Blogs from Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, Oceania - page 36

Well, it's finally here. After a couple of years planning and saving, we are on our trip today. We have everything packed and organised, but still stressed out a fair bit. I don't think anyone on either side of our families would be different either. Just a recap for some people, we are off tonight at 1845 from Hobart to Melbourne, then getting the 1150 flight to Hong Kong. Staying in Hong Kong until 20/09, where we fly to Edinburgh via Heathrow. A week will be spent in Edinburgh, then we will travel around Scotland for a further two weeks. Then we have a train trip to London on 08/10 for a week, before heading to Pars for 4 days. Our second last leg is to Singapore for four days, before heading home on Sunday 24th ... read more

14th July Well...........................we continue to enjoy life here and have been pretty busy lately.We are now at the end of our fourth week of school - 8 left after this! I have taken control of the signing choir which has been an experience and a half!!! There are about 20 children and they are very keen. I had become involved in "The Festival of Voices" - held in Hobart. However, I decided to drop out - as the leader was very much into "ice-breaker" type warm-ups which I am sure have just been invented in order to make us feel stupid. I hate them - and though the woman was a great singer and obviously very good at what she does - I just felt awkward and uncomfortable the whole time!- I am still doing the ... read more

A brief entry - but I have become an auntie again - Joshua Alarcon 8lbs 12oz. Bit hard at this side of the world, but we had a celebration !!!!!... read more

G'day all Arrived in Melbourne and set up camp at a Crystal Brooks Park, a very shaded and quiet park on the outskirts of the city. Next day was spent in the city centre, riding on a beautifully decorated Pakistani style decorated by Pakistani Bus decorators, to celebratethe Commonwealth Games. With the hypnotic Pakistani music playing we could almost imagine we were in Pakistan, even the conductor kept swaying to the music!!! We did the tourist bit wandering around Melbourne, and spent some time watching the very eventful start to the Australian Grand Prix on a large screen in Federation Square. Lots of people watching the race and the atmosphere was great. We visit another China Town and have a Chinese meal (cheap of course) before heading back to camp. Monday morning up bright and early ... read more

We are in Tassie and yes you read right it is the last stop before Antarctica don’t think we have ever been this far away from home before Tasmania is a beautiful state full of mind-blowing scenery. Today we took a tour that drove thru picturesque fishing villages down the Tasman peninsula to Port Arthur. A prison for repeat offenders that closed in the mid 1800's After the penal colony closed 800 or so tourists took a boat walked among the ruins, danced in the mess hall and locked each other in cells for fun and a tourist attraction was born. So today in the spirit of things we learned of convict’s lives in Port Arthur which was self sufficient even making their own boots it is also the scene of one of the most ... read more