On our first trip to Australia, we visited the “big and famous” sites: Sydney, Barrier Reef, Uluru (a.k.a. “Ayers Rock”), which are stunning and deserve all the attention.
This time, we wanted to experience different parts of Australia, less well known, at least for non-Australians like us. Pictures are here.
Little did we know that some of the sights we enjoyed would be destroyed a few months later, in the terrible bush fires of 2019.
First stop: Adelaide and the Barossa Valley. Wine tasting, good food, and some cheesy “German” food and culture — apparently the area attracted immigrants from various German-speaking countries in the 19th century, and some of that culture is being preserved (or re-invented). We stayed at a charming B&B called Barossa House in Tanunda.
Next planned stop: a few days in the Flinders Ranges in the “outback” … cancelled because of >40°C temperatures and high risk of bush fires …
The we spent a few days on Kangaroo Island, seeing lots of koalas and kangaroos (including the flattened, roadkill variety), as well as other bush animals, and even seals! We did some bushwalks and drives along the coast; sadly, much of what we enjoyed there has since been destroyed by fire — see this news report.
Our next destination was Tasmania … a very different landscape and climate and vibe, compared to the mainland. We flew into Launceston, and then drove through Ben Lomond National Park to the Freycinet peninsula … lessen learned: what looks like a main highway on the map may indeed be a gravel road. But where else can you see a kangaroo sitting next to a tobogganing run?
The trip ended in Hobart, the capitol, and because it was Cynthia’s birthday, I picked a particularly nice Victorian mansion turned B&B, the Corinda.