• Travel

    Tasmania 2024: Day 5 Hobart

    After breakfast on Tuesday, we wandered down to the port and took a Historic Hobart Cruise. We took a seat out on the top deck, looking backwards, and the boat pulled out, heading north up the Derwent River. There was commentary as we went. We went up past Government House and over into Rose Bay, passing under the Tasman Bridge. In 1975 a bulk carrier hit one of the pylons and brought down a large section of the bridge. Twelve people died, seven on the ship and the other in four cars that plunged the forty-five metres into the water. Luckily, the collapse was confined to the span between the…

  • Travel

    Tasmania 2024 Day 4: Hobart

    This post continues my recap of our trip to Tasmania. See previous posts: Day 1, Day 2, Day3. Monday 26th February. Our friend picked us up at 8:30 a.m. for a little outing on Kununyi/Mount Wellington. G and our friend went trail running while I did some hiking. I snapped a photo of the trail map so I could find my way back, and we all headed off in different directions. G and our friend ran the Organ Pipes circuit while I walked to Sphinx Rock. After admiring the view, I kept going and circled down to O’Grady’s Falls, then continued until I hit the Fingerpost Track, which was a…

  • Travel

    Tasmania 2024 Day 3 – Devils, Spectacular Coastline, Back to Hobart

    G and I woke up reasonably early on Sunday to pack up and head out to the Tasmanian Devil Unzoo while our friends had a more leisurely morning. I can’t remember seeing a Tasmanian Devil before, so we wanted to take this opportunity to see one. The Devils are endangered due to roadkill and a contagious facial tumour. The Devils on the peninsula are tumour-free and protected by a devil-proof bridge on one of the crossings from the population in the rest of Tasmania. We saw these two brothers get fed, which was wild. They fought for the piece of meat, and then one ran off it with the other…

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    Tasmania 2024 Day 2 – Tesselated Pavement and Port Arthur

    Today G and N went off for a long run about 10 mins drive away in Murdunna while S and I had a bit of sleep-in before heading to the Tesselated Pavement. These rock formations are formed by movement along fault lines fractured the siltstone and erosion has deepened the pattern. Pan formations (more weathering within the formation) form closer to the high tide mark where they dry out more and salt crystals have more chance to form. loaf formations form further out where sea water channelling through the cracks weathers them more quickly. It was a highish tide that was rising when we went which meant coming back we…

  • Travel

    Tasmania 2024 Day 1 – Flying, driving, Eaglehawk Neck

    We flew out of Tullamarine mid-morning on Friday. The flight was delayed by 30 minutes but G has access to the lounge so it wasn’t too much of a hardship. There were clouds most of the way over Tasmania but once we started our descent we got a good look at the environs of Hobart. I was shocked by how brown the countryside was. Once on the ground, we could see how crispy the vegetation was. Normally Melbourne would look like that by the end of January, but this year, with all the rain, we’ve stayed green so it was a shock to see Tasmania so brown. Most locals we…

  • Travel

    I’m back … and a teaser

    We are back from our holiday in Tasmania. We spent the first weekend on the Tasman Peninsula, then four nights in Hobart before returning to the Tasman Peninsula with the Tasmanian Walking Company for the Three Capes Walk. Everything was so good, but the hike was the highlight of the trip. The highest sea cliffs in the southern hemisphere, cloud forests, a test of nerves for myself on The Blade, all complimented by comfortable beds, yummy food and good wine. I plan to give a blow-by-blow rundown, but in the meantime, here is a little teaser … We arrived home yesterday and now I need to work my way back…