Day 6: Hobart
Whoever's seen us set off from Strahan at 4a.m. in the morning must have thought we were nuts; the 4-hour drive from Strahan to Hobart was far more treacherous than the bumpy trip down Cradle Mountain. There were countless potholes, insanely suicidal wildlife, fog and huge trucks which bulldoze their way around the mountain roads.
So I wasn't exactly excited when we were told that the next spot on our itinerary was a 2-hour hike at Mt. Fields National Park to see Russell Falls and Horseshoe Falls. But after dragging ourselves up the boardwalk (and me slipping AGAIN), it was all worth the while.
I loved Russell Falls with its majesty and all (above), but I preferred Horseshoe Falls more (below) because of the aura of serenity which washed over me the instance we emerged from the clearing and witnessed the cascading river over the rocks. The towering eucalyptus tree, the tallest flowering plant in the world, is also a proud native of Mt. Field. It was common to walk past trees that have fallen naturally with trunks the size of gigantic hula hoops. While we didn't spot the supposed native Tasmanian devil, we did have a short encounter with a foraging wallaby out on a morning stroll.
Then... guess what?
Wouldn't it be nice if the world was Cadbury? The visit to Cadbury's factory in Tasmania has got to be one of the highly-anticipated spots in our itinerary. While the factory wasn't Cadbury's biggest, but it housed enough chocolate on its shelves to trick out the kid in me. Who doesn't love a good ol' bar of dark chocolate? Our guide basically explained how Cadbury manufactures theiro chocolate, from the moment they procure the cocoa beans to the instance they hit the shelves. Until then, I never knew raw cocoa beans were actually white, and that Tasmanian cows are a bunch of lucky cattle. No wonder Tazzie cheese tastes so good.
Then we checked in to our most expensive stead of our trip. We all knew why.
Welcome to Somerset on the Pier, where the sun literally sets over the pier. Our service apartment overlooks Constitution Dock, slightly off the city center of Hobart. Our 2-storey apartment has 1 closed bedroom (which Gordon and Gerlynn have so graciously gave up for us), one open bedroom with 2 single beds, 2 bathrooms (like, finally!) and a spacious living area with a kitchenette and a dining table. Almost heaven, and well worth all that hiking, bad breakfast and arguments. We've come so far on this trip, I'd realized at the split of a moment.
Not wasting a single moment lazing on our luxurious suite, we headed out to Mt. Wellington, the highest point in Hobart. My, were the winds literally howling at the summit. Our car was swaying ever so slightly, and I had to struggle to stand straight and stop the blood in my fingers from freezing to a stop. It could have easily been 6 degrees C with the wind chill. But Mt. Wellington offered a view like nowhere else - a breathtaking view of the city of Hobart.
What better place to get fish and chips from in Hobart than Flippers Fish Punts? I've been longing for this popular stall even before we stepped onto the plane to Tazzie, largely because Lonely Planet made it sound like the eat-or-you've-never-been-to-Hobart kind of food. Lonely Planet was darn right. We all bought our dinner and headed back to our cosy apartment - a 5-minute walk from Flippers - to enjoy the pipping hot fillets and chips. They served each order in a paper box, filled to the brim with a battered fish fillet of your choice and loads of crispy chips. Damn I miss Flippers.
Day 7: Bruny Island
Tasmania has got numerous gems tucked away in the comfort of Bruny Island, an offshore islet located south east of Tasmania. Before our dinner at Flippers the previous night, we popped by the visitor center and was sweet talked into signing up for a AUD100-per-pax speed cruise tour of the coasts of Bruny Island. It took a great deal of deliberation (actually less on our part and more on Yuting's part) before we sunk AUD500 as a group. What a great money-making machine, on retrospect. The promoter, who's a jolly old man with a greying mane and the composure of Santa Claus, also recommended that we have a pinic at the Neck on Bruny Island before heading for their tour center on the islet.
So a 1-hour drive, a ferry and 274 steps later, we reached the top of the Neck, a thin strip of flood-prone land connecting the two landmasses of Bruny Island.
I'll give anyone a hundred bucks if they could coin a unique word for the sea breeze that hits you the moment you look towards the Tasman Sea. While it was difficult to fully enjoy our breakfast of bananas, bread and Uncle Toby bars because of the wind that was blowing my hair from all sorts of directions, the view of the Neck from the peak was fantastic.
I've got a whole lot of pictures of the Bruny Island Cruise we took (plus videos of the seals and dolphins we spotted), but I'll have to applaud these guys for doing an outstanding job at bringing the sights and sounds of Bruny to us, in the form of a high-speed cruise along the coast of Bruny. Anyone could see the dedication these guys put into doing their job, be it the detailed explanation of the physical makeup of the coastline and the island's history or the clear instructions handed out to ensure the safety of every passenger on board.
The Breathing Rock - a naturally formed blow hole at the bottom of a cliff face.
Lazing seals. Smelly, too.
We went in search of Hothouse Cafe at Adventure Bay for tea, but we were told off in an unaccommodating tone by the owner that it was closed for a private event. "Didn't you see from the sign hanging outside?" Thanks, you just showed us an ugly side of Tazzie we haven't managed to encounter our ENTIRE trip.
Amazing holy light phenomenon from Cape Bruny
Cape Bruny Lighthouse Reserve housed a pasture littered with numerous wild rabbits and a farmhouse overlooking the area. Lovely. Worth a drive up there if you've got some time to spare before catching the ferry back to Kettering.
To wrap up a rewarding outing, we dropped by KFC - our first taste of fast food - because we were sick of bread and fish. For AUD44, the four meat eaters share 12 pieces of chunky fried chicken among themselves, while we all had a generous share of thick cut fries, coleslaw, mashed potato (which I didn't eat due to a particular groupmate's hygiene practice) and Pepsi.
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