Thursday, March 24th

Up at 5am and off to the airport - leaving our home on wheels in the car park!We flew into Hobart, the capital city, for our holiday in Tassie :0)We rented a new home...a WICKED Campervan!Wicked campers are super popular with backpackers, and each van is painted with its own funky design...ours is the lizard man! Though it was unique many wicked campers are rolling canvases...sadly this one was not... Nick commented it was the same as his mom's van only with a few cushions in the back!It was a step-down from Nick's campervan creation that we had grown accustomed to!I mean it doesn't even have running hot water, lol!

When we got to Hobart it was raining and blowing a gale!It was only 15 degrees...and we were chilly!!The locals advised it had been raining for over a week and everything was flooded - including the road to our destination!!The road was CLOSED!I was super worried!We rearranged our travel plans and prayed the weather would clear!

I read this description of Tasmania and loved it...."Tassie is still Australia, but beguilingly, bewitchingly, a little different", so true....it has a totally different feel, and reminds me of New Zealand :0)

Off to Port Arthur...first stop was the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park!Tasmanian Devils exist only on the main island of Tasmania, and no where else in the world!The devil is a meat-eating scavenger.In recent years the population has crashed due to a fatal type of contagious cancer, so this park is trying to save them from extinction.The devils are cute...they look like little pigs!Well until you witness feeding time!The devils can crunch through bones with little effort and have the jaw strength three times that of an adult pitbull!!On the other side of the park was a field of kangaroos...we went for a visit!I never get tired of these cuties...these ones were somewhat tame and we could pet them!

Friday, March 25th

We spent all day at the Port Arthur Historic Site - part of the epic story of the settlement of Tasmania.Port Arthur was established as a penal colony in 1830 - convicts were 'transported' here from England to live in exile.It was a 'natural penitentiary', as the peninsula is connected to the mainland by a strip of land less than 100 metres wide, to deter escape ferocious guard dogs were stationed to this point.

The colony used convict labour in the production of several necessities from lumber used in government buildings and ship building, to boots for the citizens of Tasmania.The colony was run using the concept of 'a machine for grinding rogues into honest men', which included discipline and punishment, religious and moral instruction, classification and separation, also training and education.Some men left Port Arthur rehabilitated and skilled as shoemakers, ship builders, blacksmiths, and so on...some never made it out!During this era Port Arthur was known as Van Diemen's Land and thousands of convicts passed through this prison before its closure in 1877.One must keep in mind that these men were exiled here for very minor offenses such as swearing in public!There was also an island just off the shore of the mainland of the men's prison - Point Puer Boys' Prison, which was the first ever juvenile reformatory in the British Empire.During the tour the guide noted some of the offenses of these male children; one was exiled here for stealing a box of toys!During that period of time, a male child was treated as an adult and legally accountable for their actions at the age of seven, at eight they could be hung, and at nine could be 'transported' ...meaning exiled to Port Arthur, Tasmania!!

This community was beautiful with exquisite lawns and gardens surrounded with stonemasonry works and Gothic architecture - and yet it was a very sobering, conflicting experience, as you could feel the sadness around you.

We returned to Hobart to be in the city of Saturday morning.

Saturday, March 25th - Monday, March 28th

Early morning trip to the Salamanca Markets!Colourful and buzzing the markets are a Saturday morning tradition here...you can find anything and everything Aussie!Local photography in hand and full bellies we left and headed to Freycinet National Park.The weather had cooperated and the road had reopened for our camping adventure!This area boasts one of the top ten beaches in the world and has been on my must-do list since I had seen pictures of Wineglass Bay while planning our trip!

We arrived at Coles Bay, the tiny town of 470 residents, dominated by the 485 metre granite mountains, known as 'The Hazards'!We filled our backpacks, checked in at the National Park office, and set out for our hike over the mountains!Not too far into the hike I think we would have loved to re-pack - EACH of us were strapped down with about 75 pounds of gear - tent, sleeping bags, food, water and so on!!We felt like two mules as we started up the steady incline of the mountain!We finally made it to the saddle of the mountain...the lookout over Wineglass Bay!The perfect view of sugar-white sand surrounded by sapphire-blue water!Incredible sight and well worth our energetic hike!We were wrestling off the setting of the sun, so we didn't stop at the lookout for long before tipping down the other side of the mountain toward the beach.The way down was not as easy as expected, as we scurried around rocks and over tree roots, dawned with our supplies for wilderness camping.

We reached the beach exhausted and trying to trudge across the wet sand before the sun went down.The tides crashed the beach, as we scurried further up on shore to avoid getting our boots wet.We arrived at the end of the beach just as the sun disappeared behind the mountains...we were relieved and began to set up camp.We were not expecting many people at the secluded beach, but there was about a dozen hikers settled into their digs in the bush!Insanely five of them were Canadian...BC, Toronto and one from SAINT JOHN--Crazy!!I mean come on....what are the odds in this remote area and this many Canucks!!

As we were setting up our tent, we had our first visitor - a curious kangaroo!!He came looking for a snack not to socialize!He spied our trail mix sitting on top of my pack and started off with it!Nick had to steal it away from a growling kangaroo!He unhappily hopped off...I couldn't stop laughing!I never expected that one!!Later I discovered he had chewed a hole in my backpack...oh well, makes for a great reminder of our trip!!

We were cuddled around our lantern having dinner, when our dinner guests arrived...lol...two possums were looking for an invite to join us!Disappointed at our lack of hospitality, they returned during the night to try to break in to our food pack!!We had to chase them away and hang our bag done

I was very amused by these furry little creatures...but by the fourth time they woke us up scratching at our tent, they were much less cute!! Ha ha :0)We could not be closer to the wildlife!!

All of our fellow campers left the following morning and hiked back over the mountain.We spent our day relaxing on the beach and enjoying the surreal experience of being in such an enchanting place!We walked the pristine beach that stretched along Wineglass Bay and enjoyed the ocean crashing in at us!The sunset that night was amazing; the sky was a brilliant orange, as darkness fell!Stunning!Sleeping here was heavenly as we listened to the thunder of the waves hitting the shore!

After breakfast we began the trek back across the beach and up the mountain - again stopping at the lookout to take in the views of this delightful place!The way the crystal blue water turns into an emerald green band around the beach...amazing!!

The journey back was just as challenging...carrying our packs - the Beasts of Burden, haha!!This was certainly one of the more physically demanding adventures we have done - but very much worth it and very rewarding!This back to nature experience was certainly a highlight of our trip!

We drove back to Hobart to return the Wicked Campervan - but a hiccup - the van had to be back by 4pm, but our flight didn't leave until 11pm!So went to the airport, but there was no place to store our luggage, so we ended up renting another car for the day!Enter our little Kia...we toured around Hobart for the rest of the day...a bit of a pain but certainly better than hanging out at the airport all day!

We drove our new little puddle jumper up the twisting mountain road to Mt. Wellington - peaking at 1270 metres!!This mountain in the heart of the city towers over Hobart and surrounds...you can see forever...the view is unbelievable and you are literally in the clouds!Astounding 360 degree views surrounded by other mountains and ocean!!

Tasmania was incredible and we did not want to get on our flight, which was delayed an hour due to heavy rains in Queensland.The flooding has been bombarding the east coast of Australia for months and as everyone knows has caused major damage and destroyed many homes.The floods are concentrated in one area of Queensland - it is not all of the east coast, or all of Queensland as the news broadcasts have somewhat lead us to believe.Well we shall see for ourselves, as we head there in the next couple of weeks.