A family trip to Bruny Island

Unfortunately Lexie was still feeling poorly today, but the rest of us… me, John, Richard, Rachel and Thomas… had a trip to Bruny Island, off the Tasmanian coast near Hobart. We got the car ferry from Kettering, which reminded us of the ferry on Windermere.

When we landed towards the north of Bruny after the short journey, we drove the length of the island to Cape Bruny Lighthouse in the South Bruny National Park. On the way, stopped at a beautiful beach on a narrow neck of land between the north and south islands.

Then, after an hour or so, we reached the lighthouse and walked up the hill to do the lighthouse tour.

There were just the five of us on the tour and it was great… really interesting. The guide explained the history of the lighthouse, how it was built and how it worked.

The lighthouse was high and looking back down the spiral steps made some of us feel a bit woozy… and maybe a little scared! We all made it outside for a look though and, with the amazing views, I soon forgot about the long drop, although Richard and Thomas were more cautious and stayed away from the rail.

By now it was time for lunch so we stopped at a vineyard restaurant. The food was lovely. Rachel and I shared a platter full of Tasmania delights, including smoked salmon, wallaby and delicious cheeses. Of course, I washed it down with a couple of glasses of Tasmanian Pinot Noir!

After lunch, we visited the Inala Nature Museum and Jurassic Gardens. The museum showcased shells, fossils, gemstones and glass bottles, amongst other things, and the garden was full of plants from the Southern Hemisphere. It has only been going for about 4 years and will be fabulous when the plants are more established.

Like me, Rachel likes taking photographs and every time we saw something interesting, Richard was asked to pull over and stop. Luckily the roads out here are generally very quiet!

Richard had fun driving on a 4-wheel drive only route over on rough tracks to Adventure Bay, where Captain Cook once landed, and Bruny Island Cruises now start. From here we decided it was time to head back for the ferry. However, stops at the chocolate shop and the cheese and beer shop meant we missed the 4 o’clock sailing. We spent the extra time visiting the far north of Bruny, Dennis Point. Another stop on the beach as the sun started to drop meant we made the 5 o’clock ferry with little time to spare. The dirt roads in Tasmania mean journeys often take longer than expected from looking at the map!

We were then soon home for a relaxing evening with a Thai takeaway, a few drinks and a film. John and I have decided to have a relaxing day with the family today, rather than sight seeing. We’ll also be celebrating Christmas!