Ohhh Tasmania-- or Tassie as it's affectionly called- was amazing! What. A. Beaut. Tasmania is a state in Australia but is it's own island..like Hawaii is to the USA. It's about a 1 hour flight south of Melbourne- 2 hours from Sydney. Tassie is about the size of West Virginia..with wonderful scenery and lots of outdoor activities. It was one of the most beautiful and peaceful places I have ever been. Many Aussies say that Tasmania is Australia's best kept secret...and we felt like we were exploring a part of the world that has been pretty much untouched. Which was really cool.
We flew into Hobart- the capital city. It's a small, quiet, fishing-village type town...with really fresh seafood and lots of character.
(Those oysters- and all of the oysters we tasted in Tassie- were soooo salty. Like, couldn't-enjoy-them salty. Not sure why...but I would choose oysters from the Gulf of Mexico any day over these suckers.)
We rented bikes and rode out to The MONA (Museum of Old and New Art). We didn't actually go in the museum...but let's just say we did!
We met up with a family friend for dinner- he cooked us legit Indian food that was delish. How cute is this baby!!! Thanks for a great night, Sumeet and Nidhi!
The next day we hit up the Cascade Brewery- the oldest brewery in Australia. It was a very cool tour (our guide was from Texas!) and we got to taste some beers that are only available in Tasmania.
Later that afternoon we tasted some whiskey at a distillery in town and heard some good ole country music (I thought they were ok...but John said "these guys couldn't play a birthday party in Nashville"...nothing compares to Nash's music scene!)
The next day we rented (or "hired" as they say here) a car and started our drive up the east coast. The view on the drive was stunning- these pics don't do it justice.
We arrived in the town of Port Arthur just in time for a kangaroo feeding. Y'all. WE FED KANGAROOS AND GOT TO PET THEM AND LOOK INTO THEIR EYES AND NOW WE ARE ALL BEST FRIENDS.
(Had to take a selfie with a kangaroo. Dreams come true.)
It was so cool. After that..we checked out some Tasmanian Devils. Let me tell you- this stinkers are UGLY.
We caught these two brothers at feeding time (Wallaby, anyone?). It was sick. Gross. Stop.
The town of Port Arthur has a lot of history. It is a former convict settlement as well as home to the country's worst mass murder in 1996. Although a bit haunted, it is a beautiful place.
We stayed at a cottage that housed prisoners of war during World War II..a really neat experience. I mean, I didn't get the best sleep of my life (so many creaks! Ghosts, I tell ya) but it was a really neat night. We had drinks on the back porch and built a fire to keep warm.
The view across the street. I mean, I don't ever want to be a prisoner of war...but if I had to be, I wouldn't mind staying here.
It was also a little windy.
The next day, we continued our journey up the east coast to Freycinet National Park. We did a 7 mile hike around the park and got to see some beeeeeautiful things.
Again..that damn wind...
We had some fresh outta the ocean dinner..
Yummy.
On our last full day in Tassie we kayaked through Coles Bay at the park..
And headed back to Hobart for The Taste of Tasmania
(Someone is very excited)
Came all the way to Tasmania to get a hot dog. Sorry I'm not sorry.
We had an AMAZING holiday and saw some pretty incredible things. We are back in Sydney getting ready to ring in the New Year and enjoy the rest of our time off work. We get 2 weeks off for Christmas here. Can I get an amen???
