My favorite camping spot in Tasy.

My favorite camping spot in Tasy.

Tasmania Road trip complete: Arriving back in Hobart completed our circumnavigation road trip around Tasmania.  Since reception at the Pickled Frog was closed when we trampled in after midnight, Gwenda and I grabbed some couch space for the remainder of the evening and checked in at 6 a.m.  With whole beds of our own (instead of Deedee’s backseat), we slept for much of the next day, simply because we had unlimited heat, mattresses, and fluffy blankies.

Get off the beaten path in Tasmania

Get off the beaten path in Tasmania

Gwenda and I were both flying back to the mainland the following afternoon. For our final night we treated ourselves to some fresh fish and chips down at the barges. Delicious!! I’m still getting use to the whole idea of using vinegar and had to make repeated trips to the counter to ask for more packets of “tomato sauce” for my fries. They finally just handed me a few handfuls in order to satiate me. We spent the rest of the evening enjoying the finale of the Mountain Music festival. One of the local bars was sponsoring the final event, recognizing several of the local songwriters and singers. Much of it was a kind of folk, country type of music and there was a lot of foot stomping and clapping around the room – definitely a sort of mountain music.

The end of our Tasy Era – In conclusion, Tasmania was great!! Gwenda and I had so many laughs and simply random, oddly surreal, and just plain silly moments along the way. Just my luck – the day that I flew out of Hobart, the weather warmed up dramatically and there wasn’t a cloud in the hot, sunny sky.  I was wearing a t-shirt when I boarded the plane and had my scarf, hat, and gloves tucked away in my bag. Isn’t that just a bit ironic? We can’t always have the best of everything though! It’s back to Melboune for me. I have to pick up my big backpack and say goodbye to some friends. Then I’m headed up the coast where the sun is shining. Gwenda and I are meeting up again in Brisbane in a few weeks and plan to tour around some of the hot spots together. More updates to follow.