When we arrived at the camp at Lake Barrington we were not alone, but we were. Camps had been set up but no one was around, it was like a ghost camp. We’d forgotten the Australia Day public holiday was coming up at the w/e and it’s not unusual in Australia to set up camp early to get the prime spots then return for the actual event; a bit like Germans, towels and sun chairs! The camp wasn’t ideal, so we thought we might just stay the night and see what else we could find the following day. After thinking through the logistics for the next day we decided we wouldn’t be able to fit in a walk in and find another camp so we unhitched and after a pancake breakfast the following morning headed to Cradle Mountain.

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This was the biggest walk we’d done with the kids and we’d made sure we were all kitted with water backpacks, snacks, lunch and warm clothes in case the weather turned. We were lucky it was a beautiful sunny day, but this can turn on a sixpence and you need to be prepared. We decided to walk Dove Lake where you could take in spectacular views of the mountain in the background. The kids did remarkably well. It was a 6km loop around the lake and I think we got to 4km before Reo began asking “how far is it now?”. There are no distance markers, so I tried to be imaginative in my replies to keep him focused and motivated! Thankfully he wasn’t counting the number of times I’d said, “it’s just over / around the XXXX [insert whatever was coming up in front of us]”. Lexi suddenly needed to loo about the same time which put a spring in her step and Alex raced off after her while Reo and I took a more leisurely pace. The scenery really is breathtaking and we were lucky to have such fabulous weather.

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By the following morning others had arrived at camp and offered us a ride out on the lake in their power boat, apparently there was a nice waterfall to see from the water. Hmm, another 6km hike or fun on the water…. The kids didn’t miss a heartbeat and in unison “boat” was the decision. It was such a fun morning. Adam and Andy looked like they were near-pro and entertained us with amazing wake boarding acrobatics and Max showed us his surfing skills. After Hayley had her board, they asked if we wanted to have a go. One board fit OK so after listening to Adam’s instructions he started to pull the boat away. I managed to get up first time and even though I couldn’t do all the acrobatics the others were doing, I succeeded to stay up so in my kids eyes (and mine) I was fabulous!

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The following day we returned to Cradle Mountain to attempt Crater Lake walk. It had been a late night for the kids and they were NOT in the mood for a walk, all they wanted to do was invite themselves back on the boat!! This was also a harder walk, uphill for the first 3km! It didn’t start well, tears, tantrums, feet rooted to the spot and that was just Alex! Lexi cheered up after a shaky start and at one point up the steep track, 3 older walkers were coming down. She plucked up courage to ask if the Crater was just at the top of the hill we could see. The longer than needed “errrr” gave me the answer and with a kindly smile, looked down at Lexi and said “it’s just a little bit further”. After not getting his 11 hours sleep the night before, Reo was just not in the mood. You couldn’t even sit still for very long or the March horse flies would carry you away, but we managed to get him up and back down again, taking it in turns to usher him along. It felt we’d walked a lot longer than 6km. I guess the infamous Overland Track (6 day trek) will have to wait another day 😉.

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It was time to head to Hobart. We knew fires were raging in the South and as we’d been travelling round, fires had started up along the West coast too. Many areas were closed and our route had to be checked and potentially re-planned on a daily basis. We took the most straightforward way and less than 3 hours on Highway 1, we were in the hustle and bustle of the city. Hobart is a small city in contrast to most of the capital cities in Australia, but after coming from the country, it felt lively in comparison. We had a few admin things to do so found a camp on the outskirts and based ourselves there for a couple of days. Unfortunately, while we were ticking things off our ‘to do’ list, we added a rather large item on to it. While Alex was off running an errand, thankfully I’d got the kids in the library, a lady overtook him while he was turning right and he took out most of the side of her car as they collided. Thankfully everyone was OK and our bull bar took minimal damage (it really does do what it says on the box!), but we’ll still need to get it repaired and planning tasks like that when you’re travelling becomes complex. It put a bit of a dampener on the end of the day, although a glass of Pinot Gris and scrumptious plates of fish and chips for dinner helped ease the stress!

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After learning about the convicts on our tour to Sarah Island, we next visited the Female Factory to add to our knowledge of the history of the early 1800’s. As the name suggests, this centre was purely for female convicts to “reform”. It was a bit of a snake and ladder lottery as the women had the opportunity to work their way up the system with ‘proper feminine behaviour’ and completing chores satisfactorily to eventually be allowed out during the day. However, they were quickly stripped of any privileges for their insubordinate behaviour; remnants of the flagitious lives they had previously led. It requires a lot of imagination for this tour as most of the buildings were pulled down in the mid 1900’s, maybe an undertaking in the hope it would instantly cleanse the atrocities of the past. They did have a “search and find” quiz for the kids which gave clues for them to find answers throughout the tour. Great opportunity for a “school outing” and we had fun looking for the answers. It was thought-provoking to try and imagine what life must have been like back then; mothers immediately separated from all but 2 children of their choice before boarding a boat which took 3 months just to get there, place rife with disease, a large percentage of babies not making it through their first year, marrying ex-convicts to increase their status in society… Reo really didn’t like listening to the stories of how hard the lives of convicts were, so was more than a little incredulous when we told him our next stop after Hobart was round the bay to Port Arthur!

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We woke the following morning to a haze and the smell of smoke from the fires in the South. We took a drive up Mount Wellington. The vista was incredible, made more so with the low hanging haze which was bitter sweet given the devastation the fires were wreaking.

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Before freaking Reo out again with tales of convict woes, we raised everyone’s spirits by taking a wilderness tour round Tasman Island on a big yellow boat. 😊 Donned in large, red, head to toe jackets for the adults and mini blue adult jackets for the wee ones, we began to head around the coastline from Port Arthur towards Eaglehawk. We were lucky, the weather was kind and the sea flat, you don’t get many days like this. Hugging the spectacular Jurassic Dolerite sea cliffs we witnessed Sea Eagles soaring high, seals sunning themselves and dolphins racing the boat, playfully jumping in the bow wave. We passed the highest vertical sea-cliffs in the southern hemisphere, slender Dolerite spires and sea stacks; Catherdral Rock, the Candlestick and the Totem Pole which had 3 climbers attached to it! We passed Sheer crags which is the iconic turning point for the notorious Sydney to Hobart yacht race, then ducked into a sea cave to explore a little more. It was a great morning adventure.

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It was time to move on to Port Arthur. Reo was pretty much kicking and screaming the whole way there protesting he did “not want to hear any more about convicts”. We tried to emphasise all the other things he could see but when the tour started and the lady was asking the kids their ages, the brutal reality of what life was like in those days came to full focus. Reo being 5 was “OK”, the 7-year olds were to take full responsibility for their behaviour (OK, maybe not so bad I thought), Lexi now 8, could be hanged for any wrong doing! Instinctively I squeezed her a little tighter at the thought. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go any further with the tour after hearing that snippet of info. Port Arthur was much more than a prison though, it was a complete community – home to military personnel and free settlers. As we moved round the extensive ruins, many stories revealed themselves told by a variety of key people who lived in the settlement over the years, it’s extremely well thought out. You also had the little work books and were given a card with a convicts name to research through the day, so another great opportunity for a school day, for Lexi at least. Reo was more happy running around the lush gardens filled with huge Oak and Willow trees, not your typical Australia flora! There was quite an English feel wandering through the gardens and orchards filled with dozens of different apples and pears and flowers that Alex and I hadn’t seen in a few years. It is quite a remarkable place, although not for all the right reasons.

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With the fires still rampant, we, along with most other tourists, were funnelled up the east coast. We spent the next week or so based out of Wineglass Bay and then Bay of Fires, trying a more leisurely pace. We did a few walks, Alex tried his hand at fishing, we dodged downpours, I picked up a book to read, we soaked up the sun, the kids became more confident on their bikes and Reo also managed to learn how to start by himself giving him a whole new-found freedom!

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On our last day before heading back to the ‘Big Island’ (as the Tasmanian’s like to call it), we had an early birthday party for Reo who was about to turn 6. One of his favourite animals is horses, so what better way to celebrate than a horse ride trek. Typically after a few sunny days, rain was forecast, luckily we managed to miss most of it. The riding school had a quick chat with us, assessed our personalities and matched us with our horses. Reo got to ride Iggy, a horse with a mind of it’s own and needed to be reigned in more than once! Alex got Darcy, one who was always trying to push in front of the crowd, Lexi rode Luna, happy to come along for the ride but stopped at every opportunity to eat (just like our Long Legs Lexi at the moment!) and I was bestowed with Montana, who I renamed ‘slow and stop’, more than a gentle kick was needed to get this lazy bones to move along! Obviously they were trying to give me the message that I just needed to chill out a little more like Montana 😉 We were taken through Blue Gum forestation which gave a lovely aroma. We all added our opinion of the smell and concluded it was a mix of cardamom, mint and orange, it’s hard to describe. Reo thoroughly loved his party and both kids were confident riding their own horses by the end of it. With a pizza birthday tea before heading off to the boat for our sailing back, it was time to return to ‘The Big Island’ again.

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