Songdoc's Tasmanian Honeymoon

Old Dec 5th, 2014, 05:24 PM
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Songdoc's Tasmanian Honeymoon

After 5-1/2 weeks of a wonderful working holiday in New Zealand and mainland Australia, we flew from Brisbane to Launceston; rented a car from Europcar; and set out for the first stop on our well-deserved, ten-day Tasmanian vacation/belated honeymoon. Our first stop would be two nights in Swansea, chosen as a base for its proximity to the airport—and Freycinet National Park.

The first thing that hit me was the profusion of flowers and the intensity of the colors. There were fields of poppies as far as the eye could see. Although it was late spring the colors of the leaves made it look like autumn in New England. Beautiful!

The second thing that hit me was the extreme amount of road kill. I’d been forewarned, but it was far worse than I’d imagined and it made me a bit nervous driving—especially since it became intensely foggy. I’m a big animal lover and was hoping to see lots of wildlife—but not under my tires! Something resembling an elk ran behind my car—and a wallaby darted in front—but thankfully, there were no collisions. Whew.

The third thing that hit me was that it was blissfully cool in contrast to sweltering Brisbane where daily highs were in the low 90s F. Highs in Tassie ranged from 65 – 70 degrees F. – perfect hiking weather.

After an hour-and-forty minute drive we arrived at the Swansea Motor Inn and were pleasantly surprised. It was just a basic motel ($135 AUD/nt.)—but the views over the bay were absolutely beautiful. Dinner was at the Saltshaker – again, with stunning views, and a sunset for a bonus. My scallops ($34.95) were delicious, but DH’s chicken roulade ($26.90) was dry and not very flavorful.

The next morning we woke to bright sunshine and cloudless blue skies with beautiful views over Oyster Bay. We drank our coffee while watching dolphins, then headed for Freycinet National Park. It was an easy, pretty one-hour drive—and we spotted our first echidna waddling along the side of the road! We stopped for coffee in Cole’s Bay, and drank it at a bench while drinking in views of The Hazards—a towering, distinctive range of jagged granite peaks. Cole's Bay was solo beautiful -- but it was just a preview of what was yet to come.

Our first stop in Freycinet was at the visitor’s center where we purchased a $60 pass that would allow us access to all of Tasmania’s National Parks, as well as the shuttle at Cradle Mountain. We took the first turn-off – Honeymoon Bay. It wasn’t on our list, but with it being our honeymoon, we thought we’d check it out. OMG. I was stunned by the unearthly beauty of the rock formations and sapphire blue water framed by a backdrop of The Hazards. Tasmania had now officially surpassed my expectations. It was hard to believe that anything else we’d see could surpass these views.

Next stop in Freycinet: the walk to the Wineglass Bay overlook. An adorable wallaby posed for photos on the parking lot—in exchange for bits of food. The walk to the overlook was strenuous, but well worth it. Again, OMG-breathtaking views, with bonuses of wallabies and pademelons hopping beside the trail. We didn’t feel the need to add the long hike down to the beach itself, although, if we’d had more time, I’m sure that would have been beautiful, as well.

The Cape Tourville walk to the lighthouse delivered yet more amazing views. My camera – and our legs – were getting quite a workout! Heading back, we took the turnoff for Sleepy Bay and walked to some of my favorite views (and photos) of the day—on a day that overflowed with spectacular views—so that’s saying a lot!

In addition to the mountain views in the distance, the beach area was strewn with enormous rocks and caves that glowed golden. I felt as if I’d been delivered to another planet with some of the most unique, gorgeous views I’d ever seen. We drove back thinking that the rest of Tasmania was going to have a tough act to follow! Dinner was very good pizza and salads at the Tavern back in Swansea. We ate outside with hundreds of sheep grazing nearby.

to be continued ...
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Old Dec 5th, 2014, 06:05 PM
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Very much enjoying your report songdoc - I hope you didn't feed the wallabies - people food contributes to lumpy jaw, which can lead to a slow painful death.
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Old Dec 5th, 2014, 07:24 PM
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Glad to see you're back at your real vocation, Songdoc: documenting your travels for our enjoyment, envy - and promotion of Australia & NZ!

Best wishes to you both
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Old Dec 5th, 2014, 07:53 PM
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I'm enjoying your report too. Cannot wait to see photos.
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Old Dec 5th, 2014, 11:32 PM
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checking in here!
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Old Dec 6th, 2014, 09:36 AM
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Looking forward to more! We saw even more road kill on Kangaroo Island than Tassie!
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Old Dec 6th, 2014, 02:05 PM
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I'm looking forward to reading more.

Lee Ann
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Old Dec 7th, 2014, 03:29 AM
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me too - and congrats as well.

I have a very vague and as yet unformed plan for getting back to the Antipodes in a couple of years time, [if we can afford to fly business class as that's the only way I'll get DH back in a long-haul flight] and Tasmania is definitely on my list of "next time must sees".
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Old Dec 7th, 2014, 01:22 PM
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annhig: I can't afford to fly business class. Well, I guess I could -- but there's no way I'd spend that much money. I take a sleeping pill and suck it up! But it would be bliss to be able to stretch out. We had an empty seat on our row on the way back and I slept 6 hours, watched two movies, and didn't really mind it.

Patty: It's hard to imagine more road kill than in Tassie!

Melnq8: Thankfully, we'd read about "lumpy jaw." Otherwise, I would have been sharing my sandwiches. How awful! Apparently, if one must, it's OK to feed them fruits and vegetables; that can actually help. But no bread, cookies, crackers, etc ...

Thanks everybody for the nice comments. I'm about to post part 2 ...
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Old Dec 7th, 2014, 01:36 PM
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The next day we drove back to Launceston where we stayed at the Leisure Inn Penny Royal Apartments -- a short walk to Cataract Gorge. It was amazing how beautiful and dramatic the gorge was while being so close to the heart of the city. It was a wonderful walk that included peacocks and a wallaby showing off and posing for photos.

We strolled through the downtown area after a cheap, healthy, fast-food dinner at Charcoal Chicken. There were some beautiful old buildings. The next morning we walked to the city park via a trail of more neat old buildings, including the oatmeal and flour mills. The park was pretty, but our reason for going there was to see the Japanese macaques—aka snow monkeys. They look a lot more interesting in the photos where they’re covered with ice crystals and snow! They weren’t very active while we were there, but I was still glad to see them. Now … time to get back on the road.

It was a 2-hour drive to Cradle Mountain National Park on roads that were again, studded with road kill. After reviewing our maps we had decided to stop for lunch at Mole Creek. As we approached there were signs for various restaurants and cafes touting “Amazing Coffee,” “Delicious Pizza,” and other tempting descriptions. We were practically salivating.

Everyplace was closed. (It was a weekday afternoon.) The only chance of food was the “supermarket” – which had only slightly more selection than a gas station convenience store. This would be our last chance to eat—and pick up food to bring to Cradle Mountain. So … lunch was pre-packaged “National” meat pies, which we gratefully devoured on a picnic bench with a pleasant mountain view. We actually liked the chicken & camembert pies so much that we bought several more to take with us. I had some apple and carrots in the car.

As we approached Cradle Mountain we were surprised by how desolate it looked. Most of the trees stood like skeletons—dead and bleached out. The views were certainly unique—but not particularly attractive.

Our accommodation at Cradle Mountain Wilderness Village was a shock. I was expecting a rustic cabin, but instead found a beautifully furnished, ultra-modern cottage with gleaming blond wood furniture that would have seemed right at home in a Stockholm designer showroom. But the biggest surprise was that there was an enormous stand-alone hot tub basically right out in the open -- in the middle of the cottage!

The reception clerk mentioned that the water might seem discolored, but that it was perfectly safe—probably more pure than anything else I’d ever drink. She said although it was filtered, they did not use any chemicals to remove the natural tannins. Still, I was unprepared for brownish drinking water! Later, when we filled the spa, we could hardly believe how dark the water was.

Once inside the park, the scenery was much nicer than on the entry road—and there were beautiful views of Cradle Mountain in the distance. We dropped our bags in our cottage and headed out for a walk at 5 PM. A shuttle delivers and picks up visitors at four stops within the park. We walked quite far—to the second stop—planning to take the shuttle bus back. The visitor center had already closed, so we didn’t know that the buses stopped running at 5.

We hadn’t planned on walking for two hours, but it was a fortuitous mistake because while walking along the main road from 5 until 7 PM we spotted eight wombats—some of them quite close. I was ecstatic; seeing a wombat in the wild was high on my list! I got some great photos. We saw so many wallabies and pademelons that I stopped counting.

And speaking of wildlife … I came upon a large, mostly-black snake basking in the late afternoon sun. I don’t have any fear of snakes (unless they’re venomous), and this one resembled the harmless, big “black snakes” that I sometimes find in my garden. I got within a few feet of it while I took some nice photos.

It was the next day, as we passed the shuttle stop for “Snake Creek,” that the bus driver announced that all snakes in Tasmania are venomous—and that you must be extra careful of the “tiger snakes” which are in the cobra family, and are considered the 4th deadliest snake in the world. Um, er … guess what I’d been up close and personal with. AGGHHHH!!!!

Dinner was surprisingly good at the restaurant at Cradle Mountain Wilderness Village. After dinner we enjoyed the views beside the restaurant as the sunset made the mountains glow in the distance.

The next morning we took the shuttle to the end of the line – Dove Lake – to walk the Dove Lake circuit, which (along with the walk to the Wineglass Bay lookout) was listed in a pamphlet as one of the “60 Greatest Short Walks in Tasmania.” The walk was three hours of nonstop GORGEOUS Dove Lake and Cradle Mountain views and wildlife. I got a terrific photo of an echidna that seemed unfazed by my presence, as he or she rooted around for a snack. Scenery doesn’t get much better than this. We were blown away.

It didn’t get dark until 9 PM, so after a shower and a rest, we were ready for our early evening walk—“The Enchanted Walk”—also listed as one of Tassie’s “great” walks. Again—it was absolutely beautiful. DH spotted a brilliantly colored parrot in a tree. It was considerate enough to pose for some fantastic photos (the parrot—not DH). I later learned it was a green rosella. It was just amazing to see something like that in the wild. (You’ll see the pix soon.)

We’d read that there would not be food available at Cradle Mountain—other than in the restaurants, but there was a little store where we snatched the last bag of salad and frozen vegetables to go along with the meat pies we’d brought from Mole Creek.

The next morning we took the shuttle to stop #3: Ronnie Lake. We walked a couple of hours to Dove Lake. We also walked to Pencil Pine falls; did the King Billy Walk (with views of massive King Billy pines that reminded us of redwoods), and the walk to Knyvet Falls. They were all terrific walks, but hands-down, the star was the Dove Lake circuit.

We left Cradle Mountain after three days of perfect weather and stunning views, fully understanding why people rave about Tasmania’s natural beauty.

To be continued …
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Old Dec 7th, 2014, 01:38 PM
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songdoc- I never thought that I'd afford business class either but I've seen some really good deals advertised recently - i think that the airlines may be feeling the pinch! BTW, we sometimes play something known as "roadkill cricket" - you get a run for every leg of the animal on your side of the road, so for a bird it's 2, for a badger it's 4 - it's bit grim I know but it does help to pass the time on a long journey.
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Old Dec 7th, 2014, 01:40 PM
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Good on you Songdoc. I seem to remember a sign explaining lumpy jaw in that very car park in TAS, which is where I first heard about it. It's stuck with me ever since.

annhig - Premium Economy is a good compromise, although I have no idea which airlines in your neck of the woods offer it. I wish more of them did.

In a week's time I'll be flying from Perth-Singapore-Zurich in coach, and I'm already dreading it. Those long flights never get easier.
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Old Dec 7th, 2014, 06:17 PM
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Loving following along. Tazmania is on my long list of places I'd want to visit on a return trip to Australia, but I think you've helped me move it up the list.
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Old Dec 7th, 2014, 07:06 PM
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Looking forward to those photos...

FYI Songdoc, there's a black variant of the tiger snake. I've seen them here in Perth. You wouldn't catch me getting within a few feet of ANY snake here in OZ. You're best off just assuming they're venomous!
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Old Dec 8th, 2014, 10:35 PM
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Hi, Songdoc,

Really enjoying your Tassie report. I can't believe you got so close to the snake! I would have run a mile. I'm so envious that you saw so many wombats. I have only seen them in parks.

Glad you are having a relaxing honeymoon. You do deserve it. Say hi to your DH from me, please.

Take care.
Dot
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Old Dec 11th, 2014, 11:23 AM
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So, sorry for the delay in continuing the report. I know you're all on the edge of your seats ;-). Four days after returning from Tassie I left to work in Los Angeles--where I am right now. AGGHHH. I can't imagine how I'm ever going to write about the rest of Australia!

<You wouldn't catch me getting within a few feet of ANY snake here in OZ. You're best off just assuming they're venomous!>

NOW you tell me!! ;-)

I forgot to mention that on the way to Cradle Mountain (from Swansea) we stopped for a couple of hours in Ross. It was a charming visit back in time. What a cute little town! I had a curried Tasmanian scallop pie and wonderful scones at a very old bakery then we wandered around, enjoying the beautiful old convict-built churches and other buildings, as well as the bridge. The visitor center included a small museum with samples of various varieties of wool, and a good gift shop with too-expensive-for-me, but very nice wool items.

I photographed a sign: “Female Factory.” I’d always wondered where females were manufactured. Now I know—it’s in Ross! ☺ Actually, “female factory” is what they called the women’s prison. The building is long gone – but there was some interesting info on the site where it stood.

Now … back to our regularly scheduled report.

From Cradle Mountain our next stop was Strahan—primarily to take the river cruise. En route we stopped at the Henty sand dunes. These “dunes” are massive, veritable mountains of sand. Climbing them was like climbing quicksand. The views of the Huon pine forests and the coast were really nice—and getting back down the dunes was a lot easier than getting up! I took some unusual, interesting photos then continued the short distance to Strahan.

We stayed at a beautiful, old B&B – Franklin Manor – a 10 – 15 minute walk along the waterfront to town. Dinner that night was an unexpected surprise. It was too early for the restaurants to serve dinner so we settled for a “takeaway” place and had some of the BEST pizzas we’ve ever had (and we were in Italy earlier this year!). Mine was “garlic prawn” and DH ordered the “lamb tzatziki.” Who’d have thunk it?

I’m sorry to report that we didn’t like the cruise nearly as much as the pizza. I don’t know if this was partly due to the fact that the weather turned cloudy and gray. Despite the lack of sunshine, the reflections on the water were amazing, and it was pleasant and relaxing. The buffet lunch included Tasmanian smoked salmon, and was excellent and plentiful. But the scenery was “nice” – as opposed to “wow.”

About an hour of the river cruise was spent on Sarah Island, the former site of one of the most notorious, harshest prisons. We took the optional, free, guided tour. The guide was superb—a trained actor, with an awesome delivery. But … the info was far too detailed and his stories about the convicts, the guards, the escape attempts, corruption, etc. included wayyy too many names to keep track of. It was information overload. DH agreed, but still liked Sarah Island. I thought it was only "ok."

The other aspect of the tour was a rainforest walk. The 20-minute walk on a boardwalk was pleasant, but couldn’t compare with other scenery we’d seen in the past few days.

After the cruise we walked in People’s Park—yet another of “Tasmania’s Greatest Short Walks.” It was really nice – but again, not “wow.” But then … “what is that in that tree?” It was a GORGEOUS green rosella! I zoomed in and took some favorite photos.

Overall, we wished we’d skipped Strahan—even with those killer pizzas ;-). Freycinet and Cradle Mountain National Parks were proving to be tough acts to follow ...

Next stop: Lake St. Claire

to be continued ...
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Old Dec 11th, 2014, 01:19 PM
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I appreciate your candid remarks about Strahan and the cruise. We didn't care for Strahan at all and gave the cruise a pass, much to the disdain of those who had suggested it was a must do. You've validated our decision.

I'll be interested to hear what you thought of Lake St Clair.
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Old Dec 11th, 2014, 01:34 PM
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Sounds like you had a great time, Songdoc! And your descriptive abilities and sense of humor are making your trip report a really fun read. Looking forward to the next installment and photos.

We also recently got back from Tasmania, and I keep nodding my head in agreement over what you thought of places. We too loved Freycinet and Cradle Mountain, and only stopped in Strahan this trip for lunch, as I'd been there before on a previous trip. Like you, on that trip we stayed at Franklin Manor, and really liked it. That was about 8 years ago, and I've read comments that for a while after we were there it was going downhill. But since then there was a change of owners. What was your experience like staying there, would you recommend it? We stopped and saw it from the outside, and it still looks beautiful, so I hope the present owners have turned it around
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Old Dec 11th, 2014, 04:11 PM
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Songdoc,
Are you willing to share the name of the pizza place in Strahan and which river cruise you took? Would be great to have those specifics as we plan our trip for next year. Thanks.
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Old Dec 11th, 2014, 08:57 PM
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I would definitely recommend the Franklin Manor. It was in excellent condition and the new managers (they don't own it) were excellent. I'm glad it's been turned around because it's such a pretty property I had to take its picture!

Re: the pizza in Strahan ... I can't recall the name, but Strahan is so tiny -- about one block of shops and restaurants -- you couldn't possibly miss the only takeaway/gourmet pizza combination. It's attached to a restaurant that I think had an Italian name. OMG, that garlic prawn pizza was soooo good! DH felt the same about his.

The river cruise was the World Heritage Cruise. As I said, the lunch was excellent and the staff did everything right. I could find no fault with the boat or the staff. The only problem (IMO) was that the scenery was "nice" -- and not "wow."

Now ... back to work in Los Angeles. I haven't seen a single kangaroo since I got here. But I was shocked to see some incredible birds this morning when I walked around Lake Balboa: storks, herons, pelicans, and hundreds of ducks and geese. Oh wait ... that's a different trip report ;-).
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