Thanks in advance to Judy Kraatz for some of the pictures in this blog.
Hobart
Happy New Year folks. At the end of the last Blog we were leaving Stanley in the north west of Tasmania to pick up our friend Judy from Hobart airport before our Christmas break on Bruny Island. Our plan was to spend a night in a lovely hotel near Salamanca Markets on Friday Night, pick up some provisions at the Market early and get an early ferry to the Island.
These wonderful ships are not the ferries that take you to Bruny Island, they go to the Museum of Old and New Art. Its a wonderful place, I blogged about it in a previous post, it is a wonderful, fun and interesting place. Well worth the trip to see it.
Botanical Gardens
We managed to grab some time to visit the famous Botanical Gardens in Hobart while we were there. It was a short visit and very interesting. We’ll definitely be back.
Salamanca Markets
Bruny Island is a popular destination for holiday makers and we were told the queue for the ferry could be 2 hours in peak times so we planned to be there early to miss most of the crowds and hit the markets early.
It wasn’t Judy’s first time at the markets but it was Jenni’s and mine so we did a bit of a walk around which allowed me to indulge in my seldom explored Street Photography passion. We were there very early, before the mad crowds of tourists got there so there was plenty of room for practice.
Bruny Island
When we were sorted with provisions we packed up the car, checked out of our hotel and drove the short distance to the ferry at Kettering.
Our timing was good, both in days to travel and in time to catch the ferry. There were only a handful of cars and passengers waiting to board when we arrived, including this handsome fella.
The ferry only takes 25 minutes. We had booked an amazing Airbnb for our Christmas treat, a cosy beach cottage in Alonnah, and had organised an early check in.
Truganini Lookout is on the isthmus between North and South Bruny. This is one of the first tourist spots you get to after leaving the ferry. As such at periods it is too busy to get parked at. We were lucky to get a space. Time your visit and you’ll be ok.
The pictures of the cottage on Airbnb were great but when we arrived we realised they did not do it justice. The place was outstandingly beautiful and located a stones throw from the water. More pics of the place later.
It was going to be a great holiday. Maddy and Steve were going to join us too just to top it all off. Of course we had to have a few trips around to explore the island.
Exploring Bruny
Cape Bruny Lighthouse
One very fine day, actually they were all fine while we were there, we took a trip to Cape Bruny to see the lighthouse and the amazing coast.
Despite what the pictures seem to indicate there were other people around the day we visited. I was patient and a bit lucky. A large tourist group had just left and another was on its way up the path and the guide who was usually standing in the doorway took the opportunity for a quick smoke break round the back of the tower. Perfect.
The scenery around the Cape Bruny headland was stunning, especially on a day like this.
Fluted Cape
Fluted Cape is in Adventure Bay, on the other side of South Bruny from Cape Bruny Lighthouse. As you can see in the picture it is one of Tasmania’s 60 Great Short Walks. It was pretty stunning.
The path skirts the cliff edge and at points can be quite, lets say, interesting. The views are well worth the effort.
As we got near the top the trees thinned out and you could see much farther.
A couple of years ago we went on an boat tour around the bottom of South Bruny. On that trip we looked at the towering cliffs with awe and excitement and marvelled at their scale and height. Just about this point on the walk we saw the boat tour pass below us.
The realisation that we were at the top of those same cliffs made the walk even more fun.
The walk was only about 6 kms round trip. It was quite steep going up but easy enough on the way down. I’d say this was a ‘must do’ walk when on Bruny Island.
Cloudy Bay
Another day we took a trip to Cloudy Bay, a very popular surf spot. The day after we visited, Christmas Eve, there was a bush fire that closed the entire part of the island. All the residents were evacuated to a Community Hall to wait it out. It was very beautiful the day we were there.
This very handsome Penguin Post Box was on the way to Cloudy Bay. couldn’t help stop for a photo.
Dennes Point
After checking out as far south as we could go we went to Dennes Point on the most northerly tip of North Bruny.
It was a fine day but the wind was up and had a bit of a chill to it. This is the original ferry terminal on Bruny started in 1847.
One of the failed Australian Research and Space Exploration (A.R.S.E) early prototypes was there.
Sheepwash Track
Sheepwash Track was a short distance from the cottage we stayed at. We saw the signs on the road directing us to it and being so close we had to give it a look. The day Jenni and I walked the track was the day the bush fires broke out. Overhead all during the walk we could see the helicopters travelling back and forth with their buckets of water trailing behind them.
Sheepwash Track was the old path taken from Sheepwash Bay where they, ahem, washed the sheep, to the jetty where they put them on the boat to the main land for sale.
At the start of the trail we saw the jetty. It was unusual looking. There was a sign that explained it was the old floating bridge in Hobart that got replaced so they reused it as the jetty here. Waste not want not. It’s still in use many years later.
On the way back to the cottage we walked along the beach as far as we could go. We saw this poor guy washed up on the sand. Looks a bit dangerous if you ask me, but then it’s Australia, everything will kill you.
Bruny Island Hotel
There is only one hotel on the Island and we were 10 mins walk away from it. We stopped for lunch one day. The sea food was great.
Christmas Day
Maddy and Steve joined Jenni, Judy and I for Christmas. We had a feast of food created mostly from the produce we got at Salamanca Markets.
We even had a Christmas Tree at the end of the table.
When you travel light you have to improvise. But don’t blink!
The weather stayed perfect for us during our time on Bruny.
The sunsets were just as spectacular as the days.
The cottage came with a couple of kayaks so we had to give them a go one evening.
It was the best fun. It’s our new favourite hobby.
We had an amazing time on the Island. Bruny Island is one of those must visit places if you ever get the opportunity.
We left Bruny Island happy after a wonderful few days. We dropped Judy off at the airport and heading back up to the north of Tasmania to Lilydale where we would be looking after a small farm and a two dogs for a couple of weeks. Sneak preview from next adventure….
Till next time.
Walligans Travels 