This blog is probably the most overdue than any of our entries have been. Our apologies, for you see life in Auz has settled into a comfortable, familiar routine. Driving on the left is no longer a chore for me and Brad has sorted out which grocery stores have the best deals on specific days. We promised a Tasmania update from a long weekend getaway and here it is!
Two or our three nights in Tasmania were spent in this super duper creepy hostel in Launceston...it was my first night ever in a hostel and I thought it was the scariest place, other than Colemont, BC, where one could overnight. I would totally stay there again! It was so easy to check in and out, close to town, and the other guests were unforgettable.
After a 'good' nights sleep, we ventured off to our main reason for going to Tassie. My brother asked that I try to get to Wine Glass Bay in Freycinet National Park, so we did...
This was the view on the hike up one side of the mountain ...
And the view from the top...Wine Glass Bay. The hike to this lookout point from the park parking lot was about an hour was relatively easy.
However, the trail to the bay itself looked like this. Even though it only took another good 45 minutes, we felt the burn for a week after.
This was our reward for our hard effort. Superior clear water, blue sky, serenity.
The local wildlife are so accustomed to visitors that they come right up to say hello. This little fella was as soft as a teddy bear.
On the return trip to the parking lot we found this clever chair and had a rest.
I forgot to mention that the Farmer's Market was on in Lauceston and we procured a number of delicious local foods to enjoy while we stayed in Tassie.
A little beach picnic lunch.
Our last night was my favorite of all. We booked a shwanky little cabin at the base of Cradle Mountain. The drive in was so curvy and windy, that in some spots you could only travel 10km/hr. The scenery was a natural wonder that I feel privileged to have seen with my own eyes.
On our arrival, our hosts had our cabin stove blazing, the fridge stocked with essentials for the morning, and we supplied the wine. Brad hit the bed as soon as he saw it and didn't wake for three hours, just in time for dinner of course. While he slept, it snowed, hailed, rained, and stormed, so I curled up under a cozy blanket, poured a nice glass of Tasmanian red and got stuck into "The Floating Brothel" by Sian Rees. It's the story of female convicts brought to Botany Bay from England aboard the Lady Juliana. I highly recommend it if you enjoy historical fiction.
.JPG)
The view from one of our windows. If we ever have an opportunity to return to Tasmania and Cradle Mountain we want to do an extended hike through this area for a few days. Something about it, perhaps because it felt a bit like home or maybe because we just finished a whirlwind holiday on the NSW/QLD coast, made this stop particularly Zen.
On our drive around Tassie we were instructed to have seafood, and lots of it.
So we did...yum...that is all.
If you love to drive, drive the roads in Tasmania with a really 'swish' car. (We ironically ended up with the exact make and model of rental car that we had on our trip through the Whitsundays.) We chose a less traveled road to take us to the airport. We were happy we did and are hoping for another weekend in Tasmania before we return to Canada, Hobart next time?
This next break coming up in just a week and a half will be one spent close to home, maybe a visit to Sydney. We are hoping to highlight our adventures in our own community. Thanks for reading!
