The Sandbar

Husband went to the dentist about 2 weeks ago and had a big tooth surgically removed, 6 stitches and a bruised jaw and purple chin followed, he's recovered well and awaits another appointment in August for the other side to be done.

The Sandbar at St. Helens on the east coast of Tasmania can of course be very dangerous.  The fishing boats must cross it at the correct time of the tide.  A guide is [ here ] if you would care to read about how it's done or suggested for safety. 

Down near the jetty which is situated away from the sandbar so smaller boats can come and go easily is a small beach where I took they last three photos.

Beaches at The Gardens.

Ah! The Sea, and how beautiful it is in this area of The Gardens. The sand is very fine and white.

As one drives along the gravel road you see a sign or two to the beach, so we ventured down one of these roads a very short distance and came across this beach within The Bay of Fires which goes for some distance up and down the east coast of Tasmania.

In some of these off roads there are camping areas with loos, so hence the public are permitted to 'free camp'. Each morning they wake up and can see the sea, a few steps and in the water.

The Gardens, Tasmania

The Gardens at St. Helens plus part of the Bay of Fires.

One of the day trips we did when staying at St. Helens was to The Gardens, some of the road was gravel but was ok.  The Gardens is a pretty area and the carpark was full, so we waited until a space was free.  The photos are of the view at The Gardens in The Bay of Fires area.  

The orange lichen on the granite boulders makes them uique but that's not the reason it's called Bay of Fires.  The bay was named by Captain Tobias Furneaux in 1883 in response to the many Aboriginal fires he saw burning on it's shore.

St. Helens, Tasmania.

St. Helens is the largest town on the East Coast of Tasmania and it overlooks Georges Bay.
St. Helens was first used as a whaling base in the early 19th century. Tin was discovered in the surrounding area in 1870s.  St. Helens became the port for the mines.  At this time a coach service was introduced to the town, previous access was by sea.  The town was named after St. Helens, Isle of Wight.  Today the town is a popular resort for fishing, swimming and other aquatic activities.

Georges Bay Post Office opened on April 1, 1869 and was renamed St. Helen's in 1882.
The first European to explore the area was Captain T Furneaux who sailed up the coast in 1773.  He names the southern point of Georges Bay, St. Helens Point.

A typical Tasmanian Creek, this one is at St. Helens.

A couple of buildings in St. Helens, we spent one night in the caravan park here on our way home to Launceston.

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A shop of which there are several spread out along the highway.  There are 2 supermarkets, Hotel, RSL, a couple of bakery's, a few restaurants, nothing lavish and varies other shops.

Part of St. Georges Bay.

In the photo there is 'the bar' which is notorious to get through for boats. Over the years several people have died either going out or coming in at the wrong time.