xenith | Going East: Up and Down

The roads through Elephant Pass and St Marys Pass were part of the Tasman Hwy until recently, but they constructed a diversion that runs closer to the coast so you can drive north-south without having to cross either pass.

If you're coming from the Fingal Valley though, you have to cross one of them.

Mother was worried about driving along the Pass, they're narrow, winding and frequented by trucks. We saw three log trucks go by while we were eating lunch at Fingal.

These signs on similar roads used to amuse us no end when we were kids.

Can't check email on this road :(

People live up here.

Now we get to go down again, although there's been no log trucks yet. No trucks at all.

Up here among the mountains and trees, I look out and see, uh, a long stretch of white stuff? What the-- oh, it's the sea. Sea shouldn't be in the mountains.

I assume the burnt out areas through here are from the bushfires that hit the east coast about 3 years ago.

Yay! We made it! And no log trucks!

There were a couple of road construction vehicles at one point, but it was a wider section of the road, so no drama.

And we can see the sea. Tasman Sea actually, SW corner of the Pacific. (Waves to people on other side)

And there's the highway. It's only 27 km to the next town.

Not a very exciting 27 km though. Some water views.

The odd house. Possibly these are at Seymour, or not. There was no sign.

Mostly though, it's just paddocks, trees and mountains in the background.

But is that Bicheno ahead? Finally...

But first a detour.

I photograph signs as markers to remind me of where I was, so I don't bother about focus, straightness etc. but I think I'll include them because they're useful.