In the midsummer of the southern hemisphere, it takes two and a half hours to fly south from Brisbane in the morning, and arrives at Hobart, the capital of Tasmania, the southernmost island of the Australian mainland at noon. Six people from two families arrived one after another, picked up the pre-rented car at the airport, drove to their residence to pick them up, quickly settled their luggage, didn't eat much lunch, packed up in a hurry and set off.
In the afternoon, we drove straight to the top of Wellington at an altitude of 1270 meters. The sun is shining and the sky is clear. Even the wind blowing from the South Pole on the top of the mountain is quiet and unobtrusive. Our friends warned us in advance that the necessary winter clothes to keep out the wind and cold were completely unnecessary. We wore summer shirts and floated with the wind in the stone array as desolate as a battlefield on the top of the mountain.
Clouds pass by us from time to time, fluttering, and you can even hear the breathing of clouds. So we walk lightly in the clouds, overlooking all beings and walking to the end of the world. The two children took the lead all the way, climbed one stone mountain after another, slowly disappeared out of our sight and merged into the world. The tower pointing to the clouds in the distance is swaying, as if calling for distant tourists.
To our surprise, in such a dry and clear natural environment, countless vegetation and small flowers grow in extremely rough crevices, attracting swarms of bees, and life can be seen everywhere in Shan Ye. At the top of the mountain, overlooking the panoramic view of Hobart, the capital of Tasmania, as if waiting there for a thousand years, I couldn't help but breathe out a word from my heart: Tashi, here we are at last! !
The next morning, I set off from Hobart Pier, took a nostalgic two-story ferry for half an hour, and then arrived at the narrow Bruni Island opposite. On this day's trip to the island, we booked a local one-day tour in advance and arranged it quite well. Mr. Didan, the driver and tour guide, took us to taste all kinds of delicious food on the island, the invincible beauty of mountains and seas, the simple local customs and customs, and a lot of bumpy history. Naturally, the harvest was full. The only regret is that I didn't see the unique white kangaroo on this island, a rare white kangaroo.
Besides the famous natural scenery such as the neck, the most worth seeing on the island is the Cape Bruni Lighthouse, which is the second oldest lighthouse in Australia with a history of 150 years. Dedicated staff showed us around and explained in detail the past life, a lighthouse that has stopped working. Imagine that since the middle of19th century, generations of tower guards who have lived here have been engaged in this boring and cautious work for many years, lighting up the lights for every ship passing through the vast sea and illuminating the future, and their hearts are warm. Climb to the top of the tower, overlooking the Pacific Ocean in a 360-degree circle, with no dead ends. The rushing sea beats against huge rocks day and night, giving birth to all kinds of strange shapes, which are natural and powerful and can be called shocking.
Among all the delicacies, Tass oysters made from oyster farm can be eaten with lemon juice, delicious seafood lunch, the most famous leatherwood honey in the area must be bought, and people who pay attention to tasting cheese should not miss it. Of course, before you leave the island, don't forget to buy a few kilograms of cheap red cherries in season, then go back to our cabin, make a simple dinner and enjoy the real Tassie taste with friends.
Incredible,1In the mid-9th century, a nine-year-old boy in England was exiled to a remote island in the southern hemisphere because he stole an apple from others. My child's Australian history in the fourth grade once told me such a story. Today, we drove to PortAuthu r, Port Arthur at the southern end, and visited the British prison site in Tasmania, which is a living textbook of Australian colonial history.
This prison was built in 1833. It used to be a logging yard, and later it became an exile station for all British colonies in the southern hemisphere. Free labor is constantly being sent here for transformation and production. The purpose of the colonists was to "transform these hooligans into honest machines." Most prisoners who commit theft, from stealing a piece of cheese to pirates, may be sentenced to life in exile. Thousands of prisoners, soldiers, officials and settlers are imprisoned here.
The prison community also has hospitals, churches, gardens, libraries, and books 15000 volumes (shocked? ) and so on, on a grand scale. There are still more than 30 old buildings left. 1877 after the closure of the prison, many buildings were destroyed by fire and vandalism, and later developed into museums and tourist spots. Visitors can visit the walkingtour included in the ticket, and the staff will give you a detailed introduction to these long-forgotten historical stories. In addition, there will be a curisetour for half an hour, and you can take a boat to Port Arthur to see the juvenile prison and the death cemetery on the isolated island. In addition, the museum design there is very unique and has a sense of history. It is suggested to go to the museum to learn about the historical background before visiting.
The prison is built on a high ground, backed by mountains and the sea, and independent of the world. When we stand under the ruins where people's bodies or souls (as well as political prisoners' houses) were once imprisoned, we imagine the bleak life of these prisoners who have left their homes and crossed the ocean. It is they who have opened an important chapter in Australia's history of more than 200 years, and a sense of vicissitudes arises spontaneously. Freedom may always be an illusory dream for people far from home.
After visiting Port Arthur for half a day, we drove north along the east coast of Tasmania for two and a half hours in the afternoon. There is a section of mud and stone road on the road that is particularly difficult to walk, even the four-wheel drive is stumbling. However, the scenery on the road is infinite, with vast pastures on one side and boundless sea on the other. The world is so vast, people and cars are just like ants, and the scenery is heartbreaking. Arrive in Swansea town in central Tasmania in the evening and stay at the seaside hotel, with the room facing the sea. The children rushed to the beach to play happily, and the adults continued to chat aimlessly. Walking in the sunshine after dinner, facing the sea, the summer night is gentle.
When I checked in yesterday, I heard from the front desk that I could see the sunrise at sea in my room at five in the morning. Naive, I really got up at five o'clock. I only saw the morning star and the faint morning light on the horizon, but the sun's face was completely blocked by trees. I didn't have the courage to go to the seaside to watch the sunrise alone in the cold wind. Later, I had to steal the beautiful photo of Comrade Wilson taking the children down to the beach at six o'clock to take the sunrise, so as to soothe my broken heart.
The sun's rays are boundless, and the sky is exactly the same as the sea, which started a day when we climbed mountains and waded, and our physical strength was overdrawn. I drove 45 minutes from Swansea to Colesbee, intending to visit the oldest coastal forest park in Tasmania (beware of those who are physically exhausted). The group chose the longest hike, * * *1/km (there is no toilet in the whole journey), bypassed several hills, walked through two famous beaches such as WineglassBay, and basked in the sun all the way, sweating like a pig. The scenery of Jiugui Bay is absolutely amazing. The sea water is crystal clear and the sand is white and soft. The children rolled up their trouser legs and played in the water, picking up many beautiful shells and taking them home. In hot summer, whenever you are tired, as long as you look back, there is always a clear blue sea on the other side of the mountain, which gently holds you in your arms. The mountain and the sea are a perfect match.
We walked for six hours and didn't walk out of the jungle until nearly four o'clock in the afternoon. We drank all the water. In fact, if you just want to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the wine cup bay, you only need to choose a 2.5-hour round-trip walk, instead of desperately challenging the limit like us.
At the end of the trip, the two baby fathers drove away immediately regardless of fatigue. According to our plan, we will stop in the northern city of Launceston, two and a half hours away by car that night. But on the way to Laun, you must first visit a century-old town called RossTown (founded in 182 1), because there is a bakery that is said to be Miyazaki Hayao Animation? Witch family help? The prototype of the bakery inside, as a senior palace powder, naturally yearns for it.
Arriving at this ancient town surrounded by mountains and pastures at 6: 00 pm, all the shops in the town have closed, and the only street in the town is empty. Two rows of old oak trees are neatly arranged by the roadside, like a kind and kind old man, watching the changes of the world. Exquisite stone house, with all kinds of flowers and plants in front, is quietly located in the middle. Where have all the people in this town gone?
Later, I finally found a hotel open. It turned out that local people gathered here to eat, drink and chat! I asked briefly about the bakery. A woman who once worked there told us that many Japanese people came here to see this bakery. There is a stove that has been barbecued with charcoal fire for 100 years. Baked scallop pie with adhesive tape is especially delicious, and there is a picture of Kiki hanging in it. You should stay here for one night and go to the bakery for breakfast tomorrow morning! This lady told us. Yes, I really want to stay in this quiet and quaint town for a few days, but unfortunately there is no family room to book when booking a room. I had to take a photo in front of the bakery, have dinner in the hotel, and then leave for my place in a hurry.
Fortunately, it gets dark later in Tasmania, and the days in summer are particularly long. We finally arrived in Launceston, the second largest city in Tasmania, at 9: 30, and found our hotel reservation. At this time, we don't need anything, just a cold bath and a comfortable bed.
1920, C.K.Denny, a perfumer from England, came to Lilydale in the northeast of Tasmania, Australia with a bag of French lavender seeds. He took a fancy to the climate and geographical environment here and planted the first generation of lavender seeds. Later, he named this place Bridestowe to commemorate his wife's birthplace in southwest England. Since then, after nearly a hundred years of development, it has become the most beautiful farm with about 650 thousand lavender plants and about 200 kilometers of flower fields.
Now, as long as you drive 45 minutes northeast from Launceston, you can easily walk into the largest lavender manor in the southern hemisphere and block the romantic charm of these purple elves. January is the most prosperous flower season of lavender, where there are endless flower fields and ancient lush oak trees. During this period, lavender is elegant and fragrant, which makes people intoxicated and unwilling to leave for a long time.
There are also staff at the scene to introduce you to the whole process of lavender from picking to drying to distillation and then refining essential oil. We also witnessed the whole process of tractor harvesting, which was really amazing. For the first time, I got to know lavender so closely and gained a lot of knowledge. I forgot to go home when I smelled it, and almost forgot that we were driving back to Hobart that day.
When you leave, don't forget to go to the gift shop to buy some souvenirs and taste their unique lavender ice cream. Then, take the fragrance of lavender home for collection, so that the image of lavender flower field will remain in your memory forever. This is a worthwhile trip. Domestic compatriots don't have to think about envy. Many popular attractions in Tasmania, including restaurant menus, are introduced in both Chinese and English. We also met many China compatriots along the way. Come with confidence and elegance!
Yiyi bid farewell to the lavender flower sea and drove back to Hobart in the south from Launceston in the north. It was almost the whole high speed, and it took us about 2.5 hours to cross more than half of Tower Island to reach our destination. But there are also many ancient towns or natural scenery on the way, which is worth stopping to savor. Today, I went to RossTown, which I couldn't get enough of yesterday, and went to the Kiki bakery, where I tasted the most famous ribbon pie, scallop pie, sourdough (bread fermented by the original method) and Vanila cake. It's delicious.
As to whether this store is the prototype of Miyazaki Hayao movies? Did my little sister Kiki ever live here? Although it is only a rumor, even without this rumor, this town is a highlight of our journey, with endless aftertaste. We also went to see the ancient stone bridge built by prisoners in the town, which was full of Roman numerals, and there was a factory site of female prisoners. Unfortunately, we don't have time to see it.
On my way to the south, I stopped at a place called autran to see lakes, swans and the oldest mills. It is a surprise to see such a big mill, and the poetic and peaceful atmosphere of the English countryside is vividly portrayed. Let's go, and when we get back to Hobart's cabin, it's already half past seven in the evening, and it's still early. Let's make a fire to cook dinner for the children and then leave for a few days. How can we feel that we have made this place our home?
The six-day trip through Tadao was full, and I didn't want to return to pastoral music all the way. On our last day in Tass, we will fly back to Bucun and Sydney in the evening. In the morning, we went to Salamanca Square, where there are many old buildings, and visited the famous Saturday market (it doesn't open until Saturday). It's very lively here, and tourists are jostling with each other. All kinds of handicrafts, daily necessities and groceries are dazzling, and the special pine products are particularly attractive and have folk customs. But there are too many booths, and you need enough patience to pick the best products you like. We saw an artist couple set up a stall to sell their books on children's animals, so we bought one for each child, and then each bought some gadgets before leaving in a hurry.
Drive for half an hour to the ancient town of Richmond for lunch at noon. Because I have been to the nostalgic RossTown before, this ancient town, which was established at the same time but is more famous, is a bit disappointing. The town preserves the oldest stone bridge and Catholic church in Australia, which were built by prisoners who were exiled here that year. However, other buildings are tasteless, so you can not look at them. However, RichmondGaol, a detention center site established earlier than PortAuthur, is well preserved and worth visiting. Although the scale is relatively small, it helps us to intuitively understand the colonial history of Australia and the miserable life of prisoners.
It's afternoon after leaving Richmond, and it's time to say goodbye to Tasmania. We went straight to the airport, returned the car, waited for the plane and boarded the plane. At 9 o'clock in the evening, when we landed at the brightly lit Brisbane airport, we felt as if we had returned to the civilized world of ancient times, from Hobart with a population of 220,000 to Brisbane with a population of more than 2 million. Only when there is contrast will it hurt. Even our Xiaobu village has been transformed into a big city!
Explore the southernmost island of the Australian mainland. Tasmania's sea water is particularly clear, the mountains are particularly handsome, the air is particularly clean, and the starry sky is particularly bright ... from south to north, from north to south, just six days pass by. We have just walked along the east coast of Tasmania, and a large number of nature reserves in the west and central parts have not yet set foot in them, so we need to visit them next time.
Back in Bucun/Sydney, everyone was sunburned, tanned and washed clothes, shoes, hats and backpacks for two days ... There were some regrets and many surprises during the trip. There is a feeling of thinking about the past, and observing the world now is more vigilant; There are old friends gathering to catch up with the past, and there are also exchanges and interactions between children ... There are many regrets, many feelings and many nostalgia. A group of dream catchers who like to escape from the city and get close to nature still have to face the present and get along well. Go back to reality, work hard to make money, take care of the baby, and pave the garden path for the next escape.
Return is to set sail again; Elsewhere, it is to reflect on the value of home-this is probably the meaning of travel.