Road Trips – Page 3 – Travels with Ali

Touring Tasmania – Stanley to Launceston

All too soon we were leaving Stanley, enroute to Launceston. It’s just a 2 hour 30 minute drive, so we had plenty of time to explore the wonderful coast road.

Our first stop was Boat Harbour Beach where we stopped for coffee. We found a beautiful little cafe right on the beach.

There are so many small coves and bays along this route. Next stop was Devonport. This is the port where the “Spirit of the Sea” docks. Sailing from Melbourne twice a day, overnight and in the day. Next time we visit Tasmania this is what hubby would like to do.

Following Penguin Road along the beach there is also a railway line, that is in close proximity with the road. We were lucky enough to see a freight train riding along side of us.

For lunch we settled on a restaurant called Drift, which overlooked the Bass Strait. It was housed in a glass walled timber structure jutting over the beach.

Before driving to our hotel in Launceston we had to make an additional stop at the airport to change our car as the aircon had stopped working! They were expecting us so we were able to make a swap without too much trouble!

Arriving at our hotel at 5 pm, we checked in and then went off for a walk. We definitely took a few wrong turns and it ended up being a very long walk.

Launceston is just so full of old historical buildings that have been renovated or restored and now house businesses and restaurants. It was nice to see whole buildings intact, unlike Perth, WA, where often they just keep the facade.

Customs House was built in 1885 and features beautiful intricate Corinthian columns.

Albert Hall built in 1891 and is still used for events and functions.

Price Memorial Hall built in 1896 and the Independent Church built in 1836, by the Reverend Price, once stood next to it.

Launceston is a riverside town and is very different from Hobart. It’s the second largest city after Hobart. It seemed to me that the streets and roads were much steeper. The Tamar River runs through Launceston where there are many wineries and vineyards along the route.

We ended up at the Seaport where there are many restaurants and bars, and had happy hour in the Mud Bar.

There was a concert being played the weekend we were there, Jimmy Barnes and some other equally famous bands, so we were told everywhere would be booked out. I did make a few restaurant bookings before we arrived though and for our first night we went to Novaris. A very elegant Italian restaurant not too far from our hotel.

Tomorrow we will pick up Laurence and Maddy who are joining us for the rest of our stay in Tasmania.

Touring Tasmania – Stanley

By the time we had reached our hotel in Stanley it was past 7.30 pm. The reception was closed so I headed into the bistro attached to the hotel. It was noisy, lively and full. One of the bar staff checked us in and gave us a key to our room. When I asked about the possibility of dinner, she said they were completely full and the only other option was the seafood restaurant down in the harbour. She kindly made a quick phone call and booked us a table, last orders were at 8pm.
Not sure of our bearings we drove the two minute drive!

A view of the setting sun through the window and hubby’s dinner

The Stanley Hotel where we were staying for two nights. We had a wonderful room with a sea view

The next morning we walked just a few minutes up the road to a lovely little cafe Touchwood, where we had breakfast with a sea view. Most places in Stanley would give you a sea view.

After breakfast and a walk through Stanley, we headed to The Nut. I wanted to take the chairlift up and hubby wanted to walk, but I said he had to come with me and could walk later!

The Nut Chairlift was designed and manufactured in Austria It traverses a distance of 250 meters, rising 95 meters. After a leisurely five minute ride to the top of The Nut, you can explore the plateau, soak up the incredible views and take advantage of the superb photographic opportunities. Source: The Nut Chairlift. The Nut is the remains of an ancient volcanic plug with a large, mostly flat surface that can be circumnavigated on foot (hence its original name, Circular Head).

**I think this is a crocus, growing out of the rocks**

Stanley is such a peaceful little town and so well kept. It reminded me of places in Devon and Cornwall with its quaint harbour, shops and cottages.

St. Paul’s Church 1887
Town Hall
A building from 1840
Joe Lyons’ Cottage – Tasmania’s First Prime Minister – 1932 – 1939

Down by the harbour

The lighthouse above was used in the filming of “The Light Between the Oceans”

Later that afternoon we drove out to Highfield House and also stopped at Anthony’s Beach. Hubby’s namesake!

We both loved Stanley and had a fabulous two nights here. I guess because of Covid many places have shut down, leaving limited options for eating out at night. We had dinner on both nights at Hersey’s Seafood and enjoyed the food and especially the wine!

Touring Tasmania – Sheffield, Town of Murals

I was very excited to see this town, a whole place dedicated to murals. I find murals very intriguing as there is so much to see in them. Like an outside art gallery. It is the mural capital of Australia and it is modelled on a similar place in Canada. As we were still driving…

by Alison March 26, 2021

Touring Tasmania – Sheffield, Town of Murals

As we were still driving towards our last destination of the day, Stanley, and it was getting late, we only had time for a very brief stop. I did managed to take quite a few though.

I tried to find out more about these murals, some have descriptions but some only have the artist’s name.

The titles mentioned are ones I have made up myself!

The featured image is of Cradle Mountain by John Landis

Friends and Strangers

Artist: Kerry Nicholson

Sports around the world

Artist: Kerry Nicholson

A day away from the city

Kerry and Malcolm Nicholson

The above murals were at the beginning of the road before entering the town itself, they didn’t seem to have much information on them.

There is so much colour and details in these murals, I think the above is my favourite, an afternoon quilting by the river.

There is a message in this one, I can only guess by the image of the old man on the left and what was inflicted on the indigenous people with the arrival of the explorers and convicts from England.

The end of the road

I did take more but am saving them for Monday Mural

Touring Tasmania – Port Arthur Historic Site

Before heading to our next stop we took a detour down to Port Arthur. It’s a place I really wanted to see, hubby just says “where to next” and has no idea of the itinerary I have planned!

It takes around 90 minutes to drive from Hobart to Port Arthur, and you also have to book your time slot beforehand. We had booked a walking tour and boat trip and arrived around 12.30 pm. I have to say I was very disappointed with our tour guide as she didn’t move off her spot for 40 minutes, and I tuned out after a while as I watched the other tour groups walking around the many buildings on site. It felt rude to walk away. After she had finished her talk we had very little time left to explore before our boat trip.

The Penitentiary, formerly the flour mill, converted in 1854. This building had three floors. The ground floor was for the more dangerous prisoners and they were kept in heavy irons. The first floor housed men in lighter irons and the top floor accommodated up to 348 men in bunk beds. There was also a library, chapel and mess room. The prisoners were encouraged to read the thousands of books kept there, but after ten hours hard and gruelling physical labour I doubt they had the time.

This was the hospital where convicts were treated for respiratory or rheumatic ailments brought on by sleeping in cold and dank cells.

Looking through a window frame at one of the old cottages

Looking back on the Penitentiary and surrounding buildings.

On the boat sailing away towards Carnarvon Bay.

There is a small island just off the site of Port Arthur that is the settlement’s cemetery. Between 1833 and 1877, 1100 people were buried here, convicts, military officers and their wives.

Some info on Port Arthur

Port Arthur was not just a prison but a complete community. It was home to convicts, military and civilian officers and their families. There is a church, school, cottages and law courts. The prisoners living and working here were repeat offenders from other penal colonies around Australia. Some prisoners survived and were by that time skilled and educated. Most did not and ended up in the asylum or the Isle of the Dead.

Port Arthur is also the place of the 1996 massacre, where 35 people lost their lives and 19 more were wounded. There is a memorial garden here commemorating them.

It is a very sobering place to visit but well worth your while. The grounds are beautifully well kept and also the buildings that are still intact. The boat trip is also worth going on.

We were pushed for time and didn’t really get to see as much as I would have liked, trying to fit everything in is not alway possible!

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After leaving Port Arthur and driving onto our next stop, we headed further down to Eaglehawk Neck. Here we had a long awaited lunch/snack looking over Pirates Bay.

Another very busy day on our tour and we still had another hour and half’s drive to our next destination, Richmond.

Touring Tasmania: Hobart – Part Two – A Visit to MONA

Following on from our first day in Hobart. We woke up to another clear day with plans to explore further. First up was breakfast of course, and we walked across the road again to a cafe opposite one of the wharves. We were staying in the wonderful Grand Chancellor as I mentioned before and they did serve a very fancy buffet, but we didn’t want to spend too long over breakfast as they day was fast disappearing.

Our first stop was a walk to Battery Point and then onto Wrest Point Casino. This was a good 45 minute walk with steep hills along the way!

We had a quick pit stop in the casino, so glad we weren’t staying there. For strict gamblers only.

Battery Point was established in 1880 and still retains the winding streets and colonial architecture. There were some beautiful seafarer’s cottages around.

Fancy that! Errol Flynn was born in Hobart, near Battery Point.

Below some amazing sculptures that can be found all around the wharves

Bernacchi Tribute – showing Louis Bernacchi and his dog
Louis Bernacchi (1878-1942) – a Tasmanian Antarctic Explorer

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No visit to Hobart is complete without a trip to MONA – Museum of Old and New Art. It is situated on the Berridale Peninsula and overlooking River Derwent. We took the MONA Ferry from Hobart for a very relaxing river trip to MONA. We didn’t have enough time to go inside but the outside is still worth seeing, and we had lunch at the Moorilla Wine Bar.

The ferry is decorated with all sorts of artwork and sculptures on board and also has two bars and a fantastic upper deck. There is also the “Posh Pit” which is that much more expensive, but you get to sit up front with free drinks and nibbles. The journey is only 30 minutes though so not sure how much can you drink in that time!

Arriving at the ferry terminal at MONA you are confronted by 90 steps leading up to the museum, not for the fainthearted or mobility impaired as there is no lift.

Rusted metal cement truck

**Inside the Cathedral, stained glass windows of X-rays!**

A huge outdoor structure with very large benches

To appreciate this fantastic museum you would need at least a day here, there is just so much to see.

We caught the shuttle bus back into town and headed back to the hotel for a good rest before dinner.

Things to do in Hobart

Salamanca Market – Saturday only.

Battery Point

Mt. Wellington

Cascade Brewery tour – must pre-book

MONA

Boat trips to Bruny Island

Day trip to Port Arthur

Two or three days is a good amount of time to spend in Hobart to see most of the sights. The Hop on and off bus is a great way to see most things and if anything takes your fancy go back the following day.

With so many restaurants, cafes and pubs in Hobart, there is never a shortage of where to go and what to eat. We had a fabulous time here.

Next up – Port Arthur

Thanks for following our incredible road trip around Tasmania!

Touring Tasmania – First stop Hobart

After almost a year without taking a plane anywhere, we bit the bullet and decided on a road trip around Tasmania. It took a while to persuade hubby but with much cajoling he finally agreed.

We flew straight to Hobart from Perth for the start of our trip. I had booked three nights at Grand Chancellor right on the waterfront. It seemed like everyone in Australia had the same thought. Hobart was buzzing and almost every restaurant was booked solid. Luckily I had prebooked a couple of places before we arrived.

We did the blue bus tour to Mt Wellington with a very chatty knowledgeable driver. On the way back he dropped us off at the Cascade Brewery for lunch and a pint. We then hopped on the red bus back into town.

On the top deck with the wind in our hair

This was just part of our first day in Hobart. Posting from my iPad which isn’t my favourite way to post!

Monday Mural – Painted Silos

On the Eyre Highway, just outside Kimba, South Australia on our road trip across Australia. To read more of our road trip click on the link.

Posted as part of Monday Mural, Colourful World.

My A to Z Travel Challenge – S is for Santiago de Compestela, Spain – 🇪🇸

Santiago de Compestela

After leaving Ribadesella we drove onto Santiago de Compestela, a city that many people end up in after walking the Camino de Santiago route. One of the images that is stuck in my head was the amount of people sitting on the steps of the cathedral with knee bandages! We were only staying for one night here as my hubby wanted to see the burial site of St. James.

St. James’ remains are reputedly buried within the grounds of the cathedral, which was consecrated in 1211.

The small town is easily seen in one day and very interesting. There are wonderful alleys to wander up and little shops to browse in. We always buy something from every place we visit, a t-shirt, tea towel or some useful kitchen utensil. We both bought t-shirts this time from a small boutique.

Church of María Salomé, Santiago de Compostela,
Built in honour of the Apostle St. James´ mother

That concludes our mini trip to Santiago de Compostela. It was great to spend some time here exploring and glad we made this part of our Spanish road trip.

Wildflowers in the Wheatbelt

We decided to get away again for a couple of days to go up North to see the wildflowers, or what was left of them! Our destination was Dalwallinu which is just over three hours from Perth. Anthony wanted to take a less than direct route so we travelled up the coast to Cervantes where we picked up the Indian Ocean Road. This road is dotted with huge white sand dunes along the way, and you can see glimpses of the miles and miles of the West Australian coast. Taking this route did put some extra miles on the clock but we were in no hurry.

We stopped for a bite to eat and stretch our legs at Nilgen Lookout.

We stopped once more in Badgingarra for me to take photos of the endless green wheat and bright yellow rape fields.

Badgingarra Nature Reserve

Endless wheat fields everywhere you look, with grain bins edging the fields

Arriving at the Dalwallinu Wheat Motel around 5 pm, we checked in and then went for a walk into “town”. This takes around ten minutes from start to finish. It only consists of one main street for shops with houses around the back of the main street. There is a bakery, cafe and tavern. We had a quick drink in the tavern and headed back to the motel for dinner. The motel has a fairly large restaurant and the menu boasts Asian and Australian food. Not too bad for a small wheatbelt town.

There were many couples like us out for an evening stroll and then back to the motel for dinner.

Dalwallinu

Nearly every country town in WA has old and rusting farm machinery on display, at least it’s put to good use!

Having a pre-dinner drink at the local.

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The next morning we ate breakfast in our room and then had a walk to the bakery to pick up our lunch. The bakery was doing a roaring trade as everyone else had the same idea!

Our first stop of the day was Xantippe! I was super excited as I thought great, my X place for my A to Z travels. Disappointment soon set in, there’s nothing in Xantippe except a large concrete water tank which we missed anyway and by the time we had travelled so far down a dirt track we gave up. Not such a great start.

There are maps of the wildflower trails which take you around a loop, but I also wanted to get off the beaten track to look at some other “attractions” that were listed. From Xantippe we drove back over to Wubin and then up to Perenjori.

The Old Covent, established in 1923. In 1933 it became a Catholic girls boarding school. It was never a covent!

Some of the many wonderful flowers along the way

Our next stop was Buntine Rocks. There is a large granite rock here that gives amazing views from the top. I surprised myself and managed to climb to the top!

Along the drive the railway line cuts back and forth between the road, we only saw one train. There are no level crossings, you just have to look both ways before you cross!

Some of the places on the map don’t have anything there at all except a few rusty farm machines, like Maya. It was once a thriving community with an estimated population of 140 in the late 1930s to 1940s. It had a post office, a store and a school plus a cricket and football team and tennis courts. But times change and people move on.

We finally reached Perenjori late afternoon and I asked my dear hubby if he was getting tired of all the driving, but he said no it was good to let the car stretch its legs.

We then headed up to a placed called Camel Soak. This was a man made watering hole for the men and their camels to have a drink in the 1900’s whilst building the rabbit proof fence

The road leading here is full of pot holes and ridges in the dry earth, then once you park the car it’s a bit of a walk and climb, but we both thought it was worth seeing.

Backtracking then to Perenjori to see the famous wreath flowers that are a national treasure of WA.

These flowers are also way off the beaten track and even when you park the car, you do have to hunt for them.

Our last stop of the day before heading back to Dalwallinu

Perth to Porongurup – 3 Day Road Trip

Last week we had a mini midweek break with our good friends and drove from Perth to Porongurup for two nights followed by a night in Yallingup. The drive takes around 4 hours and 30 minutes. On the way down we stopped at a small town called Williams that sits practically on the Albany Highway. We had a bite to eat in the small cafe there and a quick wander through the woodshed after. Of course we felt we ought to buy something to bolster the economy. Hubby bought a very smart Merino wool sweater and for me a Merino cardigan.

As we gradually drove further away from Perth the sky was darkening and we could see heavy rain clouds ahead, the weather was not looking good for our first night.

We also stopped at a winery in Mount Barker to pick up some wine from the cellar door to have with dinner that night. Plataganet Wines is actually named after the English Royal House, although it doesn’t date back that far! Inside there is a fantastic framed Plataganet family tree.

Finally arriving around 4.30pm in Porongurup we checked in and went straight to our cottage. Our friends Cheryl and Vaughan were already there having beat us by at least an hour!

By this time it was very bleak! Cold, wet and windy. There are no restaurants in Porongurup, although there is a bar and restaurant at the place we were staying, Karribank Cottages, but sadly didn’t open until Friday. So a BBQ it was on the verandah of our cottage. We had brought with us all sorts of goodies, plus a few bottles of wine and no-one had to drive anywhere.

The morning after the night before I woke up with a bit of a headache! Then Anthony tells me that he’s forgotten one of his medications, which is ironic as when we left Perth he said “do you remember the last time we went away and I forgot one of my meds and we had to phone the chemist in Perth and find one locally to have the script faxed”. “Well you won’t do that again in a hurry”, I said. Sure enough we did exactly that! We drove to Mount Barker to find a chemist and arrange for the script to be faxed, so while we were waiting we had breakfast and a wander around.

Things didn’t seem to be going plan at all. We couldn’t find any wineries open with a restaurant and it was still raining. So we decided on a drive to Albany and have lunch there then try to get to the Porongurups in the afternoon.

Albany

Albany is the oldest colonial settlement in Western Australia and is home to the old whaling station. A convoy of more than 40 ships, with 30,000 troops and nearly 8000 horses from both Australia and New Zealand, sailed from Albany on November 1 1914. There are so many historical buildings and churches in Albany dating back to the 1800s.

The famous Liberte Restaurant and Bar in Albany. First built in 1909 in a style reminiscent of an English mansion. It has been bought and sold a number of times over the last century and is now a restaurant/bar serving Asian fusion food.

We had lunch at a place called Garrison, no surprise that this was located where the army was stationed up on the hill. It has beautiful views overlooking King George Sound. Here we had a fabulous lunch with great service.

Fried Jerusalem Artichokes with feta cheese

Happy to see they didn’t feature Pie of the Day on the menu!

We had a short walk around through the old barracks and buildings.

National Anzec Centre, Source: Wikipedia

Porungurup National Park

One of the reasons for our drive to Porungurup was to walk on the granite skywalk, I really hadn’t done enough research to know this was beyond my capabilities. Firstly we had left it too late to do anything more than just have a look around at ground level and secondly it was at least an hour’s walk and a “scramble over rocks” to get just to the first level. Well at least we had a look around and saw troops of kangaroos.

I was warned not to get closer as you never know with wild kangaroos whether they will take a swipe at you or not!

The photos below are ones I have taken from Pinterest just to show everyone how fantastic it would have been!

**Not for the fainthearted or the weak!**

Another “stay in the cottage” dinner with more wine that night as there is really nowhere to eat within a reasonable driving distance. We had stopped off at a supermarket on the way back to stock up with cold meats, pate and cheese.

A few photos from around Karribank Cottages

The next day we checked out at 10 am and had breakfast at the very cute Porongurup Tea Rooms just at the bottom of the road and then headed to Pemberton with a stop at Lake Muir and then Manjimup for lunch. At Pemberton we said goodbye to Cheryl and Vaughan and drove onto Yallingup for our overnight stay at Caves Hotel.

Lake Muir

Pemberton

Pemberton, the home of the Gloucester Tree. Something I had never heard of before until Cheryl mentioned it. It is the world’s second tallest fire-lookout tree and stands 58 metres high. There are rungs all the way up if you feel inclined to climb it. At the top there is a steel and aluminium cabin and viewing gallery.