North East Adventures...

Heavy Photo Post Warning!!

:)

Day Nineteen |  3 January 2013:  Off we go!  The first official day of our Tassy camping trip.  With the camper all hitched up to our new and improved Prado, the convoy of vans and cars pulls out of Hobart, bound for Douglas River, just North of Bicheno on the Central East coast.  We spend three nights at this beachside camp spot … 3 caravans, 1 camper trailer, 3 tents and 20 people!  Me and 19 rellies.  Wow!  Given that I’ve never been fortunate enough to live in close proximity to family, that’s gotta be some sort of record for us! :)

The sand was the most unbelievable white I have ever seen, rivaling (and in fact surpassing) any Queensland beach I have seen to date.  The white sand and clear water gives the water the most amazing azure colour.... just stunning!

... the waterhole wasn't bad either

... and the kids were pretty thrilled with the outlet to the mouth of the river as the tide rushed out

  .... and the Bicheno blowhole 

South of Douglas River however, and all around Hobart and the Peninsular, devastating fires have broken out and threatened thousands of homes, ultimately destroying hundreds.  Thankfully (and somewhat miraculously), no human lives are lost.  From our vantage point on the Beach, we watch plumes of smoke surrounding Bicheno as flames take hold in Freycinet National Park.

Troy also returns to Hobart for one day to replace our camper batteries that have chosen a very inopportune time to die also.  We are hoping that this is the last of our mechanical disasters!

Day Twenty Two |  6 January 2013:  Today we pack up and head further north to St Helens for another three nights.  More stunning locations, like the Bay of Fires for instance.  O.M.Goodness!!  The photos speak for themselves… and yep, you guessed it.  My new favourite!!  Seriously, can you blame me?

 ... these photo were taken from an actual free camp spot on top of the rocks!  The orange colour on the granite rocks is caused by lichen and produces some of the most fantastic seascapes I have ever seen!  Camping right on these rocks at Sloop Lagoon in the Bay of Fires is firmly locked in to my bucket list for our next Tassy visit.... and we are quite certain that there will be a next time!

What a jam-packed day this was!!  From this breathtaking coastline, we drove up the valley to St Columba Falls.  Amazing that this terrain was a short 30 minute drive from the beautiful Bay of Fires.  We walked down to the bottom of the falls, surrounded by pre-historic forest terrain, then power walked back up!  With all the extra calories common to most holiday diets, the exercise is oh-so-welcome... especially when you take turns in hauling an extra little 20 kilo boy on your back! :)

On the way home we stop off at the Pub in the Paddock for a quick beverage and visit the infamous beer drinking Pig-in-the-Paddock.!  Lachy finds himself sitting up at the bar with the big boys!

Next stop is the gorgeous little Holy Cow café, which utilises all the local dairy cattle to manufacture cheese, milk and ice-cream for their little boutique cafe.  Quaint, quirky and just gorgeous.  

What an awesome and memorable day... from astonishing coastline to beautiful valleys and pastures, lush and ancient forest to historical pubs and paddocks!  I need a nap!!  :))

Back with more adventures soon!

Cheers,

Jules
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The Call of the Sea...

Day Eighteen | 2 January 2013:  WOW!!  What a day!  Every day is my new favourite!  Today we explored the Tasman Peninsular again, but this time by sea!  We took a ride on a speedboat cruise, the Sea Life Adventures, from Pirates Bay right around to Tasman Island at the south of the Peninsular.  The southern coastline was just awesome…. rugged, unique, treacherous and devastatingly stunning all at the same time.  The caves, unique rock formations, dolphins and amazingly pristine water had us all mesmerised.

As we rounded the point however, on the way to Murphy Bay and out of the shelter of the rocks, the swell and freezing wind slapped us out of our stupor of wonderment just a little!  The boat was rocked and blown in every direction and icy sea spray stung our hands and faces. The four 3oo horsepower V8 engines on the back of the boat were up to the task however and we sped through the waves and came crashing down on the other side of the swell.  It was totally exhilarating!

... the intrepid sailors

 ... the dolphins

... the awesome caves

 ... the choppy waters.  Trust me, the photo does not convey the true condition of the sea!

 ... the beautiful colours - even on a grey day

... rugged Tasman Island and remnants of settlement of the lighthouse operators

... Tasman Island

... the Tasman Island seals

... the amazing gothic style rock formations

The chill was bone deep and completely unexpected.  When the born-and-bred Tasmanians tell you they are cold…. it’s cold!  This is mid summer in our hemisphere… I can’t imagine the cold of deepest winter.

Check this out:

Despite the fact that poor Claire Bear was quite unwell, I’m so glad we did this tour and I know we will all remember the thrill of it for a long time to come… with the possible exception of Claire!  

Back with more of the Winks's adventures in Tassy soon!

Cheers,

Jules

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Touring the Peninsular

Day Fifteen | 30 Dec 2012:  Today was a BIG day, so prepare for a photo overload!  We drove down the Tasman Peninsular, south of Hobart to Port Arthur today, stopping off for a quick look at the Tessellated Pavement in Pirates Bay on the way.  This rare rock phenomenon, caused by stress fractures in the earth’s crust, has eroded over time and resulted in quite a spectacular effect.

Port Arthur was of course the site of the most remote and rugged penal colonies in Australian history.  Chosen for its location, it was a perfect stronghold as the narrow stretch of land at the neck of the peninsular (Eaglehawk Neck) was easily guarded and patrolled by dogs, to prevent escape.

A day filled with sites that just had us in awe of the history of this small State.  For such a relatively tiny parcel of land, it is just jam packed with amazing sites and spell-binding beauty.  Here is a pictorial overview of what was definitely one of the highlights of our trip so far…

A lover of texture, as many of us are, I was just totally enamoured by all the crumbled brickwork and would probably still be there photographing if we didn't have so much more to see!  :)

Sadly, in a couple of days’ time, much of this beautiful countryside we have seen today will be decimated by the bush fires that rip through the peninsular.  Port Arthur itself is spared any damage thankfully.

Day Sixteen | 31 December 2012:  Happy New Year!  Another special celebration with my cousins, their partners our combined brood of kids.

We are getting used to the remarkable changeability of Tassy’s climate.  Four seasons in a day is right, or, as Maddi continues to say ... ‘jacket on, jacket off’ kind of weather.  Queensland temperatures are comparatively consistent within each season.  Not so in the apple isle!!

Be back with more soon!

Jules

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Playin' Around in Hobart

Day Thirteen |  27 Dec 2012 :  Today we visited the Tahune Airwalk on the banks of the Huon River outside of Hobart.  Not for the faint-hearted as we found ourselves way up in the canopy of the Huon Pine and Eucalypts, negotiating our way across the suspended walkways that swayed quiet considerably with the traffic of our combined families!  I spent most of the walk clinging desperately to Lachy’s hand with the unrealistic fear that he would fall over the 1.5 meter high fencing!  Very pretty view from the canopy though and well worth the walk.

The only down side to the day was the news that the poor Prado is terminal and requires a complete new engine!!  We decide to just take it on the chin.  It is what it is and there is absolutely nothing we can do about it… except continue to enjoy our holiday.

Day Fourteen | 28 Dec 2012 :  It’s my birthday and we celebrate with a little road trip down the beautiful Huon Valley where many of my ancestors lived and worked amongst all the apple orchards.  Sadly, many of the apple orchards no longer prosper, but it is nevertheless a pretty and nostalgic drive, culminating in a picnic lunch on the Huon River in Huonville.

Dinner at a fab little Indonesian restaurant… all 20 of us, rounded off with cake and bubbly back at Aunty’s place!

More good times!

Day Fifteen | 29 Dec 2012:  A little bit of a girlie day today, with a visit to the famous Salamanca Markets and Constitution Dock.  My cousin Shaz suggested we check out the markets, so all the girls left the boys to their own devices and headed for the wharf.  The crowds were considerable and the air was festive as we pottered around at the markets for a while before wandering over to Constitution Dock to check out the yachts that have just run the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.  We even heard the boom of the canon from my Aunty and Uncle’s yesterday morning, as Wild Oats crossed the finish line in first place!   Great way to spend a few lazy hours, playing tourist…

Having a ball ... hoping you are enjoying the journey too!

Jules
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Merry Christmas!

Day Eleven |  25 Dec 2012 –  It’s Christmas today and, as on any other Christmas Day, it is all about family and food!  When the anxious whispering, excited squeals and childish giggles had reached their peak… we finally relented and let poppy wake the kids! 

Eagerly assuming the role of Santa, poppy resided over the unwrapping frenzy.

My cousins and their children arrived throughout the day and we enjoyed our time together with a magnificent spread of food, including some fresh Tassy crayfish, oysters, scallops and abalone… and some good old Queensland prawns!  

We all know how special this time is as, for most of the kids, it is the first time they have actually even met, so we all sit back and enjoy watching them play and bond… which they do almost instantly!

Good times.

Without our vehicle it is hard to get around and do much, so we decide to capitalise on that and spend the next couple of days relaxing and recharging.

See you again soon!

Jules

x

Hobart Bound

Hello lovely friends!

Wow, so much filling in to do!!  We have crammed so much in, spent time with family and seen so many beautiful places that I just have not had time to sit and blog … or even download the thousand odd photos I have clicked off for that matter.  So as not to overload, I think I’ll have to update my blog in installments!!   No time for editing photos either, so what you see is just real life snaps…  in the raw, so to speak!

Here is a little snippet, carrying on where I left off:

Day Seven |  21 Dec 2012 -  Following a couple of nights in the lovely historic little town of Tocumwal, just on the border of NSW and Victoria, we set off over the mighty Murray River and landed on Victorian soil.

Just seconds afterwards, Lachy decrees ‘I love Victoria!’…  to everyone’s amusement.   It isn’t long before I notice that almost every home we pass has a chimney – something you don’t see a lot of in Central Queensland!!    It is a really pretty drive and to a family who is quite accustomed to traveling long distances in a day, it isn’t long at all until we find ourselves on the outskirts of Melbourne.  Coop was pretty thrilled to see this sign ...

... and was fairly keen for me to take a photo of it.  Before long we are checking into the yet another caravan park in readiness for the next leg of the journey tomorrow… the plane trip.

Day Eight |  22 Dec 2012 -  Hello/Goodbye to Melbourne and onto a plane bound for Hobart.  Troy will travel onto Devenport via ferry with the camper tomorrow morning.  It is a full day’s sailing for him, and not a very interesting one I’m afraid.  Good thing mum and dad will be keeping him company and taking the ferry with their caravan too.  The kids have all flown before, but Lachy was only a baby when he last flew, so it is all new to him.  There were tears and anxious moments for him as we took our seats and belted ourselves in.  Following take-off and during our ascent he informed me oh-so-solemnly that he doesn’t like planes much, despite the fact that I had him wedged between Maddi and myself, so that we could both reassure and comfort him as much as possible. 

After we had safely touched down in Hobart following a smooth flight, he announced with a grin from ear to ear that he ‘loves’ planes.  We’ll see if he’s still feeling the love on our return trip next month. 

Aunty Marg was waiting at the airport, so home to Bellerive we go, with the most fantastic views across Hobart, directly overlooking Bellerive Oval, home to many an international cricket match.

Day Ten |  24 Dec 2012 -  Christmas Eve and Mum, Dad and Troy arrive in Hobart, albeit a little later than expected.  One hour out of Hobart our car engine exploded and the poor Prado and camper were towed into Hobart on a truck, whilst Troy hitched a ride with my folks.  Nothing can be done about it on Christmas Eve, so we decide to make the most of a frustrating situation and enjoy the festive occasion regardless and get caught up in the magic of Christmas … things could have been so much worse after all!

Thanks for tagging along on our little journey... back with more soon!  :)

Jules
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