CAN I GET A WOOT WOOT!

yes hp aoi is off to the drop at the bottom of australia to escape her humid tourist town for a much needed health holiday and she wants to bring you peoples with me in spirit!

come on a virtual vacay of tasmania with me to keep this post doable the main section will be updated with the day's itinery with a link to the Unsplash edited photo's. see edited photos here https://unsplash.com/@aoiharudesigns

so with that said subscribe to this post and check in! ill post a day 01-24 up.

day 1, 2/6/21 i'll be up at 4 am to get on the airport bus at 5 am arrivig at the airport by 7 am then flight to hobart at 9 am landing at 1. next is picking up the hire car and checking in (landing in hobart https://i.imgur.com/B7XWWkc.jpg), (the car https://i.imgur.com/2VOLSHQ.jpg) and last of all the hotel (https://i.imgur.com/ViH67h4.jpg) and my expectations of tasmania are already blown lol its such a diiferent world from qld, hobart domestic airport is very rural, hpbart the capital is more like the sunshine coast business sector of marrochydoor and wher i am on the north east bay side its very much like a dry version of noosa lol. dinner on the bay (the view https://i.imgur.com/4j54Q0b.jpg) and (the food https://i.imgur.com/gRzNSHd.jpg and https://i.imgur.com/6hyMwb8.jpg)

day 2, 2/7/21 from hobart it was 20 mins down the road to richmond to visit the oldest gaol in australia (see da stash) then off to enjoy my very first high tea at the gorgous riversdale esate , full pics in da stash but the high tea from my phone ( https://i.imgur.com/NdOfnpP.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/hY9arOo.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/jUvkWe2.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/M44mCpL.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/yHlogEq.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/z28FYsz.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/l8KmkVP.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/LvQFOcg.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/JXojLnV.jpg and yes thats peter rabbit https://i.imgur.com/a2fGQXz.jpg) then i returned to richmond to do a shoot of the old bridge, old roman church (was short on time so only one photo) and the model village of old hobart (see da stash) then it was off to eagle neck to see the seanic lookouts (da stash) and almost lost a walking pole in high winds when i stopped to take a photo (and man was that wind was cold)ive arrived at the cute fox and hound inn ( https://i.imgur.com/qN3PK5C.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/9Bezq5R.jpg and the room https://i.imgur.com/zcVfp5V.jpg ) with dinner (...) (da stash link) again still having issue with the wifi and my comp so i may have to stop in sorrel or find some where near orford to upload to da.

day 3. 2/8/21 and now port arthur again most of the photos are on the stash so this is the only one from my phone today https://i.imgur.com/rRzsFEM.jpg next year im planning o spending at least a week on this pennisula with a windbreaker lol i also went on a journing to the most southern accesable point the reamrkabe cave (closed for structual repairs) but the look out was amazing and a some what wild journey up a road probably more sutible to 4wd than the suv to fortescue bay.

day4, 2/9/21 and its a bust day, i should have done the sceanic drive and tassie devil experience instead but i couldnt find any info on the ferry to Maria Island until i was there and because the wind is so cold ill have to fast track it up to the next stop Bicheno to spend a full day exploring the Freycinet Peninsula hopfully being able to pick up a good windbracker or rain coat for a decent price either in swansea or bicheno... so far i have throughly underestimated tassie... my tourist in my uber lied to me lol its proven to be very remote with basic wifi at my stops so far but thats not to say i dont have some amazing places i did visit before the wind got to me lol (da stash) im getting a feeling that i may not be able to get a decent internet connection on the computer till launceston which is the 14 and 15th lol but ill keep trying at every stop! i did get to see some very stricking sceanery and am very happy with my journey im already planning a next year a) if i get fit trip and a b)current mobilty trip focusing on the southern peninsula where port arthur is, the south western part of hounsville (which i wont get to on this journey) and a proper explore of Maria Island and the central HWY to Tamar Valley. SO what did aoi do today she did a quick day trip up cast to swansea but with the wind and no proper coats ill have to drive past the stuff i missed but i did see some very stricking coastlines and found the 'Spikey Bridge' im finding signage to some tourist spots lacking if at all there and google maps is not being helpful either lol

Day 5 2/10/21 and im sick lol yes i was rugged up in all areas but my upper chest so i spent the whole bicheno stay in my hotel with some heavy duty cold and flu meds to combat a 98% sure chest infection. i got close on a coat here but not quite big enough for my chest... im big in my chest thanks to the upgrade my kid gave me lol.

Day 6 2/11/21 and i feel a bit better now, i have a doctors appoinment in the stay on st.helens tommorow, its proven to be mch better temps, wind and overall waether on the east coast which is helping, i managed a few short lookouts over bluffs shots today and ran across something i was dead sure would not be here..... a red belly black snake lol i guess when your born here this is  snake weather season too lol ill be a lot more carefull when im back into full action. Ive been advised to stay away from people as much as possible and where a mask when im moving around out of my car but im pretty sure come tommorow afternoon ill be mostly recovered but they will give me a covid test and probs kick its last day in the but with antibiotics... still no luck on the jacket of wifi though lol i may have mentioned this but its really is a different world down here its like the land time forgot and i really underestimated how rural and remote tasmania has proven to be lol im still 4 days out of the next largest centre of launceston. tasmania has been a masive learning experience on what to do next time i travel... NEVER ASSUME IT WILL BE LIKE HOME lol

day 7 2/12/21 and im back to full health so i decided this morning while waiting for a doctors appointment(that i did'nt need anymore) to go check out the amazing bay of fires as the morning wore on and my brain started to work properly for the first time in two days i realized something..... there was something missing.... as my brain worked it over i realized it was my super fabolous and super dooper important walking poles.... and where did i leave said walking poles... 177km south at Maria Island Gateway center.... so my day to catch up on my itinery was spent on what m dubbing AOI'S GRAND MISADVENTURE!!!! cause yes i drove 177kms south and then drove the 3 and a half hour journey back north to the next port of call pioneer just outside derby on the north east coast... and man oh man its another world out here like legit you could imagine a rapture jumping out of these massive ferns out here. unfortunatly i wont have time to double back to weldboruough forest but on my next leg im stopping off at Ralphs Falls in the Mt Victoria Forest Reserve... well ill attept anyway need to take it easy on the excersize for another day. and guess what folks this is a back of beyond place so no wifi at all and barely any reception lol. im excited to see what tasmania has in store for me next lol but on good news i did finally find a windbreaker... a very expensive one but it fits and will keep me from getting another chest infection. i did get some photos of the bay of fires before i realized my missing poles so they will be on the stash (da stash) when that happens lol im getting an external hard drive in lainceston if i still cant get wifi on my comp

day 8 2/13/21 and we have photos lol ill be taking more photos from my phone so you guys can see more of tassie while i wait on that solid wifi connection. So aoi's adventure today was a rouring sucess woot! i gave the new jacket a reall test run at ralph falls -and no folks aoi didnt do the full circut past cash's gorge as she still has to go easy on her lungs- ( https://i.imgur.com/xVlDoSD.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/3inpYVV.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/WMw6b38.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/z1zcMj9.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/hCnPr2F.jpg and https://i.imgur.com/tiDte9t.jpg) and then onto tonights stop town of bridport which is so stunning im now on the north coast ( https://i.imgur.com/CB9Ave8.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/qlxT2p2.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/1oCII9V.jpg and https://i.imgur.com/zgIBmuU.jpg) im taking a little break before dinner at one of the pubs at 6/7 pm cause its an early start tom to get as much of george town in before finally landing in tassies only other major city launceston.

day 9 2/14/21 and we are on our way too launceston with a orning spent in george town now i didnt take any photos on the phone just vids so yeah but plenty on the camera which i still cant get a solid wifi for so there traped on there too lol but still have like 5000 more photos left and yes its valentines day so i had a special dinner for one at the beutiful hallams ( https://i.imgur.com/qg6GafL.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/P0t9MfI.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/NzsOpJ8.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/7K9Jkfz.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/pT5jSMW.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/Bmt8RpK.jpg and https://i.imgur.com/s7i7G5d.jpg )

day 10 2/15/21 and we had a mixed bag day my legs are a bit swollen due to lady things so joy for that but i still had a nice walk around the tamar island wetlands ( https://i.imgur.com/kLRWlQy.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/vL0pHtC.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/TF98lFr.jpg and https://i.imgur.com/KC6AUzs.jpg ) a lovely lunch at stillwater ( https://i.imgur.com/83338qg.jpg and https://i.imgur.com/iJmIdaM.jpg ) and a hopeful diner at koestan lit next door (cause i missed my japanese food lol)

day 11 2/16/21 and today was a big success/slight wrong turn so for the wow i got out to a few really pretty towns on my way to my postcard destination of Liffy Falls.... so im on my way to the falls and its well signed all the way exept for one juction, i flipped a coin and choose straight this was wrong but i didnt figure that out till it got really narrow and 4wd territory lol so i babied the suv along roads it was never built for, a mini bog trying to find a turning point and all of a sudden im off the track and i see.... the road i was on 10 min earlier turns out i did a full circle lol well i learned and was ready for said junction when i came up to it turned out the sign had fallen off the metal pole that had blended into the bush the first time round lol so liffy falls was so pretty lots of good photos, saw a wild rainbow trout which was super exciting lol ( https://i.imgur.com/BCmchfz.jpg and https://i.imgur.com/dGWNtPU.jpg ) and then onto find the highway and after a narrow squze past a fallen tree i found the hwy again and onto my stop of deloraine. its a pretty little town surrounded by mountain with a much more comfortable bed than the pub in launceston.

day 12 HALFWAY OVER 2/17/21 and today was an amazing experience and thankfully a well signed one cause my phone decided it was going to throw a fit and stop using maps and connecting to the car properly lol. so what did i do i made my wya to marakoopa caves ( https://i.imgur.com/dGWNtPU.jpg ) a truley magical experience they only aloud photos in the deeper part so i couldnt take photos of the amazing glow worm colony here and very thankful for the heavy coat as it was 9 c in the cave and im still recovering from the chest infection... after y lung collapased it takes longer for the crap to stop but i feel awesome just gotta watch my breathing. next stop acute a quirky pub in moles creek that dubbed itself the tassie tiger pub and then onto my first encounter with tassie devils and wombats at trowunna wildlife santuary ( https://i.imgur.com/6ieEzce.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/NWm094Q.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/PGyr9Hm.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/vgg9O8Q.jpg and https://i.imgur.com/w1Hu08p.jpg )

day 13 2/18/21 and im now on a easy leg today i took it easy on my way to just past burnie to the town of sommerset where im staying tonight. first stop was Tasmanian Arboretum and i did the 2 k easy track and was able to get some nice maple stock so yay! next stop was penguin for a selfie with the big penguin he was all dolled up for valentines day ( https://i.imgur.com/t7XQ8jF.jpg ) and then onto Leven Canyon.... now this is where me and tasmania have one of our difference of opions.... this walk is discribes as "easy access" and ok for folks like my self but only until the splits and from that point its experienced hikers.... it was not easy to find for one, very limited parking like 2 spaces and its a grade 3 with a unexpected because the sign said they were after 200 steps that were narrow and steppish. but im very proud t say i made it done to the splits, down was the easy part... and i took my time 2 hrs in fact down and back on a predicted 30 min return.... i say this now folks even if in top shape there is no way a 30 min return journey just for the stairs unless you run it lol. so yeah i was exhusted when i arrived in sommerset lol

day 14 2/19/21 and i pulled up from my trip down the levon canyon well so im in hope for cradle mountain... i have a few plans on the easy walks but probably wont be able to do the full 6kms of the dove lake track, but thats for another day we are of too stanley so with that said first stop fossil bluff i decided to try and take it easy and no climb up to the look out but i did a quick shoot of the rocky beach. now we go a little furthur to the beautiful boat harbour beach... its got a sign saying one of the top 10 beaches in australia and although its pretty noosa as well as any qld beach has it beat so yes maybe in tassie its a top beach but i had my windbreaker on so its not a top ten for me lol so onto stanley and i get my first site of "the nut" and its chair lift i swear i am the only person who uses 'goly gosh' as a swear and i was saying that to my self the closer i got and the more i saw because im terrified of hights lol but i was determined so i decided 'unwisely in hindsight' not to take my walking poles up the chairlift cause they didnt fit in my camera bag and let it close properly. so up the chair lift i had my eyes closed up and down chanting 'im just on a swing and im not high from the ground' i get to the top and its stunning up there and decided to trust tassie 'let it be known i dont anymore' when it said it was an easy walk around the summit and did the 2 k rough walk with some stairs all without the poles... and as such i injured my good leg lol ill be getting a remedial massage in cradle mountain. so i get back and there one more stop on todays itinery Arthur River and the completion of my mainland compass points lol i have now stood on the mainland south, east, north and west..... the latter i found pure by accident. so i get to Arthur River and im buggered so i pull over at the first turn after my nav ended for a 10 min break and then decided ok whats at the end of this dirt road lol... and what do i find 'the edge of the world' lol apparently i had stumbled upon something i had no idea was even there but a truely stricking if not well signed place to stand, straight shoot to argentina from here, lots of driftwood on the granit rock and that deep sticking blue ocean marked at the brown mouth of the river on a sharpe line. ( https://i.imgur.com/Jjq8Jpf.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/QDYnmhk.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/h2rwD1e.jpg ) dinner was incredible back at stanley ( https://i.imgur.com/UfqfUij.jpg and https://i.imgur.com/USlEASF.jpg ) and alais a hard bed upstair for the night.

Day 15 2/20/21 and we begin our journey to cradle mountain yay and when i checked the weather on the way out today was supposed to be hot but tommorow was going to drop by 10c and then weds a 40% of snow monday.... i ended up bringing summer with me lol its not going to drop tommorow afterall and with the help of codine got out on the dove lake tracke] out to the boatshed. its so pretty out here really easy ill use the morning to explore some of the easy tracks around peppers until my massage at 2 which will imobilse me for the rest of the day. ( https://i.imgur.com/1Xu1o8W.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/1Xu1o8W.jpg and https://i.imgur.com/fQGqKWk.jpg)

day 16 2/21/21 and onto day 2 of cradle mountain and with a cooler morning i was able to complete 3 easy tracks before my massage today and its just so pretty and unique out here ( https://i.imgur.com/1MHuA0Z.jpg ) still have dinner at the highlands resturant to look forward too tonight ( https://i.imgur.com/eft5esN.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/xm6tzhW.jpg and https://i.imgur.com/zdvXCMh.jpg) and a well deserved afternoon of rest before my 'wild west' adventure kicks off tommorow lol

day 17 2/22/21 and into the west we go... with just a week left on my journey i didnt time it well so the first stop of tullah was just for tea and cake as the only attraction a small steam engine ride was a weekend only event, so off to the next stop rosebury where instead of looking around a heritage centre i ended up in a 4hr deep intelectual convo with the care aker there so i had a quick lunch at the pub before heading off to zeehan at zeehan i headed up to the sprey tunnel (a left over from silver mining) ( https://i.imgur.com/9nYAK9J.jpg ) and then a education tour of the extensive hertitage center there and onto the glamoing site which was where i encountered my first nocturnal creature.... a small rat kanagrro having fights with a bushtail possum and possible quail(carnivours) but it was to dark to really tell causeonlythe rat roos stayed around when the torch went out the window lol

day 18 2/23/21 and now onto the stop i had heard about long before i arrived QUEENSTOWN its described as a moon scape but i think it looks like mars being red and all but its a real awe ispiring moment coming in from the north as to the power of human destruction cause despite the heavy mining in the north its heavy forest right till you make that last turn and see the mountains behind queenstown and you get that first wow moment. but it wasn't this i came to this part of tassie but the wilderness railway journey ( https://i.imgur.com/ukkM277.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/jBSSYjg.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/hMaoEJB.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/Pnfd6up.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/BRGgaKi.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/OK3pfNX.jpg and https://i.imgur.com/J0nrWyM.jpg ) after the rail way i ventured out to strahan and found the very sweet hogarth  falls ( https://i.imgur.com/D6Gum26.jpg ) and i ventured out to ocean beach before heading back to queenstown for the paragon theater experience the old movie/stage there has a lot of history and was great to have a dinner and movie experience even if it was a dvd projection lol (btw folks near where aoi live theres a original silent movie theater with the original projection system and organ)

day 19 2/24/21 now its here my legs are really starting to complain the cold isnt agreeing with them and neither is the exercise lol legit apart from when i was sick ive walked 1-3 kms everyday one my bad legs and none of which would have been possible without my poles, so i stopped off at the truley amazing and very easy access of nelson falls ( https://i.imgur.com/wdaONSS.jpg and https://i.imgur.com/ec7xv7i.jpg ) then onto lake st clair and the short easy walk up to watersmeet ( https://i.imgur.com/1iCsdBj.jpg ) and then back along the not well signed and not so easy lake walk.... i sank on the gravel goat track path lol ( https://i.imgur.com/ow4z3jC.jpg ) and then onto the stop of derwent bridge which i felt was very over priced but comfy i got the best sleep in a long time.

day 20 2/25/21 and today is a litual wash out lol other than a stop at 'The Wall' at derwent bridge which i recommend it has been raining from light to very hard all day so the fail to find Tarraleah Falls wasnt so bad and i did a pit stop at bronte dam before ouse for lunch and supplies before landing at the ellendale stop of Sassafras Springs, there are easy walks over the property but its still very cold and wet so im taking a rest arvo and doind the 'tasmanian wilds' thing and made my very first wood fire lol ( https://i.imgur.com/kYg2K1N.jpg and https://i.imgur.com/iKZ45jp.jpg ) nowthere is an electric heater in here too i guess for those that cant get the fire started or maintained over night lol and a few shots of the interior .... i kinda was hoping for an oven or microwave but nada on both so defrosting the only option i could get in ouse for a pan fry microwave dinner experience lol ( https://i.imgur.com/yIOxsJD.jpg and https://i.imgur.com/gwaZkrv.jpg ) and at last a stable internet connection on the computer has been acheived so woot lol im legit in a cabinout the back of beyond in a lovely cabin and its here at last i have internet on the computer without a hotspot lol

Day 21 2/26/21 and we wake up to a beautiful day  ( https://i.imgur.com/SibyGco.jpg ) which made the whole mt field side of the journey a big success i manages to pull of 3 walks going from dead easy to goat track easy -sorry no phone pics from the goat track one- (russel falls track https://i.imgur.com/0bayRsn.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/Cu0MsPi.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/PAvAzO3.jpg and https://i.imgur.com/ZeAdJMf.jpg ( horseshoe falls https://i.imgur.com/67151FT.jpg -took the drive shortcut up to advoid 235 stairs-) and then up to the lake dobsen circut which was stunning and cold lol

day 22 2/27/21 and off into the true wild we go.... i kid you not folks legit no receotion for 50kms out of strathgorden lol but i did make a stop at one of the "easy" tracks... yes folks its intended to be like this ( https://i.imgur.com/P0LePix.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/BxdsJgt.jpg and at the end https://i.imgur.com/j9Kz835.jpg ) its called the creepy crawly trail but there was very little info on it til i git there and i must say trying to get through those branches was a bit tough for me and my mobility but i did it and im so proud for it lol it was another 44kms before id reach my final stop of strath gorden for which the clouds decided to appear -no rain thankfully- but it would have been amazing so far out from pretty much anything to see the stars lol ( https://i.imgur.com/ZoDqkg1.jpg )

day 23 2/28/21 and back to hobart we go making the full circle of tasmania yay! i stopped at the wonderful Mona which i recommend for those with an open mind it's an amazing experience that will assult your senses lol ( https://i.imgur.com/7WqQWaT.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/RuUtxd0.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/1BJb5Ok.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/SijWjYR.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/IfBGQfL.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/UC3gxHI.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/jDsiNx8.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/xS2yTCo.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/8lxXMaG.jpg and an infinity pool of crude oil https://i.imgur.com/uKm4f7X.jpg ) mt wellington -which decided to be covered in cloud but being its 1230meters above sea level seems to be a common thing lol- ( https://i.imgur.com/d2QlUNH.jpg and  https://i.imgur.com/DGv3TKr.jpg )and dinner at st.albi ( https://i.imgur.com/74YWaYs.jpg , https://i.imgur.com/RTRDa8l.jpg and https://i.imgur.com/Grb7MFx.jpg)

day 24 3/1/21 and nothing exciting today other than cleaning the car and packing the car i return to a muggy brisbane ( https://i.imgur.com/5I0oqpf.jpg )-seems like it hasnt got the msg its autumn yet- but back home just an hour and a half away the humidity is easing like it always does i pick up the new car for work tommorow afternoon and then i drive back home to beautifu noosa and the offical end of my holiday as i have to go back to work on the 3rd lol

(photo of noosa TBA)

Everything is so different from here and pretty and gosh I wanna go.

Ill know Ill never be able to go there,  so thx so much for sharing :)

days 17- 20 up

and its over folks last few days have been added when i get a chance to edit the thousands of photos i took ill link them here lol

ok folks ive decided i will share the bulk of my images through unsplash https://unsplash.com/@aoiharudesigns