Spirit of Tasmania

I'm I'd like to begin this post with a letter: 

"Dear Tanya, 

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. 

When we booked our ticket for the SoT you politely insisted we pay a little extra and get ourselves a four berth cabin for the trip. I was reluctant to book this given the cost to take a caravan across but at $84 this was so worth the money. 

Our littlest was able to have uninterrupted day sleeps while our son completed his schoolwork on a lower deck. When we all started feeling a little sea sick we retreated to the cabin for some quiet time - reading books and telling funny stories. 

When our daughter vomited in her Dad's hair they could both shower and feel *refreshed*!

We'll be forever grateful that you suggested we have a cabin!"

What's a cruise without a game of hide n seek? 

It was a LOONG day but it went surprisingly well after an anxiety-provoking start. We left the caravan park at 624am and we're making good time until the queue to board the ferry (thanks to scrupulous security). We were in view of the ferry for the final 500 metres which took us an hour to drive! The baby was screaming, the parents were clock watching and then a cop pulled over a guy in front of us for going through a red light. It would have been easier if the big kids just kept asking "are we there yet?" But instead we were bombarded with complex questions about the traffic, the ferry ride & what we were doing (not much!) Argh! 

We finally made it onboard and we're lucky that our deck was the first to disembark in Devonport ten hours later. 

B declared "this is kind of the BEST day of my life." I suspect he was referring to the Twisties he was bought (& had never had before) and not the seasickness! 

Moments after disembarking. 

P: Where's the Tasmanian devil? 

B: (emphatically) They live in the jungle.  

Daddy: Well, not really the jungle. They live in the bush. 

P: Can we go to the bush where the Tasmanian devil is because I really want to see a Tasmanian devil.

Buchan Caves Reserve

Buchan has been our favourite spot thus  far. Nestled between the hills the Buchan Caves Reserve is simply beautiful. It was hard to believe that the CP was full two days before we arrived. We shared the park with three other families though you wouldn't have known it. We were spread throughout the grounds and it was quiet aside from the whispering of wind in the branches high above us. 

The campground is a short walk to the caves & you can arrange a tour with the site office. This was unlike anything our children had experienced and they were intrigued. We challenged them to consider what it would have been like to be Frank Moon & discovering these caves over 100 years prior. We also discussed the double-edged sword which is opening them to the public, education and conservation. I know we'll be having so many more conversations on this topic. 

The most queried angle from B was along the lines of "why can't we see the REST of the caves - the Federal (open only for special tours) and the Duke's Caves (not open to public)?" 

Danny was the ranger on duty at Buchan. He was informative, approachable & inclusive of the children. 

It's rumored there are 300 or more caves on private properties nearby. 

The cost for our caravan for two nights was about $108 which isn't cheap but worth it. The cost for cave tours isn't cheap either but there are family packages & you could choose to only visit one. 

We could have spent another few days in Buchan. Even with the rain it was gorgeous & there are so many places out of town we would have liked to explore. 

Melbourne was calling! We had our first caravan service booked in which includes the fixing of the fridge (it's never quite worked properly), a leaky window & a loose pantry door that flings open when we drive. 

The kids are expected to help out more than they've done at home. They do dishes, washing, help prepare meals & set up the van when we arrive at a destination. They don't complain either... yet!

Don't be fooled. This spring waspositively  FREEZING not that I know! I had to hold the baby but I'm going on the fact that the kids jumped in and immediately crawled on to Joels head!