Tasty side of Tasmania

As I said, our flat tire detour ended up being a delicous treat. We had to detour to Devonport for a new tire and on our way to Hobart from Devonport we stopped at a chocolate factory, a cheese farm and a raspberry farm. It ended up being the highlight of our day! that would have been an otherwise long drive to Hobart.

Our night visitor

Before I take you to Hobart, I have to tell you about our little visitor we had on our balcony of our cabin in Cradle Mt. We're still not sure what it was, but we think it was a tree possum. He loved our grapes and allowed us to hand feed him.

Cradle Mountain

Our next stop on Tasmania was on the midwest side of the island to a mountain called Cradle Mountain. On our way we went through Mole Creek and stopped at two caves called King Solomon's and Marakoopa. They were much smaller, but just as impressive as Carlsbad Caverns.

Cradle Mountain was spectacular, but rainy. They say they see about 360 days of rain a year. We hiked up to a look-out rock and enjoyed the sunset. We experienced a flat tire here that sent us a little out of way the next day, on our way to Hobart, but it ended up being a delicious detour.

Launceston, Tasmania

After only one night in Melbourne, we flew to Tasmania. First 3 nights were in Launceston, a town on the north end of Tasmania. While in this area we...hiked up to the Catarack Gorge, went to the Tasmania Zoo and saw the infamous Tasmania Devil, we went to farms for Platypus and Sea Horses, we drove to the north coast and walked the beach, and we walked the pier after enjoying a dinner of fish and chips. We went on a Ghost tour through the city after dark and because the town shuts down by 5:30, we went to the movies one night. Without a doubt we all fell in love with this charming town of Launceston.

First Stop, Melbourne

We landed in Melbourne, Saturday, March 21, a day I will never forget. We met up with Dot and Alan, our friends from Vietnam, and drove downtown to our hotel, only a block away from The Regent Theatre, where we were thrilled that night by an Australian cast performing the musical, "Wicked". I have wanted to see this show since my brother John introduced me to the CD several years ago and I'm still spinning from the incredible performance. I wanted to see it again as soon as it was over. What a way to start our trip!!!

New pics of Spencer - one month old

Death Becomes Her

Due to a recent two week world-wind trip home which included early mornings, late nights, moving, taxes and babies...
I returned home to Jakarta exhausted. I must have breathed in someone's bad air on one of my flights, because almost immediately after I landed I started coughing and spent the past 2 weeks fighting an upper respiratory infection. It took three trips to our medical clinic, several blood tests and an ultrasound of my liver (and every other vital organ) to diagnose, but I was finally put on an antibiotic, spectrate and cough medicine with codeine (the good stuff) to settle the war going on in my chest and I feel much better. And not any too soon as we're off to AUSTRALIA tonight. Watch the blog as we journey our way around Melbourne, Tasmania, Brisbane, Sapphire Mines, and Sydney. Good'day Mate!!!

Early Morning with Gramma

Here's my only reason for getting up before the butt-crack of dawn!!! I cherish the memory of these early morning hours with Ethan and Spencer.

Ethan Turns One

Ethan had a wonderful birthday with lots of friends and family to help him celebrate. He wore a t-shirt that said "My first Birthday" and Chiree gave him a smashing mohawk hairdo. He loved opening presents and there were plenty!!!
They served little mini pizzas everyone could make themselves and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Spongebob came too, in the form of a cake. He was delicious. Happy 1st Birthday Ethan, we all love you very much!!!