This is a pictorial account of my route north from Port Arthur to St Helen’s on Binalonga Bay. The car says I did it in 480km, which is probably right if you consider the various detours I made.

Above: The beach at Dunalley.

Fox and Hounds Inn – with its very own Drive thru bottleshop. I managed a visit on foot.

Looking towards Nine Mile Beach from the village of Swansea.

Beach near Nubeena.

Rocky Cove, Remarkable Cave [coming up].

The Cave that gives its name.

Please tell me, everywhere it seems you go now, someone has made piles out of stones. Why? Depending upon availability and flatness these might get beyond knee height, but here mercifully only a few inches. It’s on the internet and described by stackers as a performance art. To me it just shows someone has been there, when perhaps, as with this view, I’d like to think I was the first. Or at least the first since the last high tide.

A long way from home.

Letter boxes along the way.

Rheban Bay.

Spring Beach.

Sandpit River Forest. 200 year old gums

Coles Bay. Does the Coles family know about this place?

The fishing cove and tern Colony, Bicheno Bay.

The tiny church in Bicheno.

Avoca.

I’d drive for what seemed like ages along this coast ticking off the kilometres to the next town. In time, after you had reached the next place – whether it be town, village or just holiday hamlet; you realised that it was much the same as the last. Glaring whitewash, bold colours, square stark architecture. Wide streets, Norfolk Island Pines and the usual outlets. The ‘Lonely Planet’ guide strings all of this out, putting almost everything into needless detail. Arriving from 120km of blinding coastal light that glimmers off the mirror sea; you are courteously asked reduce you speed to 60kph and take a look at what the place has to offer. Make it worthwhile for more than people with Utes, boats with 2 engines and ice-cream hungry families.

Some offered as little as ‘High Street Shopping‘, ‘Bait Ice and Boat Ramp‘ and ‘Shopping, Religious Masses [on days to be stated] plus SUV service.’ I saw one just offering ‘Crays & Fuel‘. Job done so to speak.

In St Helens, up a side road used I for parking, a building declared; ‘Coffee, Books and Art’. Who’d go to that? Apart from a Spencer?

Farmland by the sea – Orford.

Pink granite. Freycinet National Park.

Lions Park.

4 mile beach. Named because of its length.

The ‘Blow Hole ‘ in Bicheno. A granite formation that makes for a huge explosion of water every time a sizeable wave hits. Children and adults alike were playing a game of ‘dare’, edging closer to where about 5 tonnes of water could be dumped. Minutes passed with nothing – people getting bolder or bored, would move closer to the wet zone; only to suddenly be caught out and drenched. It looks more dangerous than it was, but nevertheless it’d ruin your camera.

Binalong Bay. [Binalong: Opening line to which Led Zep song?].

House with a guard looking at the view.

The Bay of Fires – nothing to do with stone colour, but named by an explorer who saw fire and smoke rising from Aboriginal settlements when sailing by 245 years ago.

The author using his phone camera.