See you at the Footy

Went to an afternoon game of Aussie Rules Football, or "Footy" as it is commonly called.  Definitely a new sport to me, but definitely interesting and fun if you know it well.  It had the intensity of football and the passion comparable to soccer in Europe.  

Little kids at halftime

Tastes like chicken

Chicken flavored chips.  They are a popular pick by the Aussies here!

Tasmania: Day Seven

Final day in Tasmania.  We spent the last day at Port Arthur, an old prison based on the Tasman Peninsula.  This prison was home to thousands of criminals from all over the world.  We toured the prison and the land surrounding it, including a cruise in the harbor to see other aspects of the prison system there.  A neat place to visit and see the history of Tasmania and Australia.

Morning stop in Richmond.  Oldest bridge in Australia (1825).

Maritime flag of Australia; Point Puer in the background

Prisoner's cell

Tasmania: Day Six

Saturday may have been the biggest day of them all.  We woke up early again (saw the sunrise, sorta) and head of to Freycinet National Park.  Took a morning hike to Wineglass Bay.  It is a beach that can only be accessed on foot, boat, or plane.  It takes 45-60 minutes to hike there, but the hike is rewarded with a gorgeous white sand beach and crystal clear waters.

After Freycinet we went to a wildlife sanctuary and checked out some of the animals found in Tasmania.  Even got to feed the kangaroos!

Wombat

Tasmanian Devil

They may look nice, but they are quite vicious

Tasmania: Day 5

Day 5 (Friday) was spent travelling out to the east coast and the Bay of Fires.  It is called the Bay of Fires because when English settlers were first coming they saw Aboriginal fires on the coast, thus the Bay of Fires. All in all it was a nice afternoon to walk around the beach and explore.  Also found a swimming wallaby.  That was pretty weird and apparently never happens.  Friday night we went to see the penguins come in from the sea.  They come in late at night so predators have a smaller chance of getting them.  There weren't many, but there were a few.  They are not my pictures.  Cameras were strictly prohibited prohibited, so the Bicheno Penguin Tours offered these photos that do not harm the penguins.

Found Nemo!

 

Tasmania: Day Four

Today we went to Cradle Mountain National Park in the west of the state.  It was another early start, but the weather could not have been better.  On the way we stopped in Sheffield for a few minutes.  It is known as "the town of murals" because every year they have a mural painting competition, and we were lucky enough to be there on the week of the comp!  Saw some neat murals being painted and saw a few around the town. Then we were on to Cardle.  We walked through a section of Tasmanian Rain Forest and got a feel for the land.  Next we went to Dove Lake and took a nice afternoon walk around the lake.  Even a wallaby was going for a walk too!  All in all it was a perfect day to enjoy the outdoors, and a perfect place to hike.  Wish I could have climbed the mountain, though!

Representing Boone, NC with my gold pin!  Putting Boone on the map in Tassy!

Mural competition

Learning about Tasmania's forests, landscapes, and climate

 

Tasmania: Day Three

Today was a low-key day.  We started by making the walk over to Battery Point.  Hobart is a harbor town and receives a lot of ships in it each year.  In the early days when it was developing, Tasmania became the home for many prisoners from Europe, mainly Great Britain.  The British had an ever-increasing presence in Hobart because of this, and so they expanded their military to Hobart.  The Royal Navy placed battery units here to protect the harbor.  I could not find these guns, but the spots where they were appeared to be intact. Mostly, it is a nice view on a Wednesday morning.  Wednesday afternoon was spent on a bus from Hobart to Launceston, where our day at Cradle Mountain would begin...

Salamanca Place, with Mt. Wellington 

Pastures somewhere between Hobart and Launceston

Tasmania: Day Two

Tuesday was a day on the mountain.  It made me miss Boone a little bit, but was also a new and separate experience, and so I went with an open mind.  Fortunately, public transport was running that day (they went on strike the next day) so we took the opportunity to hike Mt. Wellington.  Considered a 'guardian of Hobart", this mountain towers over the city and looks over it and offers a sense of security.  With the help of a bartender and a small map, we found our way.  Of course, the weather change quickly.  As we made it to the ridge and to the top, winds that almost knocked us over and freezing temperatures came in quickly.  In these pictures I struggled to stand up straight.  The view was certainly worth it all.