Toward the beginning of November we were lucky enough to have visitors again, yahoo. Grandma and Grandpa C flew to Melbourne and after a few days of hanging around the house while J went to Thailand and a visit to Cape Schanck, we all boarded the Spirit of Tasmania.
Once we landed in Devonport we set out for Cradle Mountain. Although it is November, we still had to bundle up with multiple layers to stay warm. Luckily this was the coldest day and we didn't freeze the entire holiday.
After a quick walk near Lake St. Clair, we jumped back in the car for our 4 hour drive to Hobart. We stayed in an old refurbished building right near Salamanca Place and spent much of our time (what little we had!) walking around the waterfront areas. We took a boat tour of the harbor, enjoyed fresh fish and chips, and learned not to ever order fish nuggets. Blech. Processed fish at it's worst and most definitely not fresh.
iPad time and candy are a necessary addition to every holiday.
While in Hobart we visited the Cascades Female Factory which was very enlightening. The female factory didn't make females, just housed the arriving female convicts from Britain. Life was not pretty in this prison as demonstrated to us by some great actors. Not much is left of the actual prison so the drama was especially necessary.
After a 1 1/2 hour drive we arrived at our next prison experience. Perfect day for the place as it was dismal and dreary and really set the mood for what life as a convict must have been like. Well, as much as being a tourist can tell you anyhow. The main building shown below was originally built to be a flour mill and granary but given the damp weather, quickly became the main penitentiary where prisoners who harvested timber all day would spend their damp, frigid nights.
Prior to our visit I had no idea that Port Arthur was also home to a thriving colony of free settlers. Here is the church, attended by both free people and prisoners.
Isle of the Dead - Cemetary for convicts
Industrial Prison
Separate Prison Cell
This separate prison was built for solitary confinement and mind torture. One was isolated and not allowed to speak which didn't bode well for the mental health of the prisoners.
Hospital
Penitentiary Innards
Other than the chains, we all had an excellent day and received a history lesson. Now off to the East Coast.
Bicheno Blowhole
T was especially skilled at finding little penguins who were hiding in rocks rather than out at sea finding food.
Our house in Bicheno was set on stilts and provided breathtaking views. Highlights of this house were watching the whales swim by from the balcony and witnessing the little penguins come up to nest in the lot next door. Amazing.
From Bicheno we drove to Freycinet National Park and started on a hike that overlooks Wineglass Bay. While it would've been nice to hike all the way to the bay itself, we didn't attempt it with the kids.
Wineglass Bay
Also in Freycinet NP is Friendly Beach. Beautiful views and squeaky sand that really makes a noise every time your feet punch down.
Little Miss is mastering the art of letters. Someone had written "Friendly Beach" in the sand prior to our arrival and she had to get in on the action. She is constantly writing "letters" these days and gets really ticked off when she writes a story and I am unable to read it back to her.
No visit to Tassie is complete without seeing Tasmanian Devils so we set out for Eastcoast Nature World to get our fix.
Wallabies
L was not a fan of the feeding. While T and Little Miss fed with reckless abandon, L had to be coerced into this one close up feed.
Kangaroos - Notice the Joey's head and leg peaking out of the pouch.
Little Devils! The stench, screeching and bone crushing noises were a bit much, but all part of the experience. While the native population of devils is dwindling due to a facial cancer, there are many breeding programs who are keeping the healthy devils alive while scientists try to figure out how to stop the spread. Once upon a time one wouldn't come across much roadkill in Tassie as the devils would clean it up before morning. Now it would be unusual to see a devil in the wild.
Our final stop was the Launceston Gorge that claims to have one of the largest chair lift spans in the world. Beautiful little piece of nature nestled right next to downtown Launceston. After a ride across the gorge on the lift, we walked back on the bridge.
We were all very excited for this trip as Tassie was meant to be absolutely beautiful. Lucky for us, the reviews proved true and we weren't disappointed. We all had a wonderful time with Grandpa and Grandpa C. Thank you for the visit!
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