Hobart

Mount Wellington or Kunanyi is located 20 minutes away from Hobart CBD. After seeing photos by Jane and Leonie and also the film, Lion, I put it at the top of my 'must see' in Hobart.

There are a few bushwalks to the top however I decided to take the easy option and drive up. The drive was a little windy however nothing scary (and this is coming from someone who drives a maximum of 3 times a year!).

May Update

Work

I have been at my new job for a month now. I don't know where time has gone! Work has been alright. Truth be told, I wasn't very excited about the role during the interview (and also didn't believe I would get the role) and those feelings are still present. But overall it hasn't been that bad. I am not unhappy anymore and I now have a permanent role which also pays more! I also have a work phone - Samsung Galaxy S8 - and I am still trying to learn how to use it. I am still in the awkward phase where I can't type properly and have a trillion typos in all my messages.

I no longer work in the CBD (Central Business District) anymore and surprisingly, I am glad of it. There are a lot less people at my new location which also means less smokers on the footpath and my hair is less likely to reek of cigarette smoke. I only wash my hair once a week (every 5th day) which is why the whole smoking-whilst-walking is an issue for me.

It is likely that I will have an interstate work trip in the next month or so. I am excited! There is something about a free trip and free meals that appeals to me. Now, if I could manage to go on an overseas work trip then I truly will be someone at work. The likelihood of this is incredibly slim ..... 

Travel

Starting a new job is synonymous with one fact - no leave. I don't have leave to go away on a substantial holiday and don't foresee myself doing anything exciting over the Christmas office closures. Namely because it is peak season and therefore very expensive to go overseas and also it will be ultra hot in Australia for domestic travel. Well apart from Tasmania and I vow to never return for leisure.

For the long weekend in June, I will be heading to Canberra (Australia's capital) for 3D / 2N. My last visit was a quick day trip for Floriade and the time before that was for a primary school camp. Everyone tells me that there isn't much to do in Canberra, but I am interested in visiting the arboretum and perhaps going to some monuments and museums.

I will also be going up to Cairns, Queensland in October! My first and only visit was back in 2006/2007 (I can't remember when...) and it was my first proper travel experience; I had to pay for everything out of my own pocket. Back then it was a really big deal, especially as I was only earning $8 dollars / hour. Honestly, I don't remember a lot from the trip which is why I have been wanting to revisit.

Other

I have been obsessed with a ginger turmeric "tea". I was first exposed to something similar at a Marrickville market. Being the frugal person that I am, I abstained from purchasing it and decided to make my own! Although frugality and purchasing ginger are almost mutually exclusive (ginger at $25 a kilo?!?!). I like to think that this drink is helping my health and will boost my immune system since I hot desk at work, catch public transport and it is getting into cold / flu season.

I also randomly bought a new film camera! It is the Pentax SP1000 and I am in love with it; the click of the shutter is just so sexy. The massive downside is that the camera is pretty heavy at 850 grams.

For the first time in many years, it is actually cold in Sydney! There are lows of 9 and highs of 17 (although it doesn't feel like 17 with the wind chill) which I am absolutely loving. I am able to wear my long boots and my Marcs winter coat.

Overall life is looking pretty great :)

Tasmania: Freycinet National Park

This was the only sunny day during my visit and I had chop-and-changed my itinerary so that my visit to Freyicinet National Park coincided with the only nice day.

First stop was Sleepy Bay which was a short walk from the car park.

Tasmania: Historic Villages

Once upon a time, there was a man called Ross (from my former workplace) who I had a crush on and thought was very attractive. He was tall and had a very subtle Scottish accent. Fast forward to a few months later to when I moved over to sit in his area and some conversations later and I soon realised he was a dumb idiot and his attractiveness went to 0. He was comical and was one of those people who used a lot of big words to say nothing. I also found out he had sex in the work stairwell a few years ago. Lol. That was a very long introduction as to why I wanted to visit the historic village of Ross!

Tasmania: Land of the Pie

Grindelwald is a village in Switzerland and also the name of the wizard in the Harry Potter series (I was listening to the final novel during my drives in Tasmania). It is also small town north of Launceston and was developed by a Dutch immigrant in the style of the Swiss village. In all honesty, it was quite random. Almost unncessary. It is a resort these days with mini golf, paddleboats and a giant jumping castle.

Tasmania: Bay of Fires & Little Blue Lake

One of the iconic areas of Tasmania is the Bay of Fires on the east coast. Typically, this area evokes images of white sand, clear waters and rocks with orange lichen. Oh, and a sunny day of course. Sadly, it was another overcast day for me (as were most of the days on my trip). I first drove to St Helens to visit the Peron Sand Dunes.

Tasmania: Tessellated Pavement

After picking up my rental car, the first stop on my Tasmania trip was to the Tessellated Pavement. It is a natural phenomenon which has resulted in numerous rectangle shaped pieces on the rockshelf on the Tasman Peninsula.

Central West Roadtrip: Stargazing at Blue Mountains

The last leg of my roadtrip was a little uneventful. As I didn't want to partake in the standard traffic jam back to Sydney associated with every public holiday, I wanted to stay for the night at a place reasonably close to Sydney.

Henry Lawson Statue at Glenfall. Henry Lawson was a writer and poet.

Cowra lookout