Knocklofty park

It's Christmas! Although the middle of summer doesn't feel quite the same. Everyone is terribly enthousiastic though, wearing hats and decorating and stuff. Guess they feel Christmas needs all the help it can get. From my point of view.... it still needs more.

So on an apparently average spring-feeling day (summer here is in the low 20s in the afternoon), I set off to the botanical garden, as everything else is closed.

And even before getting there, I saw birds! Parrots, just free, and lots of other ones that I don't know, all screeching and peeping. I even got a wonderful view of a kookaburra! He didn't sing, unfortunately, probably because there was another bird on the same tree making a huge racket! Actually, without the other bird there I would never have seen the kookaburra at all!

The gardens were great, with tons of ferns and local plants.

They even had a subantarctic house, which was a small circular house with extremely well done paintings on the walls, so the cliffs and sea just seemed to go on forever!

I then went on to Mt Stuart and the Knocklofty park, where there were many more birds and flowers, and even 2 wallabies or small kangaroos! They seemed to have red coats, but with my red tinted sunglasses, it's a bit hard to tell. I also heard a snake but didn't see it, and wasn't going to wade off into the tall grass looking for it.

Today I was careful to wear my sunglasses as soon as it got too bright, and so only roasted a bit on my forehead and nose (the glasses protect the cheek bones).

Hobart

A good japanese farewell, with a whole plateful of Mochi (sticky rice-based something), and a magnificent view of Mt Fuji leaving Yokohama on the airport bus. I will just mention here that the plate of Mochi was for the whole house, not just for me!

I arrived fine in Hobart. Both planes were late, but no big problems.

You have to declare all food products when entering Australia, so had to open my bag at customs. and then explain that my boots were for purely marine use (freshwater equipment is also quarantined). And of course, once everything has spilled out, it won't fit back in, will it...

But I made do, as the Gold Coast is a hot and humid place, and I had no intentions of being stuck there! Will a bag full of warm socks and sweaters, I'm not well adapted for temperatures above 20...

Outside Gold Coast airport

Everyone here is super friendly, although a bit hard to understand...
Luckily I came in on a french passport, so don't feel too bad.
The hostel is relly nice, right in the center of town. Should be silent tonight, but with bunches of folks arriving tomorrow.

Tip top of Tasmania.

It's super sunny here, and quite warm. But nicer than the hot and misty that there was in Gold Coast.
I've wandered around a bit this afternoon, but it will be an early night for me. Tomorrow is Christmas, so most things are closed. I will wander along the port and then go to a botanical garden not too far away. Then nothing special on Sunday. And then on Monday, I signed up for a big tour, with 2 different water falls, Wellington mountain and a Tasmanian devil park. It was quite expensive, but there's not much choice when you don't have a car.

Shall have fun for sure.

Have a very Merry Christmas!!

And a special photo for Uncle John and Patty, to show I STILL love ginger beer. From a local brewry, "with extra bite"!