St Helens is named after St Helens, apparently of the Isle of Wight vintage. Left wondering who St Helen was and why places were named after her. She definitely wasn’t the patron saint of [fast] food. Everywhere bar one place was closed tonight so the 2600 residents of this former mining town, now fishing, have descended. 2hrs+ later something emerges from the overworked single cook.
Tin mining in this part of Tasmania from mid/late 1800s to middle 19C was a key economic driver. Derby (named after the UK Prime Minister but pronouced der nor dar) was a key hub with over 1000 Chinese workers. It then collapsed and has only recently started to recover thanks to mountain biking. Which meant there are lots of cafes to stop at, which we did – though only at one of them.
Lush forest, original plantations with tree ferns growing, was a dominant theme. It meant the gradients of the ups were often hidden in plain sight. Tremendous! As were the [considerate] huge timber lorries as they thundered by with their sweet smelling resin produce.
The one thing it is difficult to describe is the sounds which accompany us. Frogs, birds, insects, all compete for attention. The road kill smell gets that too!
Tomorrow another rest day to allow us to stew on the thought of the forthcoming rainstorm for our ride on Friday. As this is to Swansea, bad weather is nothing unusual.
Travelling reflections 