Our first destination after returning to Tasmania was the East Coast. It’s a place I’ve spent countless summers since I was very young. It’s also one of the last places I visited with Willow before we went to the mainland back in 2015.

Shack Times

One of my favourite places is Bay of Fires. We were lucky enough to be able to stay at a friend’s shack for a week. We parked the van at the back and Willow soon adapted to being a shack cat. We still slept in our ‘house’ but Willow was quite confused as to which door to go to for her dinner.

The sunsets at the Bay of Fires are incredible

I first stayed at this shack when I was around 12 years old. I remember boiling hot water on a wood fire for showers and cooking outside. There have been a few changes this then. Solar Panels. A gas shower. But that real shack feel still remains and it’s one of my favourites to visit.

Guardian Cat

Whenever I went down the beach Willow sat on the balcony watching what I was up to. When I went swimming it was nice looking up from the waves and seeing her there.

Dolphin Hour

One evening a pod of about 7 dolphins passed along the bay. I ran down the beach with my camera hoping to capture a few photos of them but all I managed was this one.

Oh well. This sunset made up for it though!

Willow’s favourite place to sit was the balcony. There she could keep an eye on the property and check everything was in order.

And just like every cat her desire to sit on the bench when she shouldn’t was very strong.

Those instincts will always remain. It was a pleasure seeing Willow explore this place. To see how she adapts to it and makes it her own. Anywhere is home when you have a cat. For those not fortunate enough to have friends with a shack in this area Bay of Fires has hundreds of free camping spots with basic amenities. Close to the well serviced town of St Helens and smaller Binalong Bay. However it is very popular during school holidays and sites can fill up fast.