2013 - A bass_ke travel odyssey

[bass_ke]

Good evening folks

As I'm a a little bit everywhere this year I thought I'd make a consolidated thread about what I'm up to

The first trip from SE Asia is a straight cut and paste from another forum so is aimed more toward non frequent flying folk, flights from the future will be easier to read for frequent flying folk!

Enjoy!

Travel has been a little different of late, we now travel with a wee little one, who now at 17 months old has take 27 Sectors and traveled to 6 countries - more than I did prior to turning 21. Until she's a bit older we won't be overlanding as much as normal, Freezing bus stops in the North East of Laos at midnight certainly aren't the best places to be hauling a Bub around. The consequent flying has seen us on some smaller types such as the ATR and C208 whilst in SE Asia. Unfortunately I take less photo's whilst onboard these day's as we tend to have our hands a little more full!


Our first stop for 2013 was SE Asia, started with a couple of nights in Singapore so that we could get our feet back on the ground. Cheap fares came courtesy of TZ, flights were booked to make a break on the 26th of Jan. This would be my third 777 ride, the other two being with TG and EY in 2010 and 2011 respectively. 9V-STB was the ship that would take us onward, as when travelling in Y with D7 we the first row of seats that break down from 3 wide to 2 wide being 61A and 61C with TZ.


Unfortunately I've no photo's of the flight but for the price that we paid it was fine. The crew aren't as fine tuned as D7 but I'm sure it'll come with time. There isn't really much to report about an 8hr LCC flight in Y!


Arrival into Changi was a pleasure as always and within no time we were at Hangout @ Mt Emily. These guy's have always treated us super well when in town, if you want some more info check out a post I wrote over on the blog


Hangout @ Mt Emily – Singapore | My Little Earth


We've always found that before any journey in SE Asia, a good couple of days somewhere familiar can do wonders for getting back into the swing of things. Our two nights in Singapore went rather fast between hunting down Loving Hut @ Suntec City and catching the big red bus about town for the first time! This wouldn't be the last time we'd see Singapore this Trip though, we'd drop in again 2 months down the track at the end of the trip.














Time for a bit of a spell folks, this thread will be a constant work in progress for the year, I hope to update it often!

 

[bass_ke]

​The next stop happened to be Malaysia.

At least once a trip we try and stay in a relatively nice hotel to have a bit of a break, normally we do it at the end but this time we did it at the start.


Given that we've entered Malaysia through KL about 12 times over the last year it's kind of Bizarre that this is only the 3rd time that we've actually come into town, the rest have all been 5 - 12 hr transit stops on the way to somewhere else. Our entry this time however wasn't terribly typical.


Looking at the options between flights to KLIA and trains to KL from Singapore we came across a third option, Firefly who fly from SIN to Subang, the old KL International airport. I also believe that the ATR operated flight might be one of the few remaining scheduled prop services out of SIN. As per usual of late I didn't get any photo's at all of the boarding process or flight, it was entertaining though! Especially the arrival into Subang, The terminal is relatively new but the Border agencies setup were quite Adhoc even compared to Malay standards, friendly folk though!




9M-FYI got us there in a fun way


We were staying at Traders right on the park outside KLCC, the location was aboslutely perfect for us! Easy access to trains and an air conditioned shopping centre were a win. The Skybar in this place is also pretty amazing, just try not to fall into the pool after a few beers!


Our time in KL was spent doing nothing but ordering room service, eating out and about and relaxing!


Trader's was awesome, not the kind of place that we'd stay in all the time but it's certainly nice to stay somewhere nice with a comfortable bed every now and then. The view was the thing that got me, I couldn't stop staring at the towers.


Next stop had us heading to one of our favorite cities, Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand.





Pretty by night!








I took the exact same photo in 2008








Last time you couldn't access the top floors, it's so much higher than the skybridge!





Not a bad way to spend dinner, and reasonably priced considering it's room service!

 

[bass_ke]

Ahh yes, now the next part of the Journey.


After checking out of traders we were heading back to a place all too familiar, the KLIA LCCT!


This place keeps evolving but it has definitely had it's day, it'll be good to see the new terminal but I will be a little sad that I won't have a chance to to queue for Immigration out to the apron like we did in 2008!


We elected for AirAsia Red Carpet service on this sector, it gives you priority check in, access to a lounge that has previously made me very ill and a personal walk through security and immigration formalities and up to the air stairs before being handed over to the crew. Not bad, unsure if I'd do it again as the lounge isn't worth hanging about in, maybe it'll be better at LCCT 2.


For the flight we were travelling aboard another of the trusty red A320's


31JAN2013
AirAsia Malaysia
AK1916
KUL - CNX
9M-AQL A320
Seat 1E and 1F





The flight went smoothly as most of the ones we have taken with AirAsia have. We had 1D and 1F whilst a Malay lady of about 90 years occupied 1C beside us. We spent most of the flight talking about Penang of old and her schooling in Singapore before heading back to Malaysia. We've only ever arrived into the domestic side of CNX before so the Int side was something different, travelling with a baby certainly seems to be the best way to get Thai Immigration officers to smile!


Chiang Mai is an old favorite for us, especially the area within the old city walls. We've spent days exploring the back Soi's and seeing where they take us. Nothing beats stumbling upon random Wat's and locals folk going about the day. Being Vegetarian, Chiang Mai is also an amazing foody destination for us - combined with some amazing coffee it makes for a great time.


We were in Chiang Mai for approx 3 weeks split in the middle by a few day Jaunt to Pai in Ye olde Cessna grand caravan.....





Always a festival, no matter when we are here!





Tofu Laab, one of my favorites.





Another amazing meal in Chiang Mai

 

[bass_ke]

09FEB2013
Kan Airlines
K8742
PYY - CNX
HSKAB C208
Seat 4C


Before we knew it, our time in Pai was over


On the morning of our flight we received a call from the K8 ground agent in PYY to tell us that the inbound aircraft was delayed by about approx 1/2 hr - that's old school service!


We bid our farewells to our hosts and turned up again to Pai airport. After we checked in and had our bag's weighed on the most ancient scales I've ever seen we made our way through the security checkpoint (Yep there actually is one!) and into the massive (well to service 1 C208 at a time) lounge area. Travelling with a baby certainly makes Thailand live up to it's "Land of Smiles" nickname. It was cool to watch the local kids sidestep the fence and run around on the apron and to see HS-KAB turn up looking pretty as usual.





The flight back to CNX was pretty cruisy and the views just as impressive. It was great to be able to see us line up with the runway at CNX from out the front window and to see some RTAF metal on the ground. Deplaning was good fun, another bus ride to the terminal and then through what seemed like a side door into the domestic baggage claim area. We then experienced a busy taxi queue and a driver who didn't know how to get to Somphet Market or Moonmuang Soi 6, a first for us in CNX!










Our remaining week or so was just as chilled as our previous times in Chiang Mai, we've adored this city since 2008 and it get's better every single time, thankfully the Bogans still seem to stay outside of the old city walls, down toward the night bazaar.


Out the back of Somphet Market, close to the laundry we use we found the most amazing stall. The freshest juice you can find and amazing breakfast for between 20 - 50 baht a person. Tip is also an absolute champion who works insane hours and also manages to raise a son. Being Vegetarian, Chiang Mai is an amazing destination for us. we did a write up on the blog about our favorite Veg joints in Chiang Mai which I'll post a link to below


Vegetarian in Chiang Mai | My Little Earth





Tip's Best Fresh





Easiest breakfast!






we'll most definitely be back to this city, but for now it was time to head onward to Luang Prabang!





Tuk-tuk's in China town, they are semi-reasonable compared to BKK tuk-tuk's, we still prefer to get around by Songthaew though.





The Soi 6 Fried Banana and Fried Sweet Potato lady. We were often walking back just as she was opening, tastiest snacks in the world!





Iced coffee at the funky dog cafe, Coconut milk frappe with espresso to pour on top. The owner roasts the beans over a wood fire every morning





Looking down Soi 6 with La Mer hostel in blue on the right





Ponganes Espresso, our Favorite coffee shop in Chiang Mai, it's on either Soi 4 or Soi 5 Moonmuang

 

[amaroo]

Looking forward to your Luang Prabang update - it's a beautiful place and we really enjoyed our visit. Anyone in the area should look at including this UNESCO World Heritage site on the itinerary.

Enjoying the TR.

 

[bass_ke]

Thanks Amaroo!

Both us and the city seemed to have changed, in 2008 we were backpackers spending a couple of months in SE Asia for the first time, this time we had traveled a lot more since and had our 11 month old daughter in tow!

 

[bass_ke]

Jewel of the Mekong, I loved her from the first time I set eyes on her





Being 2008 and our first extended bout of travelling, we thought that we'd made it to the ends of the earth when peering accross the border from Thailand and wondering what the border crossing the next day might bring us.





Since that first trip down to Luang Prabang that took a couple of day's meandering down the Mekong from the border in a shady boat we've been back a couple of times. The next time took us from 4000 Islands in the deep south





to Vieng Xai nestled against Vietnam in the far North East





Getting out of Laos that time involved one of the most entertaining 7 hr long Songthaew ride down to the border and a sneaky photo





This time however, things were a little different.


We'd been wanting to head back to Luang Prabang for quite some time and being in the region combined with wanting to take our little one along to a new destination saw us forming plans to head back to Luang Prabang. The same reasoning applied to this trip as did to our Pai adventure, 3 days on buses, boats and dodgy guesthouses weren't going to be the best with an 11 month old so Lao Airlines were going to get us from CNX - LPQ in 1 hour.


19FEB2013
Lao Airlines
QV645
CNX - LPQ
RDPL-34175 AT7X
Seat 11A





The Int'l side of CNX isn't the most entertaining but when bub's ready to sleep it ain't a bad place to catch up on some blogging and trip planning, rather than using the airport wi-fi we just tethered to our phones, the Data plans and reception in SE asia is amazing and we made a quick right up about it on the below link


Sim cards in SE Asia | My Little Earth


Boarding the QV ATR was like revisiting an old friend, especially with the slogan "You're Safe with us", it certainly inspires confidence!


The flight wasn't as fun as the C208 ride with K8 but certainly did offer some great views as we descended into LPQ. Unfortunately the new airport terminal wasn't ready when we arrived and we continued past it to the old terminal, it's classic SE asian old school and reminded me a lot of the old domestic terminal in Yangon.


Where possible we always try to have our visa's sorted and it certainly helped here with only approx 6 pax from our flight and another recently arrived having done so and the queue for VOA extending out the door and back onto the apron.


This time around we we're staying with a Belgian/Lao family that owned and operated guesthouse Manichan, all the details are in the link below


Guesthouse Manichan | My Little Earth


Our time in LPQ was spent soaking up the laid back lifestyle and wondering about town

 

[bass_ke]

You don't rush in LPQ and for our purposes we really enjoyed staying in the City as there seemed to be a couple of Lulls in the day when the safari suit clad folks retreated to their resorts leaving Luang Prabang almost free of foreigners.


A lot of folks get up bright and early for the morning alms ceremony which has become a bit of a spectacle and attracted it's fair share of controversy, conduct your research if heading along and please behave respectfully, don't get up in Monks faces.





You'll find more enjoyable scenes down the road and shot with a long lens from further away





It may be best to look out and around you rather than at the ceremony, Wat's buzz with activity in the morning.





After having spent 4 or so day's wandering about and drinking our absolute fill of Coffee we decided to hop on the boat across that Mekong, we'd never explored the other side





It was well worth the trip and the trek we took down gravel tracks, winding through villages along the way. Needless to say a Caucasian 11 month old draws crowds around these parts!





It took a while to get into the swing of things back in LPQ but we are certainly glad to have made the trip back here. The town has a little bit to offer everyone and you can make the most of relaxing with tasty food and amazing coffee or get out there and visit the various caves and waterfalls close by to town. It certainly felt a lot busier compared to 2008 but that was 5 years ago and in low season as opposed to Feb 2013!





One of the highlights was the big communal breakfast table at Guesthouse Manichan and the delicious food served upon it, we shared some great adventure tales and made some great friends here!

 

[amaroo]

We got up early to see the alms. We did it away from the main part of the village so didn't see any rude/annoying tourist jostling to get the "best" picture:evil: It was a good experience for the kids to experience/see how community life varies around the world.

The best thing about being up that early in the morning was walking up Mt Phousi and enjoying the scenery without the heat/crowd.

 

[bass_ke]

It was a good experience for the kids to experience/see how community life varies around the world.

This is exactly why we carried on travelling when our little one arrived. Even if not seeing anything in particular it was great just to wander about and have time together!

On our way back out to the airport we saw some streets packed with only locals and monks just as the first sun arrived. I wish we had of taken off to the outskirts and just sat on a quiet corner to watch!

 

[jetlagger]

This is exactly why we carried on travelling when our little one arrived. Even if not seeing anything in particular it was great just to wander about and have time together!

On our way back out to the airport we saw some streets packed with only locals and monks just as the first sun arrived. I wish we had of taken off to the outskirts and just sat on a quiet corner to watch!

Thanks for sharing..
I'm enjoying your TR.. Your photos are stunning & admiring your spirit with the little one in tow.
Looking forward to further postings.
Cheers,
jl

 

[bass_ke]

Thanks jl!

To be truthful she's a joy to travel with, certainly a chilled out bubba! It's amazing how many eyebrows the concept of travelling for a couple of months at a time with a little one has raised among Colleagues and family!

Next installment is on the way.

 

[bass_ke]

It didn't at all take long before our time in Luang Prabang had come to an end, instead of taking off on a bus toward the south like our first time we were headed for the airport. the old terminal at LP is any other older SE Asian airport, it's going to be interesting to see how things change when the new terminal opens. We've always encountered really friendly Tech crews on Lao Airlines, on a previous flight the Captain came and spoke to us for about 15 minutes during a transit stop in Pakse and again this time a QV captain had a good chat with us at the check in desks.


Apart from managing to get the security folk to send some post cards for us (They actually arrived!) and watching a an absolute free spirit of a fellow doing yoga on the terminal floor our time at the terminal was pretty quiet!





24FEB2013
Lao Airlines
QV633
LPQ - BKK
RDPL-34175 AT7X
Seat 16A






The flight was pretty uneventful, just like the previous one. The inflight magazine had an interesting article from their Chief Pilot and also a good one talking about the recently aquired A320's. Aviation in Laos has certainly come a long way since the bad old days!





This was the first time we'd ever arrived into BKK on a prop, unfortunately this meant the dreaded bus ride to the terminal. Over the years we've fell in love with the old Cobra Swamp and find it a joy to travel through. We made it through Immigration and Customs in No time and after a quick freshen up made our way into town.








The first place we ever stayed in BKK was in the backpacker district of Banglamphu. The suburb contains Khao San Rd, anybody who's backpacked anywhere or watched the beach will of heard of Khao San Rd. It's trashy but handy for a quick stop of you need anything during your travels, we've often used it to recharge our batteries and stick somewhere familiar before heading off to a new country. Soi Rambuttri which runs parralel to Khao San Rd and then wraps around the Wat opposite is much quieter and leafier than Khao San rd, although it too has gotten busier over the years.





We've tried staying around Sukhumvit Rd but just didn't enjoy it too much, we've gotten used to Banglamphu and now have friends in the area. Two of these friends were the main reason we wanted to drop into Bangkok this time. They own the amazing Moka Cafe and Gallery Moka World . We've known the girls for a few years now and they had yet to meet bubba!





Visiting Moka is certainly like visiting an oasis in the middle of Chaos


Going back to Bangkok always reminds me of our first trip, it was the first city we tackled as a couple of backpackers and I still remember the sights, sounds and smells like it was yesterday. Khao San rd taught me lessons that I still take on the road with me today!


This time around we didn't do a terrible lot apart from catch up with friends, find some amazing bag coffee and catch up on blogging.








Thai Bag Coffee (I can't remember the Thai Name!) is an addiction I've had for some time. It's short, strong and sweet; it's also easy on the wallet! We were paying somewhere between 6 - 12 baht depending on if it was hot/iced or have in/takeaway.


We did however make our first trip to a hospital in Thailand as Bubba was seeming a little uncomfortable around the ears and we weren't going to damage anything by flying soon - Summed up it was an amazing experience and 3/4 of an hour with a specialist cost under $50 Aud.


One thing we've always managed to do in BKK is wander, from just a stroll around the neighborhood to further out, you never now what you'll stumble across!

 

[bass_ke]

After spending an early morning trying to kill my brand new 17-55mm F/2.8 lens by walking straight out of an airconned room into the harshest humidity you've felt it was time to head off from the Land of Smiles once again. This time however we'd be departing from Don Muang, our first time through the old airport.


27FEB2013
Thai Air Asia
FD2937
DMK - SIN
HS-BBA A320
Seat 1F





The airport now feel's so built in compared to Suvarnibhumi and has an eery feel about it, I read a lot of book's about shady westerners and dodgy trips through this airport when I was younger and you could almost feel the shadiness in the building! Landside was a scrum but Airside was actually quite pleasant upstairs. The Immigration Officer didn't want to let us leave her booth, she wanted to keep chatting to bubba! We got bussed out to the aircraft and as with most A320 sectors on AirAsia it went smooth and quick. The quality of their Vegetarian meals has increased dramatically lately and actually trumps what some legacy carriers would serve up in whY.


Arrival into Singapore was painless, although the folks at the security checkpoint that flights arriving from parts of SE Asia seem to go through before entering the main terminal area got a bit freaked out by us taking so long in the parents room, there were at least 3 patrolling the door until we came out. As this was just a quick stay we left our checked bag at the airport luggage counter and with back packs on caught the MRT into town. Once again we were staying with Hangout @ Mt Emily. Apart from a couple of strolls downtown and catching up on chores like washing we didn't do too much! This was supposed to be where the trip ended, however due to bubba's only bad flight being on an overnighter last year we were no longer heading out of SIN with Scoot but out of KUL with AirAsia on their day time flight. The change netted us a few extra days and a chance to explore another destination......





The view from the roof (Hangout @ Mt Emily)





The "Pool" on the roof

 

[robd]

Subscribed and enjoying. Thanks and keep it up.

 

[bass_ke]

Thanks Robd!

This particular trip started to wind down a lot by now, however we do have a fair bit on in the rest of the year and if folks are interested I may just start posting the odd story and album from previous ventures!

For now the next small part of this story

Before we new it, the time to leave Singapore had come again!


We arrived at SIN with plenty of time to spare and after picking up our bags made our way through the Check-in and Immigration process with ease. We still haven't explored Changi properly and I think it's probably going to take a few more times to get a good grip of it, VA Status should help us next time although for SIN it seems a lot nicer to have QF status!





None the less, the Outdoor areas of Changi are still nice to hang about




28FEB2013
Malaysian Air Asia
AK1703
SIN - LGK
9M-AHZ A320
Seat 2A




As is our experience 99.9% of the time with Airasia the flight was uneventful.


Arrival into LGK as with arrival into Subang the previous month was entertaining, small Malaysian airports have to be some of the quirkier ones in the region! None of them in this trip could outdo Sandakan airport, that however is another story!


We were staying at Langkawi Lagoon Sea Village for the next two nights, a mid range kind of affair. The buffet breakfast was really good and the Mainly Malay and Arab clientele at the hotel lead to some cool and different options being put up for breakfast. The room itself was pretty big but ageing and started to show those signs. This seems to be a theme with accommodation we've stayed at in Malaysia! (Apart from traders of course!)





As this part of the trip wasn't planned we spent the two days relaxing and going into town for a wander about the supermarket, when needing to fill time wandering around a local supermarket is always fun!





Watching the weather roll in of an afternoon over the bay was always great as well!

 

[bass_ke]

Forgive the Instragram dodginess, but this my friends isn't a bad way to wake up and enjoy breakfast of a morning. Sadly this would be the last time as the trip was almost over and the thought of coming back to the real world had started to set in. Unfortunately we couldn't get a late check out so we ended up at the airport about 3 1/2 hrs prior to our flight. LGK has a cute little terminal but you certainly don't want to be spending hours here! We enjoyed some food, some wi-fi, some coffee and a lot of walking around! We even ended up in the local Custom's bureau office whilst wandering about.


Once it came time to head airside we breezed through and saw what seems to be an attempt by MH to get back passengers





If I did enough travel to maintain gold with Qantas I'd certainly be flying MH instead, but alas I wear the VA loyalty shackles.


02MAR2013
Malaysian Air Asia
AK6303
LGK - KUL
9M-AHL A320
Seat 16F





The flight, as usual was quick and pretty uneventful. A patch of rough weather at KUL was the only thing slightly out of the ordinary. It's been a while since we arrived into the domestic side of the KLIA LCCT but things certainly haven't gotten better, I've got high hopes for LCCT2!


As our flight to OOL was in the morning we elected to stay at Tune Hotel at the LCCT, this being the first time we've actually spent the full night! Previous stays have only seen us spend 6 or so hours to have a freshen up and eat between flights, the worst certainly being a RGN - BKK - KUL - CMB run between PG, MG and AK. The more I think about it the more i fondly remember everything from the 2 hrs to check in at RGN due to rolling blackouts, the fact our bag's connected in BKK and questioning why I even bothered going to bed after our midnight arrival at KUL only to get up 2 hrs later to travel onto CMB - fun times!


Tune was as expected and in the morning we trudged our way over to the terminal for our flight home, retracing steps we've walked a lot over the past few years.




This time check in held a surprise for us





It may not be a proper J Class event, but an upgrade is an upgrade and I'm a pretty big fan of AirAsia's hard product in "J".


The LCCT as usual was an absolute zoo but also as usual was the interesting people watching opportunities that presented themselves. The time went pretty quickly as a colleague I hadn't seen for some time was travelling on the same flight


03MAR2013
AirAsia X
D7202
KUL - OOL
9M-XXE A333
Seat 1D





I managed to keep the upgrade a secret from my wifelet so it was a nice surprise as we boarded. As is always the case when sitting upfront with bubba, things felt a little awkward with our fellow cabin mates doing a lot of staring in our direction. Fortunately our little bear proved them wrong and got some thanks from fellow pax toward the end of the flight. As we were seated in a middle row we didn't get too much of a chance to take in the scenery for the flight back but did at least get to admire the sunset as we approached OOL.


Most of my INT leg's back to Aus have been around a sunrise or sunset and it blows me away every single time! The flight actually proceeded quite quickly and within no time we were back on the ground in Aus and paying far too much for terrible coffee.


Thus ends the latest SE Asian adventure and the start of a 3 month break from flying anywhere at all!

 

[Simo]

Enjoyed to TR,

My little one ha traveled OS in Asia and is mobbed and she is blonde..

 

[bass_ke]

Glad you enjoyed Simo.

Travelling with a little one gave us opportunities we've never had when travelling prior, it's certainly different travelling with children but not bad!

 

[bass_ke]

Our next little holiday rolled around very quickly in July.


We were off to Tasmania to try and catch some snow. We haven't been back for about 8 years so were looking forward to see what had changed and to dig into some awesome food.


The Journey started at OOL and soon after lining up in the wild JQ check in queue I really started to miss the Priority line over at VA! It was a busy time of day at OOL with us not even being able to snag a seat at Blackstone, our usual hang out when not able to access the VA Lounge. OOL is nice enough when quiet, but when busy certainly resembles your typical Westfield food court although I find the dining options better than BNE International!


31JUL2013
Jetstar
JQ731
OOL - HBA
VH-VQW A320
Seat 2E





Just before boarding was called we managed to get a coffee at Blackstone and so waited until the end of boarding before hopping on. Jetstar have always looked after us and given us entire rows in the past, tonight certainly wasn't any exception and we appreciated it! We haven't done a great deal of night flights since bubba came along and so it was nice to enjoy a sunset somewhere over the Bass Strait





The flight went smoothly and was the first flight that we asked for our little ones logbook to be sent up to the flight deck, it came back about halfway through with a signature from Captain Peter BUDD





It was exciting to see the lights of Hobart come along as we started our descent. I was looking forward to getting outside and feeling some Tasmanian Chill! We got a great view of the QP as we walked to the terminal, it's certainly somewhere I could enjoy a few ales! The last time I arrived in HBA was with JQ but we ended up going through the old International side of the terminal, there is nothing creepier than 80's inspired Australian International airports!


After collecting luggage we went on over to Europcar, unfortunately there was a bit of a line mixed with a thorough Agent at the desk and no one to help him out. It took about about 50 minutes to pickup the car which wasn't great with Bubba getting a little tired.


Due to a current promotion with Accor we found ourselves at the Grand Mercure Hadleys, a grand old dame of a property but one that only had a few days left under Accor management, a drama we'll come to later on in this journey!


The next morning, our only full day in Hobart was started by grabbing a bite to eat at one of the lovely cafe's around town and heading straight up Mt Wellington.





There was no snow falling, but a fair bit of ice hanging about and temperatures below 0 with a wind blowing. I do prefer the cold to the heat most of the time thought, it's what I grew up with! I've always been fascinated by the view up the top of Mt Wellington and this time certainly didn't disappoint me.








Next order of business was a run out to Richmond for a spot of lunch and a look at the bridge, built in 1825 and the oldest bridge currently in use in Australia.





Whilst about town we managed to get an amazing chopping board that weighed a ton and a really decent Veg pie from the bakery in town!


Time to leave came around soon and we enjoyed the rolling scenery all the way back into Hobart





We spent the rest of the Arvo wandering about town and enjoying the Veg offerings, especially the Dumplings just around the corner from Hadleys, awesome!


Tomorrow would see us checking out and heading up to the Rugged Centrals Highlands, a place littered with old fishing shacks and some of the wildest weather in the state!