larapuna / Bay of Fires National Park

Across much of Tasmania I find signs with spray painted or written corrections, adding facts about colonisation or adding place names. It's no different at Bay of Fires on the northern side of St Helens, on Tasmania's East Coast...

It's impossible to think of this place without it's European place name origin, a reminder of the fact that Australia always was, always will be, Aboriginal land. On the beaches to the north, long and white sanded, could once be spotted the many fires of Aboriginal camps.

What an area of riches this must have been for them, once. Now it is the gulls who fish and fossick - I spot one with a sea urchin, persisantly picking it up and dropping it some ten times before the urchin broke and he was rewarded with the morsel within.

It's the orange lichen covered rocks that most people know instantly to be Bay of Fires though - and when the sun rises and sets they certainly glow. There's no angle they aren't beautiful from.

The area is full of free camps, although you must pay the Parks Pass which gets you into all the National Parks in Tassie. I camo right at the end, as it's quieter. There's only room for three or four vans and no big caravans or RVs so it's more quiet.

The closest town is St Helens, a gorgeous coastal town which boasts a harbour for safe mooring of sailing boats. There you'll find all you need, from hardware to supermarkets to cafes. I also enjoyed a few galleries, and bought a few large fridge magnets with Aussie animals to send to English relatives.

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Theres a lot to do on this coast, from surfing to fishing, sailing and kayaking and hiking. It's truly a beautiful spot and we will return before we go back as we have to pick up a board for a friend on the mainland to take back for him.

I would like to get more photos and snippets to share anyway. This one is worth looking at on the map if you are thinking of doing Tassie.. @consciouscat you guys would adore it.

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