Winding Down

Today was my last day of classes at the Uni! Wahoooooo. I still have 2 projects to finish by Monday and 2 final exams in a couple weeks, but now I pretty much get to relax and enjoy Tassie. After camping the past 2 weekends, Tasmania has become a whole new place for me. It really is full of beautiful nature. Last weekend on my camping trip with the girls, I got to see Wineglass Bay, again! But this time I decided to take a different trail which took me around the bay to an even more remote beach. It was one of the best hikes I've ever done, with incredible views of the coast as well as rocky mountains above.

Took Hazards Circuit, a great 5 hour walk

Funny lookin rock?

View from my hike

New beach (beyond that mountain is Wineglass)

Bay of Fires, so pretty!

Our campsite, best I will ever have

After Wineglass we headed north to Bay of Fires. Now this place is out of a dream. We camped right on the beach that night, snuggled between the famous orange rocks. The girls slept in their tents while I cuddled up in my sleeping bag next to the fire right under the stars. It was perfect....until the fire went out. Then it was really cold. Still, waking up to the sunrise (then going right back to sleep) was an unforgettable experience. We drove even further up the coast on Sunday to see more of Bay of Fires. The drive was like a mix between what I would expect to see in Scotland and a tropical island -- rolling hills with plenty of free land and farm, and then breathtaking views of the ocean and cliffs, with little to none population in between.

Bay of Fires as the sun set

The lonely but beautiful road up the east coast of Tassie

Artsy moccasin photo :)

Once we had seen more of Bay of Fires we thought we would head west to Launceston, thinking it would take less than an hour to get there. Little did we know, the road there was a winding forest drive and took 3 hours. When we finally reached Launceston I couldn't help but be reminded of the small towns at home in Connecticut. It seemed like a pretty quiet town, with its only tourist stop being the Cataract Gorge. The Gorge was really refreshing after the long drive. We walked around the basin and over this long bridge to look out to the flowing water in the ravine. It was nice to be enjoying the sun at what seemed to be a popular local spot.

Cataract Gorge (SUN!)

It's definitely starting to feel like spring and this trip was the perfect reminder.