Back On the Mainland

Well here we are back on the Mainland. Our last 2 days in Tasmania we left Hamilton and drove down to Geeveston, went to the Tahune Air Walk which Greg did but I only got to the first deck and my fear of heights got the better of me and I went back. We had a leisurely drive back through Cygnet and up the coast. Truly one of the most beautiful parts of the world I have ever seen, to Kingston spent the night.
Monday we drove back to Devonport, had a cuppa with Rossi and Alan and then down to the Ferry.
We caught the ferry back last night it was a lot rougher than when we went over but not unbearable.
We are having a night here in Melbourne with Greg's niece and her family and then home again. We loved Tasmania and we are already planning another trip but I am ready for home and my own bed. We will decide tomorrow if we are going to go along the Great Ocean Road as was our plan or just head for home.

Saturday

We've had a lazy day. Got up late, had breakfast and then relaxed with a book and some stitching on the fairy shoes. Roused myself enough to throw some lunch together



We ate on the verandah of our cottage, it was a bit overcast but not cold.



I just sat and looked at the view and didn't do much of anything at all for hours.


We've had a walk and are cooking a vegie soup for tea as we can't be bothered going out anywhere. Off to Huonville tomorrow and then Monday back to the ferry and Melbourne on Tuesday Morning.

Hamilton - Curringa Farm Cottages

We are at Hamilton for 3 nights. Google was not our friend in our trip from Launceston to Hamilton. Google recommended we turn right just past Ross and take the Interlaken Bothwell Road. This turned out to be over 50 km's of dirt tracks that had been laid out by people chasing a goat up hill and down. But we arrived safely (there were a few close calls but oh well). Here's a photo of the outside of our Cottage overlooking Meadowlark Lake and the view from the verandah.




We went back to Russell Falls today, here we are at the Falls.


The temperate rain forest receives 3000 to 4000 mm of rain a year the swamp gums are huge and it was green and wet.



It was raining when we got there but the rain stopped and we had a lovely walk (2 hours) through the rain forest. It was much warmer than the other day. We have been to the Salmon Ponds as well and saw salmon and lots of different types of trout. Very interesting. Tomorrow we are having an easy day no driving around just relaxing.

Cradle Mountain and Launceston

We started our day at Cradle Mountain. Beautiful, we have my cousin with us so we didn't do any of the long walks. We are going to save that for another time. We went on from there to Sheffield and stopped at a little wood shop on the side of the road. Greg as you can see was like a little kid in a lolly shop I thought I was going to be sitting on wood but I reminded him we still have to go to Huonville. From Sheffield we drove to Deloraine and stopped to see the four beautiful textile murals they have there. Just incredible. Then on to Launceston. We are in Paterson St at another great apartment. There is a needlework shop just around the corner and a really nice looking jumper shop right next door with a wool shop just across the road. Tommorrow I will shop. I didn't get enough of the variegated wool and so I think I might buy some black wool felt and use that with it. Somehow, I have a plan. I just need some black wool felt or fabric and a crochet hook.
Lauren is flying home tomorrow and Greg and I are off to Curringa Farm Cottages for 3 nights then the Huon valley for one night and then back to Devonport to the ferry. We had hoped to catch up with another friend Susie but couldn't get in touch with her. Oh well next time. We are already thinking we will be back next year, November for the Deloraine Craft Fair has been discussed.

Tasmania

I really love Tasmania. Strahan is beautiful. We had a fantastic trip with World Heritage Cruises up the Gordon River. The scenery was incredible I took about 220 photos. This is my favorite. There was a line of sea mist with the mountains behind. Tonight we are at Cradle Mountain and we are on a tour tomorrow of the Park and then off to Launceston. I wouldn't be surprised if it snows it is bloody freezing we were going to take the torch and go and see if we could spot some of the wildlife but it is raining and cold.

Sunset at Strahan

We've had another great day, I can't tell you any bad holiday stories in Tasmania yet...Hopefully never.
We left our lovely apartment in Hobart and headed for Russell Falls. When we arrived it was freezing Literally. We were going to walk to the Falls and the staff at the Visitor Centre said they weren't running as they were frozen. We changed our minds.
My eyes are shut so they don't freeze.



We had to stop at Derwent Bridge and see the carved huon pine wall called "The Wall" then lunch at The Hungry Wombat Cafe then down the scariest road in Tasmania and then we saw the only ugly town in Tasmania which is not really it's fault as it is a mining town, Queenstown.

Now we are at Strahan, above is a photo of the sunset complete with clouds.

More Tasmania Stuff - Some fibre stuff at last.

Continuing with my theme of clouds. The photo above is of The Isle of the Dead at Port Arthur. There are between 1100 and 1700 bodies there. The number depends on who you talk too.
There were killer whales in the bay but we didn't see them.
Well Tasmania is great..I love it. Yesterday we went to the Salamanca Markets. Today we went to the Botanical Gardens to see Pete's Patch. The gardens are beautiful, then we went to Richmond to see the bridge and then to ZooDoo - The Zoo at Richmond to see the white lions,


they also had tigers and lots of other stuff. At Richmond I had to go into Ewenique and got this lovely Tassie wool.



We are staying at a Quest Apartment just outside the CBD here is the lounge room of the apartment.