Khye reading all the safety steps.
It has been 11 weeks since we last enjoyed a vacation and we were all soooo excited to head out on the Australian road again. (That being said, the first term of school FLEW by!!!) The Easter holidays are two weeks long and we have decided to spend the first week in Tasmania and the second week in Victoria with stops in Melbourne, the Great Ocean Road and anywhere else we feel like venturing!
Good Friday found us making the 6 hour trek to Melbourne. It was our first and it was very beautiful. Much more enjoyable than the trip to Sydney. Rachel and Steve were on their way to Perth for Easter so they met us at our hotel for supper and a quick visit. They even brought homemade Easter treats for the boys! Spoiled! We caught the 7:20 am flight to Hobart where we picked up the same mini van we left in Melbourne?!?! (At least we knew it would fit our family!) We found our beautiful hotel overlooking the Hobart harbour and eventually found our way to the yummiest, trendy cafe called Jam Packed. It was and we loved our late breakfast! The Market is open only on Saturdays so that was first on Mom's agenda. (Insert whining here.....except Colt who was keen to buy something!) We wandered and people watched. Khye bought a Tasmanian Devil stuffy, Kent got a bracelet and an Archie, Cody wanted a snow cone or cotton candy so got nothing and Colt....well, he is our little builder and collector so he got something extra special. He got a treasure box made from Tasmanian Leatherwood. It has a little drawer to pull out and then a secret little drawer hidden inside the other half of the box. (I guess it's not really a secret now.....) He and I both love it and it's so perfect for him! It had been a long day and it was only 2:30 pm so we headed to the hotel for a nap (mom) and swimming (the boys). Dad headed out in search of groceries. That's all we could pack into the first day because that early morning wiped us out!
Good Friday found us making the 6 hour trek to Melbourne. It was our first and it was very beautiful. Much more enjoyable than the trip to Sydney. Rachel and Steve were on their way to Perth for Easter so they met us at our hotel for supper and a quick visit. They even brought homemade Easter treats for the boys! Spoiled! We caught the 7:20 am flight to Hobart where we picked up the same mini van we left in Melbourne?!?! (At least we knew it would fit our family!) We found our beautiful hotel overlooking the Hobart harbour and eventually found our way to the yummiest, trendy cafe called Jam Packed. It was and we loved our late breakfast! The Market is open only on Saturdays so that was first on Mom's agenda. (Insert whining here.....except Colt who was keen to buy something!) We wandered and people watched. Khye bought a Tasmanian Devil stuffy, Kent got a bracelet and an Archie, Cody wanted a snow cone or cotton candy so got nothing and Colt....well, he is our little builder and collector so he got something extra special. He got a treasure box made from Tasmanian Leatherwood. It has a little drawer to pull out and then a secret little drawer hidden inside the other half of the box. (I guess it's not really a secret now.....) He and I both love it and it's so perfect for him! It had been a long day and it was only 2:30 pm so we headed to the hotel for a nap (mom) and swimming (the boys). Dad headed out in search of groceries. That's all we could pack into the first day because that early morning wiped us out!
Bubby's Easter treats.
The Easter Bunny did find it's way to Hobart and led us on a candy hunt through our two hotel rooms. Each boy was heavily sugared up for all of this week (more chocolate to come!) Just outside of Hobart is Mount Wellington. We left our hotel on the edge of the marina and drove only 25 minutes to the top of the mountain. Mr. Cook says, "The mountains in Australia are kind of "girlie"." We won't argue with him but it was beautiful just the same. We drove to the top and the clouds were thick. The wind was howling and was soooo cold that the little boys and I mostly sat in the van. Khye was scared he might get blown away. We called our families to wish them a happy Easter and then headed back down to the sunshine so we could do a bit of hiking. The boys were really excited about that....go figure!
After the mountain, we had one more big stop! The Cascade Brewery! We took a guided tour through the beer production plant and then back to the restaurant and gift shop for the tasting portion of the stop. While Howard and I sat and visited, the big boys got sent to the van for misbehaving and the little boys ran through the gardens with 3 little girls that were also on the tour. Our guide, Lee, told the kids they could try to catch some of the rabbits in the garden. Remember....this is Easter Sunday. Look at what they found!!!
After the mountain, we had one more big stop! The Cascade Brewery! We took a guided tour through the beer production plant and then back to the restaurant and gift shop for the tasting portion of the stop. While Howard and I sat and visited, the big boys got sent to the van for misbehaving and the little boys ran through the gardens with 3 little girls that were also on the tour. Our guide, Lee, told the kids they could try to catch some of the rabbits in the garden. Remember....this is Easter Sunday. Look at what they found!!!
Colt and Khye's grizzly discovery on Easter Sunday.....a friend of the Easter Bunny.
I don't even know what all of that is but the boys were very excited to find it and very sad that the cat was eating it! Khye wants to leave this picture for the Easter Bunny to tell him what the cat did to his friend! :)
The temperatures in Hobart were very cool on the Easter weekend (mid to low teens). On Monday morning, it was only 5C in Hobart so we headed back up Mount Wellington and were lucky enough to be able to play in the snow! It was very busy up there and there was hardly enough snow to cover the rocks but it was super sticky and perfect for snowballs. I should know because I was the #1 target!
The temperatures in Hobart were very cool on the Easter weekend (mid to low teens). On Monday morning, it was only 5C in Hobart so we headed back up Mount Wellington and were lucky enough to be able to play in the snow! It was very busy up there and there was hardly enough snow to cover the rocks but it was super sticky and perfect for snowballs. I should know because I was the #1 target!
Mount Wellington - Monday, April 9
The suspension bridge at Tahune Airwalk - Kent and Khye
After Mt. Wellington was the Tahune Airwalk. The forests in Tasmania are insane with the trees towering 40m above us. The airwalk is a metal platform built 20m up so that we were only 1/2 way up the trees. In addition, there are 2 suspension bridges across the 2 rivers. In total, it was a 1.5 hour beautiful walk through the Tasmanian forest. We took a picture of the Wattle tree sign (Clandonald staff) just to show you there really is such a thing! This picture is taken as we crossed the first suspension bridge. Guess who was jumping and shaking it to scare the other brothers!?!? Truthfully, all of us crossed with very little concern.
Monday was a big day. After the mountain and the airwalk, we returned to Hobart (1.5 hr drive) and then headed straight out again. There had been a large ship parked in the marina and advertising free tours so we thought we better take a look. (Turns out it was the last tour before they pulled out the next morning!) Anyway, the ship was called the Bob Barker and is one of 3 ships that belong to the Sea Shepard fleet. They are the group that fight to protect whales, dolphins, tuna, sharks, seals, etc. Bob Barker donated 5 million dollars to purchase the ship, a helicopter and some other equipments. The other two ships are the Steve Irwin and the Brigette Bardot. The tour was very interesting and the boys were shocked to learn that Canada was one of the countries named that were hunting (and clubbing) seals. I didn't tell them yet what Japan is doing to the dolphins in the cove......
To finish off our evening, we dined at the Drunken Admiral. It was an adventure. The kids loved their meals which included prawns complete with antenna and huge desserts! Ohhhh, I'm long winded....I better speed this up!
Monday was a big day. After the mountain and the airwalk, we returned to Hobart (1.5 hr drive) and then headed straight out again. There had been a large ship parked in the marina and advertising free tours so we thought we better take a look. (Turns out it was the last tour before they pulled out the next morning!) Anyway, the ship was called the Bob Barker and is one of 3 ships that belong to the Sea Shepard fleet. They are the group that fight to protect whales, dolphins, tuna, sharks, seals, etc. Bob Barker donated 5 million dollars to purchase the ship, a helicopter and some other equipments. The other two ships are the Steve Irwin and the Brigette Bardot. The tour was very interesting and the boys were shocked to learn that Canada was one of the countries named that were hunting (and clubbing) seals. I didn't tell them yet what Japan is doing to the dolphins in the cove......
To finish off our evening, we dined at the Drunken Admiral. It was an adventure. The kids loved their meals which included prawns complete with antenna and huge desserts! Ohhhh, I'm long winded....I better speed this up!
Each boy could spend $5.00 at the Cadbury shop.
Tuesday saw us enjoying the brief but tasty Cadbury chocolate tour (and shopping spree!!!) We also made the very long and curvy drive to Strahan. Almost the entire drive was through the mountains and forest so 4 of us were all shades of green by the time we arrived. There were no books read, no DS games or IPods, and minimal chocolate was consumed. We all tried to sleep to help avoid puking! Luckily, our driver can hold his own!
Wednesday was an early morning as we had booked into the Gordon River Cruise. Now, I get motion sick on planes, trains and automobiles and boat are no better, so I was a little nervous. In addition, the cruise was 6 hours long and the weather was very cool and wet again. We were all concerned. Happily, this turned out to be an amazing day! The boat was luxurious and warm complete with toilets and hand dryers, toys and a yummy lunch. We toured from Strahan, out through the Hell's Gate and back in and down into the Gordon River. It is a World Heritage site (ranked 7/10 compared to Grand Canyon 2/10!) We were able to get off the boat for 30 minutes and wander through the rain forest. Amazing, Stunning, Remote, Perfect, Beautiful! After reboarding the boat, we enjoyed our lunch and puttered back down the Gordon River and back into the bay. We had a 1 hour stop and guided tour at Sarah Island. It was a convict settlement (wasn't all of Australia??) and there really was no escaping. It was very interesting and our guide was super! After that, we just headed back to port, loaded the van and hit the road again. Destination....Stanley.
Wednesday was an early morning as we had booked into the Gordon River Cruise. Now, I get motion sick on planes, trains and automobiles and boat are no better, so I was a little nervous. In addition, the cruise was 6 hours long and the weather was very cool and wet again. We were all concerned. Happily, this turned out to be an amazing day! The boat was luxurious and warm complete with toilets and hand dryers, toys and a yummy lunch. We toured from Strahan, out through the Hell's Gate and back in and down into the Gordon River. It is a World Heritage site (ranked 7/10 compared to Grand Canyon 2/10!) We were able to get off the boat for 30 minutes and wander through the rain forest. Amazing, Stunning, Remote, Perfect, Beautiful! After reboarding the boat, we enjoyed our lunch and puttered back down the Gordon River and back into the bay. We had a 1 hour stop and guided tour at Sarah Island. It was a convict settlement (wasn't all of Australia??) and there really was no escaping. It was very interesting and our guide was super! After that, we just headed back to port, loaded the van and hit the road again. Destination....Stanley.
Gordon River World Heritage Site
After yet another beautiful but terrible 4.5 hour drive, we arrived at Stanley. Again, it was dark so we weren't sure what sights awaited us. For Thursday, I had booked us into another boat tour (this time to see seals) but was really nervous because I knew we were the only passengers, it was on the ocean in a smaller boat and there was no bathroom. I almost cancelled. I almost sent Howard and the boys without me. But, Kent was still feeling sick too so I did what good mothers do.....I drugged us all up and we went anyway! And it was GREAT! The older lady at the counter, the older captain of the boat and the pretty lady leading our tour were all so welcoming and kind. And, at the last minute, a very odd couple joined us which meant our family was "free". (Long story....free = $1303.00 for the week!) Anyway, the odd guy wore a wig that looked like Garth from Wayne's World!!! We were waiting for that to fly off into the ocean! Would have made my day!!!
Seals at Bull Rock - Stanley
The seals were abundant at Bull Rock and the smell makes Canadian pig barns smell like perfume! Our eyes were watering but the sights helped us to forget the smell. The young pups were fighting and pushing just like my own 4 boys! On the way back, the captain let all 4 boys have a turn driving the boat.
After the seal tour, we headed up to the Nut. It is the large rock at the water's edge. The town is built around the Nut. We took the gondola up to the top and walked around the 2km trail. The views were amazing from there. Stanley is surrounded by ocean on 3 sides and there is one road in and out. The farmland is beautiful and green and the cows can come right down to the ocean in some places. Fishing, tourism and agriculture are their 3 main industries. The village only has a population of 500 people but it is so cute with cafes and shops all along the streets. The town is also very clean and colourful which was very noticable from the top of the Nut. Stanley was one of those places that make you say, "Hmmm. I could live here....." (but we wouldn't so RELAX!)
After the seal tour, we headed up to the Nut. It is the large rock at the water's edge. The town is built around the Nut. We took the gondola up to the top and walked around the 2km trail. The views were amazing from there. Stanley is surrounded by ocean on 3 sides and there is one road in and out. The farmland is beautiful and green and the cows can come right down to the ocean in some places. Fishing, tourism and agriculture are their 3 main industries. The village only has a population of 500 people but it is so cute with cafes and shops all along the streets. The town is also very clean and colourful which was very noticable from the top of the Nut. Stanley was one of those places that make you say, "Hmmm. I could live here....." (but we wouldn't so RELAX!)
Dad, Cody and Khye riding the gondola down off of the Nut in Stanley.
After lunch in Stanley, we drove on a reasonably straight, well paved highway to Launceston where we stayed in a 170+ year old school turned hotel. It was very beautiful. The boys were impressed (except, of course, no pool).
Today is Friday the 13th but I didn't remind anyone. I was a little nervous about the day because we didn't have anything planned although there is so much to do in this area. We (by that I mean I) decided we should go to the Platypus House and the SeaHorse World. (They boys voted for mini golf but the votes were 1-4 so I still won!!!) The tours were very "cheap" after some of the others that we have done but they were still informative. The kids thought they were OK. We made a 2.5 hour drive on another almost straight highway and arrived back in Hobart around supper time.
The first hotel we stayed in when we arrived in Sydney in January was the Mercure. It was a very Asian and modern style hotel. Well tonight, we are staying at the Mercure in Hobart and we were surprised by a beautiful 100+ year old hotel that reminds me of Hotel MacDonald or Chateau Frontenac! Wow...lucky night!
Today is Friday the 13th but I didn't remind anyone. I was a little nervous about the day because we didn't have anything planned although there is so much to do in this area. We (by that I mean I) decided we should go to the Platypus House and the SeaHorse World. (They boys voted for mini golf but the votes were 1-4 so I still won!!!) The tours were very "cheap" after some of the others that we have done but they were still informative. The kids thought they were OK. We made a 2.5 hour drive on another almost straight highway and arrived back in Hobart around supper time.
The first hotel we stayed in when we arrived in Sydney in January was the Mercure. It was a very Asian and modern style hotel. Well tonight, we are staying at the Mercure in Hobart and we were surprised by a beautiful 100+ year old hotel that reminds me of Hotel MacDonald or Chateau Frontenac! Wow...lucky night!
One of our two rooms at the Mercure Hobart. This room is as big as 1/2 our house in Canada!
And so that is all things Tassie. We have done so much in our one week but really should have stayed here for two. We still wanted to zip line, play mini golf, visit the wildlife sanctuary and head over to the east coast. I guess you know what that means.....we'll have to come back and finish it another time!
Check out all our Tassie pictures under MORE...EASTER HOLIDAYS....TASMANIA. Enjoy!
JJ
Check out all our Tassie pictures under MORE...EASTER HOLIDAYS....TASMANIA. Enjoy!
JJ
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