20.02 Tramcar Restaurant
Joanna organised a birthday treat for the both of us that combined my love of trams and Joanna's love of food! It was a trip on the Tramcar Restaurant that allows you to eat your way around Melbourne! We enjoyed a delicious five course meal and a couple(?!) of glasses of something!    I plan to get some exterior shots of the Tramcar Restaurant over the next few days... Labels: birthday, joanna, melbourne, nathan, tramcar_restaurant, trams
18.02 Operation Clean Magna
With about a month to go before we'd have to leave Melbourne, we thought it was time to prepare the car for it's own onward journey. So we took a trip to the local car wash to remove all of the flies that we had collected on our journeys around Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory & Tasmania!   So after a few dollars and about 30 minutes of hard scrubbing, it looked sooo much better...      Labels: car_wash, docklands, magna, melbourne, usu_169
18.02 Transformation of Albert Park
 The start of the main straight. All the safety fencing has been erected around the entire circuit!  The start/finish line now has most of the grandstand seating in place, with the commentators boxes still to be placed on top!  The Bridgestone Bridge on the way down to the first corner!  View through the safety fencing to Turns 1 & 2!  The sun setting over Melbourne City acroos Albert Park Lake. Labels: albert_park, albert_park_lake, eureka, formula_1, grand_prix, melbourne, photos, sunset
17.02 Wilsons Promontory: Picnic Bay
17.02 Wilsons Promontory: Walk Up Mount Oberon
We spent the night in Yanakie Caravan Park, sleeping in the back of the Magna again! The campsites in the National Park were all full, so this was the nearest campsite to the Park. The site didn't have a camp kitchen though, so we ate in the Park on the barbeques there! After cooking our bacon sandwiches, a tea & latte at the small cafe, we decided that we'd do a little walk, well, it was 3.4km (one way) to the summit of Mount Oberon! We didn't quite realise what we would see at the top, but it was absolutely stunning! The views just showed how stunning Wilsons Promontory really is, with the white sands and clear blue water!       Labels: glennie_group, joanna, mount_oberon, nab_cup, norman_bay, photos, tidal_river, victoria, weekend_away, wilsons_prom, wilsons_promontory
16.02 Wilsons Promontory: Whisky Bay Sunset
A delicious barbeque dinner was had in Tidal River, and then we went to watch the sunset at Whisky Bay. While we were waiting for the sun to manoeuvre into position, we had a little time for a nice cup of tea and a relax!         The drive back to the campsite was a slow and steady affair, as the 'Prom is well known for its quantity & variety of wildlife and we wanted to sell the car in one piece!! We did manage to see some Wombats and Kanagroos, but compared to Tasmania there weren't as many as we would have expected! Labels: joanna, norman_island, photos, sunset, victoria, weekend_away, whisky_bay, wilsons_prom, wilsons_promontory
16.02 Wilsons Promontory: Norman Bay
16.02 Wilsons Promontory: Squeaky Beach
With 'camping' still flowing through our veins after Tasmania, we thought that we'd head down to Wilson Promontory for the weekend. We'd heard stories that it was an amazing place to visit, and we weren't disappointed! The drive took us down through the country town of Leongatha where we stopped for a spot of tea and cake! I had one of the best and biggest pieces of Mud cake I've ever had since I've been in Melbourne there! We arrived early afternoon, collected our two day park pass and headed straight to the first beach, Squeaky Beach.    Labels: photos, squeaky_beach, victoria, weekend_away, wilsons_prom, wilsons_promontory
11.02 Sunrise Over Melbourne
10.02 Tas: Devonport
  We arrived in Devonport and drove out to the Bluff.   We then waited for the Spirit of Tasmania to come into port, before we headed off to catch a gourmet pizza on the quay side!   This may be a random photo, but we had followed this orange bus from Cape Tourville, Strahan, Cradle Mountain and now Devonport! This bus is run by a company in Germany called 'Rotel'. This bus is not only used as daily transport but also converts into sleeping accommodation! Looks like the road based YHA has been done before, but I still think there is a lot of mileage in this one!!  After nine hours of being in our Ocean View Recliner, how else am I supposed to look? Is there some weird John McCririck sideburn thing going on?! Labels: big_trips, devonport, devonport_bluff, joanna, nathan, photos, rotel, spirit_of_tasmania, tas_day_10, tasmania
10.02 Tas: Evandale
Our final full day in Tasmania, would see us drive down the east side of the Tamar Valley to Evansdale. At Evansdale we went to the Sunday Market, where the entry fee was just 20c! Once inside you could have a ride on a horse or a steam train! After our tea & latte stop we headed to Longford to look at the Georgian architecture, before heading back to Penguin via Westby and Deloraine. Enjoyed a lovely 'poverty-corner' special on the beach before making our way to Devonport!   Labels: big_trips, evandale, joanna, nathan, penny_farthing, photos, tas_day_10, tasmania
09.02 Tas: Low Head & Penguin Tour
After finding our pitch for the night at Low Head Tourist Park, which just happened to have the best facilities we had encountered on our entire trip! Although we were placed in the older section with the 'permanents', as we had asked for an unpowered site!? I was going to say that we were tucked in a corner again, but that was our choice for some natural cover, as the 'rope & pulley curtain system' would have had to extend all the way car if we had stayed where suggested! We had also seen on our drive down to the Lightstation that there were Little (Fairy/Blue) Penguin tours! So after much pestering I mananged to persuade Joanna that we should go, as I had never been on one before! Apparently it was the best tour Joanna had ever been on! We had watched the penguins coming up the beach, then we walked around the rockeries looking at their little nests and watched them waddle further up the beach!      Labels: big_trips, low_head, low_head_lightstation, magna, penguin_tour, photos, sunset, tas_day_9, tasmania
09.02 Tas: Port Sorell
On our way to Tamar Valley, we thought that we'd drop into Port Sorell. Sitting on the beach gave us a chance to write our postcards and watch the bogans ride a bike off the pier into the river!   Labels: big_trips, photos, port_sorell, tas_day_9, tasmania
09.02 Tas: Penguin
   We had a lunch stop at Penguin, and enjoyed delicious something at the Groovy Penguin Cafe! Penguin itself reminded us of a toned-down version of Mooloolaba!   This, we believe, was the freight train that woke us up on our first night in Deloraine! We didn't just have one that night, I think there were two of them! And surprisingly for Australian standards, were going passed at quite a lick! Labels: big_trips, groovy_penguin_cafe, nathan, penguin, photos, tas_day_9, tasmania
09.02 Tas: Stanley - The Nut
Woke up to a another bright day and decided that we'd climb the nut - a short, steep walk or there is the chairlift if your feeling flush! Didn't stay up there too long due to the fly issue, but there were some amazing views! Managed to have a look around Stanley before trying to find somewhere to buy a new tyre! No luck in Smithton or Wynard, as everything is closed on a Saturday & Sunday in Tasmania - this definitely isn't the mainland!       Labels: big_trips, chair_lift, northwest, photos, stanley, tas_day_9, tasmania, the_nut
08.02 Tas: Woolnorth Wind Farm
While having our picnic at Marrawah Beach, we had noticed the Woolnorth Wind Farm in the distance. From Arthur River we headed back to Marrawah and picked up the unsealed Harcus River Road to Woolnorth. About 20 kilometers into our journey I noticed that the back end was stepping out a little too much, although the surface was quite rough and loose. So I pulled over and explained to Joanna that perhaps things weren't quite as what they were supposed to be. As soon as I opened the door and looked back, my fears had been realised! There was no hubcap to be seen and we had a puncture!  After a little bit of time rearranging the boot with all our clobber, it was time to make sure that all the tools were in the right place and the spare actually had some air in it!  Something just isn't right here and I'm not just talking about the missing hubcap! How does the air stay in with all those holes? I guess there is no way of telling what caused this or where the puncture occurred?!  Actually the spare was a brand new tyre with plenty of air in it! Phew! A little Cossack dance for luck was performed, before it was firmly fitted in place!! During our time on the side of the road two people actually stopped and asked if we were okay! Anyway, the unsealed road was much smoother on the final three kilometers with the inflated tyre!!   This was as close as we got, as the wind farm was closed and there were some concerns over our tyre situation! So we went straight to the campsite at Stanley! Labels: big_trips, cossack_dancing, harcus_river_road, magna, nathan, photos, tas_day_8, tasmania, woolnorth_wind_farm
08.02 Tas: Marrawah Beach
08.02 Tas: Dismal Swamp
We visited Dismal Swamp, a giant blackwood sinkhole! After questioning the admission fee ($20 each!) and whether we should go in, we decided that we should because we hadn't been able to see/do something else on our journey! We walked in and were given the choice of how to reach the sinkhole, either by walking down or taking the 110m slide 40m down! Well, you know us, we wanted to take the slide, especially when we had 3 goes each! After we had put our hair nets on, and picked our (cycle) helmets we had to choose what type of sack/mat to use the 'slow' or 'fast'. So being the fearless souls we are, we both picked 'fast' ones! Once installed in the sack/mat feet first, we were told to hold onto the straps, keep the elbows in tight, and head slightly up! That really wasn't enough to prepare you for the 'bone shaker'! I was wearing my glasses on the way down and thought that I'd lose them, as I didn't realise that corners of the slide were corrugated (not sure why they couldn't have been smooth?!), hence it now been known as the 'bone shaker'! After we left the slide, slightly jarred, we headed around one of the boardwalks to view the installation art, before heading back to the top of the slide! This time Joanna & I picked the slower sack, as we thought that we might be able to enjoy the ride a little... hmm, the start was just the same as the fast one! The only difference was that you had to walk to the end of the slide, instead of sliding there! Joanna decreed that that was her last run, she was now suffering from whiplash to her head, neck & shoulders! Being one not woose out too often, I thought that I'd go for glory on my final run, with a return to the fast sack! Just before I set off, my glasses removed, the chap radioed the 'receiver' at the bottom of the slide with 'have a 14'! He turned to me and said 'you'll probably be quicker than that', meaning that it would take me less than 14 seconds to cover the 110 metres! He wasn't wrong, and I even hit the crash pad at the bottom! However, I still wasn't able to control my head through the turns due to the g-forces and I ended up in the cafe with a bit of a sore neck and a slight headache! It was soooo worth it though!!         Labels: big_trips, dismal_swamp, dismal_swamp_slide, joanna, nathan, northwest, photos, tas_day_8, tasmania
08.02 Tas: Cape Table Lighthouse
A final night in a proper bed was had before returning to the fold-down-flat rear of the Magna! The room in the Cradle Mountain YHA was a very good size, and had very thin walls - NOT that there was any of that business happening on either side! But why do semi-permanent buildings (it's a National Park so I guess there are some standards to adhere to) skimp on quality or soundproofing? If you like the build of a caravan then take one with you! They have a captive market regards visitors to the area, but I'm not quite sure it was worth the $80 a night! The best bit about it though was the common room/kitchen - a good place to meet fellow travellers & generally nice people, while enjoying the heat of the woodburner!! Anyway, the wildlife didn't disappoint around Cradle Mountain, in fact we had a moment with a wallaby! When driving in Australia you not only have to look ahead, but you must also do a 'sweep' covering each side of the road. As I was 'sweeping' I noticed that there was a fast approaching Wallaby coming from the left! So I shouted my usual 'SH*T!', with Joanna beside me going 'What? What?' - probably had her head in the map planning our route! The wallaby was going too fast to stop - I saw it try to slow down and then decide which way it would go round the car - one of those cartoon moments! I braked because I thought that he'd run across in front of us, but fortunately he tried to go behind us! I say 'tried' because all we heard was a bang at the back of the car as it struck! Be assured the wallaby was unharmed and continued bounding into the bush! From Cradle Mountain we headed north on our way to Stanley. We collected some supplies from Wynyard and then followed the signs to Cape Table Lighthouse & Lookout, with views back down the coast towards Devonport.    Labels: big_trips, lighthouse, northwest, photos, table_cape, tas_day_8, tasmania
07.02 Tas: Cradle Mountain - Marion's Lookout
On our return to Dove Lake at 4pm we were greeted with blue skies, puffy white cloudy and sunshine! Yes! Sunshine!! And we could clearly see the top of Cradle Mountain! So we parked the car up and headed out on the walk that we wanted to do at 8am, to Marion's Lookout! We didn't see any wildlife on our walk, and Wombat Pool didn't quite live up to its name, but there was plent of 'scat' balanced on rocks & steps! It was definitely the worth the wait...!              After a very nice evening meal at the Cradle Mountain Lodge we decided to go for a drive down to Dove Lake again! From the park entrance this is about an 8km drive. The aim was to hopefully see some of the wildlife that inhabit the area, and there is no better place to see it in Tasmania than Cradle Mountain! By the time we reached Dove Lake it had started to rain again, so we headed back up towards the park entrance. It was at this point that it start to sleet! We're in summer and it' sleeting in Tasmania! We weren't disappointed with the wildife, coming across Wombats, a pair of Possums in a punch-up, Pademelons and Wallabies!! They all come out at dusk! Labels: big_trips, cradle_mountain, crater_lake, dove_lake, joanna, lake_lilla, magna, nathan, photos, tas_day_7, tasmania, wildlife, wombat_pool
07.02 Tas: Cradle Mountain - Weindorfers Chalet
So while we waited for the rain to stop we ate our picnic and pretty much all the food we had in the car at the time! Then we thought that we could go to Ronny's Creek to see whether there was any wildlife about, but it was probably inside... watching the rain! Next stop was was Weindorfers Chalet, a tiny settlement for the people who found & explored the Cradle Mountain area. The original chalet fell into disrepair and was demolished and replaced with a replica. The smaller building was the 'Bath House', and we had so much time on our hands waiting for the rain to stop that I managed to sweep the floor!    Labels: big_trips, cradle_mountain, nathan, photos, tas_day_7, tasmania, weindorfers_chalet
07.02 Tas: Cradle Mountain - Dove Lake
After a night in the Cradle Mountain YHA, which was our first night in a proper bed, we woke to more rain! We had been told when we collected our park pass that the car park at Dove Lake would fill up very quickly, so we got down there just after 8am!  No problems parking, it was just the wind & the rain the prevented us from venturing outside!  The view of Dove Lake and Cradle Mountain (behind the cloud) from the car!! After an hour sitting in the car we decided that we'd head out for a walk around Dove Lake!      This is a Wombat poo! It is also know as 'scat', and the other interesting fact is that they are cuboid shaped! How do they do that?! The other amazing thing that all the 'scat' we came across was carefully balanced on rocks & the edges of walkway steps! Very clever!?   An hour and a bit later we made it back to the car again, where we watched the wind & the rain again! Labels: big_trips, cradle_mountain, dove_lake, joanna, nathan, photos, tas_day_7, tasmania
06.02 Tas: Wilderness Cruise - Sarah Island
Our final part of our Wilderness Cruise was a tour around Sarah Island, which was a penal settlement!    After returning to Strahan I saw Tim Bentinck who plays David Archer in the Archers! I didn't approach him as it looked like that he was catching a scenic flight! Anway, after a food shop and another tank of fuel we left for Cradle Mountain! Labels: big_trips, celebrity, macquarie_harbour, photos, sarah_island, tas_day_6, tasmania, wilderness_cruise
06.02 Tas: Wilderness Cruise - Gordon River
The second part of our Wilderness Cruise was a short trip up the Gordon River. We passed a jetty leading to a historic fishing hut, which is still used to this day. A circular walk through the rainforest at Heritage Landing was very interesting, and it also included a sighting of a Tiger Snake sunning itself on a log!!     Labels: big_trips, gordon_river, photos, tas_day_6, tasmania, wilderness_cruise, wildlife
06.02 Tas: Wilderness Cruise - Macquarie Harbour
An early start meant that we left before the Strahan Backpackers YHA office was open - oops! I think it just goes to show that Strahan is just too small for the amount of visitors that it attracts, or perhaps you should book your accommodation before arrive! I'm sure that we weren't the only ones without a pitch that night and making use of someone else's facilities!!  Anyway we arrived on the quay side to pick up our Wilderness Cruise on Macquarie Harbour! The entrance to the Harbour is known as 'Hells Gate' and is only about 80 metres wide! Due to the number of grounding incidents in the 1800's a harbour wall was built. The wall also maintains the depth of the channel by reducing the amout of sand that is drawn in and out of the harbour. A railway was used on the completed sections to drop the rocks forming the wall into the harbour. The original tracks, now rusting and twisted, are still visible! For every breath you take in Tasmania you, allegedly, live an extra 5 minutes due to the clean air! The reason for this is the next land mass to the west is Argentina, and the winds only pass over the ocean - these winds are known as the "Roaring 40's"!      Labels: big_trips, entrance_island, hells_gate, macquarie_harbour, photos, strahan, tas_day_6, tasmania, west, wilderness_cruise, wildlife
05.02 Tas: Strahan
Our trip from Tarraleah to Strahan took us through the mining town of Queenstown. As we were approaching Queenstown the we noticed that the scrub changed from bush to bare rock! This was caused by trees on the surrounding hills being cut down to fuel smelters and then the topsoil was washed away by heavy rains, leaving the bare, coloured rocks and the odd lunar landscape! We finally made it to Strahan! We arrived early evening to find that there were no free campsites! After a bit of a drive around we noticed that there was some tents errected out the back of the Strahan Backpackers YHA. However, when we got to the office it was closed! So we just put ourselves in the corner and set up for the night! The facilities were very good, with an excellent kitchen (standard YHA) and shower/toilets!   Labels: big_trips, joanna, piners_punt, stahan, tas_day_5, tasmania, west
05.02 Tas: Tarraleah
We had a quick picnic stop at the Tarraleah Hydro Powerstation, yes I know all the good places!! Tarraleah is a small town built to house the builders of the powerstation, however the town is now completely owned by a single family. A drive through the brightly coloured town reminded me a bit of the houses in Edward Scissorhands, and even the Truman Show!     Labels: big_trips, derwent_valley, hydro_powerstation, photos, tarraleah, tas_day_5, tasmania
05.02 Tas: Bushy Park Hop Fields
05.02 Tas: New Norfolk Hop Museum
Our trip from Hobart to Strahan took us through the Derwent Valley, which is famous for hop growing. Tasmania is unique as the hops are grown without the use of pesticides, as they have no pests! In New Norfolk they have a Hop Museum, so we just had to go and have a look!!   Links to home! The press (that you couldn't see) apparently came from Maidstone. There wasn't any more specific information than this unfortunately.   Labels: big_trips, derwent_valley, hops, museum, new_norfolk, oasthouse, photos, tas_day_5, tasmania
05.02 Tas: Hobart City
We parked the car up on the quay side and decided to have a bit of a wander. We had seen earlier on the tv while having breakfast that the Greenpeace ship Esperanza was in port after chasing the Japanese whaling fleet in the southern ocean. It wasn't open when we got there though. So we went and had a little something to eat at Battery Point, and Joanna also had a little time to play on the swings in Arthur's Circus!! While we were eating we were passed by an old London bus being used as the City Tour Bus! Hobart was a very pretty place, situated on the water and nestled in the surrounding hills.           Labels: arthurs_circus, battery_point, big_trips, city_tour_bus, esperanza, h_jones_building, hobart, ixl_building, photos, scalamanca_arts_centre, tas_day_5, tasmania
05.02 Tas: Margate
All aboard the last passenger train to run in Tasmania!! Yes they don't have any domestic rail services, yet, obviously with our Deloraine experience they do run freight train services! This train at Margate houses the 'i' or information centre and a pancake place amongst other things! Ingenious!   Labels: big_trips, joanna, margate, margate_train, photos, southeast, tas_day_5, tasmania
05.02 Tas: Snug Beach
We stayed at the Snug Beach Cabin and Caravan Park, which was situated next to the beach! The camp kicthen here was very basic, it didn't have a stove or oven but two electric barbeques, which you had to pay for!! Anyway, it was the perfect spot to head into Hobart.  Labels: big_trips, camping, magna, photos, snug_beach, southeast, tas_day_5, tasmania
04.02 Tas: Mount Wellington
After driving through Huonville we decided that we'd head to Mount Wellington for fantastic views over Hobart and the surrounding mountain ranges! The drive up to The Pinnacle was an interesting affair, due the very long winding road! Once we reached the top, it was a little breezy to say the least, but we had fortunately taken enough warm clothing (possibly too much for our entire Tas trip!). The views were amazing from the top, and it was so clear! I think we definitely picked the best time to head up there. I'm writing this on the 28th Feb, and apparently today they had their first flurries of snow on Mt Wellington this year!!     Labels: big_trips, hobart, joanna, mount_wellington, nathan, photos, tas_day_4, tasmania
04.02 Tas: Verona Sands
  A short drive away from Gordon, we found Verona Sands. It wasn't particularly well signed from the road, but it was well worth the short detour!   Then we found this lookout by the side of the road, with views of the rolling hills and bays. The lack of rain is very clear to see in these pictures! Labels: big_trips, joanna, photos, southeast, tas_day_4, tasmania, verona_sands
04.02 Tas: Port Arthur (Again)
Woke up to the sound of rain falling on the roof of the car! Managed to pack the car up, have some breakfast and returned to the Port Arthur settlement for the second day of our ticket! This also included mixing with all the others from the cruise ship too! Our ticket included a guided tour round the penal site and delving into the history and the characters that inhabitated it. After this we went on a small harbour cruise. The weather certainly helped in making the trip very atmospheric! We looked around the Commandant's House, the Asylum & Separate Prison before we had to head off to explore the southeast of Tasmania.     Labels: big_trips, photos, port_arthur, tas_day_4, tasman_peninsular, tasmania
03.02 Tas: White Beach
An evening drive from Port Arthur Cabins & Caravan Park was needed to stock up on some supplies for an evening dinner. Fortunately we managed to find an IGA just outside Nubeena that was still open! It's not Melbourne you know!! Anyway, we also thought that we'd take the road down to White Beach, before we headed back to the sparsely equipped camp kitchen - you also had to pay for showers too! Actually, this campsite was the only place that we had a dedicated tent pitch! Usually if we asked for an unpowered site we'd be put in some scrubby area/corner!  Labels: big_trips, photos, tas_day_3, tasman_peninsular, tasmania, white_beach
03.02 Tas: Port Arthur
We made it to Port Arthur by the early evening, and luckily the ticket you buy for entry into the Port Arthur Penal Settlement is valid for two days! So we spent some time just looking around the settlement and enjoyed the quietness and tranquility of the place. We had also been warned about a cruise ship with 2000 people arriving the next day!      Labels: big_trips, joanna, photos, port_arthur, tas_day_3, tasman_peninsular, tasmania
03.02 Tas: Tasman Blowhole
03.02 Tas: Devils Kitchen
03.02 Tas: Waterfall Bay
So after making it through Eaglehawk Neck we had made it onto the Tasman Peninsular! The first rock formation we saw was Waterfall Bay, but unfortunately due to the lack of the rain there weren't any waterfalls flowing into the bay. However, it wasn't a wasted journey as we picked up three French backpackers who wanted a lift back to their van as they couldn't be bothered to walk the 45 minutes back! So after a bit of a reshuffle in the Magna, we managed to fit them in!  Labels: big_trips, tas_day_3, tasman_peninsular, tasmania, waterfall_bay
03.02 Tas: Tessellated Pavement
03.02 Tas: Wielangta Forest Drive
We took the Wielangta Forest Drive from just outside Rheban. Taking the road, which is unsealed, is a bit of a shortcut, but is also a recommended drive in the guide books. We fortunately had our own car, and weren't limited by a hire car contract! We were also very lucky to be using it att the weekend, as its very popular with logging trucks! We even came across a couple of cyclists going in the opposite direction and there were some pretty impressive hills!!   Labels: big_trips, photos, tas_day_3, tasmania, weilangta_forest_drive
03.02 Tas: Spikey Bridge
A quick tea stop, this time on the side of the road. Unfortunately we drove past Spikey Bridge, but just like most attractions 'they do exactly what they say on the tin'!    Labels: big_trips, photos, spikey_bridge, tas_day_3, tasmania
03.02 Tas: Sleepy Bay
Our final stop on the Freycinet Peninsular was Sleepy Bay, a short walk from the car park, which is half way up the road to Cape Tourville.   The bay had the wonderful oranges of the rocks and the different blues of the sea.  On our journey, we passed a very small place who's name we recognised, but as we drove through it wasn't anything like the Kentish town!! Labels: big_trips, cranbrook, freycinet_peninsular, joanna, photos, sleepy_bay, tas_day_3, tasmania
03.02 Tas: Cape Tourville
03.02 Tas: Wineglass Bay
From Bicheno we went down to the Freycinet Peninsular to check out the iconic view of Wineglass Bay from the Wineglass Bay Lookout! However, the weather wasn't quite what you'd expect, but the clouds hanging over the bay certainly made it feel very atmospheric! When we parked up we were greeted by some very tame Wallabies, with one of them carrying a Joey in her pouch!          Labels: big_trips, freycinet_peninsular, joanna, nathan, photos, saddle_seat, tas_day_3, tasmania, wildlife, wineglass_bay, wineglass_bay_lookout
02.02 Tas: Bicheno
From the Bay of Fires we headed further south to Bicheno, where we would be camping for the night.  One of the many sightings of native wildlife! We saw about three Echidna's just on this day alone! However, there is an awful lot of roadkill, so much more than on our massive journey from Melbourne to Adelaide & Sydney and back again!   Bicheno is a really nice little town with a small harbour.   Relaxing down after a long day's drive, enjoying a nice cup of tea from the thermos!! Our tent pitch for the night was at Bicheno East Coast Caravan Park, which was very conveniently placed for the town and the beach! The camp kitchen was a converted garage and contained everything that we needed! Labels: bicheno, big_trips, camping, echidna, joanna, nathan, photos, tas_day_2, tasmania, wildlife
02.02 Tas: Launceston - Cataract Gorge
The start of a full on day travelling around the northeast side of Tasmania.  After leaving the ferry the night before we headed to a campsite in Deloraine. It was our first night sleeping in the Magna! We stayed at the Deloraine Apex Caravan Park - a very basic site, situated next to a nice little river and also a railway line that has freight trains running down it in the middle of the night!!       After breakfast in Launceston we went to Cataract Gorge, which is a short walk/drive from the city centre. They have the longest single span chairlift, and some nice walks around the First Basin. Labels: big_trips, camping, cataract_gorge, chair_lift, deloraine, first_basin, joanna, launceston, magna, nathan, photos, tas_day_2, tasmania
01.02 Tas: Spirit of Tasmania
This is the start of our journey to Tasmania, where we would spend ten days driving, sleeping, eating and seeing as much of the scenery as possible! Our journey started from Station Pier in Port Melbourne, aboard the Spirit of Tasmania. Fortunately for us it was just a five minute drive to the ferry terminal from our apartment!  It's a bit strange to see this photo at the beginning, but our outward journey was a day sailing and we would return on a night sailing!  Station Pier in the foreground, with the Melbourne city skyline in the background.  On deck of the Spirit of Tasmania! Labels: big_trips, city_views, melbourne, photos, port_melbourne, spirit_of_tasmania, station_pier, tas_day_1, tasmania
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