I arrived in "Lonnie" (practically a local by saying that) in Tasmania on the 8th of May. Picked up from the airport from no other than Mum and Dann. It was Top Notch meeting up with La Famille, having a good old catch up and filling me boots up with Food and Beer! First couple of days just chilled out, recharging the batteries, waiting for Amelia to arrive on the tenth. One of our mates from Tassie was playing an a local Aussie Rules match so we went along and watched. It had exactly the same atmosphere as any Rugby match back at home. For Amelia and my Bday, Mum and Pete treated us to a days diving in Bicheno on the east coast. Amelia was freezing even though we were all wearing 7mm wetsuits with bootys and a hood. I was a bit sketchy compared to the pro rescue divers, Amelia and Mum, as i haven't dived in open water for over a year. We saw Seaweed Dragons, Pot Bellied Seahorses, A 2ft Gummy (no Teeth) Shark, a 5 ft Eagle/Sting Ray as well as loadsa fish.

On a day trip to Truwanna wildlife park we saw tame Kangaroos, Wombats, Koalas, Tasmanian Devils, Kookaburras and more! You could feed the Kangaroos that roamed about the park, hug the Wombats that loved a cuddle. The Koalas would be a quality pet as they just laze about all day sitting in a euclyptus tree eating leaves, looking cute, and loving a pat on the back.

Dann, Amelia and Me went on a roadtrip down to Port Arthur, near Hobart which is all the way on the other end (south) of tasmania. it took a whole two hours to drive there, in Danns brand new 4wd Subaru Forrester, along the only highway in Tasmania. Port Arthur was one of the main convict camps in Australlia where all the real bad boys of the Victorian era were taken. An interesting place for the Tourist. The following day Dann and Me drove back down to Hobart to find some surf. After checking several beaches and chatting to some locals we found the semi-secret spot call Mazes which is a right hand point quite far up the channel towards Hobart. It was the first time i had to wear my winter wetsuit since leaving England. Dann got in the water to show me his skills, its fair to say he should stick to sitting on water in his Kayak!

All in all had a great time in Tassie as it was like a Home from Home, catching up with everyone. On the 20th of May, Amelia and me flew to Melbourne to start our road trip in a campervan to Sydney!