We left home early and arrived at the Singapore Changi International Airport Terminal 3 on 18 December 2017 at 6:00 pm. After checking in, we had dinner at Dian Xiao Er (店小 二）restaurant and spent sometime shopping in the departure hall before boarding.
18 December 2017 (Monday) to 19 December 2017 (Tuesday)
Arrived Melbourne in the late morning of 19 December 2017. We took the pre- arranged airport transport to Four Points Sheraton Hotel - Dockland. After deposited our luggage, we went straight for lunch at Cargo Melbourne City Marina. We spent the whole afternoon exploring the area.
SQ 237 to
Melbourne
X mas decoration
店小二
before boarding
- roasted duck
fish
Melbourne
airport waiting
for transport
Melbourne airport
Points Sheraton
Dockland
Dockland
Sheraton lobby
Sheraton Dockland
building opposite
our hotel
Tram terminal
view from hotel
room
one double bed
and one single bed
Promenade
Cargo,
Melbourne
city marina
the menu
1st lunch
relaxing afternoon
after lunch
at the marina
bridge
helicopter
coffee
Cathedral
stained
glass
lemonade
drink
in Melbourne
20 December 2017 (Wednesday)
We spent another day in Melbourne shopping and trying out food recommended by the Tripadvisor. We will leave Melbourne for Tasmania the next day.
within the
Melbourne
city zone
before lunch
departmental
store external
corridor
in Melbourne
eating house
table
the opposite
Fried vegetable
Chinese steam
dumpling
departmental
store outlet
Royal Arcade
mall
public transport
the cafe
coffee
with the coffee
Closed for renovation
Japanese food
outlet
court
curry rice
drink - beer
21 December 2017 (Thursday)
Arrived at the Melbourne domestic airport in the morning. We had MacDonald breakfast before we boarded the Jetstar flight to Tasmania - Launceston. We collected the pre-booked KIA multi purpose vehicle (MPV) at the Launceston airport. Lunch was at the Saigon Kitchen restaurant. We visited the Cataract Gorge Reserve before checking in the Leisure Inn.
check-in
airport
breakfast
before boarding
pass
at Launceston airport
rented car
8 seats MPV
food
after lunch
Launceston
for the seniors
dinning area
Cavaye
Gorge Reserve
chairlift
chairlift
pool on the
lower left
corner
way ddown
a peacock
the Alexandra
suspension
bridge
bridge
suspension
bridge anchoring
points
Launceston
Jail House Grill
grill
the main
course
22 December 2017 (Friday)
After breakfast in our hotel room, we stopped at the Old Brisbane Arcade for a good cup of morning coffee at the Croplines. Lunch was at Tamar Valley, the Moores Hill Wine House.We had wine tasting and sea food platter lunch. We visited the Hill Wood straw berry farm in the afternoon and had straw berry ice cream and blue berry to replace the usual afternoon coffee. Hill Wood berry farm is an iconic family run farm in the heart of the scenic Tamar Valley, only 15 minutes drive from Launceston. Dinner was at the Burger Junkie.
house decoration
it was so good that
we bought some
coffee powder home
on the way to
wine tasting
wine tasting
a bottle of wine
to go with the food
platter lunch
biscuits
residence dog
strawberry farm
ice cream
yogurt ice cream
Burger Junkie
feature wall
Women are
always right
23 December 2017 (Saturday) to 24 December 2017 (Sunday)
After settling down in our container cabin at Cradle mountain, we drove to the National Park administration office to make some enquiries in preparation for our mountain trekking in the next few days. Most restaurants and food outlets were closed on Christmas eve when we were having vacation in New Zealand during the festive season. In anticipation of the same situation, we bought some food at the Cole super market and preparing our own Christmas eve dinner. This was proved correct as the only convenient store in Cradle Mountain resort was closed on Christmas eve.
end Farmers'
Market
Tree cafe a small
town mid way to
Cradle Mountain
before Cradle
Mountain
a container but
well equipped
and a double bed
can sleep 8 persons
bunk
trekkers
for tomorrow
testing
walk, no sweat
Christmas
eve dinner
chickens
from Kole
super mart
before walk
of the day
to comply, to
register before
walk
circuit
during trekking
resting place
after lunch break
must come down
walk for the
day
prepared dinner
25 December 2017 (Monday) to 26 December 2017 (Tuesday)
Left Cradle Mountain for Bicheno. We stopped over at Campbell Town for lunch. We were delighted to find a cafe opened for business on a Christmas day. After checking in the bungalow, we drove around the Bicheno town. We visited the Bicheno Blow Hole, a popular tourist attraction. We went for trekking at the Douglas - Apsley National Park and the Wine Glass Bay at the Freycinet National Park the next day.Douglas - Apsley is a National Park on the east coast of Tasmania, 149 km northeast of Hobart and a few kilometres north of Bicheno.
Freycinet National Park is on the east coast of Tasmania. Trails lead up to look out for panoramic view over Wine Glass Bay white stretches of sand include the Friendly Beaches, Honey Moon and Sleepy Bays form secluded coves. View from cape Tourville light house stretch over the Tasman sea.
Bicheno
toilet stop
small town
before Campbell
town
was opened
on Christmas
day
Christmas day
fish & chips
Bicheno
our luggage
view
bin by the
road side
area
washing machine
generation
bedroom
bedroom
dinning room
our bungalow
caused by strong
current through
a narrow channel
attraction
trekking
National Park
task
before the top
Park
longer
bay look
out point
view from
different point
the top
beachfront
bistro
of Cape Tourville
in the morning
27 December 2017 (Wednesday)
Farm eatery
drinks chiller
table
the sea food
afternoon coffee
Scorchers by the river
for farm stay dinner
the place while
waiting for the
pizza
the farmer was
staying in the next
building
dining
bedroom
pizza, our
dinner
the farm
28 December 2107 (Thursday) to 29 December 2017 (Friday)
/30 December 2017 (Saturday)
After a night farm stay, our next destination was Port Arthur. Port Arthur was a former prison which locked up convicts that broke the law. Visitors formed into small groups and a guide will assign to each group touring the compound and to explain the history of Port Arthur. We checked in the Black Buffalo Hotel then drove to the town for Thai food dinner. We had Singaporean food at the Kopitiam for the following night dinner We visited Mount Wellington the Pinnacle the next day and after that the groups splitting between shopping and Russell Fall trekking.
for guided tour
was our guide
the prison
strengthen
by steel
building
entrance ticket
included a
short harbour
cruise
commander
bed room
Dining area
torture
room individual
prisoner locked
up in the dark
room
after prison tour
Hotel.
Launceston
scene
Wellington
horn
Russell falls
walk
to the marina
for dinner
Carnival
with the food
operating by
Singaporean
flavour food
ice kajang
Shaved ice
刨冰
31 December 2017 (Sunday) to 1st January 2018 January (Monday)/2nd January 2018 (Tuesday)
Checked out of Black Buffalo Hotel and we were heading to the next hotel stay - a Country Club Villas. On the way we stopped at the Boss Village Bakery for lunch. We arrived at the Country Club Villas in the late afternoon. We went for early dinner as it was 31 December 2017 new year eve. As anticipated, there was a huge crowd at the restaurant. We managed to get a table and enjoying our new year's eve meal. We had our 1st January 2018 new year lunch before going to the Launceston airport to catch a flight to Melbourne. We returned the rented vehicle at the Launceston airport. After landed at the Melbourne domestic airport , we transfered to the International airport for our flight to Singapore. We landed at Singapore International airport in the early hours of 2nd January 2018. I had arranged a Maxi cab to pick us up at the airport before departure to Tasmania. It was a very enjoyable trip to remember.
Village Bakery
shopping before
departure to
Melbourne
Club Villas
Club Villas
resort - last stay
in Launceston
ice cream
fire works
administration office
landscape
leaving for
Launceston
airport
past
boarding
flight
before boarding
to Singapore
