January 19 - February 4
just my mom and I went on an amazing 17-day vacation exploring Victoria & Tasmania
Friday, January 19
19 hours in flight + a 17 hour time change (we lost Saturday somewhere in there)
Sunday, January 21
arrived in Melbourne, visited the Queen Victoria Market, checked-in to The Hotel Y, walked around Melbourne a bit, and had dinner on The Colonial Tramcar Restaurant
Monday, January 22
checked-out of The Hotel Y, walked around Melbourne, visited the Melbourne Aquarium, boarded the Spirit of Tasmania for an overnight cruise across the Bass Strait
Tuesday, January 23
arrived in Tasmania, Mom learned to drive on the opposite side in our rental car, checked-in to cabin #2 at Freycinet Lodge in Freycinet National Park, enjoyed amazing views and saw our first wildlife: echidna, wallaby, kookaburra, possum
Wednesday, January 24
hiked the path up the saddle between Mt Amos and Mt Mayson to the Wineglass Bay Lookout, then down to the white sand beach, then back again, it was beautiful, but, unfortunately, too cold and rainy to swim
Thursday, January 25
drove up the east coast of Tasmania, stopped at George's Bay Trading Co., Weldborough Pass Scenic Reserve, Mount William National Park where we saw more wallabies and our first Forester Kangaroos, and Douglas Apsley National Park where we hiked the Dry Forest Nature Walk and to the lookout
Friday, January 26
checked-out of Freycinet Lodge, drove across Tasmania to the west coast, stopped at Russell Falls, Horseshoe Falls, The Possum Shed, Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, and arrived at Cradle Mountain National Park where we checked-in to the Murchison cabin at Cradle Mountain Lodge and saw our first wombat
Saturday, January 27
saw more wallabies around our cabin, hiked around Dove Lake, beautiful views but didn't pack enough snacks, spent rainy afternoon around our cabin, saw our first Tasmanian Devil after dinner and more adorable wombats
Sunday, January 28
checked-out of Cradle Mountain Lodge, drove to Hobart, visited The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, took flight back to Melbourne, checked-in to The Hotel Y
Monday, January 29
took a full-day bus tour with a tour company which included: beautiful coastal scenery, petting and feeding tame kangaroos at Warrook Cattle Farm, seeing koalas and penguins at Phillip Island Nature Park
Tuesday, January 30
checked-out of The Hotel Y, drove to Mildura on the banks of the Murray River, checked-in room #2 at The Murray View Motel
Wednesday, January 31
took a private day tour with Harry Nanya Tours to Mungo National Park which included: amazing outback vistas, the Murray Outback Aboriginal Culture Trail, seeing wild Eastern Gray Kangaroos, Western Gray Kangaroos, Red Kangaroos and more wallabies, an amazing sunset, and the most breathtaking stargazing of our lives
Thursday, February 1
sightseeing on our own in Mildura and Wentworth including: Wentworth Gaol, confluence of Darling & Murry Rivers, Perry Sand Hills, but the 104° outback heat wore us down and we decided to leave Mildura a day earlier than planned
Friday, February 2
checked-out of The Murray View Motel, took long, scenic drive back to Melborne, stopped at Murry-Sunset National Park's dried Pink Lakes, saw an emu farm, stopped at The Giant Koala, drove along The Great Ocean Road, saw the Twelve Apostles at Port Cambell National Park, unexpectedly came upon a wildfire and traffic leaving the area, eventually arrived back at The Hotel Y
Saturday, February 3
spent the day souvenir shopping around Melbourne and packing up
Sunday, February 4
return flight to the US; after 3 breakfasts, we are home
