Aussie spending

Aussie money is colorful, by the way. And made out of plastic, with a see-through security window. I liked the feel of it. It’s pretty nice to handle. You have to get used to the coins though, some comedian had the brilliant idea to make them smaller the bigger the value… Australia has been expensive. […] Read More

On the convict trail

I drove out East this morning, my goal being the Port Arthur penal settlement, or the ruins that are left of it. It’s roughly 100 kilometers, if you don’t do any detours. But detours I had planned plenty. First stop: Richmond. A tiny cute little town, basically a couple of houses along the main street. […] Read More

Tasmanian Devils

The Tasman peninsula around Port Arthur, place of Tasmania’s convict site, is separated from the main island by a little canal. This canal is most useful today, in rescuing the Tasmanian devil from extinction. The poor little thing has cancer… in the face! It’s spread by infected cells, through bites during feeding and mating (ouch). […] Read More

Salamanca Market

I love the markets. This one was recommended everywhere, and I expected a little local market, but it was indeed big, all along the Salamanca Market front and up the street along the park. Mostly local produce, berries, honey, vegetables, and local craft… Tasmania is big into wood, so there were lots of stands with […] Read More

On top

I’m so glad I got the car. Driving is really ok, she windscreen wiping problem persists, but is under control. So I drove up the mountain, all the way to the top. Ok, I could have hiked. But it was 30 degrees. And I’ll keep that for the trip that my sister is already planning, […] Read More

MONA is the new MOMA

Everybody, without exception, whom I told that I would go to Hobart, said: you have to go to MONA. Even those who never have been to Tasmania. The museum’s reputation is noteworthy for a place that only opened in 2011. MONA is the Museum of Old and New Art in Hobart. I had never even […] Read More

Tassie

Hobart, to be precise. I arrived in the afternoon in my hotel. I figured, this time no Airbnb. I’m only staying for four nights, and the places on Airbnb seemed to be not so central, or private cottages somewhere far out. My hotel, the Welcome Stranger Hotel in the center of town, is a funny […] Read More

Left sided

It’s really just a question of ignoring your fears and taking them head on. So I rented a car and drove on the left side. Big deal. Indeed. I am no experienced driver. In all my life I have driven maybe 5000 Km, most of that through American or Canadian national parks, desert roads and […] Read More

On to Tasmania

After five weeks in Melbourne – time flies ! – it is time sot see a little bit more of Australia. Today I am flying on to Hobart, capital of the state of Tasmania, and possibly the furthest South I’ll go, depending on what I’ll do in New Zealand. Here are the flight statistics: Flight […] Read More

(My map of) Tasmania

I finally made some decisions on the remaining two weeks that I still have to fill in Australia. It was so hard, so much to see, but also so expensive… I cannot afford to fly up North and go snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef this time, I will skip the Uluru for the same […] Read More