Aussirose Travel and Photography: The Big Lap

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No turning back now. We have arrived in Tasmania.

Unfortunately we did not leave the Spirit of Tasmania first as promised. They seriously need to update their communication skills. But finally, we left the boat. I was very early in the morning and still dark. Using Google Maps directions we were able to easily follow and soon entered onto the highway towards Launceston.

It was going to be too early for us to arrive at our destination so we chose to stop half way at a place that we thought looked nice according to Google Images - Deleraine.

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DELERAINE

True to the photos I had seen on the net, Deleraine produced the goods. What a gorgeous little place!

😊

So we headed down the main street, bearing in mind that we were here early, only around 7am. We stopped right at the end of the street as it was still quiet. I hopped out and walked down a bit and noticed a place that we could pull up next to the river.

So we sat here for a while and it was so pretty that we got out our camera gear and captured some real cool photos of the mist over the river and bridge. Deleraine is a beautiful place. We will be back.

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We finally arrived at our destination.

More about that later.

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RELBIA

Celebration time! We made it!

What better way to celebrate than to find a winery close by. Tasmania is known for it's great local produce, Pinot Noir being up there at the top of the list. Our closest winery is just 2 minutes down the road, but it wasn't open when we decided to visit. So we drive just 20 minutes up the road to Relbia and there we found Josef Chromy Winery.

Josef Chromy is not your cheapest place to visit but it had a cheese board and Pinot Noir. We were surprised with the surroundings. Situated right on a beautiful lake complete with a gazebo that is obviously used for weddings, this winery is all class.

We bought the red wine tastings which consisted of 4 glasses of your choice of reds plus a bonus red that came out later, all for $15. For what we got, it's worth it. I think I found a new favourite - Pepik Pinot Noir, which was reasonably priced and very tasty.

We coupled our wines with a lovely cheese board. The staff couldn't have been more attentive.

I am looking forward to coming back and trying the restaurant. What a wonderful introduction to Tasmania, and just a stone's throw away. Ahhhh, heaven!

😎😍🍷

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PERTH

No, not Perth... Perth WA. But Perth, Tasmania.

Yes, there is a town called Perth in Tasmania. Not much there lol.

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HADSPEN

Our new home, Discovery Parks in Hadspen, just 10 minutes from Launceston and also to the airport. Also there is public transport just outside the door, an IGA Supermarket next door, as well as fuel, a Post Office and Bottle-O. This fitted 80% of what we were looking for. Close to wineries and restauarants is also good. They have a communial vege patch. We didn't waste any time in buying some winter vegies and planting them. What a great idea!

The only thing missing is a beach and a spa, but then it's impossible to get everything in one, right? Of course I could work on the spa. Maybe if I hint enough to Management, they might come to the party. What do you think?..... Maybe not lol.

Plan B could be to find a cabin with an outdoor spa to holiday at. And there are plenty of beaches to escape to in winter like in Queensland or overseas at Fiji, Noumea, Cook Islands etc, being that the airport is just 10 minutes away. So all in all, I think we got a real good deal.

Another bonus is that the cost to stay here is amazingly good, and includes electricity. There are not many caravan parks in Australia these days that take people 365 days a year. New recent legislation has stopped that which is a real shame because if you can own your own caravan/annex etc, then the cost of living is so much cheaper than renting a house or unit. The Government is way out of touch.

Anyway, we are here for a while, and who knows? Maybe our travels have not come to a complete stop. We will always be saving for holidays. That will not change. Who knows what will come next for us? Stay tuned....