Off to Tasmania today. Our drive from Airey’s Inlet to Melbourne airport where we’ll catch a flight is only a few hours. The road passes through pleasant countryside, rolling hills, and lots of sheep! It’s been a while since I’ve driven in heavy, city traffic but it’s not too bad – a little construction near the airport, but smooth sailing otherwise.
The flight to Hobart on the southern tip of Tasmania is a little over an hour and the drive into Hobart’s CBD is short. Our hotel is in the heart of the city – the ‘Astor Private Hotel’. Built in 1922 and operated as a hotel continuously since then it is owned & managed by the lively ‘Tildy’. She’s what we gringos would call a ‘piece of work’. Hilarious.
A short walk away are the markets & docks of the city with many restaurants & bars. A nice intro to Tasmania.
Dick
———-
An early start to the morning, we stop at the Willows Tea Room, next to the lighthouse in Airey’s Inlet to have breakfast. I try their ‘world famous scones’ with clotted cream and jam and Dick has an Egg and Bacon breakfast sandwich (‘bacon’ here looks like a ham slice, but isn’t).
The drive to Melbourne is easy until we reach the airport, then congestion city – Dick handles it well. Our flight departs on time and is a short 1-hour trip. We arrive in Hobart and pick up the rental car for a 20-minute drive to our hotel.
We are staying at the Astor Private Hotel continuously operating since 1922. Its current owner is Tildy and she is a very unique character to say the least. We have parked the car illegally on the street, while Dick goes in to see where we should park. After a while, he returns and we find our parking area.
As we approach the doors with our luggage, Tildy comes out and states that she is going to see a baby wombat and would we like to join her? Well, of course, and sure enough there is a couple that do animal rescue and rehab and they just happen to have not one, but two baby wombats with them. One is seven months old and the other is two. Both were orphaned when their mothers were hit by cars. They are about the cutest things I have ever seen. Welcome to Tasmania!!
We check in and have a walkabout down to the waterfront. Dinner is at Mures Upper Deck, a fresh seafood house on the harbor.
Mary