Ahh, there it is again...beautiful 7 mile beach. Oh how I will miss it!
I fell in love with the clouds in Tassie!
On St. Patrick's day, I met up with Saskia, the Dutch woman from the second tour I went on, along with the French couple and the Aussie tour guide. We met up at Irish Murphy's Pub in Salamanca Place and I had a pint of Bulmer's Irish cider! That was my favorite drink when I lived in Dublin! As they say in Ireland, we had a grand time.
This obviously wasn't my drink (Guinness=Gross....in my opinion), but I loved the shamrock!
James, Stacy, and I also went on a ghost tour at Port Arthur one dark and scary Friday evening. Port Arthur is Australia's largest remaining convict settlement. From 1830 - 1877, over 12,000 male convicts were transferred there from Britain to serve their sentence. That was when Tasmania was known as Van Diemens land!
We didn't actually see any ghosts, at least not that we are aware of, but there are countless stories of both Port Arthur staff and visitors experiencing various sightings and ghost interactions. At one point, Stacy and I had ourselves convinced that the tall, elderly gentleman in the back of the crowd with stark white hair was the ghost of the minister that the tour guide was speaking of at that very moment (we were in the minister's house). Yeah, we were wrong....he was part of the group; we just hadn't seen him before. At least we didn't make a scene or anything...we just whispered back and forth about it. :) At Port Arthur, they investigate any ghost experience that a person has and in many cases, they have been able to identify the ghost that someone has described in great detail as one of the historic residents of the colony. Many of the stories are pretty spooky! Whether you believe in ghosts or not, the ghost tour is a good thrill!
The last time we were here as a family, we also went to Port Arthur....during the day. It was really incredible seeing all the ruins and exploring what life would've been like for the convicts. Here's a few pictures from our visit 3 years ago.
We didn't actually see any ghosts, at least not that we are aware of, but there are countless stories of both Port Arthur staff and visitors experiencing various sightings and ghost interactions. At one point, Stacy and I had ourselves convinced that the tall, elderly gentleman in the back of the crowd with stark white hair was the ghost of the minister that the tour guide was speaking of at that very moment (we were in the minister's house). Yeah, we were wrong....he was part of the group; we just hadn't seen him before. At least we didn't make a scene or anything...we just whispered back and forth about it. :) At Port Arthur, they investigate any ghost experience that a person has and in many cases, they have been able to identify the ghost that someone has described in great detail as one of the historic residents of the colony. Many of the stories are pretty spooky! Whether you believe in ghosts or not, the ghost tour is a good thrill!
James was SO scared he didn't want to open his eyes!
Stacy is frightened by what we are about to see next!
This is the separate prison, reserved for the worst offenders. It had an eerie feeling to it, especially at night.
The last time we were here as a family, we also went to Port Arthur....during the day. It was really incredible seeing all the ruins and exploring what life would've been like for the convicts. Here's a few pictures from our visit 3 years ago.
View of Port Arthur from a boat.
This is the church, which was really awesome during the day yet rather freaky at night!
The evening after our ghost tour, James and Stacy took me out to Francisco's, a Spanish tapas restaurant in Hobart. Everything was incredibly delicious! We decided that a tapas restaurant is a perfect dining fit for me because the slower you eat, the better, since you have to wait a bit for the next tapas to come. I like eating food in smaller portions anyway, so that also contributed to the good fit. And, I didn't have to feel like I had to hurry! (You people who scarf your food down have no idea the kind of pressure you put on us slow eaters!) ;)
My outfit even looks Spanish (I didn't plan that)! The dress is one of my purchases from the market in Salamanca!
We are family! (and that makes me so happy!)
Stacy about to eat one of the giant prawns (shrimp). They were sooooo yummy!
Our night at out Francisco's was fantastic! We had tasty wine, delicious food, and plenty of laughs! We headed home with rosy cheeks, smiling faces, and very satisfied tummies.
To finish off our already fabulous weekend, we headed off on an adventure cruise to beautiful Bruny Island. The first boat we were on was called the Peppermint II. It was a very relaxing cruise.
It was windy on the top deck!
They gave us these huge coats to wear for the adventure cruise and believe me, we needed them! It was really windy and cold on the speedy jet boat!
The scenery was just incredible everywhere we went!
One of the many little cave entries we saw.
It was really cool to watch the water build up against and under the rocks....then it would just spit it all back out!
Rainbow!
The speedy boat made the waves so choppy!
And just look at all the seals! There were tons....it was incredible!
Don't they just look so regal?
Just chillin' in the sun. I LOVE seals!
On the way back to Hobart.
As I've said, the cruise was awesome. We were even served a gourmet lunch of salmon, salad, etc. with wine, different types of cheeses, and fudge for dessert. Now, that is the way to be a tourist!
Before leaving Hobart, I also cycled down Mount Wellington which was really cool. That was my first true mountain biking experience....it was actually pretty scary at times, especially on the really rough terrain. I never flew over my handlebars, but came close. It was very exhilarating.
Well that concludes my adventures in Hobart. I had a wonderful time there and I've fallen in love with Tassie. It is just beautiful. As I often tell people, it really is Australia's best kept secret! I loved spending time with James and Stacy as well...they made me feel so welcome and comfortable in their home. Oh, and Stacy is a really good cook so we had yummy dinners every night. I do believe I've left my mark on the house as well since I helped James build the retaining wall. It is finished now...it looks awesome and oh so professional! So thank you James and Stacy and thank you Hobart! I will be back again for sure! :)
Aussie Fact of the Day: Tasmania has the largest lavender farm in the world! http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/interesting-facts-about-tasmania-2909.html
To see more photos from my last days in Tassie, go to http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2034601&id=177500204&l=40599145b5
To see more photos from my last days in Tassie, go to http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2034601&id=177500204&l=40599145b5
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