Tassie Twelve Years On – Bay of Fires

On By Coral WaightIn Australia, Tasmania, Travel

The next morning, after my visit to Binalong Bay the day before, I headed further north to Bay of Fires Conservation area.

I drove through some forests and then out into a totally different landscape. Repeated and regular burning of the land by Aboriginal people over many thousands of years ensured the country was kept low and open, making it easier to move and hunt. Mosaic burning also encouraged fresh and diverse plant growth. This attracted kangaroos and other mammals and birds, which Aboriginal people hunted.

Named by Tobias Furneaux in 1773, Bay of Fires comes from seeing the many fires lit by the north-east coastal Aboriginal people.

This particular site was named by Lady Jane Franklin in 1835, when she came to Georges Bay with her husband, then governor, Sir John Franklin. She rode her horse here, and finding acres of wildflowers, named it The Gardens.

I parked the car in the car park and followed the track.

The area is internationally famous for its vibrant, lichen-covered rocks, sparkling blue water and long white beaches.

Lichen covering the granite boulders

After wandering the beach for awhile, I headed back to St. Helens for a final walk around Georges Bay, before finishing off with an early night. Tomorrow I was off down the east coast to Orford, 7kms south of Triabunna, from where the ferry would take me out to Maria Island.

11 thoughts on “Tassie Twelve Years On – Bay of Fires”

  3. Unknown's avatar Anonymous

    A wonderful land with echoes of the seafaring British mingled with the ubiquitous Aboriginal Australians.

    Thanks.

    Richard.

    PS Did I ever mention the books I have written? Check them out here.

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    1. The history of Tasmania is fascinating, Richard. I’ve just started a book called The History of Tasmania, first published in 1852 and written by Reverend John West, a mover and shaker of the time. It covers the early history from someone who was there experiencing it. It’s a bit of a tome but I’m going to give it a go.

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  5. The orange lichen looks interesting.

    I think I read recently that even though humans have been in Australia 40-60k years, regular burning of the undergrowth only started about 10k years ago, probably because Australia was much wetter back then. Much like the Sahara was greener when the Egyptian civilisation started, then it became drier and they moved to the Nile valley.

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