Under Down Under: Ultimate 8

There were four of us picked up from the Pickled Frog at 7.30. It was meant to be 7.15, but we filled the wait by learning each other's names and other general chit chat. There was Mathieus from Belgium and Fabienne and Lara from Germany. Once our Guide, Dan, arrived we climbed aboard the bus, mumbled a few hellos and settled into a seat. There were a few more pick ups to go.

Once the fun one-way system had been navigated and everyone was on board it was time to leave Hobart and drive through the Derwent Valley. There were twenty of us altogether, of all ages and almost all solo travellers. Travelling east to west across the island, Dan told us to look out for the drastic changes in the landscape and the weather. I was asleep for a while, but luckily there were a few stops to keep me alert.

Our first stop was Russell Falls, a walk through the Tall Trees got us to a very pretty sight. I just love the power and strength of waterfalls and how they are constantly changing. Amazing. I walked with Pauline on the way there and with Sheila on the way back. They both had a lot to say, I did a lot of listening.

Our next stop was at Mount Field National Park. A short walk took us up Donaghys Hill. I paired up with Siân, a lovely Welsh lady who had a lot of patience with my slow climb up the steps. And there were a lot of bloody steps. My nemesis. I made it in the end and we enjoyed a spectacular view across the valley, down to the Franklin River and beyond.

Back on the bus we were all pretty hungry and so it was off to Lake St Clair for lunch. This was the deepest fresh water lake in Australia. And it was beautiful. I sat on a rock alongside Louise, she's from Banbury!! I think that's the closest to Northampton I've found so far. On the wall back to the bus we even saw an echinda! They are so adorable with their little waddle.

After a few toilet stops and a fair few naps between us all and we stopped to buy food. We needed dinner for tonight and lunch for tomorrow. I'm ashamed to say I just bought mainly junk food. Oops. It was chucking it down when we left and we were glad to be back on the bus.

Finally we made it to Strahan, where we would be staying in my first YHA. Getting of the bus and grabbing our bags we waited in the rain for instructions. I really needed a wee so wasn't happy when some old slightly crazy guy started blabbing on about sheets and how to use them.

I was so happy to grab a key and dump my bag in Room 19 before running to the  toilet. In my haste I hadn't noticed how nice the room was! There were four of us; Jane and Lee and me and Siân. There was one bunk bed and two singles. We even had coat hooks and a radiator.

I heated my soup for dinner and then realised how tired I was, so after watching a bit of TV it was time for bed, we were up at 6 tomorrow.

~

Slept really well (on the bottom bunk for once), but was disappointed to open the curtains and see the sky was still incredibly grey with threatening clouds. Breakfast was a cuppa and a few slices of toast, one jam, one peanut butter and one nutella. I also rustled up a few tuna sandwiches for lunch, and a peanut butter one just in case. Should keep me going.

We were all on the bus by 7am ready for the days adventure. There was another tour running simultaneously, with a Chinese family of twelve and four others. There was the option of a river cruise that a few of the girls had taken, so we dropped them off and took in this other four. Should give them a bit more fun and attention.

Our first stop was the walk to Montezuma Falls. This was a nice easy walk, following an old rail line used for mining. Dan talked us into entering a small cave where we spotted a few spiders. Apparently they were harmless, but doesn't stop your feeling all itchy and jittery afterwards.

Just before we reached the Montezuma, we came across a rope bridge. We all queued to take our chance to walk across and admire the falls. Me and Siân went on together, it was easier than I thought and not at all scary. I'd always wanted to cross a gorge or valley on a bridge, and after walking all the way along and back, can tick it off.

We met everyone five minutes later at the lookout. Sitting at the base of the falls, I ate my peanut butter sandwich. Such a beautiful setting and nowhere near as loud as I was expecting. Especially as this was the highest waterfall in Tasmania. We were the last to leave the viewing platform, after taking a series of silly pictures.

Once we'd made it back to the start of the track, I was dying for a wee. The others had told me horror stories of the long drop and it's smell, but I had to go. And.. It really wasn't that bad, it didn't smell and even came with toilet paper! We finished our lunches in the picnic area, it was amusing watching Siân attempt to eat her pasta salad with a fork that had seen much better days.

We all piled back on the bus and headed to Henty Dunes. These shifting sands were the last piece of land between here and Argentina! Dan parked at the bottom and we left out shoes at the car.. We had to climb up the bank. Now, we all know by now that I despise stairs... climbing up sand is worse. I practically had to make my own stairs. And this was a bloody steep incline. I tried to step in others' footprints but that too was just as difficult.

Made it to the top! My exersion was soon forgotten once I could appreciate the view that had been waiting. Wow. It was like being in the desert. I'd never seen sand dunes like it. The peaks and trophs reached at least a few football fields length wise. The view of the sea was great too, it looked pretty rough though!

Naturally, there was to be a race down a bank. We all lined up along one of the steepest, ready to run/jump/tumble all the way down. But when the ref shouted "GO"... my body refused. And so I was left at the top like an idiot, luckily it wasn't just me who had given the stunt a miss. The remainder of us felt quite smug when the others realised they had to climb back up. That too turned into a race, ending in a few rosy glows, and projectile vomit.

Next was back to Strahan to collect the boat lot. We were a little early so had a little wander along the esplanade. Siân fancied a coffee and so, to escape the rain drops starting to fall, I followed. We discussed the crazy weather with the barista, apparently it's normal for Tasmania. Her advice was to wear layers and always carry a coat. Bit like being in England.

Back on the bus we traded stories about our days. We had time to spare so Dan took us to the beach. We were told to pick our three favourite stones, but not why. Some of us collected big, heavy ones, some small, light ones. I went with a combination. A circle and a line were then drawn in the sand. We had to stand on the line and get our stone in the circle. Simple. I wasn't that good at it, although I did manage to get one just in the circle!

It was starting to get a bit chilly, so it was back on-board the bus. There was a show on at 5.30 that we were all pretty pumped for. "The Ship That Never Was" has been running for twenty-three years, the longest running in Australia. After stopping off at the hostel for us to freshen up, Dan met us outside and it was back to the foreshore.
The show was amazing, it was so clever and hilarious. I loved it! There were only three actors, which of course meant an awful lot of audience participation. My kind of play. Quite a few of our group got roped in somehow, I had the honour of being a box jellyfish. Not something I thought I'd ever write.

After we'd thanked the cast and left the venue, a few people went to the pub for steak. With food back at the hostel, all Louise and I wanted was an ATM. Siân helped us search for a while before heading into the pub herself. We ended up back at the theatre to ask where on earth we could find one.

With directions to the only ATM in Strahan, we set off. We eventually found it, but once we'd withdrawn our monies our luck ran out and the heavens opened. Walking in the pouring rain back to the hostel was fun, we hid under a bush when things took a turn for the worse. If only we could work out where the hostel was. We reached a roundabout that completely threw us off. Passing a couple of Chinese men, we tried to ask for directions. They didn't speak much English, but they had a map. This I could understand. We did have to walk in the wrong direction for a few minutes to keep them happy.

Finally back home, we tucked into our dinners alongside Lara and Fabienne, and told then about the play. Once I'd showered I was ready for bed, the weather was due to be a bit nippy when I woke up, so I'd prepared lots of layers.

~

When we left the hostel at 6.45am, I was wearing the most clothes I'd worn in a very long time. Leggings, linen trousers, long sleeved t-shirt, vest, jumper, buff and raincoat. It was pretty darn cold out.
We arrived at Cradle Mountain-Lake St Claire National Park and were given two options for the walk. There was the crazy climb to the lookout, where you might see something depending on weather conditions. Or, there was the Dove Lake trail, where you could follow tracks and boardwalk around the lake. I opted for Dove Lake.

Obviously it then started to rain, and all thoughts of conversation went out the window as we all put our heads down and practically ran the route. The few times I managed to take a peek of my surroundings it did look very impressive. The rain spurred us on, and even the brief moments it stopped we kept up our pace. We were finished and back at the visitor centre within the hour.

Dan picked us up, having left the others at Waldheim Cabin. They'd finished before us! Conditions were so bad they hadn't made it to the top, Dan didn't want anyone to be blown from the mountain! The Cabin was interesting, although we only had 10mins to explore. Waldheim had made it his life mission to make Cradle Mountain a National Park after being introduced by his wife.

As the rain had finally ceased, we drove back down to the car park to try and spot the summit. It was still covered with clouds. Not to be discouraged, we jumped out the bus and had a mini hunt for platypus. We didn't find any. I stripped off my raincoat and jumper to swap for my warm hoody, and Dan took us to a gallery with the promise of a heater.

The Cradle Mountain Wilderness Gallery did indeed have a log fire, but it also had several interesting exhibits. Our favourite was the Kid's Room. There was lots of fun things to play with, funky doodles on the walls and a few educational books too. Certainly appealed to the big kid in us all!
Time to get back to the bus, we would now be heading for Launceston. A rivalry similar to that of Sydney and Melbourne exists between the two main cities of Tassie.. whatever one had the other had to beat. I really liked Hobart, so we'll see what Launie has to offer.

It was a long drive, so we stopped off in Sheffield first. The majority of us felt we deserved a hot drink, and popped into the highly recommended "Fudge n Good Coffee". I ordered a hot chocolate and, after watching someone else do it, asked to sample the fudge. I must have tried all of the different flavours, they were all so good I couldn't decide on one to buy.

We had a few minutes spare to hunt down a few murals that the town is famous for. The sides of buildings are all adorned in artwork, there's even a mural park to display stand alone ones. I found one with a Thycaline which was pretty cool.

One last stop before Launie that we were all very excited for. Ashgrove Farm had cheese tasting! I have to be honest, I was a little disappointed. Their "mature cheddar" tasted a bit mild to me. Me and Roger got into a very in-depth discussion about vintage cheddars and the varieties back home.

A playlist for the final stretch was requested, and me and Siân got on it straight away. I did get a few funny looks when I pulled out my shock-horror-it's-not-an-ipod-what-do-we-do-with-it-how-does-it-function mp3 player. We had a lovely singalong to some classics; Hey Jude, Wonderwall and Parklife were favourites.
Finally in Launceston, we checked in and were given our room keys. I was with Louise, Lara and Fabi in a very spacious room. Myself and Louise walked to Coles to get lunch for tomorrow, we had all decided to go out for dinner.

Meeting at 7.15pm we walked to Irish Murphy's for our $15 chicken parmigianas. I had a classic Italian version, it was a massive portion and was certainly very nice.

A band were playing and so we popped up to the bar and had a little boogie. It was a great night and we didn't leave until midnight! On the walk back there was a blackout too.. the excitement just didn't end.

~

We were up early again this morning for a quick breakfast before lugging our bags back into the trailer, and heading to Launceston Basin. This was a great walk to wake us up that took us around Cataract Gorge. The scenery was stunning, with tall cliffs on either side and the fast flowing river below. After one particular turn we found ourselves faced with a stair lift, apparently this site was used for skiing in the winter!

A suspension bridge took us to the last stretch where we could see the beautiful swimming pool and cafe where we'd be meeting Dan. I could only imagine waking up and being able to go for a morning swim in the beautiful surroundings. We waited in the cafe for everyone, I had an ice lolly, until it was time to drop the extra four back at the hostel.

Our next stop of the day was for another cheese tasting session, this time at Holy Cow Cheese Farm. I thoroughly enjoyed this place. We had a very nice young man take us through a few different samples, describing each of them and letting us all try some. My favourite was the mature with extra bite, it had a really strong flavour. Unfortunately, the cheese was very pricey so I didn't purchase any.

Columba Falls was our chosen spot for lunch. These falls were 90m high, and seemed to appear from nowhere. It was the shortest walk we'd had to find a waterfall! I had bought pasta to eat, but forgot the fork. I ended up borrowing Siân's battered one. We all sat on the rocks admiring the view, and observing two crazy Aussies climbing higher and higher. How they didn't fall I dont know, one was in flip flops.

One of the most famous spots of Tasmania is the Bay of Fires. It was a gorgeous bay, with bright turquoise sea contrasting the grey and red of the rocks. We even found a few rock pools. Could have stayed here all day, but after sitting on the rocks and taking pictures it was time to move further down the coastline.

Dan drove us to an adorable place called Cosy Corner. It was beautiful! The sea was that gorgeous turquoise, fading into deep blue, the sand was white, and the sun had come out for us. I was so ready for a bit of beach time, I'd been wearing my bikini all day! Towel on the sand, I laid back and enjoyed the sun for a while.

A swim was long overdue, Dan and Siân promised me it wasn't cold but their faces said otherwise. Nevertheless, I decided it was too good an opportunity to miss. The water was cold, it took me a good 5mins to brave a full submersion. It did get warmer, either that or my limbs were so numb I didn't notice the cold.

We wanted to give ourselves time to off so went back to land. All too soon we had to start making tracks. At least we would be following one of Tasmania's most beautiful coastal drives to Bicheno. Too bad I didn't see an awful lot, being asleep and all.
The hostel was pretty cool, with contained flats. We were all in the one, with a few rooms. I was in the 12 bed with the majority of the girls, the beds were the comfiest yet. After rustling up some food and taking a shower I joined Ivanna, Gautier, Matt and Siân on a walk to the beach.

We ended up climbing to the top of a lookout, bit more energetic than the evening stroll I had envisaged. The view was amazing though, and we climbed onto a few boulders to watch the sun start to set.
To get a better view we wandered down to the foreshore, the sky was a gorgeous mix of reds and blues. We also clambered over rocks to see a blowhole. It wasn't that aggressive, but we did see a few good spurts as we hung around. It really was a beautiful spot. Could have stayed all night, but we have another early morning and so it was back home to bed.

~

Today was our last with the full group, although some of us were continuing, the majority were not. We were going out with a bang though, with a visit to Freycinet National Park.

We wasted no time in heading out, we were on the bus at 7.15am, bags and all. I couldn't have slept too well last night, I struggled to keep my eyes open throughout the journey. When we arrived at the carpark I had no idea what was going on.

With the options explained and a meeting time organised, we were off. Only four of the group decided on the challenging Mt Amos scramble. Good for them! Sounded a little to risky for my liking. I would be taking the track to the Wineglass Bay Lookout and then down to the bay itself. Dan reckoned we'd be finished by about 11am.

I'm not going to lie and say I didn't struggle. This week has made me realise just how unfit I really am, and the more hikes we do, the more my body seems to hate me. My legs cooperated for the first half hour or so quite willingly. But then came the dreaded stairs.

The lookout appeared quicker than even I could hope. The view was amazing, from our height we could see the majority of the beautiful National Park. I was a bit confused over the shape of the bay, didn't look like much of a wineglass to me. Turns out this was just Coles Bay Lookout. Very stunning, but not our end destination.
And so we carried on up the mountain, with me moaning most of the way. I feel sorry for the guys that got stuck with me. I had to keep telling myself that it was for good for me, and that the view would be worth it. And that it was! Finally at Wineglass Bay lookout, and once I'd got my breath back it was almost taken away by the scenery that lay beneath us. It was just like a painting.

We stayed for about ten minutes taking in the beauty of Freycinet, then began our descent down to the beach. This was fun, I had no qualms going down! The track did seem never-ending though, we wondered if we'd ever get to the sand. Eventually, after about 30mins, the end was in sight.

We pretty much had the beach to ourselves and, with the sun beaming down us, it was paradise. I didn't dare take my shoes off as I just knew I'd never want to leave if my toes got near that sand. Also, as Dan had suggested to leave the beach at 10am, 10.15 if you were fast, I got ready to head back up at 9.50am.

The rocks we'd scrambled down earlier weren't half as fun to climb back up, some were very steep. However, I was pretty proud of myself for setting a good pace and gradually making my way. I was so glad this had been a morning hike, I was starting to sweat even now. It didn't take long for the other guys to catch me up, despite my head start.

I didn't let this break my spirit, and even when tailing the others, I was determined not to moan and just get on with it. Lara very sweetly joined me, and waited as I struggled on some of the more challenging parts. I was looking forward to reaching the Lookout.. It would all be downhill from then on. There was no stopping as we made it to the, now busy, viewing point.

We made it to the bottom and received a round of applause from the group as they came into sight. I was so happy that I'd completed the hike, really need to keep it up though and maybe then it'll be easier!
We met with the crazy climbers, all still alive, thank god. Back to the bus, our next leg took us to Cape Tourville. There was a lovely, flat, walk which took us along the cliff face and past the lighthouse. Using the binoculars provided, I looked across to one of the small offshore islands.. to see fur seals! At least I think that's what the blurry brown lumps on the rocks were. That's what I'll say they were.

On our way to our final stop of the day we passed through Swansea. On this quick break, we grabbed some lunch and admired the view from a seaside park, before visiting Spiky Bridge. This was one of the oldest surviving constructions from convict labour, built in 1843. Apparently, the spikes were to stop cattle falling, but came to represent the hostility of the convicts towards their supervisors and superiors.

We had an appointment at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary at 3.45pm. We arrived a bit earlier to see a packed carpark, apparently most part of a cruise day trip. This meant we missed out on our talk for now; instead we were left to roam the park freely.

I was really excited to finally see a Tasmanian Devil, even though it wouldn't be in the wild. Bonorong also had a rescue service that covers all of Tasmania, taking in orphans from roadkill incidents or helping the wounded. They had three Tassie Devils, and two of them had been orphaned. Although they are scary bone-crunching mammals.. they are quite cute.
My favourite animal on the visit was the adorable wombat. As we first arrived, one of the keepers had a baby in her arms and was explaining their eating/sleeping habits. I just couldn't stop looking at her squishy little face! We struck luck again 20mins before the end of our visit... We had fed kangaroos and wallabies, sang along with the birds and had browsed the gift shop, we were now just hanging around. Then, two wombat handlers arrived and started to feed the youngest two.

Oh my golly gosh they were the cutest (the wombats, not the handlers). Muffin was a cheeky one who didn't want to drink from the bottle, she just wanted a cuddle. We learnt that they took in as many wombats as their house could hold, but always knew they were temporary parents until it was time to release them. I couldn't do that job, I'd be far too emotionally attached.

Climbing back on the bus, Dan began the drive back to Hobart. With everyone going to different accommodation, it was time to say goodbye. Although we had planned a final night out, not everyone would be joining us. It had been a fantastic five days with the group and it was sad to part.
There were seven us dropped off at the YHA, with all of us carrying on the tour a little longer. We had a little while until we had planned to meet at Preachers. I popped to Woolworths to buy some dinner. The hostel was lovely, but we soon learned that the kitchen was just a tad on the small side. Probably no bigger than ours back home.. but for 120 or so guests. It was a challenge, I'll leave it at that.

Preachers was a funky bar with a cool vibe.. and a bus in the garden? We thought we were first to arrive, but then spotted Ivanna at the bar. Grabbing drinks we tried to find a table in the garden to claim, but it was so busy we had to make do with standing. Despite suggesting we meet at 8, Siân didn't arrive until nearly 9 with Miriam.

We stayed for a while, couldn't hear the music though and so we found ourselves another Irish Murphy's. Here I did aomehing I've never done, that was really quite thrilling. I leaned over the bar and helped myself to ice. I know, rebellious.
The band were a bit too shouty, and now Dan and one of the other tour groups had made it to Preachers. And so it was back there to finish the night off. We all had a good laugh and a chat and soon enough I was ready for bed. Hope the girls don't stay out too late and wake me up!

~

I did hear the girls come in, not entirely sure what time but it seemed to be minutes before my alarm went off. I grabbed some breakfast and got ready for the day. Ivanna was up and sorted, but between us we just couldn't wake Erica. Apparently she didn't get back until 5ish. Oops.

We met our new guide, a Swiss lady called Adeline, who has been in Tassie for three years. She too attempted to wake Erica, but after a few phone calls we decided to let her sleep and were off to pick up a few more people.

We were all a little bit worse for wear this morning, even me. Well, I didn't get to sleep until 1am so can you really blame me for falling asleep the minute the bus moved? I was sat next to Louise and she just found it hilarious.

The historic town of Richmond was our first port of call. Here we stumbled into a bakery/cafe to buy lunch and fuel ourselves for the day. I treated myself to a hot chocolate and a pastry for breakfast. We then admired the town and read of ghost stories about naughty convicts chucking people in the river.

At The World Heritage listed Port Arthur Historic Site, Adeline could only drop us off and show is where to meet our guide. We were given really cool lanyard passes that made me feel very special. Our tour wasn't until midday, so we looked around the gardens a bit while we waited.

Our very enthusiastic, slightly eccentric, incredibly eager, tour guide gave us a few facts and stories. Port Arthur was basically where they would send the repeat offenders, the worse of the worst. It was really hard to imagine such a beautiful setting as a place of punishment.

After the tour we decided to brave the Separate Prison, here was where the naughty ones were sent. Convicts were locked in cells for 23hrs of the day, with just one hour for exercise. They even had pitch black corridors and cells for complete isolation. I wouldn't want to be left in there! One of the main features of this prison was the chapel, it was quite sizeable. It was split into seperate rows, where each inmate was then contained by means of a door either side.

Leaving the prison behind, we made the most of the nice weather and walked around the grounds. I went to see a few of the old cottages that had been used for different purposes; there was a magistrate's house, chaplain's house, medical officer's house, accountant's house and a parsonage. They we're all very nice to look at, showing their obvious status over the convicts.
I met the others at The Penitentiary and we had a quick browse around the Military District. A small number of soldiers actually lived on site with their wives and children. I wouldn't feel all that safe with my family surrounded by convicts!

Once we'd eaten lunch by Mason Cove, it was  time to head over to the ferry dock  to catch our ferry. We would be enjoying a half hour harbour cruise to experience another view of the site. It was interesting to see the large scale of the Port and imagine the first impressions of the convicts.

We had an added surprise when dolphins decided to join us! I was so excited to see them swimming alongside the boat. The tour took us alongside The Isle of the Dead, where over a thousand people, convicts and civilians alike, were buried. We were also taken past Point Puer Boy's Prison, a purpose-built juvenile reformatory. They were separated to reduce the risk of criminal influence and were given an education and trade opportunities.

After a very historically abundant morning, geology was next on the agenda. Adeline took us to Tasman Arch, in the Tasman National Park. This was a very impressive geological formation, where a cave had been formed over time, leaving a bridge-like structure behind. The best thing about these formations is that they are constantly changing, and will do for evermore.
Down the road from the Tasman Arch was another dramatic site, Devils Kitchen. Before we were unleashed to explore the stunning coastline, we were challenged to find out why/how it got it's name. The drop was so steep, we had to tiptoe to see right to the sea, even from the viewing platform. Between us though we just couldn't think of a feasible theory. Turns out it's because in high tide or during storms the water is so rough on the rocks, it looks like it's boiling. Bit weak  in my opinion.

I must have still been shattered from the day, as I fell asleep immediately on taking my seat back on the bus. We travelled through to Doo Town, where each house name starts with "Doo". It all began with "Doo I" then "Doo Me" and "Doo Us" and now included classics like "Thistle Doo Me" and my favourite, "Doo Drop Inn". There was "Doolicious" icecream that I was more than happy to try. It really was rather nice.

We had to bid farewell to Pauline, Louise and Miriam, who would not be joining us again tomorrow. We were down to just five of us. Back to the hostel we decided to get pizza and take over the TV Room. We couldn't find any films so ended up watching The Simpsons. It was a well needed chilled evening.

~

Being in Hobart, you can't help but notice Mount Wellington standing proud high above the city. It had always looked so impressive, and today we would be heading to the summit,1272m above sea level. How exciting!

There were only twelve people on the tour today and so we had a smaller bus. Whether it was this that did it, or our early start, but it seemed we were the first tourist group to reach the top of  Kunanyi/Mt Wellington. Clambering out of the bus, the cold hit us. It was bloody freezing. The wind blasted us from all directions and my ankles were numb!

We quickly found the visitor centre and huddled inside so we could properly enjoy the view. What a view it was! You could see for miles, all over Hobart and to Southern Tasmania. We tried to spot places we'd been over the week, but from our great height, everything just looked tiny. Braving the cold, we walked along s few of the tracks to a number of viewpoints.

It was then time to climb to the summit. This was probably the easiest climb of the week, and suited me just fine. All we had to do was scramble up a few rocks to reach the highest point. So I can now say I have climbed to the summit of Mount Wellington!

Back into the bus, Adeline drove us to the start of the Organ Pipes Track, our chosen route down the mountain. Already it felt warmer, we had a bit more shelter with a few trees. Before we began our descent, Adeline was eager to show us some lizards. Now, these weren't just any lizards, they had been proven to have been around since prehistoric times. They lived the same time as dinosaurs! And now here we were, in 2017, getting to see them swim in a pond.

Leaving us with her best wishes and agreeing to meet in about an hour an a half, Adeline left us to it. And we were off! The five of us didn't mess around, with Ivanna leading she set quite a pace. It was just right though, the rocks were easy to walk over and we were never too close to the edge. I was thoroughly enjoying myself.

The only issue with the route was that you were always looking down to know where to step next. We had to stop and remind ourselves to look at the amazing view. We had long lost the others and so found an amazing place to stop for ten minutes. It was just stunning, especially with the sun now highlighting the beauty of the valley. The deep blue sea glistened in the light and a soft haze fell over the city.

Now we began to feel like we were actually going down the mountain, and soon enough our last track came into sight. With Erica taking the lead and me following, we did actually half run down the steps. Adeline couldn't believe her eyes as we appeared around the corner. We'd only been an hour!

Whilst waiting for the others, we decided to check out another lookout. This was only a five minute walk, but the view was still impressive and we stayed a bit until heading back. We didnt want to hold the others up. They still weren't back, so we sat down for some much deserved food.
Finally, we were all back and ready to get moving. Down into the valley and towards  the city, we found Cascade Brewery. This was one of the oldest breweries in Hobart, and had many extensions as the business had grown. Next door was the Waterworks Reserve where Adeline sent us to find platypus. We didn't find any.

MONA (Museum of Old and New Art) was next on the agenda. I was rather looking forward to this, it's the number one most visited attraction in Tasmania. We were dropped off at the special ferry port, and were soon aboard the Mona Roma. We decided to ride sheep on the way there, although it was a bit windy.

I feel it's best to explain the concept and history behind this one-of-a-kind privately funded museum. In simple terms it's a billionaire's bizarre art collection, with each piece handpicked by David Walsh. Taken directly from the man himself, "it's a subversive adult Disneyland".

It was insane. I kind of loved it though, some exhibits were downright disturbing, some were genius and some hilarious. Some you didn't know whether to laugh or cry and some you didn't want to look at, but just couldn't stop. One particular exhibit was all of these rolled into one and involved a toilet and hysterical laughter, on my part. Say no more.

It was very easily to lose each other, and when I finally found Ivanna and Gauthier we discovered that Matt and Ericahad given up, wasn't their cup of tea. Us three stayed until closing time to ensure we'd seen everything we wanted to. And then it  was back on-board the ferry and back to the hostel.

We had another chilled night, playing card games and trivia until bedtime. We were to be up quite early again tomorrow, the first day in far too long without any hiking. Have to say I was rather looking forward to it!

~

I woke up a bit earlier than necessary do i could pack my bag, and organise myself. Realising far too late that I hadn't actually organised anywhere to stay past the tour, I had hastily booked The Nook Backpackers for the night.

The ferry to Bruny Island left from Kettering, something I was too excited about. This was nothing like the Ketto, it was a very picturesque seaside town with no chavs in sight! It was a half hour journey across the D’Entrecasteaux Channel and we climbed out the bus to get a good look at the scenery zooming past.

Once we'd reached the other side, Adeline delightfully informed us that the cafe sold $2 coffee. I hoped this extended to hot chocolate too, so joined the others in the queue. Turns out it's been a while since the drinks had been $2.. I paid double for mine! Bloody inflation.

The ferry hadn't seemed too busy, so we risked one of the top attractions first.. "The Neck". This is a really skinny piece of land connecting the North and South Islands of Bruny. It was awesome, and not too busy, perfect. Not so perfect was the wooden stairway you had to climb to reach the lookout. My legs did not enjoy that.

The view was amazing from the top, it's so strange to think that this was an all natural phenomenon. The sea had pushed the sand together to join the once separated lands. Awesome. There is an optical illusion too as it looks like the ocean is higher on one side than the other, it's obviously not, but the trees and out terrible grasp of perspective make it seem so.

Our next stop was a Honey Farm. This was as adorable as it sounds, it was literally just a shack in a field. We got to try a range of different flavours, and a gew beauty products. The bee hives were located all over Tasmania, and the different nectars collected gave different tastes. I'm not really a honey person, but the Manuka was spot on. I also loved the honey hand cream, made my hands feel super soft and smelling amazing.

Cape Bruny and the Bruny Island Lighthouse were next on the list. This was the furthest point of the island and gave amazing views all around! After walking up the hill to take in these stunning vistas we headed down to the beach.

It was a bit more a walk than we expected, but it was gorgeous. The sand was so soft and the sea so blue. We couldn't stay too long though, we had so much more to see. The walk back up the hill wasn't fun, especially in the growing heat. Still, I coped better than I would have done a week ago so this tour has been good for that!
We stopped for lunch at Bruny Island Berry Farm back near Adventure Bay. I enjoyed my leftover rice and the couldn't resist trying a berry icecream. Especially after I'd seen Erica's brownie. I had a double scoop, vanilla and loganberry, and it was incredible. First, we need to talk size... this thing was massive! And it tasted so delicious, the right blend of creamy and tart. Like a flavour explosion!

We headed down to the beach to catch up with the others and chilled on the sand. I had to finish Erica's icecream.. It was my fault she'd been tempted so it was only fair. Failed attempts at handstands and funny photshoots followed, before it was back-to-the-bus-time again.

There is lots of wildlife native to Bruny Island, and we were off to find one of the most famous. Adeline had a friend who recommended a perfect spot where we could see White Bennett Wallabies. And see them we did! The first two spotted were hiding in the shade along a fence, but no sooner had we driven down the road to turn around.. when one popped up right by the fence. He was adorable, and happily posed for our pictures.

I was really looking forward to our next stop, another cheese tasting opportunity! The Cheese Company was started by a dairy farmer visiting Europe to learn about different techniques. Naturally, this meant my kind of cheese being served. And it was an incredibly posh serving, literally a cheese board! We had day-old cheese, brie, mature cheddar and apricot jam. All offered with beautiful bread, I was in heaven!

I can't believe quite how much I had eaten, but it was so good I just couldn't stop. I knew we were oyster sampling next, and I wasn't too sure I'd like that as much.
I was right, Get Shucked Oyster Farm provided an oyster for each of us. I just couldn't bring myself to try one. They looked absolutely revolting. Why anyone would even want to eat them was beyond me.

Our day in Bruny had come to an end, and so it was back to Hobart where we would go our separate ways. We had agreed to meet up tonight for dinner so it wasn't goodbye yet. I did give my best to Adeline though and we filled out a feedback form. Myself and Gauthier arrived at The Nook and checked in about 5ish. This gave us time to freshen up before leaving for the "pub next to the STA".

Walking along the street we could not believe our luck when we spotted a random $50 note laying on the pavement. Who'd have thought that two steps down we'd find another. Who loses $100 and doesn't notice? These were fresh, crisp notes too! Free dinner for us...

I enjoyed another chicken parmi, followed by a cuppa. It was a lovely evening with great company. We all couldn't quite believe how quickly time had gone by. It's going to seem so quiet now without the group.

~

I thoroughly enjoyed my week, it was so jam packed full of exciting adventures and amazing scenery. Dan and Adeline were both fantastic guides, so knowledgeable and enthusiastic. I would definitely recommend any of ths Under Down Under tours.
Now onto a new chapter... Fruitpicking! 

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