2.23.2007
Tassie'06
18th December'06
To kick off our holiday in Tassie, we went on a very impromptu cherry-picking session. I never thought cherries were nice until that day!
I learned, too, that cherries grew on trees, and strawberries on the ground. Previously... I just never thought about it.
We had a wonderful time munching on cherries as we harvested them. *chuckles* We took lots of artistic photos too, courtesy of Yuwei! Here are some:
bing tang hu lu?
Heart-shaped cherries!
This is Yuwei-style.
Since we were on a convict trail to Port Arthur, it was appropriate that we checked into a backpackers like this:
Our cell for the night
Cosy cell
It wasn't all that cosy, actually. The backpackers' used some sort of timer-switch for its heater. As a result the heater could not stay switched on for more than 15s, unless i stand next to it with my finger stuck to its switch all the time. We spent the night freezing! If that was what it was like in summer, how about winter?
Now I know a little of what the convicts had to go through then!
We spent our afternoon at Port Arthur, a historic site that was used to house the recalcitrant convicts in the 1800s. Methods of discipline include hard physical labour, religious instruction and even isolation. The beginnings of the modern asylum system actually came out of it, can you imagine?
Guard Tower
The Penitentiary - Site of the Prisoner Barracks
The bottom two floors were for 'prisoners of bad character under heavy sentence'. One commandant called them 'the lions'.
The Church
Everyone had to attend church. Until a clergyman freely expressed his hatred of Catholics from the pulpit, both Protestants and Catholics attended the same service.
Even during church service, the prisoners had to be seperated from each other.
Commandant's House
Like the church, the Commandant's House was built on the highest ground, expressing the absolute authority of God and the State.
Just before we left the place, we spied a beautiful rainbow!
Unlike the convicts, we had the luxury of stopping to admire the rainbow.
Due to poor time management, we missed the harbour cruise and decided to go back the next day for it. Before that, we had to get through a Ghost Tour on the grounds of Port Arthur that night! It was, in my opinion, overrated. Caucasian ghosts aren't as scary as their Asian counterparts. The guide just described "uncomfortable feelings", "footsteps", "faces in the window" and weird things that happen on other tours in our tour. I found Yuwei's NCC stories and Xueting's death grip on my arm even more frightening.
19th December'06
We made an impromptu trip to visit the Blowhole, Tasman Arch and Devil's Kitchen.
Blowhole
We were pretty amazed that the hole could still 'blow' despite being so big. One day it'll just collapse into the sea! No more blowhole.
Tasman Arch
Yuwei and I climbed over a fence to take this picture!
Yuwei climbed up the rocks behind us to take this,
Then I joined him,
Bleah, weird angles always distort body proportions.
We went back to Port Arthur for the Harbour Cruise, which was nothing much since the tour guide nearly sent us to sleep onboard. Zzz...
Beach near Eaglehawk Neck
This is a very beautiful beach with layers of sand alternating with water, before it all gives way to the deep blue sea yonder! It's strange how I just couldn't capture it on camera. *sniff sniff* I need a helicopter ride for an aerial view.
We arrived in Hobart just in time for our pub tour!
Hobart
Here's an artist's impression of what Hobart must have looked like when settlers first came along.
There aren't many interesting photos on this tour. At least Xueting managed to overcome her aversion to alcohol when Yuwei bought her a Bailey's. Give coffee-lovers a coffee-flavoured something and they swoon. Haha~
I took this at the Irish pub we stopped at.
Irish weatherstone
20th December'06
I don't remember much from our day tour in the city, except that our guide looks very much like Hugh Grant!
Town Hall
Chandelier
No matter which way I rotate the picture, the chandelier looks lopsided.
Here is an important historical figure of the city, and his statue is always a resting spot for birds tired from their flight.
After the day tour, we got bored of the city pretty soon, and decided to drive somewhere further away.
We chanced upon a the tallest ShotTower, and the two of them accurately counted the number of steps that led to the highest floor, earning the three of us a 'Certificate of Accuracy'. (I was too busy panting.)
View from top
It was pretty hazy that day. When it was time to go, Yuwei dropped us off at the airport and went to fill up the tank before returning the car, and traffic conditions were so bad he took such a looooooong time! Xueting and I were already starting to make plans in case we couldn't catch the flight, when Yuwei finally appeared. Whew~ When we took off from the runway, I could see columns of smoke billowing from the ground below.
And then we arrived in Melbourne... Till next post folks!Labels: australia, tasmania, travel
