Tasmania

When I left for Tasmania on Sunday morning, I was getting sick. I was freezing cold and I knew Tasmania would be colder. So I went to a shop in the airport and bought a jacket. It was necessary. By the time I arrived, I was very ill. I had a really bad cold: headache, congested lungs, coughing, sneezing, body aches and fever. I was hurting.

So I opened my bible, the Frommers' guide, and found a hotel. Called the hotel and booked a room. When I arrived at the hotel, I had seen that Frommers had let me down. The room was a nightmare (well maybe not a nightmare, but remember I was ill too). The room was painted purple. Everything was purple. The purple sheets were old and had the little fuzzy things on them. No phone, one channel on the TV, four pieces of white wonder bread wrapped in cellophane (which I was told was my breeky), and the bonus smell of mildew. Too tired and ill to really care and using my positive attitude (I'm putting my happy face on!), I decided it would be fine. I fell on the bed; but the purple forced me on to the street to explore Hobart.

Once on the street, I realized I had not eaten anything and it was about 3:00. So I set out to find something to eat. I looked up the street. Fortunately, the purple hotel was centrally located. I walked along Elisabeth Street up to where it becomes a mall. I decided I needed a bowl of soup and a sandwich. Subway---no I did not want Subway, did I? So I continued on. On my right was a Target. Yes, Target is big here too...they are everywhere. Curious, I thought I would check out to see if it is like they are at home. I was slightly disappointed as the store was not as nice as they are in the states. The merchandise is a lower quality. It actually reminded me of K-mart more than Target.

Unable to find any soup, I settled on Subway. I was getting desperately hungry at this point. After finishing my sandwich, I was freezing, ill and had discovered I had a blister on my foot. Now was a good time to see a movie! While shopping I had also happened upon a bookstore and picked up A Movable Feast by Hemingway. After I found the movie theater several blocks away, I bought a ticket to 8 Mile, the next movie to be playing that I had not seen, and sat in the lobby and started to read my new purchase. After an hour or so, I went in and saw the movie (which was pretty good, predictable, but good). After the movie I retired to the purple room. I discovered after reaching the room, that I had lost my mobile phone. Since I did not have a phone in my room, I would have to search for it the next day.

The lobby of the purple hotel was a bar. I asked to use the phone and the woman behind the bar was less than helpful. At that point, I decided I had to get out of there. So I packed my bags and headed out. I was told the lost and found for my shuttle from the airport was at the bus depot. So I went there. At the bus depot (which did not have my mobile), I found out that no I could not take a bus to Freycinet National Park today and return tomorrow. According to the bible (Frommers), Freycient was a must see in Tasmania. Therefore, I decided to rent a car. Still feeling as ill as I had the day before, the thought of getting out of Hobart and away from the purple room was very inviting.

I walked down the street where Budget car rental and Ascot car rental sat. I first went into Budget, waited a half hour, and found out they had no more cars. Thanks Budget! Next door, however, Ascot had just what I needed--a car with automatic transmission (recall the Brazil story). Ten minutes later I found myself sitting on the right side of the car behind the wheel of an Echo. If you do not know what an Echo is, take the smallest car you have seen in the US and half it.

I put the car in drive (using my left hand) and pulled out onto the street. Took a left turn on to a one way and off I went (driving for the first time on the left side of the road).

Three hours, about 200 road kill victims (none by me) and some of the most beautiful scenery later, I arrived in Coles Bay at the edge of Freycinet National Park. After trying to find accommodation for over an hour, I decided to splurge and stay at the very nice five-star Freycinet Lodge (its in the park and I was still feeling ill, so why not, right). I enjoyed the room that night, getting lots of rest and trying to get better so I could go hiking the next day.

The rest helped. I felt much better the next day and the hiking was very beautiful. The first trek I did was to Wineglass Bay.



Another trail:

When I was finished I walked back to my car to discover a little wallabee walking around; he was really cute.


I then got back in my Echo and drove to Hobart. When I arrived in Hobart I found a better hotel and checked in. I booked a tour for the next day to go see Port Arthor, the original penal colony in Australia. After I returned the rental car, I was still feeling ill so I went to another movie. I went to Bowling for Columbine. If you have not seen the movie you should. Its great. I found it especially interesting watching it in a foreign country. I saw it in a packed theater as the only American. When the movie was finished, I was embarrassed to be an American...see the movie and you will know why.

The next day I boarded yet another tour bus to go to Port Arthur. Trip was very cool. Along the way out the site we stopped an saw a few cool natural scenes. When we arrived, we had lunch and explored the museum on the site. The entire site is the size of a small village.



After the tour, the bus dropped me off at the airport to head back to Sydney with a stop in Melbourne (where I could pick up my mobile--yes I had left it on the plane and someone turned it in).

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