Today we head 100ks up the road to our next stop at Bicheno.
First stop, another bridge. The Spiky Bridge is a heritage-listed, convict-built bridge located 7 kilometres south of Swansea. Built around 1843 by a convict road gang from the Rocky Hills Probation Station, it is renowned for its unique"spiky" appearance caused by vertical stones placed along its parapets. The bridge was constructed as part of the "East Coast Convict Road" to connect Swansea with Little Swanport and Hobart, and is a bit different to other bridges we have seen as it is a dry-stone structure, meaning it was originally built without mortar or cement. The purpose of the unusual, jagged vertical stones remains debated. Theories suggest they were designed to prevent cattle from falling off the edge, or that they were added by convicts out of spite or defiance against their supervisor.
A quick stop across the road at Spiky Beach and then on to Swansea for morning tea.
Quite a bit of history here. Swansea was the first municipality in Australia to be established after Hobart and Sydney, back in 1821. The first European settlers were farmers and the land was developed for crops and grazing, with a tannery and flour mill established. Whaling stations were also set up on nearby islands to enable the export of whale oil.
Of interest to us was the imposing Morris General Store, across the road from our morning tea cafe. It was built in 1838 using local stone on the lower levels and handmade bricks around doors and windows. It has operated by the same family for over 150 years.
We arrived in Bicheno in time for a late lunch and after settling into our studio apartment, right in the middle of town, ('The Hub'), we went for a bit of an explore.
We ended up on the Whalers Lookout track. This steep walking track, pretty much in the town centre, winds its way up to lookouts facing east and west, offering panoramic, 360-degree views of the town, its harbour ('The Gulch') and Governor Island. In the 1800s, it was used as a spot for watchers to identify passing whales and signal to whaling stations below to begin their hunt - hence its name.
Great view!
Dinner tonight was Asian at the RSL Club. A Nice change.
