Adventures of NaDave: NaDave Aussie: 22-26 (Tasmania) part 1

So what I forgot to mention in the last email regarding our first camping experience...was that Nadine & I each woke up to a completely flat air mattress (maybe thats why we looked so great in that picture!) So the Tues/Wed before Tassie included Dave taking a trip to KMart & Nadine heading to a book store to get a 'Lonely Planet Tasmania Book' (The Australia Book from Tanya & Manny had only a small section on Tassie...so we needed a 2nd resource!).

(Also, oddly, KMart & Aldi are big in Melbourne. I thought KMart was gone for good!). And one more thing...Tassie is pronounced "Tazzy"

Day 22 (Thurs)

We traveled with one checked bag (containing sleeping bags, tent, KMart air rafts, camping gear, & our clothes) and we each had a carry-on. We flew with JetStar, and their checked bag policy is that you pre-pay by weight for your checked bag. So we paid for 20kg...and we came in at 19.5kg! (Man are we good!) We left our carry-ons light, knowing that we would bring home gifts/souvenirs.

Nadine got to the airport via a direct Bus from Geelong. She arrived at 630p. Dave meanwhile got a free ride from his housemate (bc he lives only 20 mins from the airport). That saved him about $40 for a cab ride, so that was a huge favor!

So we were standing in the security line at 650p for our 740p flight (boarding at 710p)...and we were a bit nervous. However in Aussie, there really is no airport security (compared to the US), so we got through security super quick and, get this, never once did we have to show ID! It was wonderful! We also found a funny sign in the airport regarding Nadine's carry-on bag (see pic).

When we landed in Hobart...we divided and conquered...Dave got the rental car & Nadine got the luggage...and we were on the road by 915p. Our first stop was a grocery store that closed at 10p! We snuck in, got what we needed, and then got out. We then decided to drive down to the Fortescue Bay campgroundin Tasman Nat Park, as this would put us in great position for our Friday plans. We got in late, around 12p, but quickly setup our tent...and were officially settled in Tassie!!!!

High Sierra Bag

Day 23 (Fri)

We awoke on Friday morning to an early sun & an amazing sound of soft, crashing waves. It was Fortescue Bay..and it was beautiful! We were both up by 6am (bc we were so excited) and took a nice relaxing walk along the beach. By being unable to see anything at night...and then an "unveiling" of everythingin the morning, it made the scenery of Tassie so awesome!

When then took off for Remarkable Cave & Port Arthur Historic Site. We had the Cave to ourselves, and it was pretty cool to hear the rumble of the ocean as it echoed throughout the cave. We then got to Port Arthur and took a tour of the grounds. This is one of the places where prisoners from England would land in Aussie back in the 1800s. It was known for being one of the worst places for living conditions (you can read about it online)

We then headed to see some Tasmanian Devils! There aren't many in the wild, so you have to head to a conservatory. We got there just in time for a feeding...and saw two devils go crazy on a carcass. When they eat, they eat everything! Meat, Fat, Bones & Fur. And they also make a pretty intimidating snarl when they eat. Unfortunately, there was no spinning around, and no sign of Bugs, Daffy, nor Yosemite Sam.

It was then off to the Northeast coast of Tasman National Park...we did about 3 hrs of hiking...and the coast is jaw-dropping. The views & coastal islands look fake. It may have been my favorite (and most unexpected part of the day). From there we drove into Hobart, setup camp just outside of town, and then caught a bus into town to check the nightlife. We hit up a couple pubs, and adistillery for a whiskey sampler. The "highlight" of the night was our 'happy' selves missing the bus connection back to camp...long story short we took a cab home for a reasonable price (ha, oops!).