Tasmania

Last month two friends from Monterey came Down Under. Patricia and Holly came to explore Australia, visit me, and to celebrate Patricia's birthday. I showed them (or at least told them about) all the Sydney sites and we checked out Darling Harbour and Circular Quay. Holly the architect loved the Opera House and I left them there to do some further exploring of their own.

On Wednesday we met at the Sydney airport to head down to Tasmania. There was a huge dust storm (excuse me, the pilot corrected himself when he used the word 'storm' I think we were calling it 'raised dust'!). Some of you might have heard of Big Red, which blanketed Sydney (including my balconies and wood surfaces in my house) with red dust. This is Holly and I waiting to board, and those are windows behind us!


We arrived in Hobart, Tasmania bright and early in the morning. Patricia was testing her driving on the left skills and we made our way to the Freycinet National Park. We weren't too sure during the drive just exactly what would be waiting for us 2.5 hours from Hobart. It was raining and the river that we were driving along had obviously just receded from the road. The drive was beautiful and we saw lots of sheep and cows along the way, but there was no way were expecting the amazingly gorgeous views from our lodge.

Sadly I don't have any photos of our cabin which had 2 rooms, a living room, a kitchen, shower and jacuzzi tub . . . but trust me, it was beautiful.

The next morning we explored outside and took this photo at Honeymoon Bay.

Then I read my book in the warmth of the lodge as Patricia and Holly hiked to the overlook of Wineglass Bay. But I did join them on the short hike to the Lighthouse (behind the trees behind me).


We slowly made our way back to Hobart stopping for lunch and ice cream along the way. We didn't have plans for where to sleep so Patricia and Holly jumped out at the visitor centre in Hobart and followed the recommendation of the man who was working there as he called and booked us our room for the night. I was driving and the place was under Holly's name and while she was checking us in I started laughing hysterically at the site of our "Cozy Cabin!"

I believe shed would have been more appropriate, but perhaps they wouldn't have quite as many people calling in. My eyes were watering and I could barely park the car between our 'cabin' and our neighbour's. Luckily the woman bringing our sheets didn't know why I was laughing so hard! Here is the inside just so you get the full picture.

Patricia is lying on her bed laughing because she can't believe that on our 'girl's weekend away' where I got to leave my husband and child in another state that we somehow found ourselves in a shed along the freeway in Tasmania! Although the place may not have been great for my body (Holly and I were on bunkbeds in the room just behind her), but it was warm and clean and it was great for my soul. I really haven't laughed that hard in a really really long time :)