Holidaying in Tasmania

The family and I have recently returned from a short 10 day trip to Tasmania.

The weather was ideal, between 8 - 18 deg C, food was great and with the Aussie dollar at nearly 1 : 1 Singapore Dollar, everything became relatively CHEAP!In short a very pleasant holiday.

We rented a Toyota Tarago, an 8 seater (5 passengers + bags) and this was a good plan. At nearly A$60 per day with 200km free and GPS (very reliable), this offer could hardly be beat.

If you are considering a retirement place, Tasmania should certainly be on your radar. If you, like our family, love oysters and sea food, you can have them all over here. The oysters were the best I have had in years. Prawns and crayfish, cooked straight from the nets, were always sweet with a hint of the sea salty flavor which enhances the treat. The types of fish, often deep water types, were more than what we see in the wet markets of Singapore.

If there was any complaint, it would be the television programmes. In the 9 days that we were over there, I did not and could not easily get to view any global news network, read any global financial newspapers. In a way that is a blessing if one truly wants to be away from the hassle and bustle of big city living. For that is what you get and if the cold turkey phase passes, you might be able to truly relax and enjoy what the country has in store for you.

Fresh air - possibly the best in the world, given the 480,000 people and therefore significantly low population of cars as well. One can drive for miles and there would be few cars ahead or behind you. So driving is practically stress free.

Nature walks aplenty and with breathtaking landscape to go with it. Wineglass Bay, Freycinet coast lines were awesome. Nature parks to visit with the Tassie Devil, the kangaroos and wallabies, the wombat, the deer, the geese connect with you and the one thought that we are one with them, keeps popping up.

In these few days, we had travelled a leisurely 1200 km, and visited just a little over one quarter of the island. So definitely a return to Tasmania to cover the other parts in the years ahead. Just make sure, each visit allows a minimum of 14 days, to just fall in love with the country and prepare to leave with some travel lust yet unfulfilled.

The destination is now on my list of countries to retire in. The key word is retire because to find work on the island, one has to be prepared to be a farmer for fruit and animals. The cherries are now coming into season, and so for the strawberries, persimmons, apples, figs, apricots, berries etc... the list just goes on.

I can't wait to return. My son Peter-Jan has suggested a male bonding trip, father and son, the next time round. This surely is a must do.

The next blog will see a review of 2008 and a preview of 2009.

Merry Christmas and wishing you the reader a very fulfilling 2009.