On the Way

Instead of a last years holiday post I decided to do one on the trip to the East Coast of Tasmania which we did last week and early this week.

We stayed put in the caravan park at Swansea (south of Bicheno) after staying in the driveway of my 2nd cousins house in Bicheno, Tasmania where we also stayed put for a few days.  His parents (my 1st cousin and his wife) are down from Coffs Harbour for an extended holiday and already visited with us in December last year. We spent all our time in 2nd cousins house only sleeping in the caravan van, a lot of talking that's for sure. 2nd cousin works on a Gas ship (Electrical Engineer) and was at sea with 8 weeks on the ship and 8 weeks off.

Avoca is about 81 km south east of Launceston, Tasmania and was first settled in the 1830's and now has the population of about 123 people.
It was officially settled in 1834 as a farming, coal and tin mining town, but only farming exists now.
There is a Pub, Shop, Church, Police Station and a Post Office.

Below is the St. Thomas Anglican Church which was completed in May 1842.
I made it black and white as you can see plus the clock is not correct, I expect it doesn't work anymore.

Lovely old trees in Avoca

An old house which is certainly worse for ware.

The Post Office, Pub above and below the shop which sells some sausage rolls made by our neighbour across the road!

On the way

On March 1 this year with caravan in tow we headed off for a 10 day holiday in Tasmania.The school children had returned to school so was not as busy to travel. 
The weather was perfect except for just one half day when it rained..

The first series of photos of the holiday are on our way to Fingal (see map which may need to be enlarged), the grass was green, men working on the railway line - freight line - corn growing the mountain is Ben Lomond which we also can see from our family and dinning room window, we were driving halfway around it.

Travelled from Launceston to the Pondering Frog which is half way between Bicheno and Swansea on the east coast of Tasmania.  The dark line is the way we went.

Avoca, Tasmania

Avoca is 81 km (50 ml) from Launceston with a population of 123 people in the village including surrounding areas.  One passes through this small town on the way to the East Coast, and of course there are other roads to take. This area is also known as the Fingal Valley.

John Wedge a surveyor and explorer named the town in 1825 and called it St. Paul's Plains.
Inspired by the Thomas More poem 'The Sweet Vale of Avoca' the village was renamed in 1837 to Avoca.  Avoca's namesake is in Country Wicklow in Ireland.

We travelled through Avoca on Easter Saturday.

3 tame sheep greeted me when I got out of the vehicle.

St. Thomas' Anglican Church on top of the hill, the river below.

A Rural View x 2 photos.  It is said if there are many berries it will be a cold winter.  

A home we found off the main road.  There are not many street in Avoca.

A Post Office was opened in 1832, the above building is (Circa 1850) and was the Parish Hall.

There is a mine in Fingal, the next town to the east, and it's there a coal mine exists.  We were wondering if this big load came from there.