Part - Time Tasmanians

We would spend two long stretches of time in Hobart with our daughters from the end of 2022 until mid-way through 2023. We would become "part time Tasmanians" and enjoy life in the southern capital, but would also return to the mainland for a short trip around Victoria. Our first visit was at the beginning of December so we could spend Christmas and New Year with the girls, then we left at the end of February and returned again just prior to Easter. We would have our first winter in Tassie - something we were not entirely sure we would enjoy. Because we would be busy with building work, we didn't anticipate getting away much, but we would try to make the most of out time "down south". As it turned out, we did manage to fit in a few weekends away, as well as some special events.

                

A  Couple of  Graduations 

16 December 2022 and 28 April 2023

The first special occassion for us was daughter Julia's graduation -  Bachelor of Science (Majoring in Plant Science) in December, followed by Jo's graduation -  Bachelor of Antarctic and Marine Science  - in April. We were so pleased we were able to attend both University of Tasmania graduation ceremonies and immensely proud of both our girls. They both managed to get through with the challenges posed during Covid lock-downs and had to adapt to a different way of attending university, as well as working to support themselves. 

A Pelagic Weekend

16 - 19 December 2023

Mick is a keen bird photographer and had booked to go out on a pelagic boat trip leaving from Eaglehawk Neck. These are very popular and places fill up fast. He had arranged a spot for the Saturday and Sunday, when we were in Tasmania at the start of the year. Because the boat departs at 7:00am we booked to stay at Stewart's Bay on the Tasman Peninsula from Friday night to Monday morning. Mick is usually fine out on the water, but this time he did get seasick and contemplated missing the Sunday trip. Armed with some anti nausea medication provided by a fellow passenger, his second day was much better than the previous one. 

While Mick was at sea, I took a drive to Nubeena looking for the markets but coudn't find any sign of them so called into the supermarket before heading home. On the Sunday morning, the sky was bright and clear so, after I had dropped Mick off, I drove over to Devils Kitchen and set off on the Waterfall Bay Walk. This walk in 3.5km return and hugs the cliff line, affording some spectacular views. At one of the lookouts I could see the boat taking the birdwatchers out into the Southern Ocean. The walk is rated a Grade 3 but I found it to be quite easy and definitely worth it. After the walk I also visited Tasman Arch and Devils Kitchen, which are both just a short walk from the carpark.

A Family Get-Together

27 - 30 January 2023

Back in 2020 I had planned a family get-together to celebrate my 60th birthday in May of that year, but Covid put an end to that plan, so it was decided to reschedule at the start of 2023. My sister and her partner would travel to Hobart and we would all spend a weekend on the Tasman Peninsula. The girls were both working in jobs that allowed them to be there from Friday night until Sunday afternoon so we were able to have a lovely few days together in a house on the edge of Safety Bay. Because of the timing, we were able to make it a combined 60th birthday (me), belated graduation (Julia), early graduation (Jo) and 65th birthday (Bronwyn). 

Bronwyn and John spent a day at the Port Arthur Historic Site, while we went for a walk with the girls to Point Puer, one of the stops on the boat tour from Port Arthur. It was a lovely walk along the beach and through the bush which gave an interesting perspective looking back at the historic site across the bay.

On Sunday, John stayed at home to work while the rest of us drove down to Remarkable Cave. We then went along the track to Maignon Blowhole and towards Mount Brown. Jo was keen to keep going but we talked her out of it - it looked too strenuous for us old folks. The girls left after an early dinner on Sunday night and we packed up and headed off on Monday morning.

Before leaving the Peninsula we called in to show the visitors The Blowhole and Tesselated Pavement. We had to keep moving as Bronwyn and John had a plane to catch but we did have time to watch (and photograph) some dolphins cruising in Denison Canal at Dunalley.

Aurora Australis

24 April 2023

I've long been fascinated by the aurora and have wanted to try to get a photograph of the Southern Lights, but when we have been in Tasmania over summer, that would have required staying up way too late. On the morning of 24 April we started to see reports, and photos, of Aurora Australis from about 4:00am, and visible to the naked eye. Julia consulted her sources and determined that conditions would be good that night so we headed out just after dark to Goat's Beach, out towards South Arm. 

The small carpark was packed but there was plenty of room on the beach to snag a spot and set up the tripod. It was really cold but we had rugged up in our puffer jackets and beanies. Julia and I only had our mobile phones but were very excited to see our first photos. We both took so many snaps - many of them destined for the recycle bin, but also a few quite acceptable ones. When we returned home, of course Mick was sorry he hadn't braved the cold to join us with a "proper" camera. Maybe next time. 

Another Pelagic Weekend 

29 April - 2 May 2023

Mick was able to book onto another pelagic thanks to some cancellations and Jo was to go with him. For this one it would be just the one day, but we booked an extra night's accommodation so we could make it into a short holiday. Jo stayed with her partner at Fortescue Bay, and we were at Taranna so she picked Mick up along the way.

The weather was perfect for this one, with reasonably calm seas - as calm as it can be out off the continental shelf anyway. With the sun shining I set off to visit the Coal Mines Historic Site. Not as well known, or as well develped as Port Arthur, this site is no less fascinating, and in a fabulous location on the Lime Bay.

At the entrance to Coal Mines Historic Site, a sign provides details of a number of walks. The walks, however, are not signed and once I started to make my way around the site I realised the walks are really just paths that take you from one point of interest to another. I walked around the bay to Plunkett Point then back the way I had come, and up the Incline Plain to the Mine Shaft. That part of the walk is a very steep uphill (of course) path that was once used to take wagons to and from the mine. At the Settlement, there are ruins of many buildings, including the Convict Barracks and the solitary confinement cells. All around the site, signage details not just the history of the Coal Mines, but personal stories of those were inprisoned there.

A Birthday Celebration

 6 May 2023

Having a birthday while in Hobart with family meant a celebratory brunch of pancakes, followed by presents! My sister had gifted me a High Tea at one of the hotels in town and we had booked for 3:00pm. We enjoyed a very fancy afternoon before heading home for a very quiet evening. No need for dinner that night!

Dark Mofo - Dark Park

9  June 2023

Dark Mofo has become a highlight of winter in Tasmania and provides a perfect excuse to get out and about when it's cold and dark. Sometimes controversial, always interesting, this was our first opportunity to experience this very popular festival.

We ventured out one Friday night to visit Dark Park - bars, food trucks and perfomances created a wonderful atmosphere. Everywhere we turned, both indoors and outdoors, was something weird, quirky and interesting. We started off in the Blue Velvet Lounge where we had drinks (of course), listened to some music and saw the Giant Teddy. From there we moved on to see a performance installation by Sundanese artists, instrument builders and alchemists. 

Our next stop was out into the cold, dark night to grab a bite to eat from one of the many food trucks and to marvel at the Spectra - a light installation that we could actually see from home. Our final stop of the night was to add our fears to the Ogoh-Ogoh : The Purging. Derived from a Balinese Hindu purification tradition, we wrote down our fears and banished them to the belly of the giant platypus.

A Birthday Getaway - Southport

15 - 18 June 2023

We have been down to the south of Tasmania a few times and wanted to return so booked three nights in a cottage on the edge of the forest at Southport. We've stayed there before and love the location but were not optimistic about the weather. When we arrived it was cold and cloudy so we were grateful that the fire had been set ready for us to light. 

Although the weather wasn't great we did manage to get out for a drive down to Roaring Beach one morning. We went for a walk along the beach and then along a bush track to an old graveyard. We continued around the headland then back along the track to the carpark. 

Mick spent some time at the cottage photographing birds but as we were both feeling unwell we didn't go out again until the day we left when we drove down to Lune River for a browse in the Lunaris Gemstones shop. They have some really interesting, mainly Tasmanian specimens for sale. 

From Lune River we headed back to Hobart and home in time to join the girls for another Dark Mofo excursion.

Dark Mofo - Winter Feast / Ogoh-Ogoh: The Procession / Ogoh-Ogoh :The Burning 

18 June 2023

We returned to Dark Mofo on the final night, starting with something to eat at Winter Feast, before taking part in the Ogoh-Ogoh procession. The giant platypus into which we had cast our fears on our visit to Dark Park, was carried through the streets from Winter Feast to Dark Park, accompanied by musicians, other giant creatures and members of the public who were encouraged to join in. 

It was such a fun event and something totally different to anything I had been part of previously. Once we arrived at Dark Park we joined the huge crowd to await the spectacle that was The Burning, where the giant platypus, with all our fears inside, was set ablaze. What a sight! It was such fun to be able to take part in this wonderful winter festival.

Celebrating a Wedding Anniversary - Cradle Mountain

28 June - 1 July 2020

We decided to celebrate our wedding anniversary at Cradle Mountain and were able to get a great deal on accommodation at one of our favourite places to stay - Cradle Mountain Wilderness Village. We hoped that visiting in winter might mean we would see some snow so we watched the forecast closely. Unfortunately it wasn't looking good. We did see that snow was predicted to fall on the morning that we were to arrive so we made the decision to leave Hobart as early as possible.

We were on the road around 7:00am and headed up the Midland Highway with a stop in Campbell Town for morning tea. We continued on and turned off to Sheffield where we had an early lunch at the bakery. Once we arrived at Cradle Mountain we stopped at the Visitor Centre to get our bus tickets and headed straight up to Dove Lake. So far, no sign of snow. We debated whether to get off the bus at Ronny Creek and go looking for wombats, but decided to keep going to Dove Lake.

Finally we had made the right decision - as we approached the bus stop the first few flakes of snow started to fall. In the end it wasn't much - just enough to take a few photos to show we had been snowed on as we walked. It didn't last long so we hopped back on the bus and went back down to Ronny Creek to hang out with the wombats for a while.

The weather was pretty awful for the rest of our stay so we didn't venture out again, instead relaxing and enjoying the view out to the bush and the visiting currawongs. The on-site restaurant had just reopened so we had dinner there to celebrate our 38th wedding anniversary. The meal was delicious and we were seated by the fire which made for a very nice night.

On the morning we left, the weather was a little better so we went up to the Enchanted Walk - a short, easy walk, but always a favourite. Back on the road we had lunch in Sheffield again before driving back home to Hobart.

Yet another Pelagic

14 - 16 July 2023

Mick was fortunate to be able to get a spot on another Pelagic out of Eaglehawk Neck so we booked to have a weekend at Mason's Cottages at Taranna. The cottages are conveniently located just as short drive from the departure point for the boat trip.

We drove out to the Tasman Peninsula after lunch and were delighted to find that we had been upgraded from a studio apartment to a 2 bedroom cottage. It was so nice to have the extra room for our two night stay. The weather was cold but the cottage was warm and very well equipped.

On Saturday morning I dropped Mick off at the Pirate's Bay boat ramp and headed back to the cottage. The weather wasn't great so I decided against going out to do one of the many walks around. Instead I pottered around at the cottage before collecting Mick from the jetty at 3:00pm. Our visit coincided with the Lightwave Festival and we toyed with the idea of heading over for dinner but decided to stay in.

On Sunday morning we packed up and went for a drive to Nubeena and White Beach and stopped in at the Pear Shed. There is an onsite cafe - really just a coffee van and some outdoor seating - and a gallery with some interesting artworks. From there we headed home, making a few stops along the way to look for birds - of course. This would be our final excursion from Hobart before leaving in August.