Hello wow it feels like ages since I have updated this and it is - it's 2 weeks ago so I think that this may be longer than normal - shock horror! Get the kettle on to read this one! That first day in Melbourne I didn't even get round to getting the tram as me and Sarah and a nice girl Susi from Germany from our hostel were all on the internet for too long then looked in some shops then ran out of time! Cooked a nice dinner with Sarah and chatted and to some other people that evening. The next day the weather had got cooler because it had thundered and rained in the night. Still nice though, in fact nicer really. Got the tram into the city today which was quite fun - there are so many stops though! There are so many trams criss crossing all over the place in the city its' mental! Took my camera in to get fixed once I found a place then headed up to the market which is a massive under cover permanent market on 5 days of the week. It's so good, I am going to get all my fresh food there, there are so many meat and deli stalls and tons of fruit and veg I loved it! Also loads of clothes, souvenirs, generally everything! Had a good wander and got a bit lost - didn't buy very much. Sat and watched a band from South America playing pan pipe type music and chatted to a guy who lives near Melbourne. Was very nice morn/arvo and then made my way to Federation Square via China town and Greek town which sound really interesting but really aren't! Met Sarah in Fed Square which I didnt' really see much of as am going to do most of my sightseeing when I get back - am planning to be here for a few months after all! Fed Square is just an awful open area and buildings of ridiculous modern design, very ugly, and a nasty plastic Xmas tree too! We wandered round looking for the recruitment agency Sarah wanted to go to, then after that we tried to go up this really high building for great views of the city. There is an official Observation Deck put you have to pay, and this was free, it was in the Lonely planet! When we couldn't find the lift though we asked a security guard who said there wasn't a lift, but I guessed he was lying and we found it in the end, whilst trying to avoid him - I think he was watching us though! We went up this really really fast lift that made your ears pop - went up to top floor (46!) in about 15 seconds!!!!!!!! You couldn't really see very well, and later found out that it was the 35th floor you are meant to go to - I forgot! Will have to go back. I was really tired after walking round the city, so we sat at an open air cafe in Fed square and had a coffee and a chat. I then got the tram back and Sarah walked as her money is gone!! It's probably about 2 and a half miles, it seems much longer on the tram though. Got my photos from my waterproof camera and they came out very well! That night we walked into St. Kilda to get a pizza and the sunset over the sea was just amazing! We stupidly took the pizza home and it was cold so had to wait ages to eat it - was so hungry! Went to bed soon after that as flew to Tassie in the morning! Had to get up at 4am to get my 4.15am taxi!! Don't ask how I got ready in 15 minutes just assume it's a miracle! Was really stupid getting that flight, but it made my 10 days in Tas more efficient so was quite good, but I had to get a taxi into the city centre then bus to the airport which was more expensive then getting the direct St. Kilda bus I got when I arrived, but they only run from 6am. Was very bizzare when I got to the airport - there were signs saying Jet Star (the airline) but no desks - turned out you had to go up a lift to get to them and there were no signs telling you this - how wierd! There was no queue whatsoever so I had ages to wait, good job I only got there and hour and a bit before take off. Watched a brilliant sunrise and then got to be one of the first on the plane as I checked in early and I thought I had checked in late! Melbourne looked so eeire at 7am, there was mist all around the high rise buildings it looked like they were coming out of nowhere! Despite the brightness of the beautiful day I fell asleep - seemed like I was on the plane for 5 minutes before I saw the land of Tas! It looked like we were going to land in the sea as the airport is so close to the sea. It was such as tiny airport, you even got off the plane down steps and went outside then there was just one baggage belt! Went off and sorted out my hire car - the guy was only just opening! It took ages to sort out, then I got into my lovely Beetle (you will see it in the photos I have put on) and tried to figure out how to drive it! I had a set of instructions to go through, but still had to ask the guy for help with a few things. When I felt ready to go, I thought I would drive around the car park but I couldn't really as it was too small, so before I knew it I was on the dual carriageway to Hobart! Seemed ok, but when I got into the city I realised it was going to take a bit of getting used to - it was so noisy every time I moved away from stationary - I was sure that it wasn't meant to be like that and I was right! Also kept getting the wrong gear and not finding the biting point etc. After the first few days though I got used to how much to press the pedals and where the gears were better and the handling and drove it like I had driven it for years! It went really well actually, faster than I thought it would, and pretty smooth, but it was really fumey because the petrol tank is right in front of the steering wheel and the car fills with fumes and it gave me a few headaches! Also when the weather went cold and wet I even had 2 jumpers on in there and was cold because there are no heaters and there are drafts everywhere where the seals have all gone! It's bug like appearance made up for it though, and kids in the streets would point and wave and everyone would say 'is that your beetle' in the hostels and be impressed so I am glad I had it, even if to find out that I don't want to buy one for my own - especially in the British winter!!! I had forgot to look at my Hobart map and didn't know which street it was on so I pulled over and then tried to work out which street I was even on but couldn't see any signs, so carried on, thinking it may take some time when I saw it but drove past it by mistake! Checked in and it was breakfast time - so managed to get some toast (free brekkie here!) Sorted out stuff then spoke to a nice girl from Essex who had been to the chocolate factory and toured around with some others and so I got a bit of info on where to go (although I already had a plan courtesy of the lonely planet) but it's always good to have extra info from actual people you speak to that have just done it! L.P. tends to be a bit outdated here and there even though I have the latest one! Went off to Salamanca market which is the whole reason why I wanted to get here on a Saturday! First I went to an area called 'Battery Point' which was meant to be a nice area of historic buildings and it had brown signs and everything (like we do for tourist attractions)! It was a pretty area I admit, but all residential and not at all old and historical by British standards! I must remember this when travelling in Oz! The market was buzzing, there was some delicious and not all unhealthy food, and all sorts of jewellery, home-made foods, clothes, photos, crafts, books, everything. I bought a few things and saw some lovely places to go that this gut had taken amazing pictures of. Saw some bizzare things or people rather! There was a guy on one stall who was reading one line from a book then tearing out the page then doing the same with the next one, and so on, not sure what that was all about. There was also a guy (you have to see the pic for this one!) who was putting his legs over his shoulders and walking around and doing one leg whilst hopping on the other. He was getting very stressed with everyone though because the people behind me and these other girls at the front wouldn't move forwardm and they were blocking the market and he said he would lose his licence if they didn't move. He kept on and on, but the people didn't move enough then new ones kept coming and he was getting more and more stressed, and he was also getting very annoyed if we weren't making enough noise and even picked on a guy for not clapping - he was really crazy! He gave up in the end as he was too stressed and everyone left - I just didn't know what to do!! Sat in an open area with loads of cafes and watched kids playing about in the water fountain as it was quite hot! Very chilled out, couldn't believe how much time there was in a day if you get up and out before 10am! Wasn't going to make a habit of getting up early though, and for the rest of the time in Tas i got up at 8/8.30 and left at check out time of 10am (except one or two days where I was ready at 9.30!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Got myself a map of Tas for my road trip then went back to hostel. Then drove up Mount Wellington which is about 20km from Hobart - it was a very windy road, good training for the rest of my trip, although I didn't know that then! Was quite a challenge for my first day with the car but I took it slowly! The trees at the top were really short as it was so high and it was all rocky. There were loads of people at the top and actual observation rooms, but I just stood on the top outside coz it was a gorgeous day. Spoke to a cyclist (everyone so friendly here just like NZ!) he had just cycled all the way up he had done it really quickly! He spent less time than I did up there after cycling all that way I think I would have been up there for ages! Views were absolutely amazing, you could see for miles around. Drive back down was crazy too then I got lost trying to get to the supermarket on my way back - the signs aren't very good there! Spoke to the guy that works there for ages when I got back he was really nice, and had a soppy Staffy dog. Made some dinner and ended up sitting and talking with a nice group of people all from different countries that had just met in that hostel and hired a car for a few day, mainly to do the overland track which is a 4 day hike over 70km staying in huts like I did in NZ - I couldn't handle that much. I spoke to Corinda the most who is from the Netherlands, she is so hyper and happy and funny - she's lovely, made me feel like I am a really quiet and just mildly happy person! Spoke to 2 Brits in my room after that, one of them picking my brains about NZ as she is going there too and doing the Kiwi Exp - I tried to put her off but it didn't seem to work! Woke up to find the breakfast gone but luckily I had brought my own - could probably have asked for more but I wanted my nice cereal anyway not not cheap stuff! Started my drive to Port Arthur, but lost getting out of the city as they signpost things at the last minute so ended up going round in circles! I didn't think it was as far as 100km but it was! Took a while to get there as roads got windier out of the city. Saw my first kookaburra (bird) on the side of the road and also a snake crossing the road in front of me! Thought I had squished him but saw him carry on in my mirror! All 3 Tassie snake species are poisonous how scary! Went over 2 causeways with the sea extremely close on either side which was a bit mad. I called in at my hostel on my way to Port Arthur as I had to come back on myself as it was all on a small Peninsula. The hostel was tiny, it was basically a mobile unit on this couples' land, of which they had 2. They put me in a room on my own and there was only one room in the hostel which was a dorm, and a whole kitchen and lounge and bathroom I was thinking just for us. Us turned out to just be me - no-one else checked in all day do I had the whole place to myself how lovely! The guy there was so strange - he explained everywhere to go and how long it took etc. in a very matter of a fact, dull way as if he had said it a million time before - he probably had but there's no need for that! He went through it all really quickly, then when he showed me round my little place he enforced all the signs everywhere about being environmentally friendly - having short showers and putting organic stuff in the compost etc. As if you need to tell me!!! He said he rang a bell if I used too much water in the shower - don't really understand how he would know but didn't want to think about it! He was quite offish - any questions I asked he was all sarcastic with me - very rude considering I am a guest! Was such a great location though, across the road/track was the sea/estuary and lots of trees, very peaceful. They also had a pet sheep that was very friendly! Had my lunch on the gorgeous beach - white sand and clear water, then carried on to Port Arther, which is much bigger than I thought it would be! I knew it was an old prison, but didn't realise it was a whole penal settlement with military offices, hospital, church, government building, civil servants quarters, an asylum and all sorts of other houses! Lots of it (apart from the people's in charge houses) were completely destroyed as they didn't realise the historic value and the all the tourists that would flock to it in these times so pulled it down to re-use all the bricks and things - very resourceful though! The main prison was still kind of in tact but had no roof - you could see the tiny cells the men with more serious offences had to sit in, they were awful! The seperate prison was completely in tact and was very eeire for that reason - you could actually go inside the cells how they would have been and the punishment room which was completely dark and separated. They weren't allowed to see each other at all and had to stand in separate booths in chapel (they had to go to reform them) and had to wear masks when they were exercising in a yard. Most criminals got sent to work on land in quarries and road building and forestry and things and only went to Port Arthur if they did something else wrong. Some criminals even went to work as servants for people - that's a bit strange! Even boys of 9 were imprisoned here and had to work, but they were in a separate place. The Officers and other high up people's houses were really nice, but the poor wives had to bring up there kids surrounded by convicts it sounded horrible! There were loads of ghastly stories (oh don't I sound posh using that word!),and stories of escapees, and was interesting to learn about the lives of the prisoners and of the site of Port Arthur, which changed a lot over the years. There was also a memorial garden for 35 people that got randomly shot in 1996 by a mad man with a gun in Port Arthur - no-one knows why, how awful. After that I drove onto a place called Remarkable cave which you walked to for about 10 minutes from the car park. It was a really long naturally formed cave, and the light at the end of the tunnel was of the shape of Tasmania (if that makes sense). The rocks were very dramatic but I won't go into that as only my field studies buddies might be interested or understand!! There were loads of surfers there even though it was really rocky - I kept thinking they were going to go into the rocks but they managed to surf/body board diagonally and only just miss them - so scary! The sea was soooooooooo clear and the views out to sea and along the cliffs were gorgeous! Drove back past another gorgeous beach and then had a cup of tea on the (private) jetty opposite my appartment!!! That night I had to completely change my travel plans as I hadn't realised it would take so long to get to Port Arthur and how much time I would spend there - I thought it was just one building (the prison) but was like a whole village!!! I realised then that I would have to cut out one very long walk (which wasn't too bothered about) and change where I as going to stay and all sorts! Very complicated. I have tons more to write obviously as I have only done 3 days so will carry on tomorrow - very tired!