Last days on Tassie

We spent both Christmas and New Years in Tasmania. Because of the 16 hour time difference from the US East Coast, we celebrated these holidays a day ahead of many of our friends and family. And then again the next day – when all the wishes poured in!

During our last week on Tassie we went over to Bruny Island, near Hobart, which was a feast for the eyes….

….and the stomachs….

….as the fresh seafood all over Tassie was delicious.

And there were many more opportunities for great food on Bruny.

Not far from Bruny, in the beautiful Huon Valley, we did a tasting at Pagan Cider. Tasmania is known for it’s cider, so we felt it was all part of the sight seeing, of course…

I loved their blackberry & apple cider, while Ken liked their cherry cider, both of which had an alcohol content of 8%. Tiny sips for the tasting, but we did feel we had to support the local economy by purchasing a couple of bottles.

We were lucky enough to be in Hobart for the finish of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race. It starts in Sydney on Boxing Day and the winner came into Hobart in under 43 hours while the last boat took nearly 6 days to finish.

We were there to cheer some of the boats as they came in, what a thrill that was!

But for Ken, the best part of visiting Hobart was visiting the museum honoring Australia’s famed Antarctic explorer Douglas Mawson. It is a replica of a hut that Mawson and his team lived in during their 1911-13 expedition. The original hut still exists, on the Antarctic ice.

Although I think having this young Green Rosella – a parrot native only to Tasmania – perch on his shoulder came a close second…

While for Bina, feeding kangaroos at the Unzoo was a thrill that she won’t forget for a long time!

We are sad to be leaving Tassie, and wish we had allocated more time here…but it’s off to the mainland for a couple of weeks. We will be keeping a close eye on the fires and will make sure we stay far away from them and the smoke. Luckily, there is rain in the forecast….