Reflections on the Australia 2019 Trip

This trip went really well. It was a good length because we concentrated our time in Melbourne and Tasmania.
 
Some things that worked well:

• Starting the road trip in Launceston. This really helped get used to driving on the other side of the road. The easy pace of life and no traffic was great for both driving and navigating.
• The mix of accommodations. We did two nights in a cheap hotel, five nights in an apartment, 2 nights in a fancy lodge, 3 nights in an apartment hotel, and 3 nights in a well-located Marriott. Having access to a washer or a washer and dryer for half the trip really helped keep our suitcases small and light.
• We did one big  excursion per location. This helped us see a lot, but also have relaxed days the other days. Most days we didn't leave our accommodations until 11 am or noon.
• Melbourne: Great Ocean Road
• Launceston: Bay of Fires tour
• Frecyinet: Oyster Farm experience
• Hobert: Tasman Island cruise and Port Arthur.
• Exchange money in advance - We estimated we'd need about US$100 per day in cash. We were right and it worked out really well.
• I recently applied for a new Chase credit card with no foreign transaction fees and the "tap" feature where you just tap it to the machine to pay. That worked really well.

Things we'd do differently:

• Pick the best flight not the best deal. We decided to fly to Australia because we got a deal alert. That started the wheels turning. It ended up that this meant two stops each way. Next time, we'll look at all the flight options and then decide what's the best value.
• Fly Economy - We upgraded our seats to Economy Plus. I'm not sure the extra leg room was worth the price. Planes with a Premium Economy cabin are a much better value.
• No apartment rental. We much preferred staying in an apartment hotel to renting an individual apartment.

Next Trip Down Under
 On our next trip, we'd like to explore the Brisbane area and potentially add on a trip to Christmas Island, Fiji and  cruise around New Zealand to see fjords. We could also easily go back to Launceston, Tasmania and spend more time exploring Cradle Mountain and the Tamar Valley wine region.

11.23.19 Exploring Fitzroy Neighborhood

Today we decided to do what I like to call a bartender scavenger hunt. We start at a cool bar and then ask the bartender for a recommendation for the next bar. It's pretty fun.

We had a late start since it was a working morning. We headed Cutler & Co for a fancy lunch. It was delicious. You got three entrees (appetizers), a main course, dessert, and three glasses of wine for $135.

We then headed down the street. We found a cute coffee shop called Gabriel, but it didn't have the right vibe.

Then, we found Rooks. It was a perfect start. The bartenders were friendly. The drinks were good.

 

Rooks recommended Shady Lady. Shady Lady wasn't quite open yet so we went to the Irish bar next door. That was a treat. Frankie, the bartender, was from Dublin. She told us all about the regular customers who are all from Ireland and how this pub had become their home away from home. I also go to introduce Glenn to a gin I really liked in Ireland: Gunpowder. If you happen to be in Melbourne on a Sunday night, this is a great spot for Irish music.

 

Shady Lady opened. The Rooks bartender was right. They have a great cocktail list. We had Earl Grey Tom Collins. The bartender was really sweet. We talked a lot about travel. We also tried their signature tequila shot that came with a shot of juice made from mint and jalapeno and a few other ingredients. It's delicious.

 

 

She recommended the Black Pearl since it's consistently ranked one of the best cocktail bars in Australia. It was really fun. They keg some of their cocktails. I haven't seen that before. The bartenders were so fun!

 

 

They recommended the Standard Hotel for an old school Australia vibe, Bar Frankie because of it's all Australia menu and Above Beyond for a small speakeasy type bar. We made it to Standard and called it a night. The Standard had an old fashioned dark bar with lots of taxidermy and old timer regulars on the inside and a lovely beer garden on the outside.

 

 

11.22.19 Travel Day - 11.23.19 Glenn's Day of Fun

November 22nd was a travel day. We headed from Hobart to Melbourne. When we got to Melbourne, we checked in and then headed to a rooftop bar and restaurant. We had a couple drinks upstairs and then had dinner downstairs at Bomba. It was unremarkable except for an excellent corn on the cob.

November 23rd was Glenn's Day of Fun. Glenn does a great job figuring out a fun day of stops. We had a late start around noon since it was a working morning. We visited all different bars and restaurants.

Lunch was a traditional pub lunch at Elephant and Wheelbarrow.

 Then we headed up to Good Heavens rooftop bar.

 

 This was my favorite rooftop bar of all the ones we visited. It was open air, had a great cocktail list, and look at this wallpaper:

 

 Next stop was AER - it's advertised as a rooftop bar, but really more enclosed. It had a special - a carafe of cocktail for $20.00. That was a steal. The Australian Dollar exchanges at about $0.70 to the US Dollar, but the prices here are about 30% higher so it all evens out.

 
We made an impromptu stop at Mountain Magic. I had a good time watching the prep chef make spring rolls and the kitchen staff all joke around.

Then we headed to Harley House This place is terrific. The food was fantastic. The wine, beer and cocktails list is fun. Definitely a must visit.

 
These scallops were terrific. One of the best balanced dishes I've had.

 

 Glenn remembered some people from the Long Lunch at Cromy recommended Eau de Vivre. The entrance is a nondescript door and it has some flair cocktails. The cocktails were decent. It's a lot of hype, but still worth a visit.

 
 We ended the day at the Noodle Night Market - an outdoor food festival. I had soufflé pancakes and something called a Puffle. It was fun to see so many people out enjoying the good food and weather.

11.21. 19 Day of Fun in Hobart

This was a working morning so we headed out around 11 am.

First stop: Franklin Park. It was 80 degrees. Don't worry it dropped down to 60 degrees by the end of the day.

 

 Then we headed to the Tasmania Museum and Art Gallery. It was a bit eclectic. I was uncomfortable with the amount of taxidermy. The best exhibit was an artist who each day drew a native Australian animal and then erased it. The pile of erasure shavings on the floor reminded me of the elaborate sand sculptures that Buddhist monks create and then blow away.
 

 

For lunch, we went to McHugo's. I'll let Glenn cover that one. The bartender was very friendly and enjoyed chatting about beer with us.  She was the first person who asked us about Trump.

 

We went to Lark Distillery for a whiskey and gin tasting. I love the gin scene here. So many choices. I also tried to help the staff rearrange the furniture design. That was less successful.

 

 

 At lunch, we decided on a whim to head to MONA - The Museum of Old and New. They have a ferry you can ride from downtown.

 
Of course, we upgraded to the "Posh Pit' VIP area for some snacks and wine. The 20 minute ride was very comfortable.

 
I really don't know how to describe MONA. It's wonderful and imaginative. It's like a Modern Art Museum combined with really interesting bars and restaurants combined with unique experiences.

 

 This is one of the walk through displays. We also walked into an exhibit that ended in a small room connected to the outside so we could talk to people walking by, but no one could see each other. One display even recreated the digestive system. It poops at 2 pm every day.

 

 Here's Glenn outside the Wine and Beer Tasting Bar with a Moo Brew tasting.

 

We took the ferry back and then headed to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. 

11.20.19 Cruise of Tasman Island and visit to Port Arthur

It's time for another all day tour! Even though we "hired" (rented) a car, we still booked a couple all day tours to give Glenn a break from driving. Plus we learn more on the tours.

This tour took us down the coast. We had great views of Mount Wellington and the coast line. We stopped for morning tea at the Port Arthur Lavender Farm. The scones were delicious. So delicious that Glenn packed away two in his pockets. If he starts carrying around Tupperware, I'll be staging an intervention.

 

Then it was time to board our boat:

 

 





 

After lots of warnings about strong winds, bumps, required seatbelts, and the distribution of ginger tablets to prevent seasickness, we were off. It was super windy and bumpy and so much fun.

 

It was incredible to see the cliffs from the water. We learned how the cliffs with horizontal lines were formed as sediment pilled up and then was under pressure from glaciers.

 

 

The cliffs with the vertical lines were formed by magna pushing up to the Earth's cruise and is some of the hardest material in the world.

 

 

 

We also  had a little wildlife viewing. It was fun to watch the seals play in the water.

 

 

The big adventure of the day was when a fellow boat captain discovered a super pod of dolphins. Our Captain estimated that over 1,000 dolphins were in the water around us. They swam right next to the boat and jumped around. It was incredible:

 

 







We also circumnavigated Tasman Island.

At one time, three families lived here. To get to the their home, they'd pull up their boat to a rocky cliff. A rope and basket was lowered. They'd climb into the basket and then be lifted up. Once up there, they'd sit on a seat attached to a track and then they'd ride up the mountain backwards pulled by a wench. I don't think I'd leave.

After the boat tour, we headed to the Port Arthur historic site. Glenn's scone came in handy.

This was a convict site where prisoners from England who had reoffended were held. They would do hard labor clearing timber. The site is huge and we only got a peek. It's very grim to know that English committed genocide to clear this land of the native people. Then, they sent people convicted of crimes of poverty - usually stealing food - to work here for years. If the convicts survived the boat journey, they'd be sentenced to hard labor. Once they completed their sentence, they'd have to find a job to pay their way back to England.

 

We headed back to Hobart. We visited Preachers Beer Bar where extra seating is available in a bus.

 

 

 

We had a lovely time at The Whaler. The bartenders were so friendly. We  loved chatting about beer and gin with them.

 

 

11.19.19 Oyster Farm, Vineyard, and welcome to Hobart

This morning started with delight. At the Lodge, you can choose between dining in the restaurant for dinner or having a "hamper" delivered to your room. This morning, we chose the hamper and it was magical.

 

 

It was filled with yogurt, granola, fruit, rolls, pastries, butter, jam, meats, cheese, juice, and milk plus plates and bowls. We couldn't get over how nice it was. Of course we ate it all on the deck.

 

Check out is 10 am so we booked the Freycinet Oyster Farm Experience through Oyster Bay Tours for 10:00 am. This was such a great experience. We headed out to an oyster farm and got into the water to see how it all worked.

 

 

We even got to sample the oysters right in the water. Then, we headed back to dry land for more oysters, a shucking lesson, and to sample the mussels.

 

 

 

The owner started harvesting mussels when he noticed that mussels were growing naturally on the ropes that held the oysters in the bay. 

Back at the shop, we also tried Sea urchin. I'll let Glenn tell you about that on his blog. Spoiler Alert: It was not my favorite.

Then, we hit the road toward Hobart. We made one stop at Freycinet Vineyards. We met a nice couple from nearby and their guest from New Zealand.

Glenn did an awesome job driving. We passed farm lands, forests, coast lines, cliffs and rivers and then navigated through the city to our Apartment Hotel.

We enjoyed a happy hour with local beers, wines and spirits at Cascade Bar at the hotel. We also tried New Brunswick Hotel for a beer. We stocked up on water and breakfast food at Woolworths and then headed back to the hotel to do laundry and call it an early night.

11.18.19 Wineglass Bay

Today kicked off with the  included breakfast at the Lodge. It was very good.
 
Then, we headed over to Saffire - an all inclusive resort so I could meet with the Sales Manager and take a peek around.
 

 

 



The resort is stunning.

 

After that, we drove up the narrow, winding roads to the Lighthouse. 

 

 

 

Then, we hiked to the Wineglass Bay Lookout. I have to be honest. I tried everything in my power to avoid that hike. I looked into the 3 hour coastal cruise, but the timing didn't work. I booked us on the Aqua Taxi that drops you at a nearby beach so you don't have to climb over the really big hill to see Wineglass Bay. It was cancelled.

 

So up to the Lookout we went.

 

 

It's a 3 km moderate hike. You head uphill for about 45 minutes to get to this view.

 

 

 

Then back down in around 30 minutes - unless you are me and hate going downhill and freak out and whine and go slow as molasses. If you want to actually get to the beach, it's another  ONE THOUSAND steps down..and then back up.

 

The view was really nice. Wineglass Bay is lovely. I think the view from Wineglass Bay from the Lighthouse is good enough unless you really enjoy a moderate hike.

 

After the hike, we headed to Coles Bay to find lunch. We turned at the sign for "Town Centre". We had to laugh when it was two restaurants and a convenience store. We kept going and found Iluke Tavern. It was a tavern next to a large backpackers' campground. The food was great! Glenn got a burger, fries and wings.

 

I got a terrific beet and squash salad. We've been very impressed with the food in Tasmania. After all that, we headed back to the Lodge and spent the rest of the day enjoying the views from our Pavilion. I read a book. We had meats and cheese for dinner. It was so relaxing.

 

 

 

 

11.17.19 Samuel Pepys, Milton Vineyards, Devil's Corner and Freycinet Lodge

Our time in Launceston ended. It was time to head to the East Coast, specifically Freycinet National Park.

We started with breakfast at the 100% gluten free and #1 rated breakfast spot - Samuel Pepy's. Then we hit the road. Glenn took the advice of the people sat with at  Long Lunch and we planned stops at Milton and Devil's Corner along the way.

Milton is a lovely location.

Devil's Corner had a special event with a great guitar player so we enjoyed some oysters and wood fired pizza and a couple sets with him.

We headed  to Freycinet. I was absolutely floored when we entered our Coastal Pavilion at Freycinet Lodge. It's like a dream. Gorgeous views.

We spent the afternoon on the  deck enjoying some of the wine we bought. Then, we headed to the Lodge for dinner at Bay Restaurant. It was very nice.