Tasmania - Hobart to Launceston

We arrived into Tasmania, Hobart Airport still with no idea how we were going to get around. It seems also that we picked a bit of a bad time with the Mark Webber Challenge about to happen the very next day.......However we managed to hire a luxurious Hyundai Elantra Automatic. What a wonderful car..... ;o)

Our first stop was Swansea (they were really original when naming their towns), which is a pretty little town and a nice break on the way to Coles Bay. We also stopped at 2 wineries on the way for some "free" tastings of the local tipples - mainly Rieslings & Chardonnays. From there we drove to the first National Park (after being robbed for a National Parks Pass). Freycinet National Park has some lovely walks and we opted for the most famous, a 2 hour walk to Wine Glass Bay beach and back. Pictures when we get home....

We rounded off the day with a drive up to Bicheno where we had decided to spend the night. Before bedtime though we had enough energy left for a penguin trip. The local attraction are the small & cute Fairy Penguins which take a run up the beach into the local shrubbery late every night. They are sweet little things but a bit hard to capture on camera.

From Bicheno the next day we travelled up the coast heading to the Bay of Fires for a leisurely morning beach walk along a beautiful white beach. From there we travelled on to St Columba Falls, one of the highest falls in Tasmania and then onto Derby. We were marooned for accommodation so had to press on to a little village called Branxholm and we stayed in a "traditional" pub and hotel complete with "Mick Dundee" style locals.

Our third morning was started and quickly stopped for Dean to display his mechanical skills. We had been graced by a flat tyre during the night so an unplanned 30 minutes break occurred whilst Dean swore his way through changing it. (A little Thank You to Rent-for-less for removing the owners manual and providing cars with bald spare tyres...). Soon on our way again to Legerwood where they have come magnificent carvings of their war heroes. (http://www.about-australia.com/travel-guides/tasmania/st-helens/attractions/art/legerwood-carved-memorial-trees/).

We then travelled on to Scottsdale to get our flat tyre fixed and vist the local Farmer's Show (a bit random but the logging equipment and tractors had a great deal of appeal!!). The rest of the day included Lilydale Falls and Hollybank Forest before arriving at Launceston late afternoon. We still had time to explore Cateract Gorge before heading to a local curry house for a well deserved curry.