Blogs from Tasmania, Australia, Oceania - page 2

After our pandemic pause we are getting back into the swing of travelling again now. Sourced provisions for self-catered breakfasts - no longer paying $50 a day for continental breakfasts. Although, we didn’t actually pay for our Eaglehawke Neck breakfasts. An oversight on my part. Yoghurt, muesli, fruit and nutri-grain in the girls room and we’re checking out. Not before the cleaners are knocking on our door. The Tasman Peninsula farms are dotted with small homes and barns. The older barns have caught Deaks eye and he is attempting to snap them as we cruise by at 90km per hour. They are eye catching, isolated on green hills adjacent to the blue green ocean. Before we know it we’ve hit Orford and the suburban housing feels dense after a couple of days in national parks. A ... read more

Packed our bags the night before, got up early and nailed the transit. Very proud of the whole family for squeezing all their gear into carry-on bags. No mean feat given the temperatures will range from 32 to 8 degrees in the week ahead. The flight goes well although Deaks strains his neck from sleeping sitting up. This comes with the territory - having a super long neck. The Mitsubishi Lancer gets upgraded to a sporty red Hyundai Kona. We hit the road out of Hobart International Airport and the excitement in the Kona is palpable. "Cute" peppers every sentence. The airport is cute! The bridge across the Derwent is cute! The Tasmanian Devil roadside warning signs are cute! Why do the Tasmanian Devils on the signs have wings? Once we have passed through Sorell, the ... read more

Hello everyone. After two years of basically going nowhere from Melbourne, we managed four weeks in Tasmania this January, 2022. I thought about writing a travel blog, but did not bother in the end. I certainly had enough material, with the things we did, people we met, funny situations and Ross's usual ascerbic wit. Anyway, we put my car on the Spirit of Tasmania and arrived in Devenport on December 30. We then spent new year's eve in Launceston, then travelled clockwise around the island. We covered Tamar Valley (wine), Bay of Fires, Bicheno, Freycinet National Park, Maria Island, Port Arthur and Tasman Peninsula, Hobart, Bruny Island, Mt Field National Park, Strahan, Stanley in the north West, Cradle Mountain, and then Loongana (Tasmanian devils and tiger quolls in the wild). For me, it was animal paradise, ... read more

A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour ~ Australian Proverb This blog covers Days 2 and 3 of our trip to the far south of Tasmania… to celebrate our 15th Anniversary. Franklin I absolutely loved waking up and taking in the early morning view of the misty Huon River from our attic bedroom window. It was like looking into an ever-changing real-life painting. It was a very special and beautiful start to our 15th Anniversary. By the time we had a quick breakfast and got going, the light had changed rather dramatically – the mist had lifted and the light was clear and strong. The only comparison I can make is the cloudless sunny bright day that magically appears after an early morning frost. I also loved our walks ... read more

We are all visitors to this time, this place ~ Aboriginal Australian Proverb This is a very different type of blog for us. Firstly, we won’t be writing it in a HE SAID... / SHE SAID...style. I (Ren) will be doing most of the writing with input from Andrew. Secondly, this Tasmanian trip will span the whole year, with day trips, long weekends and possibly week-long excursions being undertaken whenever we have the time. As is our usual routine before we travel, we’ve started immersing ourselves in books, films and TV shows about/set in Tasmania. Tasmania has many faces and moods, but it seems that many writers and directors have chosen to focus on stories about the bleak and austere aspects of island life. It’s even been given a title – Tassie Noir – a sub-genre ... read more