We are a day early for our national roundup but already some of our Tassie mates are here so we spent the day catching up and exploring the area. There is a lot to see and do in the area and rather than bore you with our club details for the next 4 days I'll put some info on attractions in the area.
The Bay of Fires is a must see if you are in the area. It is better by boat if the conditions are favourable. The granite rocks have a red oxide layer on them, but this is not the reason for the name. The name comes from Capt. Tobias Furneaux in 1773 who saw the fires of the aboriginal people on the beaches. The area was also used for whaling until the 1840s, and remnants of the whaling era still exist all down the east coast.
If you are looking for a day trip out from St Helens, I would recommend a trip to Legerwood. This town has a magnificent memorial to soldiers from the First World War. A row of trees has been carved into sculptures honouring the towns people who went to war. Now before the greenies jump in and complain about chopping down trees, here is the true story.
On 15 October 1918, twenty-five trees were planted along the Railway Reserve at Ringarooma Road in memoriam of the village's fallen soldiers following the end of the Great War. A ceremony was held where a relative of the deceased would come forward to hold a Turkish pine (Pinus brutia) sapling before it was planted.
In 1999 the trees were deemed unsafe from blight and Dorset Council recommended they be cut down. Determined to retain the memorial, in 2004 the Legerwood Hall and Reserves Committee commissioned chainsaw sculptor Eddie Freeman to carve a series of sculptures on the dying trunks based on the lives of the people they represented in remembrance. Extensive historical research into the lives of the fallen soldiers and their families ensured the carvings depicted stories of the men they represented as accurately as possible. Surrounding trees affected from blight were sculpted to depict scenes of the Great War.
This really is worth a trip to see and the detail and story behind every sculpture is very emotional.
From there you can make your way around to Pynegana to the Pub in the Paddock for lunch. This is the oldest licensed hotel in Tasmania dating back to 1880. It also is home to Priscilla the beer drinking pig. Although it has been 6 years since we were here last, it is worth a visit even if it is the say hello to Priscilla.
There are also Halls Falls and St Columba's Falls nearby, and we haven't actually been there yet. It just means we need to make another trip here to see them. You can then return back to St Helens and rest up before you go to the St Helens RSL and Citizens Club for a meal and drink. Every time we have had a meal here we have not been disappointed.
NOTE* These photos are from our last visit in 2018.
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