Week 8 was a full on week with lots of fun stuff to do. First on our itinerary was to visit the Salamanca Markets in Hobart. However, the weather wasn’t that nice, in fact it was pretty bad. We had to walk through the markets with umbrellas in our grasp to stay out of the miserable rain. We soon started enjoying ourselves when we discovered some of the amazing hand crafted work made from Huon Pine, a local Tasmanian timber. After browsing for awhile we told Dad to go off on his own while we bought some Father’s Day presents for him.

Next thing on our itinerary was to enjoy Father’s Day with our one-of-a-kind Dad. To start the day Mum made bacon and eggs and we presented Dad with his gifts which were; Leatherwood honey and honeycomb; some wildflower honey; a nougat bar; some sheep milk cheese; some Cadbury Rum & Raisin chocolate; Whittaker’s Rum & Raisin chocolate and a random pickle chutney that I had no intention of tasting.

After breakfast when trekked around Hobart in search of a pub or tavern where we could watch the Carlton vs Sydney game. We made up our mind soon enough and decided to stay at the Wrest Point Casino and watch the game in a family-friendly area. The game was good and so close. I was looking forward to seeing Carlton in the grand final except I doubt they would have made it past St Kilda. Unfortunately, Carlton lost by 5 points to Sydney so we left disappointed and unsatisfied.

Today, Monday September 6, was one of those days you just get so excited about and I had every reason to be excited because we were going to – The Cadbury Chocolate Factory. When we arrived and stepped out of the car I could already taste the chocolate because the air was filled with its sweet aroma. Talk about TEMPTATION!! Once we were inside we were greeted by more chocolate, literally. The tour guide handed each of us a free block of chocolate, and it didn’t look like he was going to run out anytime soon. Once our tour started we were taken to the Cherry Ripe Room where the guide demonstrated how they make chocolate and told us about its history. Once the tour was over, we were left to enjoy the Cadbury Shop. Each of us bought a white bag of chocolate (the white bags contain chocolate mistakes. For example; maybe the blocks were made too big – which isn’t such a bad thing, or they were lacking some filling ingredients etc) as it was a lot cheaper than their normal chocolate. Anyway, we were soon stocked up on chocolate so we left to make our way to Fortescue Bay.

Today, Tuesday September 7, was another historic excursion and our trip was to explore the Port Arthur Historic Site. We went on one of the tours and were given an overview of the place. Port Arthur was where all the convicts were put that came over from England. The site didn’t need any walls or barriers because it was on one of Tasmania’s peninsulas and the only way to get back to the mass of Tassie was to go through Eaglehawk Neck. This was just a thin strip of land only 100m wide. All along the strip were half-fed dogs placed at intervals along the land with a 5m chain attached. At 1pm we took a cruise to have a look a Point Peuer, which is an island where they imprisoned young boy convicts. We spent the remainder of the day looking around Port Arthur and learning little facts along the way. After a while though we realised it was time to go home. Now wasn’t that a great day to enjoy!

Today, Wednesday September 8, we decided to dedicate the day to having a look at what beautiful sights Tasmania had. First on our itinerary was the Tahuna Air Walk and the Swinging Bridges. Once we had arrived we got a fancy little stamp on our hand which allowed us to start our journey. I thought the walk was lovely but we soon uncovered that we had inadvertently done it the wrong way. Oh well! My favourite part of the walk was the swinging bridges. These bridges are about 100-150m long and are precariously placed between the banks over wide, flowing rivers (that I can’t remember the names of). After our walk we scurried back to the car and drove to the Hastings Thermal Springs. Once we arrived we were allowed to enter for free because it was near closing time. The springs weren’t actually that warm. It was pretty much a pool and the water was coming from the springs which weren’t as hot as we thought they might be. Therefore, we decided to leave earlier than expected and drove back to our lovely little portable home.

After yesterdays experience we decided to do something a little mellower and piled into the car to trek off to find good wine (for Mum & Dad), good cheese and other wonderful local produce. After our first winery we started travelling to Woodbridge only to find that once we had made it up this massive hill the clutch finally burnt out. Fortunately though, we were stranded in front of one of the best driveways ever, not that we knew yet. Putting on our walking shoes we climbed the humongous driveway to be confronted by one of the most exuberant, nicest lady I have ever met. She kindly let us take a seat and generously offered us cookies, and for Mum and Dad, coffee. Already I was glad we had broken down. Mum and Dad, expecting to be given a phone book and a phone, were also grateful that they had landed in just the right spot. After phoning one mechanic she decided to call her husband and ask him to come home. Once he had arrived we were doubly blessed as he helped dad find a mechanic to do the job. Mum, Miriam, Levi and I were taken home by Ruth in her Hyundai i30 (wishing we bought ours to Tasmania). Along the way Ruth pointed out some wonderful cafes and places to visit while we were STUCK IN CYGNET.