Saturday, March 31 – A Long Day Back Home

We had a leisurely morning and checked out around 9AM. The view of Melbourne was nice

through our hotel window.

A short walk to the airport then a few minutes wait in the check-in line. Security wasn’t too bad and we were in the lounge well before 10:00. Nice breakfast offerings, and a very quiet, uncrowded lounge, as the Etihad flights weren’t until much later in the day. So we enjoyed the serenity and sipped some bubbly as we waited.

Boarding was so civilised; they came to the lounge for us and pretty much escorted us to the plane. I could get used to this!

On Board VA 23, MEL-LAX. Love the S&P shakers!

The long Transpacific flight home was a lot of fun. The staff was great, and we spent too much time at the business class bar in the back of the cabin instead of sleeping. When it finally got late, I couldn’t sleep much but eventually got a few hours. Soon it was time to land in LAX, a few hours before we’d taken off! We had crossed the International Date Line five times during the flight, but eventually gained the day for good.

The LAX experience was not nearly as nice as VA had treated us, but we knew what to expect. Once through immigration and customs, you have to leave the international terminal and walk outside to re-enter the domestic terminal for Delta, and the signage was terrible. And then security, again, but at least we had TSA Pre-Check so it was fairly quick. Back to the familiar yucky Delta lounge which was still packed, hot, and really not worth much of a stay. I hope they finish it soon.

The incoming plane for our next flight to Detroit was late, and the deplaning process took forever! Finally, we got on board and waited…and then waited some more. We only had a 50 minute layover in Detroit so hopefully they will get their act together! 

And to make things more exciting, the Delta App showed that only two of our luggage items had been loaded on the plane. I know all three were there when we went through customs. I wonder what happened, and which bag was missing?

We took off almost an hour late but they promised that we’d be nearly on-time because of a strong tailwind. The third item had never appeared so hopefully it’s just a suitcase and not the wine. We did land in Detroit with enough time to get to our next gate, and then the weather started up. It had been cloudy but there was a storm coming in – if we don’t take off on-time we might lose our chance! Is everything conspiring to keep us from getting home?

Luckily we made it before the real storm hit, and we got to Albany on-time at 9:30 PM. We picked up our two bags, and fortunately one of them was the wine. We checked in with the Delta rep in the baggage office, who said that the bag would be in tomorrow morning. So we grabbed a Lyft home and thus ended the trip.

We had some more excitement when we got home though – we’d had some workers in the house doing a paint job and putting in hardwood floors. So when we got home the rooms were totally transformed. What a beautiful job they had done! It was a great present to come home to that. The only downside is that we’ll have to move some furniture back into those rooms.

But for now, bedtime, if we can sleep. What an exciting trip it had been!

***

Epilogue one – Our luggage arrived on time the next morning, and we were able to track it through the Delta app. When we saw that the plane was close to landing, we drove to the airport (it's a 10 minute trip at most), and I dropped Chris off at the baggage claim. She went in and grabbed the bag, I made one circle around the airport, picked her up, and we were home with it in a few minutes.

Epilogue two - I was still annoyed about our Uber experience in Melbourne but the app didn't have any record of the first driver. Luckily, I remembered that I had his cell phone number in my call record. So I filed a complaint with Uber about the no-show charge, being very careful to tell them that it was not the fault of the second driver, but rather that the first driver had left us without a ride and we didn't know that the second driver was even coming. They refunded the no-show charge without any problem.

Friday, March 30 – Tasmania On Our Own

Hero Collection Kennedy, Launceston

Up for breakfast and packing, then Lisa headed out. We finished loading our stuff into the car and then grabbed a few pictures of the house / hotel that we had stayed in. Beautiful stained glass!

We drove a few miles to the other side of town, where the Cataract Gorge was our first stop. This natural gorge has been modified a little, but still has a lot of wild scenery. 

There are walking paths, gardens, a pool, and a chairlift to the other side. We started out with the chairlift, to get an overview.

This bridge spans one end of the river, on the far side of the lake.

Once you get off the chairlift, you can climb higher for an overview, or down to the bridge.

Or you can do both!

We spent some time enjoying the scenery and walking around both ends of the gorge. This part is wilder and less developed.

After Cataract Gorge, we headed north along the Tamar again, for some different stops.

 The Tamar River looks idyllic from here.

Thank You to the tourist who got a picture of both of us!

We went to a scenic viewpoint called Bradys Lookout. Apparently he was a wanted criminal whose gang camped out here, so that they could keep an eye on their pursuit. Eventually he was caught, tried, and hanged. Happy story.

Batman Bridge, Tamar River Valley, TAS

We headed over to the Batman (pronounced Bat-e-min) Bridge for up-close river views. Interesting design for a suspension bridge, with the asymmetrical placement of the single pylon.

We tried for another winery only to find that it was closed! It is Good Friday, after all. Oh well, better for us that way. Less wine to carry home.

Timber Kitchen at Velo Wines, West Tamar Highway, TAS

Then we went to lunch at one of yesterday’s wineries. We had a nice table by the window, with a gorgeous view of the vineyards and the valley.

Last sunshine for a while. City Park, Launceston, TAS

Despite our best efforts to be slow, lunch was over at 2:00, and our flight wasn’t until 5:00. We didn’t want to sit around the airport, so we went back to Launceston and sat in City Park for a while, enjoying a little more sunshine and fresh air. 

Reluctantly, we headed to the airport about 3:00 and returned the car, then checked in. We were again offered seats closer to the front; this time, in the first row behind First Class. I love how Virgin Australia has treated us this trip!

No lounge in the small Launceston Airport, but a pleasant waiting area to relax in before we went downstairs to the gate a few minutes before boarding. The gate agent (same one who checked us in) called for priority boarding and nobody moved except us. Cool! I guess we are first on!

Virgin Australia does something nice called “Happy Hour,” where on any flight departing between 5 and 7 on weekdays, they serve free drinks. So we had that for the short trip across to the mainland. Service was great, as the flight was less than half full. 

Until next time...Goodbye Tasmania

As Tasmania receded into the distance, the reality sank in – tomorrow we leave!

Landing in Melbourne was easy and then we walked across the street to our hotel. I’d booked an airport hotel (Park Royal Melbourne Airport) because I didn’t want to bother going back and forth to the city for such a short visit. After our painful experience with both Uber and Taxi, that decision looked very smart. 

The hotel was nice enough. We did some final rearranging of our packed luggage. I tried to check in for tomorrow’s flight, but the Delta app said there was a problem with our reservation. That's not what we wanted to hear.

I hoped that it was just a codeshare issue, as our first flight was with Virgin Australia, but since we were right next door we went over to the airport to check at the service desk. As I had thought, no issue at all, so that was reassuring. The staff told us to come and check in early so we could take advantage of the Etihad Lounge before boarding. There's no Virgin lounge in the International terminal, but this doesn't sound like a bad substitute at all.

We had a nice dinner at the hotel restaurant then a nightcap in our room with the last of our leave-behind wine. Now to try and get some sleep. Our flight leaves at 12:30PM, so no worries about sleeping too late, or getting to the airport on time. Should be a relaxing morning!

Thursday, March 29 – Back to Launceston

Today was, in a little way, the start of the long journey home. Though we don’t make the big trip until Saturday, we are starting to move closer and closer to the inevitable. 

Chris saying goodbye, Kingfisher Cottage, Binalong Bay

This morning we had our usual breakfast on the deck and then packed up to hit the road by 9:30.

Binalong Bay, TAS

We planned to take a different route back to Launceston today but first, a quick detour up the hill behind Lisa's cottage for a better beach view.

Then back to The Shop in the Bush so I could buy the t-shirt that I had looked at. Not for me, but for my sister, who had seen the picture and begged me to get it.

Burns Bay, TAS

Those preliminary tasks out of the way, we got back on the southern route and detoured to a peninsula on the other side of the Bay of Fire, where we enjoyed the scenery 

There are sand dunes to climb as well. We lingered for a while, enjoying the sun and sea breeze, before we had to get back into the car and leave this beautiful place.

Peron Dunes, Akaroa, TAS

Close up view, Peron Dunes. Not Namibia.

Peron Dunes

Then we settled in for the long drive back to Launceston. The southern route was flatter and less curvy than the northern route we’d taken on Monday. There were many more farms along the way as well.

I think I also had some views of my eyelids; it had been a lot of activity these past few days! Good thing Lisa was driving.

Eventually we reached the main highway, the north-south road connecting Launceston to Hobart. We headed north, through a construction zone, and made a stop at a sauce shop for a souvenir or two.

Scallop-Curry Pie, Tinnie's Pies, Launceston

In Launceston, we stopped at Tinnie’s Pies for a scallop-curry pie which was a local delicacy. It seemed small, but it was actually quite heavy and filling. 

Thus fortified, we pushed on to town where we stopped at the post office. 

We’d heard from several wineries that Australia Post sells shipping material which would work for our wine check system. It turned out that they didn’t sell the Styrofoam inserts, but they did sell a somewhat equivalent packing system using cardboard. After looking at it, I was convinced that we could make it work. So, we spent a few bucks and then went out to look for more wine, of course!

Velo Wines, West Tamar Highway, TAS

We drove northward from Launceston along the west bank of the Tamar River, and the wineries started appearing. 

Of course, they were calling to us, so we stopped in to a few. This one had a really nice looking restaurant. Too bad we are full.

View from Tamar Ridge Cellar Door 

The views of the valley were also intoxicating. Strategic purchasing was needed to keep the number of wines down to a manageable level, but we did OK and then headed back to town to settle into our overnight accommodations.

Lisa dropped me off at the Hertz downtown, so I could pick up or rental car for tomorrow, and then she and Chris headed to the hotel. It was more of a house than a hotel, and after I picked up the car and joined them they told me that there was somewhat of an issue... 

The key is in a lockbox attached to the front door, but the front gate that leads to the front door is seemingly locked! Uh oh, now what? There’s no front desk to call, and nobody at the booking agency answered Lisa’s e-mail. So, she climbed the fence into the front courtyard, retrieved the key from the lockbox, and voila, we were in!

Beautiful old house, one we were inside! Two stories, vintage furnishings, stained glass windows, a full kitchen with breakfast food provided, and adequate off-street parking. It only had one bath and we were pretty sure that it was supposed to have two, but we’ll manage. 

Downtown Launceston, TAS

So we settled in and had some time to wander the town for a bit. We needed some snack food, and appreciated the chance to stretch our legs. We walked to a grocery store across town, stopping here and there to take in the sights.

The Old Umbrella Shop, Launceston, TAS

We did a little shopping at an old-fashioned variety store.

After we returned from the foray into town, it was time to try to pack up some wine. The wines that wouldn’t be packed had been previously chilled, so they were opened in order to facilitate the process.

The post office materials were pretty robust – there was an inner cardboard packing system that supported the wine bottles, and they protected the ends of the bottles very well. Then after wrapping up two bottles individually in the inner system, you were supposed to wrap the two bottles in an exterior box that would be sturdy enough for postal shipping. 

Instead, I just put the individually wrapped bottles into the wine check case, and they fit quite well. I figured that I’d carry them on for our flight tomorrow, but the package could be checked easily enough for the international flight.

We had enjoyed our wine and snacks, but eventually we headed to dinner at a place that had been recommended by Jan. It seemed at first that they were full, but then they suddenly found us a table. The food was good, but the service was a little off, and the fumes from the open kitchen were pretty intense and a little overwhelming. Between all of that, we weren't as hungry as we had hoped, so it wasn’t as great a dinner as it could have been.

Back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep, and then we are parting ways tomorrow. Lisa drives to Hobart in the morning to fly home to Brisbane, and we have most of the day to kill before our evening flight back to Melbourne.

Wednesday, March 28 – The East Coast

Today started early! We were up in time to get a beach walk in at sunrise. Not as spectacular as it could have been, due to some clouds, but we had the beautiful beach all to ourselves. That in itself is pretty spectacular! 

First Light, at Binalong Bay, TAS

Soon, the day's first light appeared. Time to get moving! A quick breakfast at the cottage, then we were off, heading south.

We made a quick stop at the Bicheno Blowhole, but it wasn’t going very strong so we moved on. We got to Freycinet in good time but Lisa had forgotten her annual park pass. Luckily, they were able to look the information up for her, and we were in without having to pay again! We parked and got ready for the hike to the Wineglass Bay lookout.

Wineglass Bay Hike, Freycinet NP, TAS

We were hoping to get some shade on the hike, but the trees were scrubby and the shade was only partial. Still, a nice hike with views that got better and better as we climbed higher. And the absence of tree cover made for better pictures.

We had to wait for a wallaby to get out of our way at one point.

Wineglass Bay Overlook and Freycinet Peninsula

Then we crested the hill and the gorgeous panorama awaited us. Wow, what a view!

Time for pictures. And also some cooling down, after that climb. 

Narrow inlet to Wineglass Bay

We thought about hiking down to the actual beach, but decided that the view was good enough, and besides, we had lots of other stuff to do. 

So back down to the car, and time for lunch. 

On the way to lunch, we took a detour to the Cape Tourville Lighthouse. That was a gorgeous view, with cliffs and the blue waters of the Tasman Sea as far as the eye could see.

Cape Tourville. Next stop, New Zealand, in 1000 km

We stopped off for lunch at a fish market, the Freycinet Marine Farm. Luckily, we pulled in just ahead of a large tour bus. We were glad that we didn’t have to wait in line behind them. After a nice scallop dish and some wine, we were ready for more touring. 

Or wine tasting. Whichever came first, and it was Devil’s Corner Cellar Door that won out. They had a nice view from the observation tower on their property. And, a delicious Pinot Noir which we bought.

Observation Tower, Devil's Corner Cellar Door

A quick shopping stop where we bought a souvenir – a glass dolphin to join the many other animals on our shelf in the living room. That’s usually the only type of souvenirs we buy; otherwise, we’d have a house that’s even more full of stuff that we never use. 

Bicheno Blowhole, Bicheno, TAS

One more stop at the blowhole, but still not as impressive as Lisa thought it should be. 

So it’s off to see animals.

We got to East Coast Nature Reserve with plenty of time, so we wandered around seeing a few exhibits before it was devil feeding time. 

Quoll at East Coast Natureworld, Bicheno, TAS

First the quolls. They were very cute, but they ate like vicious killers. Yet they were docile when the handlers picked them up.

Tasmanian Devil at East Coast Natureworld, Bicheno, TAS

Then the Tasmanian devils - the highlight event. They knew it was feeding time!

We think Tasmanian Devils are adorable. But you would not catch me in that pen with them. Those jaws are powerful and they really chow down!

We moved on to the wombats, which were cute and cuddly. 

And finally, the wallabies, which were relatively boring, but you could pet them. 

Bouncing Wallaby at East Coast Natureworld

A nice park and worth the stop.

From here it was an hour’s drive back home, where we relaxed on the balcony with more wine and good company. Robbie and Jan joined us and eventually we decided that we needed a little more food than just cheese. So we grabbed some pizzas from the restaurant next door, which were cooked in their wood-fired oven, and we enjoyed them on the deck. With more wine, of course.

Last Night at Kingfisher Cottage

Our stash is finally getting manageable, though we do have one more night to drink some. I have brought two wine checks so that we could safely bring wine home, but I didn’t bring the Styrofoam inserts in order to save space. This has proven a bit tricky, as nobody seems to sell the inserts. We are crafty though, and we’ll think of something.

Tomorrow we leave for Launceston. We had planned to stay at the cottage for the whole time, but Lisa rents out her cottage on the side. Since it’s Easter Weekend, someone has it booked starting tomorrow. So we’ll overnight in Launceston before flying back to the mainland on Friday. I don’t want to think about what comes after that!