Bechino and Wineglass Bay

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Third stop in Tasmania was Bicheno on the east coast, about a four hour drive from Port Arthur. Driving alongside the beautiful Derwent River and by Oyster Bay, we arrived at the Bicheno Hideaway late evening. We picked up the key (taped to the door of reception) and found our bungalow. Twenty yards from the Pacific Ocean. Twenty yards from rocks and waves and seagulls on the east, and, behind us, in the west where the sun was setting, fog coming down over the mountains. And that night, drinking Tasmanian wine and eating take out Italian food from the only open Italian delicatessen in Bechino (ok, actually, it was the only open restaurant by the time we got there - we lucked out as it was amazing food), we were visited by the bushy tailed possums and the ring tailed possums. The next morning we woke up and there was a peacock on our porch.

This is Tasmania. Hobart was cute and wonderful and magical. Port Arthur was beautiful and eerie and magical. Bechino was a whole other kind of magic: breathtakingly beautiful views of the ocean; wallabies and rosellas (Australian parrots), a small village of friendly people and good food. We could have spent a week there.

During our day there, we drove to Freycinet and hiked up into the mountains for a stunning view of Wineglass Bay. It was about an hour hike on a very well kept trail. When we got there, fog was covering about half the bay - but as it came and went, it provided a constantly dramatic view - always shifting, and always amazing.

Arriving back at the parking lot after the hike down, we got to witness a wallaby blocking the exit of the parking lot. Watching the scene, I thought to myself that this was somehow so similar to watching monkeys in India. About five minutes later we ended up speaking with a family from India - who said "This is just like the monkeys in India!"

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Photos

Oyster Bay
On the drive to Bechino

The Hideaway
View of our bungalow

The Hideaway
View of the Pacific from the living room

Night time visitor
This is the bushy tailed possum who hung out on our porch the first evening.

Here he is again
We had about three possums - but this little guy drove all the others away.

Our morning view
Ok, peacocks aren't indigenous to Tasmania. Who cares.

Chef Scott
Grilling on our second night there - pumpkin, pork, and cilantro sausages, and fresh scallops.

Dinner bouquet
I love these.

Wineglass Bay
The view after about an hour of hiking.

Wineglass Bay
Another view

Holding up traffic
Wallaby in the parking lot, holding up traffic.