We were a bit heavy-hearted leaving our little slice of paradise at Coles Bay, but the promise of fresh seafood and more of that rugged Tasmanian coastline soon had us back in high spirits. We didn’t get very far before Lisa spotted the sign for the Freycinet Marine Farm. We’ve made it a bit of a rule on this trip: if there’s local produce on offer, we aren’t allowed to drive past it.
We picked up a kilo of mussels that looked like they’d been plucked from the water about five minutes before we arrived. Lisa is already plotting a garlic and white wine broth for dinner, while Steve was more interested in the oyster shells, wondering how many of them he could get away with eating in one sitting.
Further south, we pulled over to stretch our legs at the Spiky Bridge. It is one of the strangest bits of road architecture we’ve ever seen. Built by convicts back in 1843, the bridge is covered in these jagged, vertical stones that look like something out of a storybook. We stood there debating why on earth they’d bother with the spikes. Steve reckons it was to keep the local cattle from wandering off the edge, while Lisa thinks it was more about protecting the railings from clumsy cart drivers. Whatever the reason, the fact that those convicts fitted every one of those stones together without a single drop of mortar is incredible. It’s stood the test of time much better than most things built today.
We eventually rolled into Swansea, which is just a lovely, sleepy little town with so much character. It was named after Swansea in Wales, and you can really feel that old-world connection in the buildings. Sir John Franklin gave it the name back in 1842, mostly because of the Welsh settlers who moved here for the copper industry. We spent a bit of time admiring Morris’ General Store. It’s a massive, sturdy brick and stone building that looks like it’s been the heart of the community forever. The kids would have loved poking around in a shop like that; it’s got that wonderful "everything and anything" feel to it.
The drive continued to hug the coast, and the colours of the water out here are almost impossible to describe. We stopped at a few lookouts where the orange-lichen-covered rocks meet that brilliant turquoise sea. It’s a bit cooler than the beaches back home in WA, but the scenery is every bit as spectacular. We took a moment just to listen to the waves crashing against the boulders. It’s the kind of peace you just don't get in the city.
By mid-afternoon, we reached the Mayfield Bay Conservation Park and decided to call it a day. We’ve found a spot right on the edge of the bay, where we can look out across Great Oyster Bay from our front door. Just a short stroll from where we’ve parked is the Three Arch Bridge. It’s another convict-built masterpiece from the 1840s, designed by an Irish fellow named James Blackburn. Seeing those three perfect sandstone arches spanning the river is a real treat.
We’ve got the mussels on the stove now, the sun is starting to dip, and the sound of the ocean is our soundtrack for the night. We’re feeling very lucky to be exactly where we are.
