Pack up day, hooray!!! No more tent in Tasmania!!! We packed up the quickest we have ever done and were on the road to Devonport. We were going to call into Salamanca and Mt Field NP on the way thru but we were all b*****ed and just wanted to get to the Woods house. For once we were on a sort of straight road, yay!!! Around lunchtime we veered off the highway and called into a small town called Ross. It was a beautiful, well preserved, town with historical buildings. We had our sanga's then pushed off again. We reached Amanda, Mark, Charlotte and Jakes house in the early afternoon and we were all happy to see our mates again. The girls were quick to go off and play, l think they knew it was the last time we would see them for a while.
After tea we settled into a small session of beer and wine which ended with Amanda and l polishing off nearly four bottles. The night was filled with laughter and jokes, just what we needed. Marty even got a bit tipsy which was fun to watch....
I had a dreadful nights sleep due to my wine hangover and headache starting before l hit the hay! I laid there half the night with this pounding headache because l had no idea where the car keys were to get some nurofen. Finally, at 4am, Marty woke up to go to the toilet and l was able to stop suffering in silence and go to the car and get my pills!! A few hours later, after a small amount of sleep, l rose to find Amanda cooking breakfast and looking chipper! Couldn't believe it, was expecting her to feel like l did. Anyway, after a few liters of water and some poached eggs, l bounced back a little. We did have plans to go out for the day but thankfully we had a lazy day. After lunch we headed down to 'The bluff' and went for a swim at the beach, whilst Marty watched us on the sand. Still he refuses to not swim, too cold he reckons. Couldn't believe how many people were at the beach. I mean it wasn't cold, but it wasn't stiffing either. I think it was 24oC and there was hundreds if people swimming in this cold water. When you first leap in the water it takes your breathe away but then it's ok, cool but ok, never warm.. Anyway, the girls loved it. I had Meg on my back, holding on around my neck, whilst we jumped threw the waves. Boo tried to body surf but just ended up swimming under the wave. So happy the girls are loving the ocean and beach. After the swim we headed back to the house to cook our homemade pizzas. They were awesome!!! Then we had a small beverage session with Amanda's parents and friends. Was great to have another laugh and relax. The night ended early and then we decided to watch some Cape York videos as Amanda and Mark were keen to see what it was all about. As always we got to poor Dale sinking the infamous cruiser, funny seeing their disbelief as they watched it. Before we knew it it was midnight and time for bed, l flaked it quickly from no sleep the night before.
The next morning l awoke to find Amanda feeling a bit shabby...b*****, the poor girl was feeling her hangover two days later (hahaha). I, on the other hand, woke feeling great. Don't know if this was because it was our last day in Tassie or because l had a great sleep. Anyway, after breaky we all headed out to try and see a platypus at LaTrobe in the creek. Apparently they are here in abundance. Now l was very eager to see one and it only took a few minutes after we pulled up to see one further down stream coming up for air. We headed down to where it was but didn't see another. b***** but glad to have seen one though. We then headed to a park to let the kids blow off some energy at the playground. Again, l see another black swan sitting by the lake. Even though l had seen heaps in Tassie, l hadn't taken any pics, so l heads over with the camera. The b***** wouldn't move and get in the water, just kept fluffing his neck feathers and hissing at me when l got close. It kept trying to tuck its right wing up but it kept falling down, so l figured maybe it had a sore wing. Being the good person l called and left a message to Wildlife Rescue, hope they came and checked it out? After my wildlife service we headed to The House of Anvers which is a chocolate factory slash restaurant. We all enjoyed way too much free samples with our tooth picks and thought we were going to be told off at one point, l think we nearly polished off one of the jars!!! Of well, we were paying customers weren't we? They were soooo delicious, especially the chocolate fudge.... They finally seated us for our meal, l reckon so we stopped eating all the freebies!!! I had the most delicious hot mango chicken salad, l inhaled everything on my plate, even though it was enough to feed two people. We don't eat out very often so l want leaving left overs. I decided to continue the over indulging and we had an icecream in a waffle cone. After this l waddled to the car and we headed back to the Woods house to pack our gear and relax in the arvo. After a while, Amanda got bored of this, so off we went to the beach again but this time l wasn't swimming. I can't believe the amount of people down at the beach again. Anyone would have thought that it was 30oC instead of being mid 20's. Amanda was like "it's a beautiful tassie summers day" and we were like "this is nothing, come to our summers then you'd swim". Anyway the woods and girls all went swimming as Marty and l watched from the shore. Everyone had a fantastic time. We headed back to have a quick tea and l noticed that the boat wasn't in yet. I was a tad concerned and checked our tickets two times. Then at 7pm it sailed in, a bit off schedule l reckon, but it was a big relief for me when l saw it come in. We said our goodbyes, a bit sad seeing we probably won't see each other for who knows how long. Boo was terribly upset, as was Charlotte Woods. They didn't want to let go of one another. Very cute really, but still sad. After our hugs and kisses, we made our way down to the port at Devonport to get on the Spirit of Tasmania. OMG!!! We were meant to be sailing at 9pm so arrived at 7:30pm to board. After all the waiting, we started boarding at 9pm and were finally sailing off at 9:45pm... I was very tired, and grumpy, so we headed in and found our rooms and settled in for the night ahead.........hopefully the crossing will be better this time and l will sleep!!!

Just a little reflection in our time in Tasmania... It is one of the most beautiful natural states in our country, amazing. We have had an awesome time with The Woods family and had been a highlight of our trip. I think, overall, tassie has exceeded our expectations with its natural beauty and if it was warmer, l would probably consider living here for a while. Still can't believe the windy roads and the kick in the sun and the amazing beaches. We have tried to see as much as possible, but like always, have missed seeing a few things and hope to return one day to finish it off..... If you haven't been, Tassie is definitely a place to come and see!!
Bell Xxx