To the east coast

Travel in Tasmania is easy, especially on the not so popular routes. The midlands is drier than south . Today we are going through some historical towns known for their original Georgian architecture, Oatlands, Richmond and Ross. Each has a quiet, serene, country feel with wide streets. Amazing really when you consider that transport would have been limited and by horse or perhaps the coach service. We did see some isolated houses that would have offered that cup of tea or soup to the weary traveller.
Richmond was set up as a convict town. There was a gaol…..no we are not visiting as you have seen enough convict places.

We are going to admire the houses and then have coffee.

I found a platypus!

and I loved these ceramic pictures…..just couldn’t think where I could put it. You were no help so they had to stay there.

Oatlands was surprising. There was a beautiful mill and 150 Georgian houses. I loved the pictures they had running in the mill and mill cottage. It made the history real. What was your favourite?

Next stop, Ross and another beautiful convict bridge. This one even have decorative carvings and was finished quickly when the stone masons were offered emancipation as an incentive. It would have been an incentive for me as well I think. There was a female convict gaol here but there is only the supervisor cottage left. Women stayed here washing laundry or looking after babies for the township until they were allocated as servants.

Did you know Tasmania was once divided along the 42degree line? I didn’t. It was divided into the Count of Buckinghamshire and the County of Cornwall . They were very competitive and they were only unified when both leaders died. It wasn’t until 1959 that there was a ceremonial burying of the hatchets. We know how that goes…look how Melbourne and Sydney have rivalries in NSW. Ross still remains the only settlement on the 42degree line in the world.

Surprise! Ross is the wool centre for Tasmania . The museum was interesting…..and small so no groaning!

Bischeno is a lovely coastal town with beautiful beach views. There are penguins here during different times of the year. You guessed it…they knew we were coming and went on holiday. We spent ages down at the beach in the dark but I think children running, dogs barking and swimming was also a deterrent.