There are actually two lakes, but even though you get lots of lovely glimpses of the second one on the way in, you can't actually get down to it - Lake Crescent. We had the complete camp to ourselves and it was fantastic having such tranquility. Of course it was a magnificent moonlight night and the moon rising up over the lake was a sight to behold - truly romantic stuff! Now if you have been to Interlaken in Switzerland, then don't start comparing this spot with any preconceived ideas you may have. This campsite is in very heavily timbered country - some of the felled trees had girths of around 2 metres. Yes if you are into campfires this is the spot for you, as there is a zillion tonnes of firewood just lying there on the ground! Of course fires are also allowed on the ground, so yes it is truly campers paradise. There is lots of lakeside camping - simply follow the track to some glorious secluded campsites. The water itself is not perfectly clear though, but doesn't have that muddy look either.

There are two very nice toilet blocks about half a kilometer apart. Now this is where both the top guide books, Boiling Billy and Free Camping in Tasmania, go a wee bit wrong as both indicate hot showers! The hot showers here no longer operate due to "lack of camper demand". This is a bit sad as the building is a beautiful piece of work with 6 showers - all tiled tooooo! Now the "loo" shown below right is nothing to do with the camp proper, but we just thought it was a great photographic subject! Rather than dig a hole the fishing club took a clever short cut and built the hole around the toilet - typical country Aussie ingenuity at its very, very best!

The second block is reached by turning left just before the sign that says "Campervans and Tents". There is a threaded tap beside a concrete tank and you can easily fill your water tanks from this outlet - fairly easy access for Winnebago sized motorhomes. Normally we would never suggest filling tanks from someone's water tank but up here with so few visitors all the tanks were completely full and so having water access could certainly extend your stay. Lots of open lovely grassy areas up here overlooking the lake.

This whole complex is a bit weird, as it is just tooooo large for the isolated area. One can only imagine that it was built with some sort of "grant" although we could find no signs and for that matter not another living soul to ask. There are several nice buildings in the vicinity - mainly fishing clubs, but quite tastefully done. We loved the Finish Club.

If you continue down past the camp you reach the water and a good launching ramp with a little jetty. Some of our photos were taken from the parking area just above the ramp. Don't forget to bring lots of food and be full of fuel as there is nothing for miles. The one shop shown on some maps at the first Arthur's Lake turnoff has closed down. Absolutely zero phone coverage up here in any direction. Rather oddly there is a Telstra phone box about 10 minutes further west, down a side street! Wonders will never cease as there isn't a house within cooee of it! Now believe it or not you can get fairly decent TV using just a Winegard. But anyone watching TV up here should be burnt at the stake! Just sit and listen to the animals and the crackle of the log fire! Our visit was in March 2004 and overnight it dropped to a very cuddly 9 degrees. At the time it was 35 degrees back in our home town of Brissie! The photo below shows one of the fishing clubs, these were all very well maintained with just about zero mess.

Chrissy Eustace

Hema 55 K 10