Following on from my last post about Day Cruises, the other “tours” on this road trip to Tasmania and back from Queensland, fall a little into organised tours and then attractions.
Coal Mine Historic Site
I had visited the Port Arthur Historic site before, but had not ventured to the Coal Mine Historic Site further to the west of Port Arthur.
Wow, was that a fabulous raw experience and very worthwhile to make the effort.
On my previous Port Arthur site tour, I attended their Ghost Tour. Timing did not line up to do that again, but I instead got the last ticket for the far more chilling Hobart Penitentiary Ghost Tour. Either very well staged, or a skeptics disbelief. A Must Do when visiting Hobart.
A trip to Tasmania’s West Coast would not be complete without doing the 2 West Coast Rails Steam Train half days from Strahan & Queenstown. Queenstown having given me an equally memorial stay in the National Trust house of Penghana.
There are a few “zoos” or fauna nature parks around Tassie where you can see Tasmanian Devils, but I chose Devils @ Cradle for this encounter as they are more a conversationalist than pure tourist attraction, doing important work nurturing this endangered species. I booked their After Dark Feeding Tour which proved to be excellent. The Devils get very active & noisy at dusk feeding time.
For calm & serentity, a self paced wander around the Salmon Ponds was only bettered by the Devonshire Tea at the end,
and while seeing The Nut at Stanley, you have to visit the Highfield Historic Site, a “Gentleman’s Home” built by Edward Curr as chief agent for Van Diemans Land Company. Tasmania originally named Van Diemans Land.
On the adventure side, a Segway glide through the forests at Hollybank Adventure Park, contrasted the far more exerting and adventurist half day Quad Bike Tour of Freycinet, a long fast ride through the forest tracks to Bluestone Bay, Cape Tourville & more, often airbourne trails in between. A sensational tour operator and experience
Then on the roadtrip home, a visit to the truly unique d’Arenberg Winery at McLaren Vale delighted with an exhibition of Salvador Dali works. The whole place is quirky, colourful and entertaining, as example here. Some ladies were coming out of the mens room, laughing their heads off. I just had to discover what triggered such a reaction, ummmmmm see for yourself.
And to wrap up this post, a visit to the floral splendor of Mayfield Gardens in Oberon NSW in my final days.
As always, my opinions are my own, and no-one has paid me promote anything.
So as pictorial reference to inspire your road trip plans…
Coal Mine Historic Site Port Arthur region
d’Arenberg Winery in McLaren Vale Sth Australia
Freycinet Quad Bike Tour from Coles Bay
West Coast Rail from Strahan and separately from Queenstown
Hobart Penitentiary Ghost Tour
and Mayfield Gardens at Oberon NSW
WILT – What I am listening to ?
Don’t try to read too much into these WILT’s, it’s often just that earworm from my music library