Bicheno itself is on Waub Bay about halfway between Launceston to the North and Hobart to the south. It began as a fishing village and has expanded into a holiday location. The legend has it that an aboriginal woman called Waubedebar was kidnapped from the coast by marauding sealers, treated badly and having escaped, returned to the area where she saw out her days. Her grave is a memorial and a reminder of past injustices suffered by aboriginal people. Nowadays the 800 plus residents live on tourism and fishing still and live quietly during the winter months when few visitors show up. The road to the town is narrow and winding in places and frequent signs urging motorists to pass cyclists carefully leaving a gap of 1.5 metres suggest there has been a history of accidents.
There are two natural features that frame the town of Bicheno: the walk across to Diamond Island at low tide and the Blow Hole that gushes forth drenching everyone who gets anywhere near it. There are fabulous white beaches and stunning rock formations in view as you walk the ocean foreshore pathway though rich vegetation. On this walk towards the island, we were stopped in our tracks by the sight of a large white modernist house straight out of the Mies van der Rohe architectural playbook, being offered for sale. Tempted (naturally!) we soon located the real estate agent and were inside. Instead of being bitterly disappointed by poor interior design and shoddy fittings, it inspired all kinds of property desire not experienced since visiting the Tugenhat House in Brno, only this time it came with under floor heating and programmable blinds and lighting control by room. It was hard to find fault with the design and the workmanship that had gone into the bathrooms and kitchen fittings. Everything was taken care of down to the smallest detail including the pantry fittings. There was no sauna unfortunately but there was plenty of space to accommodate one… Left Bicheno with head spinning and had no energy to walk the walk to Wineglass Bay on the Freycinet. Next time…and now on to Hobart.
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