Nice warm sunny day. Just a relaxing day and a drive back up the motorway to the Xmas shop and to Frankston to look around some more shops before coming back to watch the RWC final..... GO the ABs!!!!!!! Even heard a little cheer from the Aussies next door when we won!

Pretty smooth overnight trip with just a bit of rolling around 2am. Got the tram into the city as there were no cabs around. Luckily a tram-man got on and told us where to get off the pick up the rental car. Unfortunately we'd given him a slightly wrong address (place at opposite end of the road) and therefore ended up going in the wrong direction! Soon sussed it out though and got back on track, only to find that the car depot was right opposite where we got off...

Nice overnight stop at Tall Timbers... very eco-friendly but drew the line at the ducks wanting to come into the room! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SALLY! Had a very relaxing day driving between Smithton and Devonport along the north coast through the seaside settlements. Boat Harbour was very nice and peaceful and the tulip farm at Table Cape was also spectacular. Got to the ferry with plenty of time to spare and completed the circuit of Tasmania without incident!

Heading west. Up and up and up some more...climbing up the Western Tier range was a bit of a struggle for the little car but we eventually made it. Then it was all downhill around the Great Lake before hitting a long unsealed and dusty stretch of road. Then started climbing again through the Cradle Mountain National Park, arriving at Queenstown - guess it's what all of Oz would look like if the government and mining intertests had their way! Stripped bare, burnt ...

Certainly a change of scenery coming into the north - more open and green. Quick visit to Low Head lighthouse then down the Tamar valley, over the Batman bridge and a slight diversion to Beauty Point - very nice part of the country and our favourite spot so far. Decided against paying AUD$40 each to look at seahorses and platypus! Nice drive then down into Launceston - much nicer than Hobart and seems to have retained its historical air. Better laid out and more ...