Family Reunion Recap

Hannah, Aidan, Heather, Joan, Pete, Pen, Josh, Laura

Family time during the Christmas-New Year period was a whirlwind of feasting, travelling to favourite places and catching up with friends and family. When Josh and Aidan's cousin Hannah heard that they had arrived in Tasmania for a surprise visit, along with Laura and Heather, she immediately booked a flight down from Sydney to spend a week with us, providing a rare opportunity for the cousins to catch up.  As part of Josh and Laura's attention to detail, they had booked a car for a few days to ensure that we could travel together to some of our pre-planned destinations. The cousins all travelled together in the smart mid-sized rental while Mum, Dad and Nanny followed along in the tiny Honda.

Our our waterfront rental cottage near Coles Bay

Wineglass Bay Lookout

Uncle Bill, Nanny& Penny
at the Taste of Tasmania

One of the iconic scenic spots that draws us back each time we visit Tasmania is Wineglass Bay on the Freycinet Peninsula. I first visited for a scout camp in 1961. Penny's first visit occurred a decade later, before we met, and Josh and Aidan first hiked in while we were living and working with Nanny in 1988. "Back in the day", the trail was rugged and subject to numerous wash-outs from winter run-off. A few years ago, National Parks invested in significant improvements to the trail, trail-head car park and rustic rest areas scattered along the route. This has resulted in a dramatic decrease in the erosion that the old track incurred and a huge increase in traffic. I remember walking the entire track without encountering another soul. Now hundreds of tourists arrive daily during the peak summer season. A quick Google search of Wineglass Bay Images demonstrates why this is such a tourist mecca.

The Taste of Tasmania is an annual festival celebrating the fantastic food, wine and spirits of the island state.  Constitution Dock is transformed into a monster indoor/outdoor eatery drawing thousands to sample Tasmanian culinary delights.