The only thing we absolutely had to do today was be at Hobart airport by 6pm for our flight to Melbourne.
So we left Bicheno at a reasonable hour, having stopped for a very good coffee on the way out of town, and meandered our way back to Hobart.
We stopped for great scenery, morning tea, great scenery, lunch, great scenery, and a visit to Hobart's Botanic gardens. Our stroll round the gardens was curtailed by the rain so we had a lingering, leisurely afternoon tea in the cafe (watching the rain fall) then returned our rental car & headed to the airport.
Bye Tassie hope to be back in less than 30 years.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Tasmania - Day 7 (Wineglass Bay)
After last night's thunderbolts and lightning we woke early to glorious sunshine and headed quickly to Freycinet National Park and Wineglass Bay.
We did a couple of the shorter walks - beautiful scenery (some glorious views from the walk to the lighthouse.)
Then it was off to Elephants Pass for a highly recommended late afternoon tea (high tea perhaps?) of Pancakes & Hot Caramel Fudge drink @ Mount Elephant pancakes.
Major yum factor.
Then back to Bicheno for the night.
We did a couple of the shorter walks - beautiful scenery (some glorious views from the walk to the lighthouse.)
Then it was off to Elephants Pass for a highly recommended late afternoon tea (high tea perhaps?) of Pancakes & Hot Caramel Fudge drink @ Mount Elephant pancakes.
Major yum factor.
Then back to Bicheno for the night.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Tasmania - Day 6 (Launceston)
It's raining again.
As I left the motel I slipped & fell - no major damage - just a slight calf muscle strain (imho). Hurts a bit to walk - not enough to limp just enough to be a niggle really.
So we head for Launceston to check out the city. (Gourlays sweet shop & the Chocolate studio). Had awesome morning hot chocolate & cookies n cream cheesecake @ the studio by which time the rain had stopped so we headed for Cataract Gorge.
It's amazing - it's only a couple of minutes from the city centre yet you could be in the middle of the wilderness.
Although the sun was out the steady rain had made it wet & muddy underfoot.
The water in the First Basin was way up - almost to the swimming pool.
There were peacocks everywhere - wandering up to the tables to (try and) join you for coffee, wandering along the tourist paths, strolling out of the public toilets ...
After Cataract Gorge we headed towards Exeter - we visited a lavender farm, sat in the car & looked at the Batman Bridge while we waited for the hail to stop, and had a hot chocolate at Grindelwald.
Hmm Grindelwald. It was built 30 years ago by a dutch guy who'd visited Switzerland & fallen in love with the architecture & so re-created a little piece of Switzerland not far from Launceston.
We went into the chocolate shop (of course) and asked for scones & jam& cream and hot chocolate. The woman looked at us like we were mad (fair call) and told us that we'd have to pay extra if we wanted hot choc instead of tea with our devonshire tea - fine with is. We then asked for mugs of hot chocolate - once again 'that' look and a 'well that will cost you extra'.
Anyway we had a pleasant devonshire tea with an ok hot chocolate - it was made from ordinary drinking chocolate so nothing special despite being a chocolate shop.
As I left the motel I slipped & fell - no major damage - just a slight calf muscle strain (imho). Hurts a bit to walk - not enough to limp just enough to be a niggle really.
So we head for Launceston to check out the city. (Gourlays sweet shop & the Chocolate studio). Had awesome morning hot chocolate & cookies n cream cheesecake @ the studio by which time the rain had stopped so we headed for Cataract Gorge.
It's amazing - it's only a couple of minutes from the city centre yet you could be in the middle of the wilderness.
Although the sun was out the steady rain had made it wet & muddy underfoot.
The water in the First Basin was way up - almost to the swimming pool.
There were peacocks everywhere - wandering up to the tables to (try and) join you for coffee, wandering along the tourist paths, strolling out of the public toilets ...
After Cataract Gorge we headed towards Exeter - we visited a lavender farm, sat in the car & looked at the Batman Bridge while we waited for the hail to stop, and had a hot chocolate at Grindelwald.
Hmm Grindelwald. It was built 30 years ago by a dutch guy who'd visited Switzerland & fallen in love with the architecture & so re-created a little piece of Switzerland not far from Launceston.
We went into the chocolate shop (of course) and asked for scones & jam& cream and hot chocolate. The woman looked at us like we were mad (fair call) and told us that we'd have to pay extra if we wanted hot choc instead of tea with our devonshire tea - fine with is. We then asked for mugs of hot chocolate - once again 'that' look and a 'well that will cost you extra'.
Anyway we had a pleasant devonshire tea with an ok hot chocolate - it was made from ordinary drinking chocolate so nothing special despite being a chocolate shop.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Tasmania - Day 5 (Cradle Mountain)
Despite the rains best efforts - it had rained steadily overnight - we set off for Cradle Mountain. The weather was alternately bad, very bad, not so bad, ok, for the whole 3 hour journey.
At Dove Lake there was the occasional snow flake (but apparently it had snowed yesterday) but it was mainly rain, slush, & mud.
There were a few people braving the walks (we were not of their number) instead we admired the scenery (the rain stopped briefly) and watched a couple of international tourists trying to negotiate the paths in high heels.
The rain & mist gave the scenery a shades of grey look so we headed back to Launceston earlier than we had planned.
On the way back we stopped in Sheffield & had Devonshire Tea at the Scottish Scone Shop. It's an old fashioned tea shop with resident bagpipe player and walls festooned with kilts, tartan remnants and scots bits n pieces.
Did I mention that before we left this morning there were bunny rabbits gambolling on the lawn next to our unit?
At Dove Lake there was the occasional snow flake (but apparently it had snowed yesterday) but it was mainly rain, slush, & mud.
There were a few people braving the walks (we were not of their number) instead we admired the scenery (the rain stopped briefly) and watched a couple of international tourists trying to negotiate the paths in high heels.
The rain & mist gave the scenery a shades of grey look so we headed back to Launceston earlier than we had planned.
On the way back we stopped in Sheffield & had Devonshire Tea at the Scottish Scone Shop. It's an old fashioned tea shop with resident bagpipe player and walls festooned with kilts, tartan remnants and scots bits n pieces.
Did I mention that before we left this morning there were bunny rabbits gambolling on the lawn next to our unit?
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Tasmania - Day 4
After our final cooked breakfast @ Rydges it was off to the Salamanca markets bright & early.
The market lived up to the hype - some interesting new crafts interspersed with some 'Rocks market' style crafts and a few tacky stalls thrown in for good measure.
After a lightening of the wallet - it was off along the Heritage Hwy to Launceston.
First stop was intended to be Kempton - a heritage listed town where we'd planned to have a Devonshire tea. However everything was closed (on a saturday morning) not even any cafes open.
Next stop was supposd to be Jericho (mud brick prison wall). We took the turn off for Jericho but somehow ended up in Little Marshes! (Jericho it seems is only metres off the hwy but not signposted)
Next up was Oatlands - finally a heritage town with the requisite heritage buildings and eateries. We decided to devonshire tea at 'The Stables' only they'd run out of scones! so, fading from hunger, we had an earlyish lunch before heading for Ross.
LIke Oatlands Rosswas very much what we expected - the Ross Bridge, a sandstone bridge built in 1836 by convict labour, is well known for the intricate carvings on both sides.
The river here was quite high lending credence to the wettest tasmanian winter on record claim. The main street is almost all old & (original) buildings and as the rain had let up it was a pleasant stroll before heading back to the car to continue our journey to Launceston.
The closer we got to Launceston the heavier the rain - on the outskirts of Cleveland we came across the St. Andrews Inn - we nearly didn't stop (cos it was raining quite heavily by now) but we did and scored the Devonshire tea we'd been craving and possibly the best scones anywhere.
Unfortunately the inn is up for sale so who knows if supreme scone maker will still be there on our next devonshire tea visit.
By the time we arrived in Launceston the rain was well and truly here to stay so we settled into our motel and watched the lights of Launceston through a curtain of mist.
The market lived up to the hype - some interesting new crafts interspersed with some 'Rocks market' style crafts and a few tacky stalls thrown in for good measure.
After a lightening of the wallet - it was off along the Heritage Hwy to Launceston.
First stop was intended to be Kempton - a heritage listed town where we'd planned to have a Devonshire tea. However everything was closed (on a saturday morning) not even any cafes open.
Next stop was supposd to be Jericho (mud brick prison wall). We took the turn off for Jericho but somehow ended up in Little Marshes! (Jericho it seems is only metres off the hwy but not signposted)
Next up was Oatlands - finally a heritage town with the requisite heritage buildings and eateries. We decided to devonshire tea at 'The Stables' only they'd run out of scones! so, fading from hunger, we had an earlyish lunch before heading for Ross.
LIke Oatlands Rosswas very much what we expected - the Ross Bridge, a sandstone bridge built in 1836 by convict labour, is well known for the intricate carvings on both sides.
The river here was quite high lending credence to the wettest tasmanian winter on record claim. The main street is almost all old & (original) buildings and as the rain had let up it was a pleasant stroll before heading back to the car to continue our journey to Launceston.
The closer we got to Launceston the heavier the rain - on the outskirts of Cleveland we came across the St. Andrews Inn - we nearly didn't stop (cos it was raining quite heavily by now) but we did and scored the Devonshire tea we'd been craving and possibly the best scones anywhere.
Unfortunately the inn is up for sale so who knows if supreme scone maker will still be there on our next devonshire tea visit.
By the time we arrived in Launceston the rain was well and truly here to stay so we settled into our motel and watched the lights of Launceston through a curtain of mist.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Tasmania - Day 3 (Cadbury)
We woke to the sound and sight of steady rain so decided that indoor pursuits would be high on today's agenda.
First off we headed to Claremont and the Cadbury Chocolate Factory. They no longer do tours of the factory, instead you watch a dvd on the history of Cadbury before being turned loose in the shop.
There are actually 2 shops - one is Cadbury branded merchandise - (t shirts, caps, mugs etc.); the other is the seconds chocolate shop.
There was a school group (primary age) ahead of us in the shop - pretty much every kid was buying a 5kg box of assorted factory seconds chocolate ($40).
The seconds shop was great value and you could get your purchases posted back ( so I'm told :>))
Morning tea at the Cadbury cafe (white flake hot chocolate - yum)
After Cadbury (and with the rain still bucketing down) we headed for Cascade Brewery. After sampling the brew we decided, despite the rain, to drive up Mt Wellington to see what we could see. The rain had cleared slightly (sometimes) but even so the cloud was sitting quite low so there was little or no visibility beyond 'The Springs'.
The Cascade Female Factory was rained out so it was back into the city to check out the Cat & Fiddle Arcade.
In a bookshop I found that Marcus Clarke's 'For the term of his natural life' is one of the $9.95 popular penguins so I bought it - I'd almost bought a copy at Port Arthur (not the Penguin ed.) but hadn't cos I thought I might have a copy at the Mont Albert branch. But for $9.95 It didn't matter if I already had a copy as I really wanted to read it again after the visit to Port Arthur.
First off we headed to Claremont and the Cadbury Chocolate Factory. They no longer do tours of the factory, instead you watch a dvd on the history of Cadbury before being turned loose in the shop.
There are actually 2 shops - one is Cadbury branded merchandise - (t shirts, caps, mugs etc.); the other is the seconds chocolate shop.
There was a school group (primary age) ahead of us in the shop - pretty much every kid was buying a 5kg box of assorted factory seconds chocolate ($40).
The seconds shop was great value and you could get your purchases posted back ( so I'm told :>))
Morning tea at the Cadbury cafe (white flake hot chocolate - yum)
After Cadbury (and with the rain still bucketing down) we headed for Cascade Brewery. After sampling the brew we decided, despite the rain, to drive up Mt Wellington to see what we could see. The rain had cleared slightly (sometimes) but even so the cloud was sitting quite low so there was little or no visibility beyond 'The Springs'.
The Cascade Female Factory was rained out so it was back into the city to check out the Cat & Fiddle Arcade.
In a bookshop I found that Marcus Clarke's 'For the term of his natural life' is one of the $9.95 popular penguins so I bought it - I'd almost bought a copy at Port Arthur (not the Penguin ed.) but hadn't cos I thought I might have a copy at the Mont Albert branch. But for $9.95 It didn't matter if I already had a copy as I really wanted to read it again after the visit to Port Arthur.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Tasmania - Day 2 continued
After Port Arthur we headed touristically back towards Hobart - stopping quickly at pretty much every scenic lookout we could find:
Palmers Lookout
Remarkable caves
Devils kitchen
Tasman Arch
Blowhole
Tesselated pavements
Federation Chocolate Factory (not so much a scenic lookout but a must-see certainly)
It was a couple of tired little teddy bears who grabbed takeaway on New Town and headed back to the hotel to put our feet up.
Palmers Lookout
Remarkable caves
Devils kitchen
Tasman Arch
Blowhole
Tesselated pavements
Federation Chocolate Factory (not so much a scenic lookout but a must-see certainly)
It was a couple of tired little teddy bears who grabbed takeaway on New Town and headed back to the hotel to put our feet up.
Tasmania - Day 2 (Port Arthur)
An earlyish start today as we wanted to take advantage of the good weather and visit Port Arthur.
First though we headed for the (included) buffet breakfast and fuelled up for the strenuous days sightseeing ahead - toast, bacon, eggs, hash browns, and fruit salad (yes really - I had fruit salad for breakfast) before hitting the tourist trail to Port Arthur.
Brief stops at Richmond (historic bridge)& the Abel Tasman monument arriving at Port Arthur in time for morning tea.
Having been to Port Arthur some 30 years I'd forgotten how powerfully atmospheric it is - it has changed quite a bit - after the 1996 massacre parts of the visitors centre & cafe complex were pulled down and/or rebuilt.
The entry fee includes a 20 minute harbour cruise - it's interesting to see the site from the water - and unlimited wandering arond the site (some 40 hectares iirc) .
It's difficult to explain how cold and eerie the (former) penitentiary can feel on a bright, sunny winters day - sketches and photos explain what & how the various rooms rooms were used.
There is such a lot to take in.
The memorial for the victims of the 1996 massacre is a simple, but extremely moving, garden (with reflecting pool) on the former site of the Broken Arrow cafe (where many of the victims were murdered).
It is a lovely tribute and quite overwhelming in its simplicity.
I think Port Arthur is one of those places that you need to visit more than once.
There is just so much to take in...
First though we headed for the (included) buffet breakfast and fuelled up for the strenuous days sightseeing ahead - toast, bacon, eggs, hash browns, and fruit salad (yes really - I had fruit salad for breakfast) before hitting the tourist trail to Port Arthur.
Brief stops at Richmond (historic bridge)& the Abel Tasman monument arriving at Port Arthur in time for morning tea.
Having been to Port Arthur some 30 years I'd forgotten how powerfully atmospheric it is - it has changed quite a bit - after the 1996 massacre parts of the visitors centre & cafe complex were pulled down and/or rebuilt.
The entry fee includes a 20 minute harbour cruise - it's interesting to see the site from the water - and unlimited wandering arond the site (some 40 hectares iirc) .
It's difficult to explain how cold and eerie the (former) penitentiary can feel on a bright, sunny winters day - sketches and photos explain what & how the various rooms rooms were used.
There is such a lot to take in.
The memorial for the victims of the 1996 massacre is a simple, but extremely moving, garden (with reflecting pool) on the former site of the Broken Arrow cafe (where many of the victims were murdered).
It is a lovely tribute and quite overwhelming in its simplicity.
I think Port Arthur is one of those places that you need to visit more than once.
There is just so much to take in...
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Tasmania
After spending most of July and a fair bit of August being sick - think bad head cold that never left- I finally recovered enough to have a holiday.
Sometime ago Jetstar had $30 each way fares Melbourne/Hobart (including luggage) and I persuaded TappingBetty to accompany me.
She had never been to Tassie.
I had been to Tassie once; ** years ago on a school trip.
We arrived in Hobart shortly after 8am, picked up our rental car - a (Hyundai Getz)
and headed for North Hobart and our Hobart base - Rydges North Hobart.
Sometime ago Jetstar had $30 each way fares Melbourne/Hobart (including luggage) and I persuaded TappingBetty to accompany me.
She had never been to Tassie.
I had been to Tassie once; ** years ago on a school trip.
We arrived in Hobart shortly after 8am, picked up our rental car - a (Hyundai Getz)
On the subject of rental cars - most (if not all) guidebooks recommend that you don't make it obvious to to would be thieves that you're driving a rental car. Kind of difficult with a large Hertz sticker on the back window, Hertz label on the number plate casing, smallish hertz sticker on windscreen, hertz sticker on dashboard.
Anyway back to Hobart - Day 1.
After checking in (and discovering that TappingBetty's camera had failed somewhere between dinner last night and Hobart this morning) we left the car to coffeehouse with another Hertz rental at Rydges and, for some crazy reason, walked into Hobart City Centre.
Our first stop, armed with tourist brochures, was a coffee shop for breakfast and a brochure perusal.
The weather was sunny (and windy) so we opted to start the day by exploring Hobart. Our first stop was a camera shop where the demise of TB's camera was confirmed and she replaced it with a bright pink 10 mp model.
Next up we meandered in the general direction of the Visitor Information Centre and after a stop there for more brochure perusal & maps we headed, mini cupcakes in hand, for the waterfront and a gentle stroll (more an amble really) in the direction of Salamanca Square and Battery Point.
After wandering around Battery Point we descended to sea level and bought fish n chips which we ate watching the docks.
Off to check out Parliament House then a lazy amble back to the hotel to check in. Our room was excellent - a twin suite overlooking North Hobart football ground which meant some good scenery watching the teams train.
We decided we'd done enought walking for the day so we picked up the car & drove to Rosny point lookout, then down to Sandy Bay to see the casino. Afternoon tea was at Smith Street cafe and then, eventually, dinner at a local restaurant.
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