Australia 2009 - days 13 to 17 in Hobart and on our way to Freycinet National Park

Day 13.
Aunt Gabrielle babysits Sofie while we climb 'Fiddlesticks' on Mt Wellington. In this photo Sofie is rugged up in mums puffy jacket early that morning.


















A view of Mt. Wellington.
















A closer view of the route. For more details of this climb check out my husbands blog by clicking here.














Hans and Elvira at the top of the first pitch (approx. 30 m).















Elvira belaying Hans as he leads the second pitch to the top of the climb at approx. 25 m.














Day 14.
We dream of climbing the 'Totem pole' which is substantially more difficult than we can climb (Australian grade 25). But even though we couldn't climb this we ventured out to see it. The drive from Hobart is 3 hours return and the walk is 4 hours return. We took Sofie with us and due to the warm temperatures she didn't sleep so toward the end of the drive home she was quite annoyed with us and gave us quite an ear bashing!!!

In this photo one can see a sea lion waiting for the scraps fishermen throw out.










Hans carried Sofie in the front bearer. She didn't sleep and I'm not too sure she enjoyed the walk which was steep and hot.













The views as we got out of the bush out onto the Peninsula.













More views.
















And finally after bush walking 2 hours in hot and sticky conditions we get our look at the Totem pole.




















Day 15.
We take Alice and Hugh sports climbing at the small crag Fruehauf in Hobart. In this photo Alice climbs the route Bedside Manners are Extra (grade 17).




















Then Hugh and Elvira get a go.





















Hans belays us all.





















Sofie's FIRST climb ........... Finally Sofie gets curious and wants to feel the rock.














That evening we eat out at the famous 'Fish Frenzy' its apparently the best fish and chips in Australia!














In this photo Hugh checks out the food after it arrives. It really is good even if one normally doesn't fancy fried things.













After dinner we walk around Battery point and stumble over a restaurant that Crown Princess Mary worked in when she was a student and before she married the Crown Prince of Denmark!!











Day 16 .
We arrive in Freycinet National Park on the east coast of Tasmania on 16/2 and set up camp at Iluka holiday centre in Coles Bay right on the beach. We spend the day relaxing at our campsite, writing our diary and planning the next couple of legs of our trip.

Day 17.
We buy a 8 weeks pass to the National Parks of Tasmania and have a chat to the Park ranger about walks that are appropriate when travelling with a baby. The ranger recommends three walks which we venture out onto.

In this photo one can see the beautiful coastline seen from the Tourville road lighthouse lookout looking south. The Wineglass Bay beach is just visible in the middle of the picture.










In this photo one sees the coast from the same vantage point however here we look out toward the north end of the coast.











And finally a view of the lighthouse which still functions and is actually relatively new.












Sofie fell asleep on the short walk at Tourville lighthouse so I chose to walk the 3.5 km to the next walk at Sleepy Bay. In this photo one can see a view of the beautiful coastline from sleepy bay. This walk was not as easy with the pram as there were a lot of steps and rocks.







We have lunch and Sofie wakes up, possibly because of all the mosquitoes which we suddenly encountered.













We finally make it down to the beach at Sleepy Bay and in these two photos one can see the coastline and then a closer view of the weird rock formations created by wave erosion.

























Our next stop that day was Honeymoon bay.













A very child friendly beach as there are no waves. However the water is very very cold.














On the first beach we get to we find a rock which would be great for bouldering and Sofie and mum try to work out some moves. The rock is used by most families to provide shade.


















..... and a view of more spectacular coastline. The 'Hazards' (pink granite with lots of climbing) can be seen in the background.





Coles Bay and Freycinet National park are dominated by 'The Hazards' In this photo one can see a panoramic view of the formations taken from the harbor in Coles Bay.


After lunch we head out to Bicheno (north of Coles Bay) to do some shopping and visit a Wilderness park. In this photo one can see a juvenile Tasmanian Devil. The park specializes in these unique animals (the worlds largest carnivorous marsupial). The Tasmanian Devils are presently threatened by 'Devil Facial Tumor Disease - DFTD' which is a communicable cancer of the face. Unfortunately most of the wild populations are now infected so the park is one of the places which can help preserve remaining numbers.

Another Tassie Devil smiling for the camera.





















It was feeding time shortly after we arrived in the park which was lucky as little Sofie thus got to meet some of the animals. In this photo she is getting a close look at Marge the wombat. Marge was orphaned when she was a baby as her mother was hit by a car. She is thus very tame as she was reared by the park owners.







Sofie also got a close look at a young grey Kangaroo.













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