We loved Lake Taupo and it felt so hard to leave … no-one else was checking in that day so Marki had said to take our time …. and so we did!! And still long chats before we actually got in the car … and fond farewells.

We still had a couple of local places to visit before leaving this area – our first stop was Huka Falls. We started off with the lookout point – wow, just incredible. The colour and the speed of the water was outstanding, the width of the river coming into the falls gave it such an incredible pace like you’ve never seen.

We then decided to take a walk that indicated 2 hours there and back. Just as we were setting off we caught a view of the jet boat rides that come up to the falls. Maybe another time!!

It was a beautiful walk though woodland, riverside and then some more dusty type terrain – a real variety. Also a lot of climbing involved … and it was a fairly hot day … but we persevered!!! After somewhat more than an hour of ‘out’ walking we had still not reached the turnaround destination, so we made the ‘magnanimous’ decision to turn back before it turned into a 4 hour walk!! We talked to a few other walkers along the way who seemed equally lost!

Greg had dutifully made up a delicious picnic lunch before we left, so we hunted for a picnic table at the end of the walk – for the ‘most visited’ scenic attraction in New Zealand – they only had 4 picnic tables – and they happened to all be taken! So we took a short drive onto our next destination which was the ‘Crater of Moons’ – another geothermal area with active craters… and yes, it did look just like the moon. There was one solitary picnic table just by the car park so we ‘literally’ ran to stake our claim to it as soon as we arrived. Then we entered the ‘moon.’

Then we left Taupo to head for Napier … and what a spectacular drive. We’re putting in some miles on this trip (and so grateful to our two long-suffering drivers – Steve and Greg) but the views along the way are indescribably fabulous. Huge majestic mountains, thickly covered in dense forest – makes them look all soft and fluffy. Then at times the hills are grass covered and quite yellow from their recent drought. The hills are so plentiful too, like constant bumps – presumably it’s do with being volcanic. And gorgeous waterfalls – you can never get enough of these.

Everywhere you look too you will see sheep, cows or goats scattered along the hillsides, completing these pretty pictures. One unexpected sight along this route was a fully decorated Christmas tree at the roadside – fir trees are in abundance and clearly this one had been kitted out for the festive season … but it now being February, nobody had thought to remove the baubles!! I have actually noticed this a lot, both in Australia and New Zealand, that they don’t go for the 6th January thing – there are many Santas, trees, bows and tinsel still remaining!!

And so we continued to make our way up and down the spiralling mountain roads, frequently passing huge logging trucks who would whizz past at great speed. It is so interesting to witness the logging industry in this part of the world. Marki and Chris told us that we would pass one tea house along the way … and we found it, in fact we arrived just in time before closing … again it was a quick dash in before they could draw the blind on the door!! So cream teas all round – yum!

We arrived at our hotel in Napier by late afternoon – so nice to unpack knowing we had 3 nights here – it was actually worth unpacking!! Looking forward to exploring this exquisite Art Deco town over the next few days. Sadly bad weather has set in … but we must carry on regardless, after all we’re British!

Took a stroll down the main seafront – some great bars and restaurants – loads of backpackers’ haunts. Had a huge pub meal and then a couple of drinks in a really interesting bar called the Masonic Hotel – beautifully interior designed Art Deco style and cabinets full of collections.

Hoping the sunshine returns tomorrow ☀️

Tuesday 6th February 2018

Before we left for Taupo, had a lovely FaceTime with Alice, Emma, Tom and Jess – they were all a little bleary after a weekend of celebrating … but it felt so good to catch up with them. ❤️

Another magnificent drive through miles and miles of glorious New Zealand countryside – the beauty of it is just so hard to explain – it literally takes your breath away …. it stretches before your eyes for miles on end. And today we saw sheep – loads of them – I think they must have been hiding yesterday!

To break up the journey we stopped off at Waikite Valley thermal pools – home of the Te Manarao Spring, the largest single source of 100% pure boiling water in New Zealand. There are 10 pools to choose from that are filled daily from the fresh geothermal water (obviously they go through a cooling process) – water temperatures range between 35 and 40 degrees. It was fascinating to walk to see the spring and hear it boiling and then to see how the waters cascade into the pools … but mostly to relax in the invigorating mineral waters of the thermal pools. It’s unbelievably relaxing!

After a spot of lunch we hit the road again. The GPS (Jock as we affectionately call him) took us on a slight detour but we found our way back on the road to Lake Taupo. The thermal experience had made those of us who were backseat passengers a little drowsy – thank goodness for our more focused driver and sidekick. Nothing could have prepared us however for the beauty of the area where we were next to stay …. and also the fabulous accommodation we were lucky enough to be booked into. Chris and Marki met us as we parked the car and showed us into their magnificent home – they lived upstairs and our two bedroom accommodation was downstairs – it was palatial. We had the most stunning views over Lake Taupo from our patio … and even better from the upstairs patio -Marki insisted we use their patio as they were going out – she even provided us with a Thai salad and booze to save us having to go shopping!!

Having saved time on the shopping trip, we were able to fit in a swim before dinner – Marki had told us about a little tucked away place just across the road, where we were able to jump off the rocks into clear blue deep water. It was magical … we swam with ducks and black swans gliding around us and yachts sailing by.

After ‘pre-drinks’ on the upper patio, we tucked into Thai Salad, with tomatoes, rocket, peppers and courgettes picked from the garden. Sampled some fine New Zealand wines too. Before retiring to bed we enjoyed the night sky – packed with stars, including shooting stars.

Wednesday 7th February 2018

Today was definitely all about chilling. Lay in – leisurely breakfast on the patio wearing the luxury white dressing gowns provided – short walk to the beach (grass covered beach) – lazing on the beach – a bit of reading – a bit of swimming – nothing too energetic. We were joined on the beach by a family of ducks – clearly didn’t understand that we had no food with us.

We had a pair of local black swans too … I was fascinated by what turned out to be their mating dance … so videoed it. Shortly after they progressed into the ‘main activity!’ – I continued to be fascinated, never having seen this before – felt so sorry for the female whose head was under the water most of the time, came up from time to time to get air!!

Later in the afternoon we decided to be a bit more energetic and so hired some kayaks – Steve and I on one and Greg on another. Had an hour out on the lake – it was stunning – the sun had come out by this time. We were hoping Chris (our airbnb host) was watching us – he used to row for New Zealand, as well as coach them + coached the Cambridge team and Princeton!!

So a beautiful day at Lake Taupo – it has to be one of the most spectacular places we have ever visited.

Monday 5th February  2018

Today is Tom’s 25th Birthday … and I so missed being with him.  Feeling very homesick.  Happy Birthday my gorgeous boy. ❤️

It is also the 15th anniversary of when my niece Marsha was tragically taken from us  – never a day goes by when we don’t think of her and miss her … today is always a difficult day. 💕💕💕

We headed off mid morning to Rotorua, beginning to discover New Zealand’s incredible landscapes on the way.  Having not slept much the night before, I nodded in and out on the journey but saw enough to appreciate the extreme beauty and the hills scattered with cattle, deer and alpaca – oddly enough no sheep!!

We reached Rotorua at lunchtime and opted for lunch at a lakeside cafe.  Weather not so great today but the lake was pretty and the food good.  When we got back into the car after lunch, I realised that I had left my handbag hanging on the chair, managed to retrieve it.  What with Steve’s hat and sunglasses from yesterday +now my bag, I think Steve and I need some serious looking after when we get back (are you ready for us Tom and Alice)!!?

Before heading out to find our accommodation, we stopped off to visit the hot thermal spring areas close by.  Rotorua is nicknamed ‘Sulphur City’ because of the hydrogen sulphide emissions – a bit of a rotten egg smell!!  So fascinating to see the geothermal activity of this volcanic area – had never seen this before.

With great relief we found our accommodation – it was spacious, comfortable, generoulsy kitted out (+ friendly signs) … and had an amazing garden + swimming pool.  Just what we needed at the end of this long day.  Soon made ourselves at home – by this time the sun had come out so we made a bee-line for the pool (they had even supplied a flamingo for us to play with)!!

We took a short walk out only to find the town was closed up – it was Monday and it appears to be everyone’s day off!!  We managed to find an Indian takeaway and a supermarket to stock up on wine so all was not lost.  Saw this rather appropriate sign while we were out!!

Returned ‘home’ for a chilled evening … and an early night – fell into the sumptuous bed and caught up on some much needed sleep.

Tomorrow is yet another day … and each day is there to be treasured ❤️

We flew out from Melbourne to Auckland, New Zealand, just after midnight on Thursday … so early hours of Friday 2nd February.  Having had little sleep on the flight and not being able to check in to our airbnb till 2.00pm, we tried to make something of the day in between cat naps in the rental car.  Drove to Mount Eden and climbed to the top – a spectacular view over the city and interesting to look down into the crater of this dormant volcano – the highest natural point in Auckland.

From there we made our way to Albert Park for a walk around the beautiful gardens – even spent an hour in Auckland Art Gallery …. so not too bad for a group of extremely weary travellers.

We were more than happy to get into our apartment though which was on the 18th floor of a modern city tower block – great views, great location near to the main waterfront, ferry points, shops, bars, restaurants etc.  We all napped the rest of the afternoon, had a short interlude to eat, and then it was back to bed for an early night … and so we caught up on ourselves.  Night flights are a nightmare … but extremely cheap!!

Saturday 3rd February

Feeling human again, we decided on a ferry trip out to Waiheke island … the weather was not too great, raining off and on … but we were prepared for all eventualities – sunhat, sun lotion, jumpers, raincoat etc… The island is home to 30 vineyards, some beautiful white sandy beaches and countryside walks. We took the hop on hop off bus option – our first stop being a winery – surprise surprise!! After a bite to eat and some local sampling we embarked on a countryside walk – up hill and down dale, passing a number of vineyards on the way (yes, I said passing)!!! – all the way to Onetangi beach.

Kaye managed to lose the sole of her walking boot along the way so some girl guide/boy scout maintenance was required!!

New Zealand, like Australia, seems to love a good sign …. often stating the obvious. This sign however was a bit of a mystery – we were passing an Olive grove – weren’t quite sure of the significance of being quiet. Maybe someone could enlighten us? This winery trail seems to be popular with stag and hen parties – maybe that’s who it was aimed at. We kept silent as mice all the same!!

After a couple of hours of walking we were glad to get back onto the bus …. and it was an interesting way to see the island. Our last stop was Cable Winery where we indulged in some further sampling!! Absolutely stunning views. From here it was a short walk down through a forest area to get to the ferry point – a walk full of view and VERY LOUD cicadas!!!

It was a bit of a choppy ferry trip on the way back to the mainland – the Captain announced the need to not walk around until he told us it was safe to do do. I was checking out those life-jackets I can tell you!!!

Back on dry land, we dolled up in preparation for our night out on the town. Ate at the Crab Shack – wow – absolutely recommend the steak! Views over the waterfront and fancy cruise liner.

And then we danced the night away in Danny O’Doolans. Another great drinking hole …. but predominantly young people. There was a live band playing covers … all very danceable – and we love to dance!! For some reason it appeared to be a novelty that us ‘old people’ were dancing – girls were literally latching on to Kaye and I and helping us to dance, like we were invalids!! But I got chatted up by two young men – well I say chatted up … I think I reminded them of their grandmothers!!

Late night for us ‘oldies’ but a good one!!

Sunday 4th February 2018

Steve and I planned to do the hop on hop off bus trip around Auckland today, so we could get a feel of this magnificent city before we headed off south into the country. Started off with a stop at the Sky Tower – bravely rode the lift to the 60th floor – spectacular views over the city once again.

Managed a huge burger for lunch (hangover fodder) and then hopped back onto the bus for a few more sightseeing opportunities. Got off at Bastion Point where we had more spectacular views …. and also took a walk down a steep hill to Mission Bay (one of Jess’ recommendations) – treated ourselves to a delicious Movenpick ice cream before embarking on the climb up that very steep hill again!

Also hopped off in Parnell which is a very swish residential area of Auckland – some stunning colonial style houses. Visited the rose gardens.

By the time we stopped off at the Museum we only had half an hour left before the last bus …. and as ‘Internationals’ we had to pay to go in …. so instead we opted for a free photographic exhibition – the New Zealand Geographic Photographer of the Year – the entries were mind blowing.

We caught the last bus to the final stop, disembarked and were walking along the waterfront when Steve realised he had left his sunglasses on the bus – hotfooted it back and managed to retrieve them, just as the driver was about to pull out. He had left his hat in the cafe at lunchtime and had retrieved it in the same manner. I think I’ll be sewing elastic onto his gloves when we get back and threading it through his jacket – like we had in our primary school gabardines!!

Our ticket also included a return ferry trip ticket to Devonport so the pier was our next stop. Once in Devonport we had a lovely walk all along the promenade and along the beach. Some stunning houses again. Got to see a cruise liner leaving Auckland too.

Before heading back into the city, we stopped for ‘fush and chups’ (a little play on the New Zealand accent) in a beachside cafe. Enjoyed a stunning sunset on our ferry ride home.

Tomorrow we head south … next stop Rotorua 😎

Took some time out from unpacking, washing, ironing, re-packing, haircuts etc to visit the Shrine of Remembrance in the city. A truly thought provoking and respectful place.

Afterwards, crossed the road to visit the magnificent Botanical Gardens.

In the evening we drove to Mentone for dinner – minestrone, pizza, pasta – then cruised along the beach road on the way home, stopping to watch the sunset.

I t’s now Thursday afternoon and I’m SO excited – (1) because I’m completely up to date with my blog and (2) because we fly out to New Zealand tonight, just before midnight – a country I’ve wanted to visit for so long.

I’ll be back to blog soon …

Friday 26th January 2018

Off to Launceston today where we were staying for 2 nights before flying out from Launceston airport on Sunday morning. An absolutely stunning journey through the Cradle Mountain area. I have to say our chauffeurs Steve and Greg have done a marvellous job!! We drove through more mining areas too but most of the day we enjoyed being surrounded by tree lined mountains and the spiralling roads that go with mountain driving. We’ve hit some great place names on the way – ‘snake creek’ ‘double barrel creek’ ‘pea soup creek’ ‘weaning paddock creek’ ‘kookaburra rock road’ – you could only be in Australia. Drove though some quaint towns like Rosebery and Tullah – again like little pockets of land that time forgot. There is so much logging industry in this area … this involves very large and very speedy logging trucks on these narrow mountain roads. Often as we drove (slowly) down some incredibly step descents we would find cyclists just embarking on the climb … 🤨

We were aiming to get to Launceston without too much stopover as it was Australia Day … and we wanted to get there for the celebrations. We had kitted ourselves out with fake tattoos in the morning (Australian flags, kangaroos etc.) – I had posted a picture of me with said tattoo on Facebook – some people believed me … Sorry, it was just a joke!!! We arrived at our apartment in good time – it was impressive on first sight – the building was an old gentleman’s club – it had a cathedral style ceiling, spacious lounge and kitchen. Unfortunately the temperature over these two days hit the high 30s and we had not realised in advance that there was no air conditioning. It was absolutely sweltering at night … very little sleep … and lots of mosquito bites from having the windows open – oh joy!!

But the weirdest thing of all was that the city was deserted – it was like there had been an evacuation and we hadn’t got the email!! We dolled ourselves up for a party night all the same then started wandering around the empty streets. We were laughing saying that we might walk into a restaurant and all the locals would jump out with Australian flags and shout “surprise!!” But they didn’t appear – we still had a lovely meal, followed by a walk around town, a couple of drinks and then retired home for an earliesh night.

It was a long night however – as mentioned before the extreme heat kept us awake + the mosquitos … and on top of that we were opposite the town clock which chimed every quarter of an hour, it was like sleeping (or not sleeping) next to Big Ben!!

Saturday 27th January 2018
Steve was up and out early to the Parkrun – admirable effort on such little sleep. Greg got up early too and went to the gym. Kaye and I … well, we just dozed!!

When we were all reunited we headed out for some breakfast – nothing like a good nosh when you’re feeling sleep deprived. From there we decided on a walk out to Cataract Gorge … the local information centre informed us that it was a pleasant walk with opportunities for swimming. But that didn’t prepare us for quite how magnificent it was going to be. We took the left hand walk on the way – the ‘boys’ had decided that we’d save the easier path for the way back!! Nearly killed us, it was a steep climb, step after step after step … it was like being back on the South West Coastal Path … except it was 32 degrees!! But all the agony was SO worth it when we arrived.

We all jumped into the beautiful gorge river – I had never experienced anything like it. Greg, Kaye and I swam over to the waterfall area under the bridge – fabulously cool fresh water, so deep and open – surrounded by stunning mountains.  On the swim back however there was a group of teenagers squealing about an eel in the water .. “look how big it is, it’s huge”… even Greg agreed with them but was laughing …. I on the other hand swam like my life depended on it – I was like an Olympian!!!  I had seen a washed up Moray eel in Thailand (see blog – The Tale of the Longtail Boat) and I knew how big their teeth were!!  Opted for a more sedate swim in the open air swimming pool with Steve afterwards, followed by a few hours of lazing in the sun.

The walk back was so much more pleasurable and manageable with spectacular views of the gorge all the way along … completely flat in comparison to our earlier walk.

After our fabulous day, we refreshed ourselves and set out to find somewhere to eat. Settled for an Italian meal – delicious – and then thought we’d pop in for a night cap in Henry’s (the restaurant and bar below our accommodation).  It was rather posh with elaborate rules posted up (no thongs, no trainers, no shorts, no dirty clothing ….) but they allowed us in anyway …. and we had a few drinks in their oh so sumptuous lounge.

Sunday 28th January 2018

Up early for the drive to the airport and our flight back to Melbourne.  It’s been a fabulous week –  Tasmania is very high up on the list of favourites.

 

Thursday 25th January 2018

Woke up bright and breezy in beautiful Strahan – beautiful flat Strahan … seems like everywhere we’ve stayed in recent times has been hilly (and hot) … so today was the day for a run (there was no putting it off)! Steve and I headed out for a 45 minute out and back run … it was fabulous running through Strahan, along the harbour side and by the beach. It got hotter and hotter though so I resorted to walking the last 10 minutes or so. Felt good to be out jogging again – vowed to keep it up on a daily basis now!! Oh yeh!!

Came back to find that Greg had been out shopping and bacon and eggs were on the breakfast menu. Kaye and I left our two men to cook said breakfast while we went and had a game of badminton on the grass outside our lodge … much giggling and ‘a few’ rallies … but great exercise and stretching all the same!!

After a delicious breakfast we took off on a walk to explore Strahan – a walk through People’s Park into the rainforest had been recommended. Wow … it was a fabulous walk, again tall tall trees and overgrown ferns of many types, beautiful streams running through in an array of colours, and at the end we reached the Hogarth Falls – so so beautiful.

As you can see, the water is a strange colour here – it is due to the presence of tannin in the water. Tannin is leached out of the peat substrate upon which certain vegetation communities (such as tea tree scrub and rainforest) grow. (As you can probably tell, I had to google that bit)!!!!

The tannin is found in the Strahan sea water too, as we found out when we went to the beach that afternoon. We had decided some down time was needed and so some lazing around on the sand, reading time and beach picnic was next on the agenda. A very mellow afternoon – hot but not too hot – a swim was required for cooling purposes though and that was interesting … so warm but it was like swimming in Coca Cola or tea … it was amazingly clear through the colour though … and we had been told it was perfectly harmless. There were lots of other people swimming, mostly children I must admit … and inflatables!!

On the way home from the beach we caught a waft of cooking from Molly’s cafe – roast dinner was on the menu for the evening … so you can guess where we rocked up an hour later. Roast beef, roast potatoes and all the trimmings – just the ticket. We were right next door to a bottle shop too which was so convenient as the cafe was BYO (bring your own)!! As soon as we wolfed the delicious food down, we hot footed it back to the river to resume our platypus hunt. One hour later …. we had seen so many ripples, an abundance of bubbles, we could even hear movement …. but we DID NOT see one duck bill platypus. 😟 Gutted!!!

Wednesday 24th January 2018

We were up and out by 9.00am, leaving our city residence to drive along the winding mountain roads once again. A beautiful sun shining day – tree filled mountains and the tallest of trees – you just feel enveloped in luxurious shades of green. The lakes and rivers glimmer and solo canoeists paddle their path … it’s so blissful.

After a few hours of driving, the terrain took a dramatic change – dead trees lined the road … and then we reached the lookout point into Queenstown – it looks like moonscape, so eery. Queenstown, once the world’s richest mining town has been left barren. It’s rich and rugged mining history includes gold, silver, copper and zinc … it also had smelting works, brick works and sawmills. It is said that the combination of tree removal for use in smelters + smelter fumes + fires stripped the mountains and left the area in this deserted state. The town and community still remain and has a real Wild West appeal – fascinating. We took the sprialling road down from the lookout point into the town … think we stood out like a sore thumb!!

After Queenstown it was head down until we reached our destination – Strahan. We couldn’t remember why we had chosen Strahan or who had recommended it …. but it is just perfect – it was our favourite stopover in Tasmania. It is just a small town on the West Coast but it has so much character, beautiful harbour, beaches, rainforest, interesting shops and cafes – a little ‘step back in time’ feel too … but magical.

We stayed on a holiday park – had a cute 2 bedroom lodge, very comfy and the staff super friendly and accomodating. They recommended that we go and watch the local play – a daily performance starting at 5.30pm. We went along not knowing what to expect … dreading the whole interaction thing …. but it was absolutely brilliant and we all got into it wholeheartedly. It was called “The Ship that never was” and was a fabulous story about a group of convicts who escaped prison in Tasmania by building a boat and sailing to South America. It was hilarious, with amazing props and packed with interaction … only Greg got picked on from our group.

We had a mooch around after the play and then opted for dinner in a local pub restaurant. We were shown to our table by a charming young American waiter and were told the waitress would be with us in due course. Unfortunately we experienced a couple of ‘customer service’ issues during the evening (as you do)!! First off, Steve went to the bar and asked for two glasses of prosecco – the barmaid’s response was a vacant look and a “uh?” – Steve repeated his request and received the same stimulating response …. after one more attempt Steve resorted to “two glasses of white wine please.” Clearly this popular bubbly has not reached Western Tasmania yet. We had got through a fair few drinks before the waitress finally arrived to take our food order – she did apologise – so Greg cleverly suggested that we have a free round of drinks as compensation – our wish was granted and we felt very smug!!

Earlier in the day we had made enquiries about sightings of duck bill platypus and were told that if we looked in certain parts of the river at dusk we were guaranteed to see some – I was so excited. So, on the way back from the restaurant, we set off on our wildlife hunt ….. we’d probably left it a wee bit late as darkness had set in. Decided we’d sleep on it and return tomorrow…. it was guaranteed after all!! 😉

Tuesday 23rd January 2018

It’s hard to choose what to do when you have limited time on trips away and there’s so much to do, but for today we all agreed on a visit to MONA (Museum of Old and New Art). It’s located within the Moorilla winery on the Berriedale peninsula – it is the largest privately funded museum in Australia. We opted to take the Mona Roma to get there – a fast ferry departing from Hobart pier.

For some obscure reason it is of ‘camouflage’ design – not sure what it’s blending in with but it looks arty! It has a bar on board though … and models of sheep and cows for photographic opportunities.

The current temporary exhibition is called ‘The Museum of Everything’ and is described as ‘the world’s first wandering institution for the untrained, unintentional, undiscovered and unclassifiable artists of the 19th, 20th and 21st century’ – such a fascinating collection. We all separated to explore with use of audio and gathered at lunchtime to exchange stories of appreciation, fascination and outright shock!! The audio equipment even flashed up a warning when you were about to enter a room with art of a sexual nature, and which some people might consider ‘rude!!!’ I was so engrossed with everything – from dinosaurs made from collected rubbish and kittens’ tea party to toothy Madonnas – loved hearing all about the artists … a great representation from artists with autism, visual impairment and mental health issues. Fascinating to learn a little more about the use of ‘art therapy’ – got me thinking about some retirement training when I get home. (I think this gap year is helping me to find myself)!!!

This is a photo of the entrance – makes us look taller and slimmer!!

So we lunched on lamb and chickpea wraps as we ‘talked art’ and listened to some live music playing in the grounds – oh so cultured.

When we got back to Hobart, Kaye and Greg travelled out by bus to meet up with an aunt of Kaye’s that they had not seen for many years. A heartwarming reunion by all accounts.

Steve and I decided to use the time to drive up to the top of Mount Wellington, elevation of 1,271m – a closed eyes job from time to time – mine not Steve’s as he was driving! The views from the top made the scariness worthwhile – beautiful …. and so funny to see the places we had been during the day in miniature.

Took a steady drive down, watching for sharp corners … and of course passed the usual nutty runners and cyclists – crazy people!!

In the evening we met up with Kaye and Greg in the Hope and Anchor, Australia’s oldest pub. India joined us for a drink later too – a lovely evening exchanging more stories. Had a final drink in the area called Salamanca before retiring home to bed.

Goodbye for now India – hopefully see you in the summer 😊

Monday 22nd January 2018

What a view to wake up to … and what a noise too – all those lovely farmyard noises!! The cock-a-doodle-doo from early doors, the cows mooing in surrounding fields … and then the hundreds of sheep arrived outside the bedroom window!! SO rustic!!

So up we got nice and early, true country style. We didn’t offer to stay and shear the sheep but headed out on our journey to Hobart instead. Getting out was a giggle – as we opened the farm gate a sheep escaped, so Steve impressively herded him/her back in whilst trying to stop others achieving the same escape plan!! Thought at one point we were going to be there all day!

The road trip was truly stunning – real chocolate box stuff. I would recommend everyone put Tasmania on their bucket list. It’s so green and mountainous with the most scenic of rivers and lakes. It’s impossible not to be amazed everywhere you look. As always we were looking out for wildlife – got to see wallabies and echidnas … but no Tasmanian Devils or Tasmanian Tigers!

En route we stopped off at Port Arthur which had been highly recommended – it was a place full of history – many of them sad stories – but incredibly beautiful surroundings. Port Arthur penal station was established in 1830 as a timber-getting camp, using convict labour – it was a punishment station for repeat offenders from all the Australian colonies. Of course, some of the original crimes were so menial e.g. stealing a loaf of bread, sodomy (being gay), adultery – for these acts they were transported from the UK to the other side of the world. We took the guided tour, including the harbour cruise – this provided information on the penitentiary, the ‘separate prison’ (solitary), the asylum, the dockyard, the Boys’ prison (boys as young as 9 were sent there) and the Isle of the Dead. In stark contrast Port Arthur was also a community for military and free men – some of the stylish colonial style houses remain and the beautiful gardens and church. The guide informed us that this perfect setting was to entice British officers to move there with their families, they aimed to make it feel like home.

The day had started off cool but got hotter and hotter, so we were relieved to get back to an air-conditioned car. And we drove on to our next airbnb destination – in Sandy Bay, Hobart. The apartment was great – so central to the main areas of the city – we were able to walk everywhere – a tastefully designed apartment with stunning views over the city, the sea and the majestic Mount Wellington.

We settled ourselves into our new 2 night abode … then it was time to get ready for our night out with India. Had such a lovely evening – started off with a drink in The Glass House on Hobart’s waterfront, looking over Sullivan’s cove. And then on to a superb Tasmanian restaurant where we ate fine food and drank fine wine … and of course chatted away about home and our travels and the good times in Australia. India absolutely loves her life in Tasmania and has become quite the country girl – she looks incredibly healthy and content. Her travel stories were great too – there is no doubt that travelling is character building!

With plans to meet up with India again tomorrow, we said our goodbyes and, being the ageing rockers that we are, went home to bed!! 😴