The Journey To Strahan

After visiting Port Arthur, we headed to Strahan on the west coast. To get there we drove through the centre of Tasmania and through beautiful rainforest on very very windy roads. It takes a while to get to places in Tassie because the windyness of the roads slows you down.

We stopped at Richmond to see the bridge, built by convicts.

I was fascinated by the many different types of ducks.

A lady stopped to feed them.

Then all the ducks just went mental!

Crested duck.

Interesting way to advertise.

It started snowing during our journey and dropped to 1 degree celsius. Here's our hire car.

See the snow on the roof.

Freshly fallen snow is good for throwing snowballs at Duncan ;)

I just had to dance in it.

Week of Firsts

I want to take a break in transmission regarding my Tassie photos to let you all know about big week (well big in comparison to my usual everyday life in Buntine) and ask you all to please pray.

• I'm starting my new job tomorrow. Yes, I got the job at the gift/toy/clothing/everything shop working Tuesdays and Wednesdays on a casual basis. I finally heard back from the lady while we were in Launceston - she took a month to get back to me! Anyway, it's not my dream job but it's a start. Please pray it'll go well and I'll adjust back to working outside the home again.
  
• I'm going for another job interview on Thursday morning. Brad sent a text message to Duncan while we were in Devonport to let me know about another job which is a part-time administration manager position at a farming organisation in Buntine. I think admin manager is just a fancy term for 'office chick' but it sounds like it's more up my alley than retail. I was already preparing my selection criteria when I found out I got the other job but decided to apply anyway. If I get this job it'll be ideal as it's much closer and I'll save a lot of petrol. But first I have to confront a panel consisting of the executive officer and three local farmers who are involved on the committee. Duncan assures me that these blokes won't be intimidating and have good senses of humour. I hope so. I have no idea what they're going to ask but I know whatever it is, I'll need God to answer for me.
  
• On Thursday night, I'll be umpiring netball for the first time this year as my team has a bye. I haven't umpired for 10 years and when the chick I'll be umpiring with and I found out we'll be umpiring the two 'roughest' teams, we groaned loudly. Pray that I'll look really mean and the players will do as they're told. Or better yet, pray that one of the teams will forfeit. Yes, that'd be better :)

Port Arthur

After a couple of days in Hobart, we headed down to Port Arthur. I was quite keen to see this historic site as I'm a bit of a history buff and after all, it is the most famous convict settlement in Tassie.

If you ever get to Tassie, Port Arthur is definitely worth visiting. The entry price is expensive but it includes a cruise and a walking tour. We were a bit pushed for time so we just went on the cruise and explored the buildings ourselves. It's worth spending a whole day there but after a few hours, I'd had enough. Despite being intriguing, Port Arthur has a sad and sorry past as a convict settlement and also because of the 1996 massacre. When you pay your entry fees you get given a booklet which contains frequently asked questions and one of these is 'Can we ask the staff about the massacre?' The answer is 'no' because three of the staff died in the massacre and the rest don't like talking about it for obvious reasons. They have a plaque commemorating the three staff members who passed away and there is a memorial garden which we didn't end up visiting.

They also offer ghost tours at night which we briefly considered going on but decided against it. They cost more money plus Duncan didn't think it would be good for my nightmares!

Because of the history of pain and suffering this place has, I started to feel a bit sick just before closing time and was quite glad to leave. It's weird, but I felt like there was a sense of spiritual oppression there. Still, I'm glad I got to see it for myself.


















































This is the gaol area.















Imagine living in a cell like this.





































The boatbuilders' cottage.
























Isle of the Dead and Point Puer









Point Puer where they kept convict boys. All the buildings were pulled down in the 1800s.













Isle of the Dead where they have the ghost tours. There are heaps of convicts and free people buried here.













Us on the boat.


























Towards the open sea.











The old asylum. Dunc said I belonged here. Ha he can talk!












Old ruined church.











I think this was the Governor's house.












































Eaglehawk Neck (near Port Arthur)










Strange name, eh?

Hobart

I'm back!

And now you can look forward to daily installments of our chilly adventure in Tassie.

First stop - Hobart. I actually liked Hobart the best. Quaint is the best word to decribe Tassie's capital. Despite the lack of parking and confusing one-way streets, I could see myself living in Hobart. It has all the conveniences of a city without being too big and bustling.

The harbour.

Duncan walking ahead.

First stop: The Cadbury factory.

I was so excited despite there being no tours anymore due to occupational health and safety....grrrr!

Do 'Cadbury'

and 'Health'

really belong

in the same

sentence?

Dunc posing...reluctantly.

About to hit the store. We bought heaps of cheap-ish chocolate.

I kissed Duncan and he turned into a frog!

Leaving paradise *sniff*.

Downtown Hobart.

Driving to the top of Mt Wellington.

There was lots of snow.

Gross photo of me. Nice scenery though.

Nice scenery....the background is good too ;)

View of Hobart.

You can see the Tasman Bridge.

It was the first time either of us had seen snow.

Me at the lookout.

Our first snowman!

This part is called the pipe organ I think.

Royal Botanical Gardens.

We look like we're from The Blair Witch Project.

This one's better.

The Japanese Garden was my fave.

Action shots are not good.

Cascade Brewery. I enjoyed a nice brewski there.

Playing mini golf at a really cool place called Putter's Adventure Golf.

I got thrashed :(

Doing some trout fishing.

Dunc caught one fish but we decided to let it go.

I'm not much of a fisherwoman.