DrivingTasmania2023

Plane wasn’t leaving until 9pm so we all took advantage of the 10am check-out. Wayne was about to walk out the door when I suggested putting his dirty old sandshoes into a bag that had just been put in the bin. In the flurry of bagging his shoes, Wayne misplaced the unit keys. Apparently, it was my fault as I suggested the bag. When he retrieved it from the bin, a domino effect occurred.

A used tea bag was on the bag and it dropped onto the floor. Wayne was then trying to clean it up, while cursing me for the idea (and the tea-bag). He re-gathered his stuff and then couldn’t find the keys.

‘I had the #*!#* things in my hand.’

Fifteen minutes later, after searching every pocket, bag and bed twice, we found them. They had slid down the back of the open table. Crisis adverted.

We spent the morning filling in time. Went to Beaconsfield, Green Beach, and Beauty Point before heading into Launceston via the Batman Bridge.

We returned to Launceston, where fourteen days ago we began our adventure. First stop was Cataract Gorge where Wayne completed the trifecta of height challenges. First, the chair lift; then the goat track without rock walls in some places; and finally, the swaying suspension bridge. He passed with flying colours and is now ready to progress to the Overland Track.

We filled the remainder of the day shopping at the mall and sitting in the pub before driving to the airport.

Our trip home was tiring and uncomfortable – the plane seemed to have got smaller…or had we all got a little bigger. We landed just before 11 and for the first time in all our travels, a bag didn’t make it – Al’s! By the time we had watched the carousel go around bagless several times, two other planes land, and filled in the paperwork, it was 11:55pm.

Play(er) of the day

It has to Wayne- starting the day declaring the missing unit keys as the worst experience of his life… and finishing it by absolutely smashing his debilitating fear for heights.

BEST TASMANIAN CUSINE

Michael – Dinner at Tall Trees

Karen – Salt-shaker at Swansea

Mark – Breakfast at Glencoe B&B

Donna – Croissants at Glencoe B&B Barrington

Al – Salt Shaker at Swansea

Robyn – Dessert at Salt Shaker, Swansea

Wayne – T-bone at Swansea pub

Me – Roast pumpkin side at Telegraph Hotel in Hobart

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT OR EXPERIENCE

Michael – Marion’s Lookout walk with Grubby

Karen – Tasman Island adventure cruise

Mark – Marion’s lookout

Donna – Robyn’s excitement when we finally saw Tassy devils.

Al – Tasman Island boat trip

Robyn – B&B at Barrington

Wayne – Boat trip past Tasman island

Me – Tasman Island cruise

WHAT LEFT ME LAUGHING…

Michael – Wayne and Aldo’s navigational skills

Karen – Alan messing up the navigation directions all the time

Mark – Robbie’s laugh Special mention – Al’s lost bag and the torturous trip home behind an over load vehicle

Donna – The girls phoning Wayne to pay out on him re the Myers phone calls. We thought we were hilarious. Special mention to the group for getting me up and down all the steps this tour!!

Al – The old guy trying to get out of his carpark at Swansea 🥴🤣

Robyn – The girls’ pool game 🤣🤣

Wayne – Karen using toy binoculars Special mention: Al’s shortcut to Mt Wellington

Me – Wayne telling his ‘Duxton’ story at Tall Timbers – I am crying every time he tells it!

End of this trip

Well, thank you readers for sharing our Tasmanian adventures. We had an absolute blast. We may not have seen wombats or platypuses but we did see devils, heaps of echidnas and the most beautiful, untouched landscapes of Tasmania. We dined, we wined (and beered), we laughed and we explored all in the company of great friends. Can’t wait to do it all again. Until next time….

Next on the agenda: Great Ocean Road.

Karen and Mark had secured us a wine tour leaving from our next lodgings at Rosevears so we had to be there by 11am. We left Swansea at 8am and drove through even more different landscapes.

A bakery was attached to the pub so we all indulged in a late breakfast. They ran out of chunky meat pies (of course).

Our driver, Terry from Tamar Valley Wine Tours, arrived right on 11am and we began a tour of three wineries and a gin distillery.

First stop was Tamar Ridge winery. Our hostess was incredibly informative and we all bought a bottle (or maybe three) to begin a collection to send home.

We then walked across to the adjoining gin distillery. They had the racing driver who they sponsor visiting and had heard of Karen’s powerless behind the lens. They asked her to take their group photo with him.

It was then into the bus and about a short drive to a delicious lunch at The Ducks.

We then finished the day with two more wineries – Winterbrook and Little Wonder.

All good things come to an end so we farewelled Terry and checked-in. Our rooms are incredible with an amazing view.

We went to the pub and had a light dinner. Wayne wanted soup but of course, they had run out. Michael spotted two seals swimming down the river.

Before going to bed, we had to try out the outdoor spa (also with amazing view). Each of our rooms had a private one. Robyn and Al joined us in ours.

PLAY OF THE DAY

Karen and Michael for organising a great wine tour to wrap up our fantastic two weeks together.

We left early, stopping in at Coles Bay for breakfast. It was then time to commence our Wineglass Bay walk.

The walk was quite arduous with lots of steps and at times, a gravelly cover.

At one stage, Wayne went for a proposal on one knee – a lovely slide in the gravelly path. Our team assumed a wolf pack mentality with our pack leader at the front (Michael) and a couple of strong wolves at the back (Robyn and Al).

The first lookout was spectacular and then we had to negotiate the 1000 stairs down and back to the bay.

We got down to the beach but the ocean was full of blue bottles. No swimming for Donna.

We began the walk back up the steps and I cannot lie. It was hard. Full credit to Donna who persevered through tiredness and pain and conquered that mountain.

We enjoyed a quiet lunch back at Coles Bay before journeying back to our accommodation.

Drinks on the lawn before heading to the Saltshaker restaurant for dinner. The meals were superb although Wayne was denied both his stuffed chicken and his corona – they had run out! No one had an empty plate – a testament to the chef. Robyn and Al also indulged in a beautiful cheesecake dessert.

PLAYS OF THE DAY

#1 – Donna conquering those steps to and from Wineglass Bay. Her determination is inspirational. (Sorry, you didn’t get your swim, Donna).

#2 – Karen and Michael for always being last to get their meals. It doesn’t matter if they order first, in the middle or last. They are always waiting.

#3 – Karen walking into Swansea to look at the shops with knick knacks and dresses to find most shops shut on a Wednesday. Of course, they do!

Another big day. Left Eaglehawk Neck at about 8:30 and drove to Richmond for breakfast. Richmond was a nice little find. It had a gaol and the oldest bridge in Australia.

We then went to Zoo Doo, which was a great call. We didn’t see a wombat but we finally found our Tasmanian Devils. So glad we didn’t spot one the night before. They were a little more vicious than we thought. We also saw meerkats, zebras, rabbits and a lion.

We then continued our drive stopping at Orford for lunch and arriving in Swansea about 3pm. We are in the quaintest cottages all joined to one another. We went for a walk to scope the town.

After avoiding golf balls as we crossed the golf course and exploring the cemetery, we walked back along the coastal track.

Mark ended up walking to the pub and was able to get a table outside for 6:30. He must have done something good because about ten minutes later he got a table inside due to a cancellation. We went to dinner and had our earliest night on tour thus far. Home and in bed by 8:30

We were told by our landlady that there is more accommodation than places to eat so book early. On our walk, Mark tried ringing the pub and couldn’t get through. Al and Wayne walked to the RSL but it turns out they’re shut Sun Mon and Tue. Karen rang the restaurant and we could have gone at 5:30 which was a little early. She booked it for tomorrow night instead.

PLAYS OF THE DAY

#1 – Wayne declaring emphatically that we hadn’t seen ‘the oldest bridge in Australia’. Donna and I trying to say we drove over it as we came into town. Eventually, he acknowledged that we had indeed driven over it.

#2 – The sheep that adopted Karen. It followed her and continually blocked her if she tried to lose it. Love at first sight!

#3 – Robyn asking if there was a wombat in the head-high, tiny log that was suspended from the ceiling.

Another later start and then breakfast at the cafe that we went to after the Tasman Cruise.

We then went to Port Arthur and toured the grounds at our leisure. We enjoyed a short boat cruise as a part of our ticket.

I didn’t take any photos in the Memorial garden for the 35 people who lost their lives on Sunday April 28, 1996. It was solemn and sad but a beautiful tribute.

Donna, Mark, Wayne and I left a little earlier than the others and went to view the Remarkable Caves.

Our group stopped in at the Lavender Farm and had lunch. We sent the others our evidence with Wayne admitting that Pale Ale beer wasn’t that bad. His initial reaction to me getting this was not complementary!

The others stopped in at the Chocolate Factory and sent us their evidence.

We enjoyed drinks and snacks on the balcony and had sausages and bread for dinner. The boys outdid themselves – cooked and cleaned up.

The boys headed to the bar and we couldn’t help ourselves. We started ringing Wayne to ask where he was – front of the bar? Back of the bar? The same as what he did when we were shopping. The only thing is… I couldn’t stop laughing. I passed the phone to Donna who also couldn’t stop laughing. She passed it to Karen who also couldn’t stop laughing. Finally, the phone got to Robyn who assumed command. She turned her back to us, spoke to Wayne asking all the questions until finally Wayne realised what we were doing and hung up. Amused us!

Robyn, Karen and I did a little bit of late night devil spotting but alas no luck. We heard lots of rustling in the bushes. While Robyn and I clung to each other in fear, Karen was straight into the bush with her torch light burning. A young wallaby jumped out but apart from that, we heard rustles but didn’t see anything. A car did seem to stalk us when we were down one of the roads so that hurried us home.

PLAYS OF THE DAY

#1 – Michael parking in the double overflow car park when the first car park was still empty. It meant hiking for an age to get to the entrance.

#2 – Wayne moving the car to the First car park so we didn’t have as far to walk.

#3 – Karen for her courage on our night walk (even if meant having to pull hundreds of prickles from her shoes the next day).

A lovely, slow start to the day. Cars packed before enjoying breakfast and a walk around Hobart shops. Being a Sunday, many of the smaller shops were not open but we ladies were still able to make a few purchases. Not helped by Wayne ringing every few minutes to ‘clarify’ what was happening. Not sure whether he was missing me or worried that I was going to spend a fortune.

We drove to Eaglehawk Neck and visited a number of the local attractions while waiting for our rooms to be ready.

We checked into our rooms. One of them wasn’t quite ready so we had lunch – complete with these spectacular views.

After lunch, we had a bit of rest and then walked across to the Tessellated Pavement.

After a leisurely stroll along the beach, we retired to the bar. Wayne and I took some of the hot snacks from the bar counter. We now think that maybe they belonged to the birthday local, Julie. She came and collected them all and took them outside to her group. Oops!

Finished the day with dinner in the restaurant again.

PLAYS OF THE DAY

#1 – Wayne ringing me every five minutes when we (the girls) had gone for a one hour look at the shops.

#2 – Karen stating that the binoculars were useless and then being told the were toy binoculars.

#3 – Wayne and I partaking in another group’s birthday snacks, thinking they were provided bar snacks.

Interesting scenario today. Mark had booked our Bruny Island boat cruise but turns out, he had booked a different tour. This one left from Port Arthur… where we are heading tomorrow.

When we first arrived in Hobart, two people warned us of the line ups to get in the ferry to Bruny Island. Our bartender missed his cruise because it took an hour and a half to get the ferry across.

After weighing up both trips, which were quite similar, we elected to drive to Port Arthur and do the Tasman Island tour.

Great decision. Although cloudy and a bit cool, the wind was low. We were able to enjoy this impressive coast of Tasmania without any of us getting seasick.

We went right down to the bottom of Tasman Island and saw where the Sydney to Hobart boats come in. We saw lots of seals and bird life, along with the incredible coastline of South-east Tasmania.

Three hours just flew by. Everyone was famished when we returned so we went across the road and tucked into some hamburgers or fish and trips.

We arrived back in Hobart about 3:30pm (unfortunately too late for the Salamanca markets).

We met it the lobby for Happy Hour cocktails at 4:30pm.

We walked to Constitution Dock and began a guided tour with Karen and Al. All Robyn wanted was shade and beers so our trusty guides planned a marvellous pub crawl. Karen gave a running commentary as we walked the streets of Hobart.

We ended up at the Telegraph Hotel for dinner. No photos unfortunately. We walked back to our hotel and indulged in last rounds.

PLAYS OF THE DAY

Play of the day#1 – Mark messing up the tours (however the one we did was excellent. We just haven’t been to Bruny Island).

Play of the day #2 – Me losing our room key without even leaving the room. As Wayne said, I had one job – use the room key to get back in when I came back early from the races. We searched everywhere and couldn’t find it. I may have accidentally thrown it out with some rubbish.

Play of the day #3 – Al for repeatedly mixing up his room numbers or Michael for deliberately confusing him?

A very busy day. Early drive up Mount Wellington. The night before, Al had found someone who told him a shorter way to get up the mountain . Al had it in his phone but Siri over-rode his chosen route and we ended up taking the longer way, anyway.

We took the shorter drive down and popped into the Battery Point Bakery and enjoyed breakfast or a treat. The lolly shop across the way also drew a number of our group’s attention.

We arrived back at the hotel and had about 35 minutes to get ready for MONA (Museum of Old and New Art) and the races. We walked to the waterfront to catch a ferry.

After MONA, we went to the race track, which is spectacularly set overlooking water. We had a number of winners.

Donna and I came home early and the others kicked on! Mark and Wayne eventually joined their wives while Karen, Michael, Robyn and Al partied on.

PLAYS OF THE DAY

Play of the day #1 – Al’s intel from another traveller on the best way up Mt Wellington.

Play of the day #2 – Donna betting against her team and winning … twice.

Play of the day #3 – Nominated by Di. Me writing ‘A quirky cafe about to shit for the day’. Thought I had got away with that!

Early morning getaway or at least it was supposed to be. A bus parked Michael in which delayed our start by about 15 minutes. Today was the day of a long drive, including the road of 99 bends through Queenstown. One of our passengers, not mentioning any names, did struggle with those bends (it wasn’t Michael, Karen, Mark, Donna, Al, Wayne or me).

We drove to ‘The Wall in the Wilderness’ at Derwent Bridge. Greg Duncan is an amazing relief sculptor using Huon Pine as his medium. Photos are not allowed so I can’t show the detail in each of his murals. Incredible – totally worth a visit.

We went to the Hungry Wombat for breakfast – they did a great bacon and egg roll.

We then drove to Lake St Clair and spotted two echidnas on the way.

The walk was beautiful. Robyn and Al had unfortunate footwear as they didn’t get the memo. Al did ask someone where the Overland Track started.

We continued our drive to Hobart and got stuck behind a log truck being towed. Got past it eventually. Stopped at a quirky PO and cafe at Hamilton for refreshments. Towed log truck went past as we dined.

Arrived in Hobart and checked in by 4:45.

Team messages: Meet at 5:30; don’t change; happy hour starts at 4:30.

I only heard happy hour and don’t change. As a result, Wayne and I were in the lobby by 5pm and Wayne still in shorts and me without a jacket.

We walked to the waterfront for dinner and ended up at the Customs House pub.

Karen was awarded play of the day: spotting everything from the echidnas to the Hamilton cafe.

A vey quiet day to start. A couple of us went for early morning walks. Wayne and I went in search of a cream bun for Al’s birthday but alas no luck at the local IGA. Most went to breakfast. All bar the Leisemann’s went for a drive to the ocean.

On the way back, we did a walk to Hogarth Falls. There was attempted platypus spotting but unfortunately, none were to be found (could be due to lots of loud families on the same walk).

At 1:45pm, we began congregating in our very small room for pre-cruise drinks and cricket. Debate raged over whether Marnus Labuschagne had been caught out? Wayne was ardent that he had not been. Amazing how passionate he becomes.

At 3, we walked down and joined our Gordon River dinner cruise. I can’t believe how big Macquarie Harbour is!

Cruising the harbour and river was lovely. Two walks were included, one into the rain forest and one on Sarah Island. Hearing about the penal colony was incredibly interesting.

Can’t go past the birthday boy for play of the day – ‘It was a tip-top day!’