Driving north on the beautiful Lake Road in Tasmania, we were singing along to some good cheese on the radio. When three pirates in the car are doing everything they can to distract the chauffeur, driving on the left side of the road is difficult for at least one of us…
Bay of Fires
Because the weather was still fickle, we stopped at the info centre in Deloraine, where we were discouraged to go to Cradle Mountain National Park. We weren’t in the mood for more rain, cold and even snow, so decided to head to the South East coast instead where the weather would be much better. We stopped in St Helens to eat amazing seafood on the Paddle Wheeler, an old boat moored at the dock, and drove down to the Bay of Fires.
White sand, turquoise water, big rocks covered with red seaweed, it seemed like… well, camp fires burning. The view was spectacular.
House party
After a quick splash in the sea we drove further down to a beach house where a colleague of Leen’s and Koen’s was staying for the weekend with some friends. What a magnificent location!
Great location, delicious food, fantastic music and lovely people are the ingredients for a great party. When outside on the terrace, the view on the sky was clear for the first time since we started this trip, and the stars and Milky Way were clearly visible. Unfortunately, the mosquitos weren’t, so it was way too late when we ran back inside to get some DEET. F*****s!
Freycinet National Park
After an ice ice cold morning swim down on the secluded beach to wake up, we drove further south to Freycinet National Park.
This time, no campsite with zero facilities, but deluxe camping with toilets, showers and outdoor kitchen. Wowsers!
Wineglass Bay
From here we did a long hike through Freycinet National Park to see Wineglass Bay. How dreamy can a beach be?
Douglas Apsley NP
The last walkabout in Tasmania this week was in Douglas Apsley National Park, to see a pretty waterfall. And swim, naturalmente.
Port Arthur
After a visit to the Tasmanian Devils (too cute to be scavengers really) in Natureworld , we went to Port Arthur, where the convict history is kept alive. Criminals were sent to this overseas prison even for minor offenses, locked up and tortured. Considered a black page in the country’s history, Queen Victoria wanted all evidence to disappear. Luckily, she didn’t succeed. In the sun, as we visited it, it is a lovely venue, though it gave me goosebumps a few times thinking about the misery that was there 150 years ago. The place is so full with history.
On the way back to Hobart, after a long drive (less singing this time), we stopped at another beautiful beach:
After this, back to the real world! Next stop: Melbourne!
With special thanks to World of Wanderlust, one of my favourite travel blogs, for some ideas on what to do in Tassie, especially when the weather turns against you :-)
