An island off an island off an island down at the bottom of the world. That's where we found ourselves multiple times on this trip. Our clever friend, Sara, dubbed it "Isle-ception" and so it was.
After a quick swim (and not-so-quick packing up of our coastal camp) we were southbound to Hobart. Enjoyed famous stops at Kate's Berry Farm and the Spiky Bridge (convict-built) en route.
On our final pit stop of the day we noticed we had parked at the ferry pick up for Maria Island (pronounced decidedly, Mariah) - a fairly uninhabited isle with no vehicles and gorgeous scenery. Darren was ultimately too intrigued to pass on it and since we were having a difficult time securing lodging down south, we stayed overnight to await the morning ferry. Funnily enough the only lodging left in that small town at dusk was a camper at the backpackers hostel. We were laughing but the kids thought it was brilliant and though cramped, it was admittedly fabo to enjoy the luxuries of a proper cooktop and hot shower.
Maria Island ended up being a cool, isolated isle (x3) on which to spend a glorious day of walking. It's history, as most parts of Australia and Tas, is convict-based. There were dilapidated gaols and boarding houses scattered about, but for the most part, we enjoyed the scenic step away from the fast-paced, mechanized world as we know it. There are virtually no facilities to speak of, but some travelers actually stayed to camp for a few days in the wilderness.
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| We dubbed these the Go Dog, Go trees - can't you just see the dog party up there? |
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| Annie taking a break to pout about not getting a stroller ride |
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| Dad affectionately remembers his day as "the mule" |
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| Family trip pic #2 (none of them are stellar) |
The cliffs and forests and meadows and beaches were all on such a grand scale. Really fun to drink it all in at a slow pace.
Kids were stoked about renting bikes on the beach to quicken the pace though.
You know, danger lurking around every cliff...
The Painted Cliffs were a highlight and really made me miss our red rocks back home in Utah.
Once we finally drove down to Hobart we found ourselves, at dusk again, without lodging. (The only "camping" near the city was a very crowded trailer park.) So we did some quick online research and scored a steal of a deal at a beautiful waterfront hotel in the heart of the city. Considering it was over Christmas and just prior to their biggest annual holiday (Sydney/Hobart Yacht Race/Taste of Hobart) we were extremely fortunate and it was the best move ever. Plenty of time to rest, relax, enjoy a calm Christmas and SWIM (the kids were hardly happy unless it was 3x a day - why?!)
We got lucky with two magical visitors on Christmas Eve! They're still trying to figure out how the Tooth Fairy and Santa got in without a card key...
Definitely not a traditional Thanksgiving this year. In the craziness of recent weeks, we neither extended nor received any dinner invites so we dressed up and ate at the local club restaurant. (Bonus: it was still cheaper than buying a turkey here.) Then we almost went camping. And while all of us truly missed the food comas and family celebrations, at least I was extremely grateful to come home to a clean kitchen (and avoid Black Friday shenanigans entirely.)
We took some family bike rides. Went swimming next door. Had some unnerving run-ins with more than a few intimidatingly large spiders. Hit up Questacon. Napped. Took a three hour drive into the countryside. It was nice and relaxing and unconventional. But we missed you all, our friends and family that make such holidays complete. And we look forward to doing it right again next year. 'Cause really, a soup and salad bar for Thanksgiving dinner is simply not right - albeit definitely a memory.
We have so much to be grateful for. Health and strength and modern medicine and happiness. Gratitude remains on my mind because about an hour ago we had a near-death experience with a rather humongous kangaroo on the road. Somehow we managed not to be killed or have the car totaled by him or the ditch we almost ended up in. I could feel the adrenaline in my veins for an hour - it was terrifying. Life is sweet and fragile and deserves thanksgiving more often than it gets.
