Stories From Down Under

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

Day 10 - 11 Hobart, Tasmania

Jan 13 - 14th Day 10 - 11

Hobart
(Karen)

We flew from Sydney to Hobart, which is the capital of Tasmania, tucked into a cove in southeast Tasmania. It was a short drive to the port where our hotel Macq 01 (short for Macquarrie) is located. A little history - in the early 1800's England sent their convicts to Tasmania and Hobart became a penal colony. Our hotel prides itself on telling the stories of the early settlers. Each room features a different story from the Tasmanian past.

Example of a hotel room door telling a story

Upon arrival we walked along the Harborside and explored the small and quaint area. Dinner that night was the first time since leaving the USA that we had to select a restaurant, make a reservation and choose from a menu. We almost forgot how to do this! (Karen failed to mention, so I'll editorialize, that she and Steven did not forget how to charm their way into an 8pm reservation at a fully booked, wonderful Italian restaurant called Fellini's.)

We started our first full day taking a ferry (thanks Kash for the "Posh" ride) to the MONA, Museum of Old and New Art.

Wind blown but posh all the way

This is the most bizarre and unique museum that we have ever been to and I will do my best to describe. First, the building is underground, cut into a hillside -- you start the tour at the bottom of this cool structure. The three floors of artwork are a mix of eccentric art from all different periods and random exotic pieces that some would consider to be in questionable taste (not us!). There is an "Adult Only" section and my phone issued a warning regarding "sexual content" as I entered. Throw in some Pablo Picasso ceramics and even a Monet. I'll let these pictures speak rather than try to describe the artwork.

We found Pan scaring some hares

"Fat Ferrari" had one too many
5-course meals

Words formed from water

There was a lot to see inside his head
-- just not sure what it meant

Outside the museum, there was a beautiful area for lunch and a winery (small and not very enticing). We were entertained by a live (and very loud) metal band -- not our type of music (though the groupies made for some fun people watching).

Late afternoon, Steven and I went for a "wander" and explored the city area of Hobart and the residential area surrounding. We passed the old American Consul, where our consulate helped pardon American convicts in 1843. There was a lot of old history among the residential streets and a lot of action in the small harbor.

View from a private terrace
(we did trespass!)

After a great dinner at Landscape (a must if you ever find yourself in Hobart), we were ready to say goodbye to Hobart and continue on our journey.

Hobart Harbor

Our first taste of
Tasmanian oysters

look closely at camo!

Tired of carrying Steven's
epi pen, Karen?

separates the posh
from the buoys

Sunday, January 14, 2024

Day 7 - 9 Blue Mountains

Jan 10 - 12th Day 7 - 9

Blue Mountains
(Beth)

Once again, we respectfully set aside Kash's perfectly good advice and picked up our rental car at 10:30 pm in Sydney to make the 90-minute drive to the Blue Mountains in the dead of night. Miraculously, we did not encounter any rogue kangaroos or deviate from the left side of the road (even around traffic circles, thanks to Karen's coaching) with Larry at the wheel. We were cheerfully greeted at the lodge of Spicers Sangoma Resort just after midnight, where we separated into our "bush suites" for the night.

Poet's Rock overlook

With no plans the next day, we 4 set out on a nearby trail. We were treated to a dramatic overlook at Poet's Rock, where we took our first (of many!) self-timer group photo.

Found Fred Flintstone's
bowling ball at Poet's Rock

After cleaning up for dinner, we found a deck of cards, which led to an extremely competitive tournament of Crazy Eights a la Sisselman rules, which Karen is pretty convinced she won. You don't argue with Karen when she is "a hundred percent" sure.

We were then treated to a Master Class in Bartending by the F&B manager of the resort. Larry muddled like a champ - ask him to make you a raspberry fizz next time you see him. Karen, Steven, and I tried our hands at espresso martinis and sparkling cosmopolitans. The only problem was that we drank those drinks and ate most of a cheese board before our first 5-course meal. Rookie mistake.

The 8-room inn was very quiet (except for us, obviously). We enjoyed the talented chef's personal attention and elegant presentations and probably would've gained a few pounds there if not for the hiking.

Karen & Steve at waterfall

Speaking of hiking... Steve and Karen had an adventurous 3-hour hike (and skipped lunch!) with their fabulous guide, Tim, while Larry and I explored Wentworth Falls, visited the Three Sisters rock formation, spotted a kangaroo family in the Megalong Valley of the rainforest, and picnicked in style with our guide Alan.

Tim shows Karen the rainforest

Three Sisters rock formation

The story behind the Three Sisters: Legend had it there lived a devil in the valley. The local chief decided to protect his three daughters by casting a spell on them, turning them to stone, so the devil could not harm them. One big problem with his plan- he died before reversing the curse. Oopsie.

Near the source of Wentworth Falls

Karen and Steve just before
we took a wrong turn on our trail

The next day, we set out once again for another self-guided "easy" hike to the Vale of Avoca, which seemed like a grand idea until the satellite signal went dead on our trail app. Needless to say, we worked off our next 5-course dinner - and then some. You can probably spot the before and after pics of the fork in the road. Below you can find the gorgeous white cockatoos that populate these mountains alongside magpies and alpacas.

Next stop: Tasmania!

Kangaroo spotted in the
Megalong Valley rainforest

How many white cockatoos
do you see in this tree?

Amuse bouche potato skins with potato + cheddar
filling with refreshing hand towels at the ready

"Lemon" made of lemon ice cream
surrounded by white chocolate

A few alpacas having a relaxing afternoon

Vale of Avoca lookout spot

About to take off down the hang gliding ramp
into the spectacular valley

Gotta love the comforting signs

Sunrise through our bedroom
slider at Sangoma
(there were only sheer curtains)

sunrise

Sisselmans teach us their
SERIOUSLY crazy Crazy 8s rules

Ready for our first 5-course dinner

Karen pouring her extra
frothy espresso martini

No idea what Steve is doing

Mixologist hard at work

Obscene amount of food at lunch BUT
we didn't have to make any decisions!

posing with my body cast at Sangoma

Day 3- 6 Lizard Island

Jan 6 - 9th Day 3 - 6

Lizard Island
(Karen)

As previously stated, our trip to Great Barrier Reef was a "do over" and Lizard Island (LI) did not disappoint. LI is the northern most resort in the Great Barrier Reef and our resort is the only property located on the island. We were greeted at the airport -- which is just a small airstrip -- by the general manager, who whisked us away in a golf cart. Within two minutes, we were sipping wine, eating a fresh fruit platter while overlooking the Coral Sea. This level of service, hospitality and magnificent views continued throughout our stay.

Occupancy at the resort ranges from 40-60 guests with a staff of 90. So you quickly become "friends" with all inhabitants. Beth even reconnected with a neighbor from her childhood in Akron, Ohio ( crazy coincidence)!

On our first full day, Steven went on a Scuba dive adventure and his dream was fulfilled. Diving just 50 feet down to the coral reef, he saw a 6 foot stingray, two reef sharks and amazing colors. Larry, Beth and I went for "a wander" and ended up on Watson's Bay, named after Mary Watson who was one of the early inhabitants of LI (tragic ending to her story).

view overlooking Coral Sea

After a gourmet lunch (the food on LI also did not disappoint), we were dropped off via motor boat at "Mermaid Beach". We spent an hour snorkeling around coral reef where we saw the magnificent colors of the reef, bright blue starfish, giant clams (more on these later) and numerous colorful fish.

Wetsuits to protect us from the jellyfish and sun

Day two commenced with a guided hike back to Watson's Bay and a snorkeling excursion. First, we hung out with the giant turtles, floating just feet above the turtle. Check out this up-close and personal video of the turtles taken by a fellow snorkeler from Oz.

Afterward we swam out to the reef -- more amazing colors of the reef and lots of beautiful fish. Most unusual -- and amazing -- were the giant clams. The clams ranged in size from 6 inches to 4 feet and were "trimmed" in different colors (red, blue and green). The largest clams were an over a hundred years old (and certainly something you would not want to eat!).

That evening we went on a guided hike to see the Flying Foxes, which are very large bats! 🦇 We approached their resting place right before sunset. They make a lot of noise while they sleep - their rowdiness is how they compete for the best hanging place to sleep. They do EVERYTHING while hanging upside down. As the sun set, they woke and ascended above our heads -- out to find food and start their day!

Our final day was our departure day. Steven and I decided to get up extra early and climb Cook's Mountain, where Captain Cook climbed when he discovered LI and needed to map the route for ships. Due to the heat and straight up ascent, this hike needs to be done before the rocks heat up from the sun. We made it 2/3 of the way up when panic of how we were getting down set in so we slowly made our way back down.

Our travel day was long -- flight from LI to Cairns, quick van ride to main terminal in Cairns, flight to Sydney, rental car and drive in the dark to the Blue Mountains. Beth will take over and describe our adventures at the Spicers Sangoma...