You can't find a worse procrastinator; it's been more than 1 week since I air-dropped back into the nightmarish weather in Singapore and it's only today, the 1st of June, that I decided to kick myself back into the blogosphere.
Our initial intent was to take a free 'n' easy trip down to New Zealand or, heck, wherever we can go to escape from the heatwave. Then the boardgaming couple suggested heading down to Tasmania, Australia. My first thought was: where the heck is that?
Briefly, Tasmania is Australia's only island state, located at the south-eastern tip of the Australian continent. Our visiting period coincides with early Tazzie winter conditions, so my paternal relatives were a little too overly-concerned. I had Tazzie maps, weather report websites, pictures, travel accounts and whatnot flooding my email box TWO weeks prior to the trip. Over-helpful = annoying. Of course, the coarse weather conditions reported did cast a shadow of worry over our trip plans, but we threw caution into the wind .Screw bad weather.
Day 1: Singapore - Melbourne - Hobart - Freycinet
Driving in Singapore is hellish, and I confirm that as a Singaporean driver. It took me 2 hours to get from Jurong to Paya Lebar, no thanks to bad weather, rush-hour traffic and a bad traffic accident. The only comforting things were picking up Dad from the arrival hall and having him send me off at the departure gate an hour later. Bye, Singapore. G'day, Aussie.
One thing we've all learnt about budget carriers: they're an utter waste of time. And because of that, we had to skip a couple of great spots on our itinerary and head for Freycinet in our trusty Nissan X-Trail.
(Photo courtesy of Gerlynn C.)
I was pleasantly surprised that it could accommodate the 5 of us and our luggage comfortably, because it looked pretty compact from the outside. Thank goodness we skipped the Subaru Forester. We hit the roads immediately, not without some hoo-haa around the rpm meter, and reached Swansea around 4pm. And it was already getting dark. We dropped by Kate's Berry Farm, a little turn off the main road to our nightstead, looking forward to picking up fresh berries for our supper. Unfortunately, they had just harvested their berries a few weeks ago, and all that was left was a barren berry plot. Still, we managed to get berry jam for breakfast. We popped out close to 5pm, and the sun was almost done with setting. Dang the early sunset.
Hungry from the early lunch we had at Melbourne airport (which consisted of Hungry Jacks), we kept our eyes peeled for eateries that were open for business as we drove on. Then one of us yelped "fish and chips!" I could totally understand the excitement.
If I did the math correctly, 5 of us could down only 2 sets of fish 'n' chips and a dozen breaded scallops. The elderly couple who was manning the shop were really hospitable and didn't mind 5 Asian kids (us) hogging their closing hours. Sending those lukewarm chunks of oily battered fish down our throats was pure joy (compared to 10 degrees C outside).
We then checked in (way past check-in time) at Iluka Holiday Resort. It was a cosy little cabin with 2 rooms, a kitchenette, a humble dining table and a bathroom. And despite the relatively low price we paid per head, it was spanking clean and had a full set of cooking utensils and toiletries. Kudos to the Aussies!
Day 2: Freycinet - Launceston
I admit - I won't have the balls to climb Mt. Amos, even if it meant a better view of Coles Bay and Wineglass Bay. The hike up to Coles Bay lookout was madness, but paled in comparison to Cradle Mountain. ;)
Coles Bay at sunrise
Wineglass Bay at sunrise
Honeymoon Bay
Sleepy Bay
Freycinet Marine Farm quelled our hunger for a while with an order of oysters, scallops and mussels. The staunch pescetarian in me decided to have a go with the baked oysters in brie cheese... and immediately regretted it. I have no idea how the boys managed it, but it just didn't go down well with me, even when I doused mine with loads of Tabasco sauce.
After our little snack and a drive up to Friendly beaches to take in the ocean breeze, we headed straight for The Captain's Catch at St. Helens, which is touted as a paradise for seafood lovers. They had an eat-in section with a restaurant sitting on the jetty of the town, but the prices on the menu were also doubled. So we took out and ate amongst the seagulls and pink parakeets.
I forgot how much each set cost, but we got to share them. The others loved the huge calamari rings. Each box was filled to the brim with 1 or 2 pieces of your choice of fish, calamari rings and prawns, atop a generous bed of thick cut chips which many used to feed the foraging seagulls. I took my time to admire a dirt-ridden Mercedes Benz AMG C-class which was parked outside the seafood shop. I have no idea, up to this day, why he needed a 6000cc engine.
Final spot for the day was the famous Bay of Fires, named after the fires built by the aborigines who lived on the island a long time ago. To crack the mystery of the colored rocks, they're actually the color of the species of lichens that grow on the rocks. True to its reputation, the Bay of Fires didn't disappoint with with its pristine waters and amazing cloud patterns whipped by the Roaring Forties. Little wonder why it was voted Best Destination by Lonely Planet in 2009.
We returned to civilization by heading to Launceston, where we checked into Adina Place Motel Apartments. Despite being called a motel, it boasts a city view of Launceston and an impressive interior. Never mind the single bathroom. Never mind that we splurged and gorged ourselves silly at Jailhouse Grill at downtown Launceston. And never mind that we had Yuting sleep in the living room. :P
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