We found the famous Japanese restaurant Masaaki's, at 20 Church Street, Geeveston. It is hidden up what looks like a carpark, across the road from the Wood Heritage Centre, and behind a second hand furniture shop. Masaaki Koyama set up the restaurant with his partner, Lucy, in May 2009, and has since become famous through his weekly stall at the Farmgate Market in Hobart. Every Sunday, his food attracts the longest queues I have ever seen in Tasmania. People rave about his fresh home made wasabi, and we had not yet tried it. Here was our big chance! The restaurant doesn't have a menu, you choose your dish from the array of sushi on display in the bain marie, while Masaaki prepares fresh sashimi to order. We chose a selection, and sat outside in the sun to enjoy the feast. It was absolutely delicious, and the fresh wasabi was delicate and refreshing, beautiful. Looking around in Geeveston, we were impressed that the town seems to have put its divisive past behind it and is moving on together as a community.
On the road again, we passed through Dover, noticing the pub's devastation after a recent fire. We missed the turnoff to Hastings and paid a quick visit to Southport before we realised our mistake. (My fault for relying on Mark's written directions instead of watching the map!). Back on the C635, we passed through Lune River and soon reached beautiful Recherche Bay. Here we stopped at the roadside plaque commemorating the successful campaign to save the historic vegetable gardens of the French explorers, and noted Angie's name on the list of significant donors (thank you, Angie!).
The road from here on was pretty pot-holey, and we took it easy as we passed some quiet little shacks and a camping ground. The few shack dwellers about looked a bit too interested in the strangers coming through (strains of banjos?). At the entrance to the South West National Park was this amusing reminder that this was the most southern point of Australia:
We were bound for the camping ground inside the national park, and we weren't disappointed, finding it well kept and uncrowded.
We drove to The End of the Road, parked, and wandered out to see the Stephen Walker whale sculpture, which we really liked. There are great views from here over Recherche Bay, and good interpretation of the site and its history.
It was apparently a 2 hour return walk to Fishers Point, so we decided to give it a go. This is a pleasant walk along sandy beaches and around rocky headlands to the site of what used to be a vibrant village of whalers and woodcutters.
Now all that is left is some brick rubble that apparently used to be the pilot station, and the remains of a light house.
200 years ago there used to be two pubs and 400 people living here, it hardly seems credible. We didn't stay long, wanting to get back before night fell (we did the walk in 90 minutes).
We found a great spot to park Wanda, just off the road, quiet and peaceful.
In the morning we didn't get onto the South Cape Bay track until 9.20am, a bit later than expected. The track was rated at about 4 hours, so the pressure was on, as I wanted to get back to Hobart for a 3pm Draught Busters workshop.
The South Cape Bay track is mostly level, and mostly well made and maintained. The first hour is spent in eucalypt bushland, skirting Moulders Hill. The second hour through Blowhole Valley is largely level, through duckboarded marshy grasslands, with occasional treed hillocks providing some visual relief.
Finally the dunes are reached, and at this point the track deteriorates somewhat. Another 30 minutes or so gets you to the metallic rocky headland, overlooking the bay, with South Cape straight ahead and South East Cape to the left. We were exhausted, and didn't venture down to the beach.
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| We made it! |
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| South Cape |
