The Huon Trail

The Huon Trail ................... gives me a mental image of "wagons ho" and old western movies.

I'm sure it was a lot like that when it was first settled, but it's simple and simply beautiful now.

It was another overcast day, although not cold, and not, at least at this stage, wet.

This is the Huon River. Although it was quite late in the morning the surface here was like glass - this really is a beautiful island!

We continued on via Port Huon......................

to Southport, the most southerly village, town/ something

Whatever, it was quite stunning

and if you were to sail out through these heads you would be in the Great Southern Ocean

 .
We then backtracked to Geeveson, to make our way to the Tahune Air Walk

Now - there was nothing very remarkable about this shop, I don't know what they sell, I didn't go in, but just by reading it's name I had a children's song in my head for most of the rest of the day. (We had to put The Sweet on in the car to get rid of it)

Geeveson has immortalised it's more renowned citizen in wood. Statues like this are dotted through the town. This lady was one of the town's most loved characters, but I forgot to get her name. She's not famous anywhere but Geeveson

This guy is a living legend, an Olympic rower called Simon Peter Burgess

Just as we arrived at the Tahune Air Walk it began to sprinkle, but not enough to deter anyone.

We took the guided walk - this is one hell of a blue gum!!

This is a money tree - apparently they have to die first and then rely on people to come along and seed it.
Actually you throw money from up on the air walk and make a wish!

This is me (yes really!) at the end of the air walk - 70 metres above the ground.

This big old blue gum is hollow. I'm at one side and you can see someone else emerging from the other side.

Now after hearing about them and having them pointed out in the distance for almost 2 weeks - finally I know what a Huon Pine actually looks like!! Well - we were told they were unremarkable. Of course they aren't really a pine either - they are eucalypti.

These imposing tree trunks flank the road at the beginning of the forestry area

On the way home we visited the Apple Museum.  Very interesting..... We were given a demo of an apple peeling, coring and slicing machine. this was in use in the canning industry.
It peels, cores and slices one apple every 2 seconds (why do I want to say "but wait! - there's more"?)

They also had on display a huge number of apple varieties. There are over 500 varieties of apple that are grown in Australia, but comparatively only a few are grown commercially. There is a scientific/research mob of some description that ensures the varieties stay alive.

We drove home in pouring rain, but we'd had another great day in Tas. (that makes me want to write...oh hell)

THE END

(it's not really - there's a week to go)