Tassie in 3 days - Part 2

Port Arthur Convict Settlement
Mr. H surprised me with his announcement that we were going to Port Arthur Convict Settlement. After our 3 hour eco-cruise (read about it here), I was ready to call it a day and wanted to start our 90 minute drive back to Hobart. Before I could protest, we had arrived at Port Arthur Convict Settlement site. Turns out it was only 100m away from the cruise operator's office.

It was about 6:15pm when we arrived. Fortunately for us, it does not close at 5:00pm during summer months. We purchased our entry tickets (it was cheaper since some of the services and tours were done for the day). The lady at the counter was most helpful - she marked our map for sites that close by 7:00pm and advised us to head there first. These are house museums. Other buildings are open until closing time.

We began our tour from Visitor Centre itself. As you enter the exhibit, you are given a "convict card". From then on, you need to follow the trail of your convict to find out what happens to him/her. Once done, we headed straight to Commandment's House because this was one of the 4 house museums that close by 7:00pm. Our strategy was to head to the house museums first and then visit the other buildings at leisure. Anyway to get there, we had to walk towards The Penitentiary. The view was just mesmerizing. One could just sit there and watch the world go by.

Such a perfect picture: Mason Cove on the left, The Penitentiary on the right and green grass in the middle. The weather was awesome too as you can see, blue skies and white clouds.

The Penitentiary is an "open" building today. The building has no roof. While most parts of the building are not accessible, there is a viewing platform that allows you view inside.

Another view of Mason Cove - probably zoomed in from Law Courts building.

Looking down from Senior Military Officer's Quarters.

Wooden bridge that connects one area to another.

It's quite a walk to get from one building to the other - better wear your most comfortable footwear as you will be walking uphill, downhill, on grass and gravel path. I suppose the place would be crowded during the day. We knew we were not the only ones as we bumped into an elderly couple and a family of 4 during our visit.

What's left of the Hospital - only two walls. The other parts of the building were damaged in two bush fires that took place in 1895 and 1897. Guess it was never rebuilt.

Hospital in the background.

We then made our way to Trentham, another house museum that close at 7:00pm. It is a house that belonged to the Trenthams. The house and garden has been restored and the public are allowed to wander through and have a glimpse of how life was back then.

Soldiers' Memorial Avenue - these trees are close to a 100 years old. Planted in 1918 to commemorate the men from this area who fought in the Great War, some of the trees were felled as part of the renewal project. Other trees although healthy, will be removed and replanted over the next 10 years.

The Separate Prison is located beside Soldiers' Memorial Avenue. Be sure to stop there. I do not have pictures of it, yet I can still remember the structure and layout of this building. Separate Prison was built to introduce a new method of punishment - through isolation and contemplation (as oppose to physical punishment). Those days, prisoners were placed in their cell for 23 hours a day. 1 hour was for exercise and even then within confines of a wall.They are not allowed to speak to anyone, even the guards. Today when visitors enter the building, we are asked to do the same - no talking, no communicating even in sign language to one another.

Walking through the building or walking by others to read materials on display in silence certainly brings your experience to another level. It was quite a challenge! At one point,it got too eerie as even the littlest of sound was echoed through the empty halls (it did not help that it was 7:00pm and getting dark inside). 

We then walked to The Church. Along the way, we made quick stops at Visiting Magistrate's House, Roman Catholic Chaplain's House, Junior Medical Officer's House, Accountant's House and Parsonage. We briefly entered Junior Medical Officer's house as it was still open when we arrived. Parsonage however was closed to visitors by the time we arrived.

Convict Church was destroyed in a fire and has undergone repeated conservation work. This is how it looks today. Inside part of the building are 7 bells. There is suppose to be an 8th bell that is still missing and have not been found.

Time capsule buried here on 2/10/1977. To open on 2/10/2077.

Making our way back to Visitor Centre, we walked through Government Gardens. This area was meant to be a place to go to be away from the unwanted presence of convicts (at that time of course). Today is it a beautiful spot to sit and enjoy the view.

Water fountain in Government Gardens.

If you are looking for added adventure, sign up for the nightly Ghost Tour. Places are limited and you need to book early. 

Visitors would need to leave the grounds by 8:30pm. It might be possible to cover every area one day if you breeze your way through. It is quite impossible to do so in 2 hours. We did not cover at least 8 attractions which included Memorial Garden, The Isle of Dead and Point Puer Boys' Prison. So it is great to know that the day passes are valid for 2 days. This means you can spend the night in Port Arthur or even Eagleneck's Historic site which is 30 minutes away and come back the next day to carry on from where you left off. In our case, after a quick dinner at Port Cafe, we made the 90 minute drive back to Hobart.

To be continued.. 

Click on the quick links to read about the other places we covered on our 3 day Tassie adventure: Day 1 - Part 1 & part 2, Day 2 - Part 3 & part 4, Day 3 - Part 5 & final

Tassie in 3 days - Part 1

Three days in Tassie? Is that even enough to see one part of Tasmania? Due to time constraints, we did not have much of a choice -.it was either 3 days or no days. So here's a glimpse of places to visit and things to do in 3 days.

Day 1 - Tessallated Pavement, Tasman Peninsula Eco-Cruise & Port Arthur Historic Sites

What we could have done: Hobart > Tessellated Pavement > Tasman Peninsula Eco-Cruise > Port Arthur Historic Site. Overnight in Port Arthur.

What we did: Hobart > Tessellated Pavement > Tasman Peninsula Eco-Cruise > Port Arthur Historic Site > Hobart. Overnight in Hobart.

Departing Sydney at 6:15am, we were in Hobart by 8:10am. The plan was to visit Cadbury Factory which is an hour's drive away before heading towards Port Arthur to board our eco-cruise. However after reading the latest reviews on Tripadvisor, we veto-ed the chocolate factory and spent sometime getting acquainted with Hobart before heading for our eco-cruise.

Our drive to Port Arthur took led us to Eaglehawk Neck Historic Site. While we had no prior knowledge of this site, we knew it there would be several places of interest since it was marked with brown signage. One of them was Tessellated Pavement.

Tessellated Pavement
This was our second stop after we got off the main road. I do not remember much about our first stop except for the beautiful views you get from an elevated level (no pictures to share either). Back to our stop, be sure to step out and take the short path down to the beach after you have parked your car. Standing at parking lot level allows you to only view the beach and the horizon. Hardly any views of this special pavement.

Follow the brown signs, it will get you there.

These steps lead you straight to the pavement. It would take you about 10-15 minutes (depending on your pace) to get here from the parking lot.

Probably not accessible at high tide.

I am not sure why but I recall the term "bread loaf" tessellations was also used to describe this rock surface Maybe it looks like loaves of bread when partly submerge by sea waters.

It was January 2015, supposedly summer. Neverthless the weather was much colder than I had expected it to be and was glad I brought along a jacket. If you are not pressed for time, I would recommend you to dine at the hotel opposite the parking lot. Food prices are reasonable and tasty too. In fact, this hotel could be a potential spot for you to spend the night.

Grilled fish, chips and salad.

Bruschetta and mushrooms.

Tasman Peninsula Eco-Cruise
Our next activity was Tasman Peninsula Eco-Cruise. This activity came highly recommended by Oma (aka Mrs Ripke). Although can be a bit pricey if you are on a tight budget ($125 per person for a 3 hour wilderness cruise), it was worth the price. Mr H and I booked ourselves via Tasman Island Cruises.

Departure time was 2pm and we were required to check-in by 1:15pm at the the tour operator's office. After a short briefing on what to expect, we boarded the bus and made our way to the jetty located 30min away. 

Note: If you were heading straight back to Hobart after the cruise, you might want take the option of driving yourself to the jetty (follow the bus). The jetty is much closer to Hobart than the office (which is actually the opposite direction).

Once you board the boat, there is a second briefing. This time, the focus is preventing seasickness! The captain and co-captain kept us entertained during this briefing. Their comical presentation certainly kept us in stitches. First, we were provided with ginger pills that could help alleviate seasickness. Since this is a preventative measure, you should take it BEFORE you start feeling sick and not when you start feeling sick. The second tip was to make sure you're not overly clothed. At the first briefing (back at the office), we were warned how cold it could get. This would lead to some to don layers of clothing to help them through the cruise. Unfortunately too much clothing makes you hot and you will start to feel sick. When this happens, start peeling your layers off one by one. You will feel much better.

If the pill and removing layers of clothing does not work, there's one final option for you - make your way right to the back of the boat. Hang out at the back of the boat with the captain. The view is just as great while the ride is not as bumpy.

With the briefing done, we were off. Since the trip took place nearly 4 months ago, I do not remember the names of most of sights we visited. Neither did I take notes considering we were on a boat and I was afraid my notebook would get splashed by huge waves. I do remember the beauty of it all and thankfully managed to capture some pictures when it was deemed safe. So I will share some pictures taken instead.

Overalls are provided on the boat - it is thick, heavy and does provide some warmth. Putting this on onto your already layered clothing could make you seasick. If you do start feeling sick, remove your inner layer but keep this overall on. Don a beanie if you have one - keeps your hair in place.

Front row seats - not for you if you are prone to seasickness.

No entry for us. Ok for scuba divers!

Lovely green (or is it aquamarine) waters. You can scuba dive within these waters too. No jet-skiing though. Once a guy attempted too and his jet-ski crashed. He survived while his jet-ski sank and now lies somewhere at the bottom.

Lucky us it rained a few days before. On most days, waterfall is out of service.

Lovely weather for sun-baking. Even the seals agree.

Candlestick - popular among rock climbers. To climb this, one person from the team will need to swim over to anchor the rope. Definitely a cold start to the climb!

I had wanted to share a picture of the Tasman Lighthouse, unfortunately I cannot seem to find one from my personal collection. It is one of the most isolated lighthouse I have ever known and access to there is treacherous. In those days, people and goods were transported to the lighthouse using a conveyor belt which resembled something like a flying fox) from the boat. It could get dangerous depending on the weather. We were told that nobody lives in the lighthouse anymore and access to the area is via helicopter. Even so, you will need to make a generous donation to get a place since it is part of a fund raising campaign.

As our final stop before heading back to shore, our captain took us out to sea so we can get a postcard perfect picture of the view.

Panoramic view of Tasman Peninsula before we head back to shore.

Throughout the cruise, keep an eye out for albatross, dolphins and whales. Unfortunately for us, no dolphins or whales were sighted. We did see albatross, seals and a few rock climbers scaling the Candlestick (one of them even "moon-ed" us). 

Once at shore, we boarded the bus and made our back to our cars. From here, you have the option to return back to Hobart or carry on to Port Arthur Historic Site which is about 100m away.

To be continued.. 

Click on the quick links to read about the other places we covered on our 3 day Tassie adventure: Day 1 - Part 1 & part 2, Day 2 - Part 3 & part 4, Day 3 - Part 5 & final

Visit Canberra - Part 2

In Visit Canberra - Part 1, I had covered the following attractions: Malaysia House (well not exactly an attraction unless you are Malaysian), The National Arboretum Canberra, Parliament House, Museum of Australian Democracy and Australian War Memorial. Fortunately for us, the third week of January 2015 saw us in Canberra once again.

After visiting the main attractions of this city, where did we go during our second visit?

Questecon - The National Science and Technology Centre
Ever wanted to have better understanding and awareness of science and technology in your day to day life? Make your way to Questecon!

Since we did not make it here on our first trip due to time constraints, we made amends by making this our first stop upon arrival in Canberra. If you thought this place is for kids only, you thought wrong. With over 200 interactive exhibits divided into 8 galleries, Mr H and I had a great afternoon here (spent about 3 hours). We would have stayed on if not for closing time. In fact, we continued our discovery outside the building as there are exhibits located outside too.

The highlight of our visit here would definitely be Free Fall - where it allows you to experience the body's natural fear response and also a moment of weightlessness. Video of me free falling below. 

Questecon is open daily except for December 25. There is a fee to enter: $23 Adults, $17.50 Children (4-16 years). For more information, visit their official website.

Cockington Green Gardens
What I thought was a flower garden turned out to be more than that. Each display would have its own story and would consist of a garden (plants, flowers, trees etc), miniature buildings and figurines. The gardens were initially meant to complement the miniatures. However, they have succeeded into becoming an attractive themselves. 

The displays are also divided into different sections - the original area, International area and Rose Room Indoor Exhibit among others. A lot of walking and appreciation work is required, do wear comfortable shoes! With not much shade available either, it is important to not forget your sunnies and/or a hat and sunscreen.

I would recommend you to spend about an hour or more here. There is an entry fee to enter the grounds, might as well make the most of it. We took a lot of pictures and here's a few to share.

Can't recall the actual name, so I will call it Fairy Garden.

I love how figurines are arranged to narrate a story.

Closest I have ever been to Stonehenge.

Riding the miniature steam train with Imran and Arminia.

Out of the blue, we were greeted by Disney characters!

Still not convinced? Visit Cockington Green Gardens's website for more details.
 
Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex - NASA's Deep Space Network
Located in Tidbinbilla (ACT), this communication complex is about an hour's drive from Canberra (I slept most of the way). It was about 2:30pm when we got there. At first we were not sure if this was the right place and if yes, was it open? The area was rather quiet and there were no other cars in the parking lot. Our doubts were gone when 2 other cars arrived, parked and the passengers walked through the side entrance.

With 3 active antennas, I expected guards everywhere. The entrance was unmanned. and visitors would just walk through the side gate.

Visitors can wander around and take pictures with antennas that have been retired as long as they are within the allowed perimeter.

Presumably one of the three active antennas

We then proceeded to the Visitor Centre. The centre is open from 9am to 5pm and entrance is free (yay!). Inside, visitors are able to learn more about the space program; the important role Australia plays in exploration of space as well other things you wanted to know regarding space exploration. There are movies to watch, interactive games to play, latest images from the solar system, grab a bite at Moon Rock Cafe and many more.

We spent at least an hour or so browsing through exhibits, taking our time to absorb information that did not seem boring at all (despite some being very technical). 

Space suit photo taking prop

Our visit this time was during Australia Day weekend. We were lucky enough to be able to meet Philip Clark, the author of Acquisition. Clark worked at the Orroral Valley Space Tracking Station from 1966 until its closure in 1985. Not wanting history to disappear just like that, he took it upon himself to pen down his memories and experiences while working there into a book. 

Luqman with Philip Clark, author of Acquisition.

View from Visitor Centre.

If you have the time, make your way to Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve which is just a few kilometres away. Since we were driving back to Sydney that same evening, we gave the reserve a miss. Before your visit, perhaps it is a good idea to go through their official website. It will definitely help in planning your trip better.

On that note, we have come to an end of my Visit Canberra series. With at least 7 attractions to go to, there is no reason to leave out Canberra from your itinerary.

Visit Canberra - Part 1

Canberra, the capital city of Australia is about a 2 hour drive (longer according to Hajar) from Sydney. While it is not surprising for some tourists to give Canberra a miss as it is deemed "boring", we covered quite a number of places during our visits there (we did it in 2 weekends - once in autumn and the other in summer).

So where did we go? Read on to find out.

Malaysia House
Not exactly a tourist attraction unless you are Malaysian. Mr H’s early years were spent here. He does not have any recollection of it except for second hand information he gets from his parents and relatives.

Driveway up to Malaysia House.

Mr H's early years were spent here. Those days, the area was not fenced.

The National Arboretum Canberra

One of the largest tree conservation projects in the world, I did expect to see and walk through lots of trees. What I did not expect to see was the Bonsai collection on display. Located within the Village Centre, there were about 20 bonsais on display (if not more). Some were prettily done, with different colour leaves on one tree.

Pretty bonsais on display.

We then took a slow walk towards Dairy Farmers Hill. Here, there is a lookout that gives you a 360 degree view of Canberra (and beyond) as well as a outdoor sculpture, Nest III.

We walked down a green "oval". Perfect spot for a picnic or just to roll yourselves downhill.

Our approximately 40 minute walk brought us through replanted vegetation and uphill. It was only later we found out we could have actually driven up to the lookout point. Hahaha

Nest III. Sculpture was created by Richard Moffatt in 2007 from abandoned farm machinery.

Parliament House (New)
A visit to Parliament house is a must if you are in Canberra, since it is the capital city of Australia. You are welcomed to wander around public areas on your own or you may opt for a guided tour. Depending on your interest, you may view the proceedings from the public galleries when the Houses are in session. You may also book yourself a ticket for Question Time (booking required only for House of Representatives). 

Mandatory pose on Parliament rooftop

Senate Chamber

House of Representatives Chamber

Not keen on politics? Spend time viewing the art collection instead. Parliament House Art Collection, a significant heritage value is divided to sub-collections which include Rotational Collection, Gifts Collection, Historic Memorial Collections and Outdoor Sculptures among others. 

One of the arts on display

Open to the public every day except on Christmas day, visitors are able to wander around the public areas on your own or take the guided tour. For more information, go to Visit Parliament.

Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House
Until 1988, this building was Parliament House. Today, it is the Museum of Australian Democracy. It is open to public daily except on Christmas Day. There is a small entry fee - 
$2 adults, $1 children and concessions, and $5 family.

Similar to the present Parliament House, visitors are able to visit both chambers and take photos. You may also browse through the permanent exhibitions (I believe there are 4, my favourite is Designing Democracy) as well other non permanent exhibitions.

Part of Designing Democracy - The Illuminations by Wendy Fairclough (2011)

For more information and to plan your visit, go to Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House.

Australian War Memorial
Another must visit attraction when in Canberra. Again, you can opt to join in the various guided tours available or wander at your own leisure. There is so much to see and absorb here if you are interested in history. I am not very into history but I did admire the pretty architectural designs and exhibits available.

When I was there, it was during Anzac Day weekend. Bouquets of flowers were left behind with messages of gratitude, hope and peace at strategic locations within the memorial. 

The Roll of Honour

Lovely stain glass feature inside the Hall of Memory

Lovely stain glass feature inside the Hall of Memory

I think this is called the Commemorative Courtyard which leads up to Hall of Memory. Inside is the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier.

Go to Australian War Memorial's website to plan your visit better.

Other than Malaysia House, I would recommend spending at least 2 hours at each location as there are really lots to see, read and experience. You will not be able to see much in an hour unless you limit yourself to the main attractions.

Moving Back

Five weeks ago, we made our move back to Malaysia for good. The move was not as simple as when we moved to Sydney in 2014. Then, all we had to do was pack our bags - two large suitcases weighing 30 kg each with our clothes and some books. We need not worry about our unit since we were "renting" it from my parents. All we had to do was lock it up and we were on our way.

Things work differently in Sydney. Once we notified the agent that we were moving out, a checklist of things to do would arrive in the mail. To get back your security bond in full, our rented unit has to be exactly as to how we received it (basically checking off everything on the list). 

Our unit before the moving process. Since we rented an unfurnished apartment, everything had to go.

It did not make sense to bring back all our stuff to Malaysia as we already have a furnished unit in PJ. Fortunately for us, we managed to dispose our stuff within our last 2 months by:

1. selling most of our furniture and appliances (made about $800). We advertised on eBay, Gumtree and also Facebook.
2. identifying the items we want to bring back to Malaysia. We ended up shipping back 4 boxes plus 140kg of stuff came with us on the plane.
   

   

   4 hours before returning the keys, we still had this much of stuff! We then spent 40min loading everything into our rented van followed by another 40min unloading them at Maryam's (who was probably shocked when she walked into her home upon seeing this).

3. leaving items by the road side for neighbours and passers-by to adopt should they require something similar. Items left are in good and workable condition.
   

   

   It is common to leave unwanted items that are still in good condition by the roadside. There will be takers. For items that did not make the cut, we would take them in for the night and bring them out again tomorrow.

4. offering to family/friends.
5. donating to charitable organisations (e.g. Vinnies).

After completing steps 1 - 5, whatever left ended in the bin. 

Tadaa!! Everything gone.. We also had the carpet professionally cleaned the day before. If cleaning the apartment is not your thing, you can outsource this task to cleaning companies. Ask for their "end-of-lease" package.

I hope to not relive this moving out experience soon. Hopefully we will stay in our current place for at least another 5 more years before thinking about moving.. hahaha.

p.s. I still think about Sydney - I miss my friends, the lifestyle, the public transport and even the walking :p