tasmania: wineglass bay, the hazards, coles bay

It's amazing to think that a decade ago we were here. Without children. 

We had two days and we walked along Hazards Beach, camped overnight at Cook's Beach. My backpack weighed about 10kg and for the first day, despite the glorious outdoors, I was miserable. The following day J took the majority of contents from my pack and I had a much easier walk back up and over Mount Graham. At Wineglass Bay we raced down to the waters edge, starkers, because we were young and carefree and hadn't brought swimmers. It's a memory that brings a smile to our faces! 

This time we aimed to walk with the kids to the Wineglass Bay lookout. No skinny dipping. The kids did so well. There wasn't any complaining and B said, as he reached the lookout, "You must see this Mum. It's beautiful!" And it is!!

tasmania: bruny island in a day

If someone tells you "it's just not worth seeing Bruny if you've only got one day" don't listen! 

We didn't but we had a neat plan for the day because we wanted to make the most of our time and get back to Woodbridge for the kids' dinner. The weather was predicted to be beautiful and it was. 

This was how our day went. 

0840 leave Woodbridge. 

0900 Visit Snug Butchery to stock up on local meat - lamb for toast, vaccuum packs of roast beef & silverside for lunches, local eggs. This is why I love travelling with the car fridge! Thanks again Uncle!! 

0930 Ferry at Kettering. We had time for J to grab a take away coffee while we waited! 

The first stop after arriving at Bruny was The Neck. If you arrive earlier (at dawn) you can see the penguin march. 

Next we took the road to Adventure Bay 

and stopped at the Bruny Island Berry Farm to grab some blueberries for morning tea. The kids were also allowed to pick some strawberries from the farm. 

The walks around Adventure Bay look amazing but we can't bite off too much with three littlies. The 1km walk to Grassy Point seemed an ideal walk along the beach and through the casurina forest but we ended up stopping for morning tea a little before Grassy Point. 

We passed the remnants of two whaling stations. The history of which is fascinating. 

After our bushwalk we took the 4WD - unsealed road to Lunawanna. We were pleased to have left the caravan behind! There are two signs on the road which indicate look outs to the east and to the west. We stopped at the lookout which had the most magnificent view to the west in the direction of the most southerly point on Bruny Island. 

Lunch (which turned in to a long lunch) was tapas (& wine) at Bruny Island Premium Wines. This place was accommodating of the kids. The lunch  was delicious - seafood chowder, beef croquettes, mushrooms with haloumi, skewers - all showcasing local ingredients. The kids menu was salmon with cheese and carrot sticks - such a change from deep fried fish and chips or crappy pizza. 

It was a hop, skip and a jump back to the ferry via a quick stock up at the Bruny Island Cheese co. where we grabbed some soft and semi hard cheeses. Yum! Next door we spent $9/dozen on two dozen unopened oysters though one dozen turned out to be only ten. Get Shucked Oysters has a drive through service! Best idea ever and these oysters were meaty and so tasty. 

I'd read that the little shop on Bruny Island at the ferry terminal has fresh veg for sale so in the few minutes we had to wait for the ferry I grabbed some cherry tomatoes for the following night's dinner - grown a few metres away in the owner's small market garden. 

There's no doubt we'll be back to Bruny because we had such a memorable day on the island - combining what we love - being outdoors, food & having an adventure! One day was just enough to whet our appetite!

tasmania: strahan to brady's lake via franklin river nature trail

The road from Queenstown, however diverse, is almost unbearably windy. The landscape has been heavily affected by mining and I heard one traveller describe it as beautiful. While we disagree entirely it is interesting to see the difference with the rainforests of the area.

A good supply of snacks (crackers, Tassie apples) and the iPods chockful of audiobooks has made car travel pretty good. We leave for the first leg when Baby A has his morning sleep (9:30) and sometimes stop before a campsite (depending on how far we've got to go) but by leaving early in the morning we can still travel for an hour or two after lunch if need be. 

After the windy, windy roads from Queenstown we were all pleased to escape from the car at the Franklin River Nature Trail. J & I stopped here when we drove around Tassie about ten years ago. The trail is a short walk through rainforest to the river and it's beautiful - a perfect lunch stop too!

The kids stripped off for a dip in the river. Baby A had his feet in the water - kicking & splashing - and he cried each time we took him out. 

It's not hard to understand the affection people have for this state & the environment. 

Our final stop before Bradys Lake was The Wall - just out of Derwent. Ten years ago, when we visited, The Wall was just two panels but there are almost one hundred metres of Tasmanian and Australian history carved in the Huon Pine. This is a must-see. 

tasmania: strahan

The walk from the People's Park to Hogarth Falls is a great walk to do with kids. It's about half an hour to the falls along the creek through beautiful rainforest - huge trees, ferns and, if your lucky, a platypus. 

We love our outdoor shower. Its ideal for rinsing off after the beach or for when it's warm enough to shower outside & that's where you'd rather be! We've had cold days in Tassie but we've also had some really warm ones. If you're planning a trip bring clothes for a types of weather (including swimmers because you might end up showering outdoors in a caravan park).