Tasmania Photo Diary

Our Route: Covering over 600 miles during our week in Tasmania

Bicheno 

Wallabies in Wineglass Bay

Wineglass Bay

'Fairy' Penguin Spotting in Bicheno: The smallest in the world at 30cm tall!

Bay of Fires Beauty

Cradle Mountain

Cradle Mountain: Avoiding snakes as we hiked Dove Lake

Uncontrolled Bush Fires made for a tense week

Sheffield Mural Town

Convict Bridge

Hobart

Whiskey Tasting....*hic*

The Harbour

Our Magical Mountain Nest

Sunrise from our bed in the mountain nest - Heaven!

Making friends with the other residents of the Mountain Nest

Exploring the Markets

Creepy MONA

Bruny Island

 Climbing the Headland

The Sand Spit

Topping up on aphrodisiac Oysters

Hello Echidna!

Grapes, Vines and All Things Wine: Mt. Tambourine

With a treasure trove of wineries nestled in the green countryside so close to Brisbane, we couldn’t resist a visit to the picturesque Tambourine Mountain.  

 

Mt. Tambourine Distillery

 

Our first stop was somewhere a little different: Mt. Tambourine Distillery. A kitsch wooden cabin, stacked high with tantalising flavoured vodkas, whiskeys and liqueurs in mysterious medicinal-style glass bottles. It was like entering Santa’s grotto for adults! Greeted with a lemongrass vodka shot at 10am definitely woke me up ready for the day ahead, za zda-ro-vye!

The Grotto

 

We made our way to the wineries next. First up was the much anticipated, award winning Witch’s Falls. We had already been lucky enough to receive a bottle as a gift from friends, which had been delicious, so we couldn’t wait to try more. Winding our way through the vines in the garden, we indulged in numerous tastings, before purchasing a bottle of the woody, buttery Viognier. I can’t wait to pair this with some seafood.

 

Witch's Falls Winery

Fill it up!

 

Lunch was enjoyed at Mason wines, al fresco amongst the vines and the chatter of tropical parrots, overlooking the mountains. Wine tasting here was in an amazing room stacked high with hundreds of wine bottles, adding a vintage feel to the experience.

Mason Wines

Lining the stomach

 

The next winery was Cedar Creek, where you simply chose ‘Sweet or Dry?’ for each tasting, before enjoying a chocolate ‘Baileys’ style liqueur for ‘dessert’. *Hic* In high spirits, we made our final stop at Mt. tambourine Brewery and Cheese Factory; gorging on delicious cheese and supping local brews whilst enjoying live music. A great way to end the day!

Cheers!

 

 

Feeling slightly weary the morning after, we blew away the cobwebs by going for a walk around D’Aguilar National Park. We relished the cool, fresh air as we strolled around the lake, scattered with beautiful yellow water lilies.

D'Aguilar National Park

 

However, the temperature and humidity soon started to soar, so we ducked into the forest café for coffee and cake as wallabies hopped past.

 

Now to fire up the barbie and crack open the Viognier…

Oz versus UK: Things I'll Miss....

With less than a month left working down under, it’s got me thinking what I’ll miss about Oz when I leave and what I’ve missed about the UK…

Aussie Sunset

Things I’ll miss about Oz

• The fact that every day that I’m not on work, I’m ON HOLIDAY. So much fun!
• The Weather - Blue sky never gets boring. And I haven’t missed wet feet and frizzy hair from rain.
• Great Barrier Reef - A once in a lifetime amazing experience that I’ll cherish forever.
• Forgetting what socks are (and coats) - I found a pair of socks stuffed at the back of my wardrobe the other day gathering cobwebs. Flip flops forever.

Great Barrier Reef

• Public Transport - Involves catching rays on the top deck of a ferry when commuting to the city centre, bliss.
• Avocados - Soooooo delicious out here.
• Mangos - Even more juicy and delicious.
•  Al fresco dining - Really going to miss enjoying a delicious meal and glass of bubbles in the twilight warmth of the outdoors….without a coat!
• Local wildlife - It’s amazing to see all the unique wildlife here, like kangaroos, koalas and kookaburras, as well as all the stunning marine life – turtles, rays, dolphins and whales everywhere you look!
• The Beaches: Of all the places I’ve visited in the world, Australia’s beaches really are the most beautiful to me. Soft golden sand and the most turquoise water I’ve ever laid hands on, it even beats Hawaii!

Queensland Coastline

 

 

Welsh Waterside

Things I’ve missed about the UK

• Cheese - Yes, they do some good cheese out here, but it’s hard to find, and doesn’t quite cut it like back home, despite their efforts.
• Pints - Most pubs serve ‘schooners’; a measly half measure that is an insult to the pint. We’ve found the solution is to buy 2 at a time.
• Green - One advantage to our wet UK weather is it makes everything so beautifully GREEN. Everything has a yellow tinge to it in Oz, and just looks a bit sorry for itself. I never thought I’d hear myself say that I’d miss the smell of freshly cut grass, but I do. I’m looking forward to some green scenery when we visit Tasmania in South Australia.
• Christmas - It was such a novelty having a seafood bbq on the beach for Christmas, but I did miss wrapping up warm and wandering the Christmas markets with a glass of mulled wine in my hand, gobbling on roasted chestnuts.
• UK Fashion - The clothes suck here. And I'm SERIOUSLY missing Primark. ‘Nuff said.

British Coastline

• Winter walks along Whales’ beautiful coastline - But I’m happily contenting myself with summer walks along beautiful beaches instead.
• Seasons - I'm missing the beautiful daffodils and cute little lambs in the fields come spring.
• Magazines - Missing all the girlie mags. Nothing beats UK magazines.
• TV - Okay, so I don’t miss it much because we’ve been so busy exploring whenever we have free time, but I’m salivating at the thought of binge watching 6 months of Hollyoaks on catch-up when I fly home.
• Boots (the shop) - Every girls skincare and cosmetic dream, ’Priceline Pharmacy’ just doesn’t deliver the goods here in Oz I’m afraid. I can’t bear thinking about how many loyalty points I’m missing out on!

British Beaches

Are you team Brit or Aussie?

Kayaking, Koalas and Kampai: Visiting Noosa

With cute accommodation and a top restaurant booked, itinerary sorted and beach clothes packed, we jumped into our hire car and drove up the Queensland coast to Noosa for a couple of days.

Hello Mr Pelican

 

We arrived at the upscale town and enjoyed some delicious oysters and bubbles at a lovely restaurant on the beach, a stone’s throw from the golden sand and crashing waves. A heavenly welcome!

 

Beach and bubbles

 

Tempura Oysters!

 

 

The temperature soared to 30 degrees in the afternoon, so we pottered around the swish boutique shops, before picking up some fresh seafood to make a linguine dinner in our ‘Little Rum River Shack’ airbnb.

Exploring Noosa River

 

The next day, we went kayaking along the tranquil waterway of Noosa River. We paddled past flocks of Pelicans and tropical mangroves, deciding which of the million pound homes we would live in on the water’s edge. I’ll take the one with the infinity pool and private pontoon complete with ‘his and hers’ jet skis, thanks!

Noosa's Riverside Pads

 

Despite Dom doing most of the paddling, my arms were still killing me afterwards, so I was in the mood for a big lunch! We packed up a delicious picnic and ate it at Laguna lookout, with panoramic views over Noosa. The swirl of the river winding its way through the sandy islands creates an almost watercolour effect. One of the best views I’ve ever enjoyed with an alfresco picnic!

Picnic Paradise

 

After lunch, we walked around the headland in Noosa National Park. An absolute treat spotting mother and baby wild turtles swimming in the turquoise water, and a koala snuggled up having a snooze in the eucalyptus above us.

Noosa National Park

 

Dinner was at top waterside restaurant Wasabi. A seven course tasting menu full of Japanese delights, complete with the sommelier serving us matching sakes and wines personalised to our taste buds. Kampai! A great end to an amazing few days.

Sunset

 

Underwater Wonderland: The Great Barrier Reef

This was THE trip I’d been waiting for since coming to Australia. Finally, we were off to explore the Great Barrier Reef! We’d chosen the idyllic Lady Elliot, a tiny island on the Reef’s Southern tip which looks like something out of a fairy tale.

Lady Elliot in all its beauty

 

The trip started in style as we flew in a mini aeroplane up the Queensland Coast, across Fraser Island, towards our destination. Suddenly, we could see it in the distance; the island glimmering in all its glory in the sunlight! A bumpy arrival on their makeshift runway and we had arrived in our home for the next few nights.

Arriving in style

 

We couldn’t wait to get snorkelling, and were in the sea within one hour of arriving. The beauty of this place is that you can snorkel straight off the beach and you are instantly surrounded by reef, teaming with marine life.

The Lagoon

 

What a treat! I can’t describe how jaw-droppingly beautiful it was. Magical mountains of coral were bursting with fish spanning all colours of the rainbow. We swam alongside leisurely giant turtles, friendly reef sharks and majestic manta rays, spanning 3 metres, who were having a spa session at the Lighthouse Bommies (i.e. getting nibbled by little fish to get themselves clean!). We also spotted giant stingrays and the aquatic emblem of Queensland; the giant grouper fish. I was later told that this character eats sharks for lunch, glad I didn’t know that at the time!

Off for a snorkel

 

It was such a surreal, exciting experience. When we managed to tear ourselves out of the water for a few hours we explored the island by foot. The stretches of beach were beautiful, with coral of all shapes and sizes rather than sand beneath your feet. Again, it didn’t look real!

 

Lunch was another delight, with the restaurant looking out over the lagoon. I couldn’t ask for a better view to enjoy my lunch and a cool drink during the midday sun. Sooooo relaxing.

Lunch at the Lagoon

 

After a long day, we enjoyed sunset before tucking up in our cute little eco-lodge for the night. There are currently 200,000 migratory birds using little Lady Elliot as their home for breeding season. Cue ear plugs at night to drown out their busy chatter!



Eco-cabins

 

 

The two nights flew by in a blur of snorkelling, snorkelling and more snorkelling, each time spotting something new. We were so sad to leave this fairy tale island. With no phone reception or internet, it was like the outside world didn’t exist and I wanted to stay there forever!

Unfortunately, night shifts are calling so it's back to the grind for now...

 

Sunset on the island

 

The Gold Coast: Seafood, Springbrook and Sunshine

Bank holiday weekend and we were off to the Gold Coast to visit friends. Spring is well underway, and I’m noticing the difference; the humidity is rising along with the temperature with days often hitting 30 degrees!

Springbrook National Park

 

After arriving in sunny Coolangatta, we spent the day at Springbrook National Park in the Hinterland. Already missing the smell of freshly cut grass since moving from the UK, it was such a treat to be walking through lush green forested mountains enveloping the old Tweed Shield volcano. The panoramic views were phenomenal!

Don't Look Down! Springbrook views

Whilst enjoying lunch, some beautiful Rosella birds stopped by to showcase their vibrant feathers. A trail walk took us to the stunning Purling Brook waterfall, at over 100m high. Hoping across stepping stones, we spotted freshwater crayfish in the water. At one point Joni thought she saw a snake and made us all jump out of our skin; luckily a false alarm and just a creepy looking lizard!

Dinner was a delicious seven course seafood tasting menu at an ocean side restaurant, with views of the twinkling Surfers Paradise skyline. It was also my first time actually enjoying raw oysters rather than grimacing (Of course, I cheated by loading them with lemon juice and tabasco).

 

 

 

The next day was a relaxed stroll along Brunswick Heads, enjoying the Sculpture festival dotted along the beach, full of quirky contemporary art pieces. Sunbathing and having a dip in the warm turquoise sea made for a lazy afternoon. A great weekend!

Brunswick Heads

 

Whale Watching and a Flight to Remember: Hervey Bay & Fraser Island

After a week of night shifts, we were feeling exhausted but excited to be off on another road trip adventure: up the coast to Hervey Bay, for Humpback whale watching and a visit to World Heritage listed Fraser Island.

Sunset in Hervey Bay

 

Whale Watching

Up early to watch the whales on their annual migration to Antarctica, we met with some friends and were full of anticipation as the boat sped away from shore into the bay. Soon we spotted a group of whales breeching (or jumping out of the water to you and me) in the distance. As we approached, a couple of inquisitive whales came right over to the boat to say hello. What the guides fondly called being ‘mugged’. It was exhilarating to have wild whales weighing 40 tonnes coming so close that you could almost touch them! They looked beautifully majestic in the water as they swan past us, tail slapping, waving their fins and cheekily poking their noses out of the water. We were lucky enough to spot a mother with her calf, the youngster hitching a ride on her back, before mum rolled over to cuddle the baby with her fin, so cute!

Back on dry land, we spent the afternoon walking down Urangan Pier, the longest in Australia at nearly 1km long. Here, pelicans were diving for their lunch, whilst fishermen were hoping to catch something for dinner. In the evening, we enjoyed some delectable local seafood and cocktails at a restaurant along the esplanade.

Urangan Pier

 

The next day we caught the ferry over to Fraser Island. The largest sand island in the world, extending 500m below sea level and containing more sand than the Sahara Desert! With no paved roads, we jumped onto a 4x4 coach and enjoyed the bumpy ride along the dunes to our first stop; Central station and a walk through the peaceful forest.

Lake Mackenzie.
Yes, the water really was that colour! #no filter

 

Next up was a dip in Lake Mackenzie, where I have never seen water so crystal clear. Absolute bliss! After lunch, we drove up the stunning 75 mile beach on the East coast of the Island. It was so surreal to be driving along this ‘designated highway’, with the waves of the Pacific licking our wheels!

Dom in Heaven!

 

Our trip wouldn’t have been complete without taking a scenic flight over the Island. Clambering aboard a ‘toy’ plane with only 7 seats, I was slightly apprehensive as we took off from a comical makeshift beach runway, but the views were breath taking. The ‘bird’s eye’ views of freshwater lakes, Maheno shipwreck and the shoreline were lust-worthy.  

Up, Up and Away!

 

Shattered after an action packed day, we cosied up inside our comfy wooden cabin for dinner. Another fun adventure, full of memories I will hold forever.

Eerie Maheno Shipwreck