COCKLE CREEK

Stopped at HASTINGS THERMAL POOL, which had a great BBQ area, and good pool around 26 degrees, and the best hot showers! This was a nice break to quite a long journey, which only left a short drive further to COCKLE CREEK.

Once we arrived, we were drawn back to the original spot we saw, and set up camp. Which is 5 minutes or less in the motorhome. Whilst looking for fire wood, head down seaching the brush, I came upon a small opening with two graves and a recently made R.I.P token. I continued my search for firewood, only to walk smack bang into the gravesite of the people I had just read about in TASMANIA LIFE magazine. I was overcome with grief and with no control began to cry, with a heaviness of loss and misery. It was as though I felt their pain. I hadnt felt this with the first two graves of MOTT, so this was a surprising experience. One which the feature had mentioned, 'the deadly silence'! The feel of the terrible things that happend here, so long ago, when your life was feared for. I never expected to feel this let alone totally unsuspectedly walking right into this.

Moving back to camp, still affected by what had happend, we walked to the ocean side, where the water seemed to be bubbling with sand whitting. By the time Frank returned with his fishing gear, they had all moved on. Anyway it was 'happy hour', during which I decided we would have a tasting plate of blue cheese and pate etc, as a light dinner. Well that changed once we went walking on the other inlet side, where we began to find cockles, pipi clams, huge oysters and mussels - a seafood delight. Being a 'foody' I made oysters kilpatric followed by Seafood St Jaques - a meal fit for a king! and all just collected!

We fired up the generator and watched a DVD, then off to bed with a happy warm sense of well being.

Waking the next day to the bluest sky possible. Cranked the 'gene' to make a cappuccino - very deccadent! After relaxing, walked to the WHALE SCULPTURE, and marvelled at the view. The plaques of this rich history from the 1700's, are very informative. So much happened here. Early Aboriginals, French explorers and whalers, all made their mark on COCKLE CREEK. Once a thriving community with seven pubs, perhaps not a good mix with men working too many hours, then getting drunk, and being a law unto themselves. A lot of grief happend, with rape and suspisious deaths. If you can get your hands on the history of COCKLE CREEK, it really is a great read.

That afternoon we again fossicked for seafood, collecting more than enough for dinner. Living off the land - being hunter gatherers is fitting here! We had oysters kilpatric again, followed this time by chillie concase seafood and pasta. Another DVD and bed.

Folowing day woke relaxed, decided to do the FISHERS POINT walk, which takes you largely along the beach (except on high tide), where there are tracks into a mini rain forrest area. At FISHERS POINT, where the cottage built by convicts stills stands, there is nothing between you and ANTARTICA.

COCKLE CREEK is a truly amazing place, which will be inbedded in my memory for ever. I cant wait to go again.