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Published: February 3rd 2011
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What to say about my time in Tasmania....I've loved every minute. It really is a lovely island and has almost every landscape you could wish for - mountains all the way through to some of the nicest beaches I've seen. I won't embarrass the family by saying too much about them (I know they are worried about what I might say!!!!) but I have been made to feel very welcome and they've helped me pack as much in as possible in my short 2 weeks here and for that I thank them very much. I've also met friends of theirs and can only reiterate again how friendly australian people are.
So what have I been up to...we spent a day in Port Arthur which is where the convicts were sent to do their time. It's a solemn place - you learn about the types of crimes committed by folk in England that resulted in them being sent there and about the typical life of a prisoner. The solitary confinement unit was particularly sobering and it's so hard to imagine that people actually lived in these conditions. You can find out if any of your ancestors were sent there - so
far I have resisted! Driving to and from Port Arthur we passed some of the most stunning scenery I've ever seen. Not much to be said really - I'll let the photos do the talking, but one of the sights we stopped at is called Remarkable Cave. Why is it called Remarkable Cave? Well, simply because it's a cave and it's remarkable. That just illustrates one of the things that I love about this place and I assume it's also why lots of people want to come here. Life is uncomplicated and straight forward and they call a spade a spade - or a remarkable cave, a remarkable cave.
As well as the coastline providing some stunning views, Tasmania also offers excellent views high up in the mountains and treetops of the bush. I've been driven to the tops of Mounts Nelson and Wellington (too far to walk!) and whilst Wellington was really windy and quite cold (you see there's nothing to stop the wind whipping up from the Southern Ocean so it's verrrrry cold) the views over Hobart from both places are stunning. What surprised me was seeing people wearing winter coats and rucksacks going down the mountain
Southern Ocean from Port Arthur
Not much between here and Antartica wearing flip flops (or thongs to quote the locals)! Flip flops for heavens sake to descend a mountain - they must be mad! I've also done the airwalk - walking through the treetops and out over the river on a cantilever - which wobbles a lot!
I think my favourite day was when we went to Freycinet National Park. "We can walk from Coles Bay to Wineglass Bay" said my relatives. My cousin's daughter (also called Emma - very confusing when I stayed with them!) said she'd done the walk with school and it was fine. And so we set out for the long drive and I was really looking forward to the bushwalking - I had all the proper gear with me except a fully functioning pair of lungs and legs that were used to exercise which, I found out to my cost, would have been much more helpful than a waterproof jacket! It was the toughest walk I've ever done. You see to get from Coles Bay to Wineglass Bay you have to walk up the mountain to the lookout then walk down the other side. However the pain was worth it - the view at the
Remarkable Cave
It's a cave that is remarkable top was stunning, I got up close and personal with a wallaby at the bottom of the track on the way down and Wineglass Bay was well worth the walk. I had been persuaded to take my swimming stuff so that we could jump in the sea but the water was freezing - I could barely dip my toes in! So after half an hour or so on the beach I braced myself for what I knew would be a hellish walk back up the mountain - it wasn't as bad as I'd anticipated but I made a mental note - must do more exercise!
Another highlight of my stay here was joining in for the Australia Day celebrations - they celebrate the day they were discovered - how great is that? I became an honorary Australian complete with Aussie flag tattoo on my face and Australia Day bucket hat (sorry - there are no photos of me in the bucket hat!) There was a community day at the local beach and we went down to experience the fun. I can now say I've played beach volleyball but I don't think any of the olympic team need to worry.
I had a good time and even cooked snags on the barbie (sorry - no photos of that either). Oh - and the really good news is that I was still at the wicket when bad light stopped play at the cricket match we had - have I mentioned the Ashes yet????
I really have done so much here that I can't write about it all but I hope the photos fill in some of the blanks and convey what a brilliant time I've had here. My time is up and it looks like someone is looking after me because Cyclone Yasi didn't do as much damage to Cairns as was anticipated so unless anything changes I'll be flying up there tomorrow and travelling north to Port Douglas. That said I'm due to be passing through some of the towns that have been devasted by Yasi on my tour and if the news coverage is accurate then many people's livelihoods have been wiped out for this year by one mammoth cyclone. The only thing left to say is that I have fallen in love, not only with Tasmania but with Flynn. Most of you will know that I don't
really like domestic animals but Flynn is a gorgeous little dog that belongs to my Aunt and Uncle and he has tugged at my heart strings. But I will leave him behind and continue my adventures in Queensland... bye for now........
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Janice
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Have just read your blog Emma- glad you enjoyed yourself so much with us all, you must do it again sometime! Loved the photos, especially Percy and Flyn. Have a safe journey the rest of your stay in Australia and also NZ. Love Aunty Jan and Donald xxx