Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Great Aussie Adventure - Day 4
So I woke up Tuesday morning in Hobart to the fog and dark clouds! I headed a bit south and found Shot Tower. I’m not sure if it used to be a lighthouse, but it sure looked like it could have been at one time. I’ll do some research and get back to you on that!! (I couldn’t find a lot of info on the shot tower. But a paper I picked up here stated “it was the first built in Australia, and is the only circular stone shot tower remaining in the World… by 1870 it was operational in the manufacture of leadshot used in the firearms of the day. Constructed from more than 8,000 curved sandstone blocks, standing 58 meters high.” So it doesn’t really answer any of my questions, but if you know what a Shot Tower is, you can let me know!!)
Then I got lost heading back towards Hobart (but found a cool beach) and lost again veering off to South Arm Park until I found Iron Pot Lighthouse.
Iron Pot Lighthouse is out on an island, but I was able to get a couple ok photos. The Iron Pot Lighthouse was the first lighthouse built in Tasmania, and is the second oldest in Australia, but is the oldest original tower in Australia, and the first in Australia to use solar power. This light flashes 3 times in 10 seconds. It is 21 meters (69 feet) above sea level and 11 meters (36 feet) tall and can be seen for 11 nautical miles. It is unsure how this lighthouse got its name. Some believe that whaler’s pots were left on the island from the early 18th century, thus giving the name. Others believe it was named for the curiously formed pot like holes on the island. Still others believe that there was a whale oil fired beacon in old whaler’s tri-pot.
The first beacon and signal station was manned by convicts on Betsy Island. It was later relocated to Iron Pot Island at the mouth of the Derwent River. This lighthouse was needed as there were several significant shipwrecks in the 1830’s. The first lighthouse was a wooden light in 1832. The head light keeper and two convict assistants lived in tents! However, in 1833, the light needed to be upgraded and then in 1835, a new lamp was fitted. Ship owners complained that the light was still inadequate, but it was not upgraded again until 1858. In this year, a stone hut was built for the keepers as well.
In 1862, one of the keeper‘s children found a high grade gold bearing quartz nugget. Within hours, the Iron Pot gold rush was on! However, no other gold was found by the 200 potential diggers.
In 1884 the Marine Board renamed the Iron Pot Lighthouse the Derwent Lighthouse, but the Iron Pot name stuck. Even on today’s on official documents, the lighthouse is referred to The Iron Pot.
In 1884, a two story head keeper’s cottage was built. Most light station cottages were one story, but because Iron Pot Island is so small (only 0.4 hectare), the island is was not big enough to have a bigger house.
There was only one birth on the island in 1895, Essie Margaret Roberts, born to the head keeper’s wife. Another interesting note in 1895 was the storm that drove waves over the island. All lighthouse keepers and family went to the top of the lighthouse as all the cottages were flooded. The water tanks, sheds and a stone retaining wall were all washed away. Kelp was said to be found on the top railings of the lighthouse, over 20 meters above sea level! Luckily, no one was killed during this storm. But the keepers did have to work hard all night to keep the light shining during the storm.
In 1920, the fixed white light was converted to a revolving white light by adding a revolving cylinder. It was converted to solar power in 1977.
From here it was back through Hobart to the North and Freycinet National Park. On the way, I saw Spiky Bridge on the side of the road, which was built by convicts in 1840. (Also Spiky Bridge Beach.)
On arrival to Freycinet National Park, I visited Cape Tourville Lighthouse.
This lighthouse was built in 1971. It replaced the inaccessible Cape Forestier Lighthouse on Lemon Rock. Cape Forestier Lighthouse was decommissioned in 1971. This lighthouse also flashes three times in ten seconds. This lighthouse is 126 meters (413 feet) above sea level, 11 meters (36 feet) tall and can be seen for 28 Nautical Miles. When it was constructed, it was place built with an automatic light and was never manned. This lighthouse was named in honor of Anne Hilarion de Costentin, Comte de Tourville who was a French naval commander who served under King Louis XIV. It is not one of my favorite lighthouses, but the surrounding area is beautiful.
I tried to get to Wineglass Bay in the park, but since I got lost trying to find Iron Pot Lighthouse, I only had 1 hour in the park, and it was an hour’s walk (one way) to the viewpoint to see Wineglass Bay, so I had to skip that walk. I spotted a little wallaby eating his dinner near the information signs at the start of the hike to Wineglass Bay. I took a couple photos of him, he didn’t care, he even posed for a few! Then, as I was looking at the signs, I heard a thumping sound and here comes another wallaby down the rocks!! It was so loud, but really cool. Then a third one showed up and went right down to the cars and was visiting with people by their cars. It was cool, but so random!
As I was leaving the park, it started raining. I came around a corner and there was the sun. So I peaked behind me and there was a bright rainbow. I kept thinking I wish I had a 4-wheel drive for this part of the trip, so that I could have gone through the fields to find the pot of gold to pay for this little excursion!! Then about 30 minutes further up the road in the rain and sunshine, there was another extra bright rainbow ending in the ocean!!! It was sooo cool!! Luckily, there was a turnout at the park next to the rainbow, so I was able to get some photos!! Judge for yourself, but I thought it was awesome!!!!
And then the sun was going down as I got to St. Helens for the night. I had a delicious dinner of homemade chicken & vegetable soup (that warmed me all the way down!) followed by roast beef and veggies! I ate so much, but it was the best meal I’ve had so far on this trip!! We’ll I’m off to bed early so I can get up early and see the last lighthouse I can see in Tasmania before heading to the airport for my flight to Melbourne!
Then I got lost heading back towards Hobart (but found a cool beach) and lost again veering off to South Arm Park until I found Iron Pot Lighthouse.
Iron Pot Lighthouse is out on an island, but I was able to get a couple ok photos. The Iron Pot Lighthouse was the first lighthouse built in Tasmania, and is the second oldest in Australia, but is the oldest original tower in Australia, and the first in Australia to use solar power. This light flashes 3 times in 10 seconds. It is 21 meters (69 feet) above sea level and 11 meters (36 feet) tall and can be seen for 11 nautical miles. It is unsure how this lighthouse got its name. Some believe that whaler’s pots were left on the island from the early 18th century, thus giving the name. Others believe it was named for the curiously formed pot like holes on the island. Still others believe that there was a whale oil fired beacon in old whaler’s tri-pot.
The first beacon and signal station was manned by convicts on Betsy Island. It was later relocated to Iron Pot Island at the mouth of the Derwent River. This lighthouse was needed as there were several significant shipwrecks in the 1830’s. The first lighthouse was a wooden light in 1832. The head light keeper and two convict assistants lived in tents! However, in 1833, the light needed to be upgraded and then in 1835, a new lamp was fitted. Ship owners complained that the light was still inadequate, but it was not upgraded again until 1858. In this year, a stone hut was built for the keepers as well.
In 1862, one of the keeper‘s children found a high grade gold bearing quartz nugget. Within hours, the Iron Pot gold rush was on! However, no other gold was found by the 200 potential diggers.
In 1884 the Marine Board renamed the Iron Pot Lighthouse the Derwent Lighthouse, but the Iron Pot name stuck. Even on today’s on official documents, the lighthouse is referred to The Iron Pot.
In 1884, a two story head keeper’s cottage was built. Most light station cottages were one story, but because Iron Pot Island is so small (only 0.4 hectare), the island is was not big enough to have a bigger house.
There was only one birth on the island in 1895, Essie Margaret Roberts, born to the head keeper’s wife. Another interesting note in 1895 was the storm that drove waves over the island. All lighthouse keepers and family went to the top of the lighthouse as all the cottages were flooded. The water tanks, sheds and a stone retaining wall were all washed away. Kelp was said to be found on the top railings of the lighthouse, over 20 meters above sea level! Luckily, no one was killed during this storm. But the keepers did have to work hard all night to keep the light shining during the storm.
In 1920, the fixed white light was converted to a revolving white light by adding a revolving cylinder. It was converted to solar power in 1977.
From here it was back through Hobart to the North and Freycinet National Park. On the way, I saw Spiky Bridge on the side of the road, which was built by convicts in 1840. (Also Spiky Bridge Beach.)
On arrival to Freycinet National Park, I visited Cape Tourville Lighthouse.
This lighthouse was built in 1971. It replaced the inaccessible Cape Forestier Lighthouse on Lemon Rock. Cape Forestier Lighthouse was decommissioned in 1971. This lighthouse also flashes three times in ten seconds. This lighthouse is 126 meters (413 feet) above sea level, 11 meters (36 feet) tall and can be seen for 28 Nautical Miles. When it was constructed, it was place built with an automatic light and was never manned. This lighthouse was named in honor of Anne Hilarion de Costentin, Comte de Tourville who was a French naval commander who served under King Louis XIV. It is not one of my favorite lighthouses, but the surrounding area is beautiful.
I tried to get to Wineglass Bay in the park, but since I got lost trying to find Iron Pot Lighthouse, I only had 1 hour in the park, and it was an hour’s walk (one way) to the viewpoint to see Wineglass Bay, so I had to skip that walk. I spotted a little wallaby eating his dinner near the information signs at the start of the hike to Wineglass Bay. I took a couple photos of him, he didn’t care, he even posed for a few! Then, as I was looking at the signs, I heard a thumping sound and here comes another wallaby down the rocks!! It was so loud, but really cool. Then a third one showed up and went right down to the cars and was visiting with people by their cars. It was cool, but so random!
As I was leaving the park, it started raining. I came around a corner and there was the sun. So I peaked behind me and there was a bright rainbow. I kept thinking I wish I had a 4-wheel drive for this part of the trip, so that I could have gone through the fields to find the pot of gold to pay for this little excursion!! Then about 30 minutes further up the road in the rain and sunshine, there was another extra bright rainbow ending in the ocean!!! It was sooo cool!! Luckily, there was a turnout at the park next to the rainbow, so I was able to get some photos!! Judge for yourself, but I thought it was awesome!!!!
And then the sun was going down as I got to St. Helens for the night. I had a delicious dinner of homemade chicken & vegetable soup (that warmed me all the way down!) followed by roast beef and veggies! I ate so much, but it was the best meal I’ve had so far on this trip!! We’ll I’m off to bed early so I can get up early and see the last lighthouse I can see in Tasmania before heading to the airport for my flight to Melbourne!
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About Me
- Laura
- Denver, Colorado, United States
- I'm originally from Colorado, but I've been living in Australia for three years. Before that, I lived all over the U.S.: Washington State, Maine, California, Oregon, Nebraska, North Carolina, Arizona, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and more... No, I'm not a military brat or a military wife; I was a traveling nurse for 5 years so I moved to a new city every 3 months. During my travels, I became intrigued with lighthouses and started making plans to photograph as many as I could in whichever state I was living (including the two in Nebraska!) My blog is about my trips to various lighthouses, as well as other interesting trips. I hope you enjoy reading, and leave a comment or two!
4 comments:
Ooh yeah, very cool rainbow pics! And I like the wallaby too ;)
I kept hearing Mrs. Darrow (5th grade teacher)saying that we girls were always drawing rainbows! But they are very cool!!! And the wallabies are everywhere! They are very cute (until you are driving and they are hoping across the road!)
How fun to see wallabys in the wild! The rainbow was spectacular.
I know, that really was the coolest!!
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