significant history of early nautical exploration with which this bay is inexorably linked, and the trials and tribulations faced by those intrepid seafarers, one could reasonably imagine that the name given to it was based on the activities of those who first discovered it.
Not so, dear readers. Adventure Bay was named by Captain Tobias Furneaux (an Englishman despite his French sounding name) in 1773 after his ship, 'HMS Adventure'....but more of all this later.
The weather had finally lifted and we were out and about at last. The BI Berry Farm and a hoof along the Adventure Bay shoreline were on the agenda, but firstly I must return to the day of our arrival.
Apart from all else for which this area is known and famous, it is also home to an animal oddity....white wallabies. The southern end of Adventure Bay is the only place in Australia where these can be found. The lack of predators on BI has meant that these unique animals have been able to flourish, and they have become quite sociable, congregating and feeding as often as not in the home gardens in this section of the Adventure Bay township.
As we drove around the town on our first orientation trip, we were on the lookout. And sure enough, through the railings of a home fence we spotted one, pink ears upright as it looked up from munching away on the lawn.
Needless to say we came to a screeching halt hoping that we would not scare it away before I had a better shot. We now accept without question the comment that these animals are so used to humans that they will usually completely ignore our presence unless they feel threatened. That's exactly what happened.
This wonderfully white wallaby was soon back to its evening meal,
although it did take the time to check me out as I struggled for a close-up. These are far from ideal photos, but at least we had proved the white wallabies of Adventure Bay were not mere myths designed to draw gullible gawkers to the area.
So let's now move on to a wider exploration of this area of BI, beginning with a trip to the berry farm.
This began with a drive north from our caravan park along the foreshore road towards the Adventure Bay 'CBD', such as it is.
Firstly we passed the local bowls clubhouse, which advertises bar facilities each afternoon for club members and visitors alike.
We had taken advantage of this offer a few days previously, and even before we had made our way into the excellent facilities here, Liz had a flutter of excitement as she pointed to another flutter....those of the wings of a most delightful little bird the like of which we had only seen once before (in New South Wales).
As we watched expectantly it snatched the bug it had been chasing and settled briefly on the nearby fence rail as the shutter on my camera nearly went into meltdown.
After a number of fluffed focus efforts, I finally managed a close-up, which confirmed our initial thoughts. This was indeed a Flame Robin. What a handsome fellow he was!
But I digress again.....the 'main' road took us past the bowling greens and the local tennis courts,
the Adventure Bay general store (which was quite well stocked, but as expected, expensive),
and the simple but distinctive building which housed the congregation of the Adventure Bay church.
From here we continued on north out of the township
and climbed though the tall timber
and past the roadside ferns which are typical of this part of the island.
until we reached the Adventure Bay Road entrance to the BI Berry Farm.
With all the promotional boards and flags this was impossible to miss.
We edged our way up the narrow, water scoured dirt driveway
past Resolution Creek which flows into the bay quite close by.
Beyond the farm lake we could see the farm shop and the car park behind it.
Once parked, we could look out over the rows of berry bushes and fruit trees
in what seemed to us to be a quite small area.
Near a gateway into the production area just past the farm shop
a large notice posted the rules for those who wished to pick berries. Just as well we were not in the market...not even the strawberries were on for today.
As for the shop, well.......! We did venture in briefly through the crowd of overseas tourists, fought our way to the counter and, after one glance at the menu, fought our way back out again. At the prices being sought we had no yen for a scone with jam, a berry ice cream or a waffle....we decided to leave that for those who actually carry a yen or a yuan (and plenty of them) in their pockets!
By the time we made our way back down the driveway, we both agreed that the best thing about the BI Berry Farm was the view out over Adventure Bay,
where today, just beyond the mouth of Resolution Creek, the surf was pumping,
much to the delight of a few hardy souls who were donning wet suits and
scurrying down the slope to the catch the breakers below.
Before we leave this end of Adventure Bay which is know as Coal Point, and begin our foot slog along the southern foreshore, I must share this sight with you.
Coal Point Cottage, nestled below the stand of tall trees on the steep slopes behind it, was without doubt one of the most charming (non-historical) stone houses we had seen since arriving in Tasmania.
Mind you, we were soon to see several more homes of distinction but these were at the southern end of the bay. Firstly we had to get there, this time under our own steam.
Before we headed off to the far end of this remarkably sheltered stretch of water we returned briefly to the foreshore opposite the town store, where we had previously spotted this rather quaint looking structure overlooking the beach.
At first glance we both thought that this piece looked somewhat esoteric, and having read
the explanatory words on a brass plaque on the approach pathway this initial impression was significantly reinforced!
At this point a walk down onto the beach (on a previous day) provided (somewhat gloomy) views over the broad sweep of sand south to Fluted Head
and north to Calm Corner. And calm it was, as indeed this great historical anchorage is most of the time, sheltered from the worst of the weather by the headlands at either end.
Just beyond our caravan park entrance in the other direction we came across another set of foreshore monuments, but these were of a completely different stripe.
Now we were into the local history. This rather insignificant looking memorial
paid tribute to the Englishman who first discovered and named Adventure Bay (after his ship, remember) and his far more famous seafaring countryman who followed him just under four years later.
Set into this strange looking low brick wall were stone tablets which also marked
events of the past which had a bearing on the present.
Firstly we passed the local bowls clubhouse, which advertises bar facilities each afternoon for club members and visitors alike.
We had taken advantage of this offer a few days previously, and even before we had made our way into the excellent facilities here, Liz had a flutter of excitement as she pointed to another flutter....those of the wings of a most delightful little bird the like of which we had only seen once before (in New South Wales).
As we watched expectantly it snatched the bug it had been chasing and settled briefly on the nearby fence rail as the shutter on my camera nearly went into meltdown.
After a number of fluffed focus efforts, I finally managed a close-up, which confirmed our initial thoughts. This was indeed a Flame Robin. What a handsome fellow he was!
But I digress again.....the 'main' road took us past the bowling greens and the local tennis courts,
the Adventure Bay general store (which was quite well stocked, but as expected, expensive),
and the simple but distinctive building which housed the congregation of the Adventure Bay church.
From here we continued on north out of the township
and climbed though the tall timber
and past the roadside ferns which are typical of this part of the island.
until we reached the Adventure Bay Road entrance to the BI Berry Farm.
With all the promotional boards and flags this was impossible to miss.
We edged our way up the narrow, water scoured dirt driveway
past Resolution Creek which flows into the bay quite close by.
Beyond the farm lake we could see the farm shop and the car park behind it.
Once parked, we could look out over the rows of berry bushes and fruit trees
in what seemed to us to be a quite small area.
Near a gateway into the production area just past the farm shop
a large notice posted the rules for those who wished to pick berries. Just as well we were not in the market...not even the strawberries were on for today.
As for the shop, well.......! We did venture in briefly through the crowd of overseas tourists, fought our way to the counter and, after one glance at the menu, fought our way back out again. At the prices being sought we had no yen for a scone with jam, a berry ice cream or a waffle....we decided to leave that for those who actually carry a yen or a yuan (and plenty of them) in their pockets!
By the time we made our way back down the driveway, we both agreed that the best thing about the BI Berry Farm was the view out over Adventure Bay,
where today, just beyond the mouth of Resolution Creek, the surf was pumping,
much to the delight of a few hardy souls who were donning wet suits and
scurrying down the slope to the catch the breakers below.
Before we leave this end of Adventure Bay which is know as Coal Point, and begin our foot slog along the southern foreshore, I must share this sight with you.
Coal Point Cottage, nestled below the stand of tall trees on the steep slopes behind it, was without doubt one of the most charming (non-historical) stone houses we had seen since arriving in Tasmania.
Mind you, we were soon to see several more homes of distinction but these were at the southern end of the bay. Firstly we had to get there, this time under our own steam.
Before we headed off to the far end of this remarkably sheltered stretch of water we returned briefly to the foreshore opposite the town store, where we had previously spotted this rather quaint looking structure overlooking the beach.
At first glance we both thought that this piece looked somewhat esoteric, and having read
the explanatory words on a brass plaque on the approach pathway this initial impression was significantly reinforced!
At this point a walk down onto the beach (on a previous day) provided (somewhat gloomy) views over the broad sweep of sand south to Fluted Head
and north to Calm Corner. And calm it was, as indeed this great historical anchorage is most of the time, sheltered from the worst of the weather by the headlands at either end.
Just beyond our caravan park entrance in the other direction we came across another set of foreshore monuments, but these were of a completely different stripe.
Now we were into the local history. This rather insignificant looking memorial
paid tribute to the Englishman who first discovered and named Adventure Bay (after his ship, remember) and his far more famous seafaring countryman who followed him just under four years later.
Set into this strange looking low brick wall were stone tablets which also marked
events of the past which had a bearing on the present.
Frankly it was an odd little collection, a bit of an historical hotch-potch really,but the whole business had clearly attracted the participation of a few Australian luminaries namely a Deputy Premier, a knighted Vice Admiral, the Speaker of the Federal House of Assembly and a Consular Agent.
Whilst I applauded the recognition of our early explorers, both French and English, and the gravitas provided by the participation of those mentioned, the end result just seemed completely underwhelming and a bit tatty. Surely D'Entrecasteaux, Furneaux (I still struggle with the fact that he was English not French!) Cook (and Bligh, as we would learn later) who braved so much to put Tasmania and mainland Australia on the world map deserved more than this.
Ah, well, ruminating thus we walked on, further south along the pseudo walking trail between the road and the foreshore
until we reached the next milestone, the road bridge over the Captain Cook Creek.
This reasonably substantial waterway ran behind our caravan park
and emptied into Adventure Bay a short distance downstream from the bridge on which I was standing.
We continued to wander along Adventure Bay Road, past a few of the many holiday homes which line the foreshore
until I stopped at a point just above the mouth of the Captain Cook Creek from where the houses which line the foreshore hills in the little area known as Cookville came into view through the gloom for the first time.
Here the road was overlooked by the one of the much more substantial homes we were to find at this end of the bay, complete with its large and very well maintained rock wall gardens.
A little further on we passed the fascinating looking Bligh Museum, targeted immediately for a visit on our return tramp.
But for now our march towards Cookville continued unabated.
We had already discovered that Adventure Bay was no different from much of the rest of BI in that the style and age of some homes made it clear that some had been enjoying life here for some time,
(and possibly had too much of it on their hands!)
whilst others had clearly set up house much later.
This end of Adventure Bay also sported a number of modern holiday rental houses and apartments which I was reliably informed would not have a spare bed for rent right throughout the summer school holiday period and beyond.
And then, for others, holiday life here would have been much cheaper, but I'll warrant no less enjoyable.
We had now reached the point where the road crossed the second of the two Adventure Bay creeks, the much smaller Bligh Creek.
The advertising boards at the entrance to a car park just before the bridge announced the BI base for the very well known Bruny Island Cruises. These take folk out on a fast boat ride around the southern coast of BI, providing, by all accounts, spectacular views of the coastal cliffs, columns and caves as well as some of the local sea life such as seals dolphins and possibly whales (in season).
I had planned to take this tour, but the weather intervened. Unlike those gathered here awaiting their marching orders to the nearby jetty for boarding (you will see what I mean in a jiffy), I was not prepared to shell out a tad under $150 to belt around on large remnant ocean swells under grey skies with the ever present threat of more rain and limited coastal views.
Instead we plodded steadily onwards, past the Bligh Creek mouth from where we could see the tour boats gathering at the jetty.
At this point Adventure Bay Road swept around to the left following the curve of the shore below the hills behind it and here we came to what we have christened the town's 'Knob Hill'.
The standout for us was the impressive edifice which sat high above its neighbours at the head of its long curved driveway.
Complete with wide, fully glassed in decks which offered unlimited views over the beautiful stone walled gardens and the bay beyond, with a sturdy fishing boat at the ready near the roadway, this did arouse the considerable envy of your scribe.
It even came complete with a metal garden statue of what life was all about here,
but I have to admit it was this sight which brought me back to earth and staunched the dreaming. The Tassie cold respects no man or woman and we don't 'do cold' any more if it can be helped (apart from trips like this one!)
By now the road around the southern end of the bay had begun its climb around the headland. We did the same,
past some interesting driveways leading to 'bush retreats'
and one of the more swanky Adventure Bay holiday accommodation businesses.
Beyond this point holiday and permanent homes were clustered on the slope above the road, but we were more interested in watching what was going on below
where the cruise craft were beginning to jostle for position at the loading jetty.
Remember the group congregated at the cruise office and my comment about 'marching orders'? Well, here they come, around the bend
and off down to the jetty
where all was bustle and excitement as they were shepherded aboard their respective craft
and helped into the obligatory (and very necessary) red waterproof jackets for the trip.
And then they were off, rapidly, across the calm waters of the bay and out into the swells of the Southern Ocean below Fluted Cape and beyond. We wished them well and hoped the seas were not too gnarly.
Meantime, for us it was about turn and a jaunt back to the museum, but not before we heard the tell-tale high pitched 'peep, peep' which could mean only one thing......perhaps.
Spotted it....almost indistinguishable against the green leaf background. This was the Tasmanian Green Rosella, the least colourful of the species, and found only on this island.
Now I think it fair to say that neither Liz nor I could be described as dedicated 'twitchers', but we do keep our ornithological eyes open, and this quite shy and elusive bird was a real find.....a BI bonus!
As we wandered back to the museum building, I did spot something I had missed on the outward leg of this ramble, and this, unlike the Green Rosella, was colourful. Never let it be said that those of Adventure Bay lack imagination when it comes to house decoration....but super sized coloured pencils?
There was no such ostentation at the Bligh Museum but this was 'history on a stick', even the building itself.
Initially I could not quite understand why the good doctor chose the name of 'Bligh' for this enterprise, given the company he was in (Bligh that is), but later the penny dropped.
Photography was not officially allowed inside this extraordinary local museum which is run entirely by volunteers, but I was allowed just this one shot.
This museum is dedicated to 'Pacific Exploration', and is a veritable cornucopia of historic maps, charts, documents, paintings and other artifacts relating to landings made at Adventure Bay by various early explorers who roamed the seas of this part of the world. I was enthralled.
But what staggered me more than anything else was the fact that this incredible collection does not feature at all in any of the official tourist guides and other BI promotional material. Food, cruises, walks, accommodation, etc, etc are all touted....there is even a reference to the premises of the BI Historical Society at Alonnah, but not a jot about this marvellous collection. Indeed, we came across it purely by chance. Tourism Tasmania.....this is not good enough!
But why the 'Bligh' museum? I was tempted to embark on an Adventure Bay history lesson, but I'll leave that up to each of you to pursue if inclined. Let me finish with the museum by quoting directly from the small pamphlet presented to each visitor.
"Adventure Bay could be call the birthplace of Van Dieman's Land - Tasmania. First sighted by Able Tasman in 1642 when exploring for the great southland south of the then known world - because of gale force winds he was unable to make a landing.
Captain James Cook in HMS 'Resolution' and Captain T Furneaux in HMS 'Adventure' left England in 1772 also to explore the South Seas, becoming separated.
Furneaux followed Tasman's chart and in 1773 found the bay naming it Adventure Bay - replenished his water and wood supplies. He then sailed on to New Zealand.
Captain Cook landed at Adventure Bay in 1777 from HMS 'Resolution' with William Bligh as his sailing master. [Ah ha....now that was news!]
Captain Bligh revisited Adventure Bay in 1788 and with botanist Nelson planted a number of fruit trees at East Cove that he had brought from the Cape of Good Hope. When he returned in 1792 he found one apple tree still growing and the others having been consumed by fire. It is said this was the first Granny Smith apple tree. Tasmania was later to become known throughout the world as the Apple Isle of Australia."
So there you have it....Bligh dropped in here more than anyone else and even planted trees. The name of the museum here at Adventure Bay does make sense after all!
And that, dear readers, is your lot for this part of BI, with one tiny exception, another bird, this time a beautiful blue headed Superb Fairy-Wren I managed to snap in the grass of the caravan park.
Tomorrow we'll be off to Alonnah, our last stop on BI, where we shall be ticking off the second on our list of Tasmanian pub stays, taking a look at the 'administrative hub' of BI and finally indulging in some BI food....the pub's renowned seafood platter.
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