The husband and I spent a week in Tasmania earlier this year, with discounted tickets that we booked last year on Tiger for less than $100 return from Melbourne. Unlike previous holidays, we were feeling pretty lethargic and didn't quite plan what to do, what to eat or where to go until we were on the flight to Hobart. Except for Cradle Mountain, each day was a take-it-as-it-comes day, but we had a brilliant time. It was one of our best holidays. Here's the summary:
Wine tasting: Tassie is known for Pinot. Not a favourite grape of ours unfortunately, but anything goes when you're on holiday.
Tasmania is also famous for curried scallop pies. We were expecting minced scallop, until...
We cut a pie open and found entire scallops. They were absolutely delicious.
We passed by Richmond enroute to Port Arthur and stopped for a stroll through the town. This bridge was built in 1825 and can still carry 45seater coaches today.
Refueling during lunch
A pretty good snapper with chips at a cafe at Dunalley enroute to Port Arthur.
Looking out from behind the Penitentiary at Port Arthur
Beautiful waters at Port Arthur - we can say that today!
View of the main cluster of buildings at Port Arthur
The blow hole near Eaglehawk Neck
The Arch near Eaglehawk Neck
Wineglass Bay at Freycinet National Park from the lookout - it took us about 30 mins to get to the lookout from the car park.
Wineglass Bay from the shoreline. Too bad it was a cloudy day.
Coles Bay at Freycinet National Park with the Hazards in the background - which we climbed over to get to Wineglass Bay. All in, the walk to Wineglass Bay and back to the car took us under 2 hours, which included about 30 mins of lingering and taking photos at the lookout point and beach. We were pretty pleased as the prescribed time for the walk was 2 hrs 45 mins. Not that unfit after all!
View of Great Oyster Bay on the way back to Hobart
The Neck at Bruny Island separating the coastal Adventure Bay from the isthmus on the right
View out from one of the lookouts on South Bruny
Perfect, pristine beaches at Adventure Bay.
Hay bales drying out in the sun
Every adventurer deserves a reward. We found ours at the Get Shucked Oyster Farm on North Bruny.
We started with a platter of a dozen Kilpatrick oysters and a glass of Oyster Bay sauv blanc
They were so amazingly sweet and fresh
The husband had one natural oyster to try, which he described as being extremely tasty and sweet. I didn't dare to take the risk, with a car ferry ride coming up without any certainty of a clean loo.
We also tried the Asian style oysters, tempura fried with sweet chilli sauce. Not fantastic but good anyway, since we weren't heading back that way again.
We headed out the next day to Cradle Mountain via Launceston, and made stops at a few small towns along the highway. Strangely enough, we really enjoyed walking around these really small but charming places. Probably we might have expected too much if we had planned and read up about those towns beforehand.
The Mill at Oatlands where wheat around the district was ground - this was a reconstruction. Oatlands apparently contains the largest collection of sandstone buildings in Tasmania, and the main road was quite a pretty one.
One of the churches at Ross, another small town.
The convict-built bridge at Ross. Apparently after the chaps completed the bridge they were released. Not a bad deal. It was amazing construction work, considering there weren't large motor vehicles in those days to gauge a maximum load. It's still used today by cars and trucks and coaches.
We stopped by the James Boag brewery in Launceston for a taste. Seems like James Boag is probably Tasmania's most famous export.
We were pretty happy with a tasting board of two ales and a lager for $10. Plus some hops for nibbling on.
We did a few short walks enroute to Cradle Mountain, including the Alum Cliffs at Mole Creek.
And Devil's Gullet nearby
Dove Lake at Cradle Mountain. Surely the most photographed spot. We started on the Dove Lake walk which was supposed to take 2 hrs, but turned off after 1 hr to head up to Marion's Lookout. Just as well, since the Dove Lake walk was rather boring.
It was pretty steep and hard going. From steps like these below.
Soon the views started getting more and more amazing
And the hike got more and more treacherous. I took this picture looking down on where we had climbed from, and we mapped out the route so we wouldn't have to go down the same way.
View of the Cradle from Marion's Lookout.
Really beautiful landscape on our way back to the car park
Just before leaving, I decided now was the time to try out whether I was indeed allergic to raw oysters. We stopped by the Barilla Bay oyster farm right next to the airport, and bought a dozen.
Super fresh, super sweet. The taste of raw oysters for the first time in more than two years was amazing. What was more amazing was that I didn't. DIDN'T. DID NOT. get the runs!
