We have found such a peaceful rhythm here at Binalong Bay. There is something about the Tasmanian air that just settles the soul, and we’ve been making the most of it by getting our boots sandy every chance we get.
Our morning walk took us north from Swimcart Beach, wandering past the little camping spots at Cosy Corner. We only covered about 2.5 kilometres one way, but when the scenery is this spectacular, you don’t really want to rush. We spent half the time just stopping to look at the way the turquoise water hits those famous rocks.
While we walked, we were chatting about how this area is known as Larapuna by the traditional owners. It puts things into perspective when you realise people have been walking these same sands for thousands of years. We know the name "Bay of Fires" comes from Captain Furneaux seeing the Aboriginal fires along the coast back in 1773, but standing there ourselves, it feels like the rocks are doing the burning.
Lisa was fascinated by the "fire" on the boulders. It’s not actually the stone that’s red, but a clever little lichen called Caloplaca and a bright orange algae that hitch a ride on the granite. They’ve been shaped by the wind and waves into these incredible, smooth sculptures. Steve was just happy to find a few sturdy ones to sit on for a bit while we watched the waves.
The birdlife here is just as much fun to watch as the waves. We spotted a seagull that looked like it was king of the castle, perched right on the tip of a sun-bleached, curved branch reaching up into the blue sky. It stayed perfectly still, just watching us go by.
We’ve really been leaning into the simple delights lately. Steve mentioned that his favourite part of the day is just being able to walk along the beach with Lisa and see the things that make her smile. It’s the little treasures the tide leaves behind that really catch our eye. The grandkids would have had a field day exploring the rock pools here.
We found an eleven-armed starfish tucked away in a shallow pool amongst the rocks. It’s such a deep, rich colour, almost matching the lichen on the boulders nearby. It was just sitting there in the clear water, tucked into a sandy corner between the stones.
Further along, we found another one of these amazing starfish resting right on the surface of the coarse sand and crushed shells. It looked like a fallen star that had decided to change its coat to pink and orange to match the landscape. Seeing things like that makes you realise how lucky we are to be out here seeing this corner of the world at our own pace. It’s been a beautiful way to spend our morning.