Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Our day began in Hobart, Tasmania. We stayed at the Travelodge Hotel after our arrival in Hobart last night because this morning we’re picking up a rental RV. We’re excited to explore the island of Tasmania by camper the next two weeks!

Breakfast wasn’t included in our hotel stay, so Andi picked up two coffees for us and donuts for the kids after his run this morning. Then, he walked to the RV rental office to pick up the camper while I did a no-weights workout in the hotel room and packed our belongings. He came back with the rental RV around 10:00am.

Driving on the left hand side of the road feels more comfortable to us with each passing day. I’m glad we rented a car in Byron Bay so we were able to get the feel of driving in Australia before getting behind the wheel of a camper.

Andi rented us a 25’ RV — similar in size to the one we own in the USA. Our sleeping arrangement will be the same as well, with Tory’s bed above the cab, the dinette table converting to a bed for Aden, and a double bed in the back of the RV for Andi and I to share. There’s a small bathroom in the middle of the RV with a toilet and a shower. There is no slide-out to make the interior of this RV bigger.

Before leaving Hobart, we needed to buy groceries. Unfortunately, Andi was really struggling all of a sudden with a terrible case of heartburn. He needed food ASAP. We drove from the airport to a Woolworths grocery store about 15 minutes away that also had a McDonald’s next door. After he ate, Andi started to feel better.

Tory and Aden decided to stay in the RV while Andi and I went inside the grocery store for supplies. The mini-mall had a Rejects Shop which seemed to be the Australian equivalent to the United States’ dollar store. We bought a few random things to make life more enjoyable in the RV the next two weeks — a trash can, fly swatter, dish soap, and a mattress pad. The RV is pretty bare-bones with only basic bedding, towels, and dishware provided.

Inside Woolworths (local Aussies call it Woolys), we stocked up on fruits, veggies, meat, cereal, yogurt, coffee, and snacks. The refrigerator in the RV is about the size of a dorm room fridge, so we were careful not to buy too much food.

Tasmania will likely be the coldest place we visit the next few months, so Andi and I figured we could buy warmer clothes if we needed them once we got here. I’m notoriously cold, so I know I’ll want more than the one thin sweatshirt and vest that I packed in my suitcase. Andi suggested we go to a sporting good store so I could buy a sweatshirt and he could buy a pocket knife. We wanted a workout mat for the camper, too.

We drove to a store called Anaconda next which had name brand clothing, sports, and camping supplies. I just couldn’t bring myself to spend $149 on a sweatshirt (even with the AUD to USD $$ conversion), but Andi did buy a Gerber knife.

Andi asked the cashier where she’d go to buy a new sweatshirt and a yoga mat, and she suggested KMart. Remember, KMart is Australia’s version of Target with clothing and home goods. Unfortunately, KMart was back in the other direction, closer toward the Hobart airport. It turns out, this shopping complex had all three of the stores we’d just spent the past three hours driving around to visit! We could have come here for one-stop-shopping.

Someone said Tasmanian kids go back to school on Thursday, so this shopping mall was absolutely nuts inside. There were people everywhere, lots of crying babies, and some general uncleanliness that made Andi and I want to get in & get out as fast as possible. “I don’t think we’re in Hobart’s best neighborhood,” Andi concluded.

In the end, Tory and I found sweatshirts that were $9 AUD. I loved that price so I can just ditch the sweatshirt when I’m done and not feel guilty about it. We also found a yoga mat so Andi and I can continue to workout outside the next two weeks.

“Let’s get out of here,” Andi and I both agreed. We made our way back to the RV and on our way to the town of Port Arthur about an hour’s drive away.

Port Arthur is a small village and historic site located on the Tasman Peninsula. The drive was beautiful as it followed the coastline of the Tasman Sea. We passed through Eaglehawk Neck which is a narrow strip of land connecting Port Arthur to the mainland, and decided to come back to explore this area more tomorrow.

We decided to grab an early dinner at Stewart’s Bay Lodge. Unfortunately, the restaurant was fully booked for reservations this evening so our plan was a bust. “Yikes, I hope that’s not going to be a problem everywhere,” Andi worried.

The four of us walked down to the waterfront and admired the view of the bay before we left. The landscape is so peaceful here. Quiet, secluded, picturesque. Our campground for the night is across the water on the other side of Stewart’s Bay.

On second thought, we decided to check into our camping spot for the night and cook dinner for ourselves. Andi reserved us one night at Port Arthur Holiday Park. The campground was full of campers tonight; mostly local Aussies, we noticed.

We were all really tired tonight; I don’t think I realized how much until we parked and settled into our spot. Our camper was a mess. I spent some time unpacking our backpacks and organizing things while Andi set up the Starlink satellite. “I really thought you would’ve freaked out by now about how dirty this camper is,” Tory said to me. I hadn’t yet. I’ll take that as a compliment, I guess?

The camper was pretty dirty. I get the feeling that the rental company doesn’t do much to clean it between customers. I made a mental note to buy some cleaner & paper towels the next time we make it to the grocery store.

Andi busted out a map of Tasmania complete with stickers to mark our travels the next two weeks. He sure knows how to make me happy! Ha ha. He and Tory spent some time reviewing the map and making a travel plan for our next few days.

For dinner, Andi cooked brats and green beans on the RV stovetop. We ate together at our campsite. Aden set up our table and chairs, and we all laughed how tall the table was compared to our seats. “Next time I’ll set the table lower,” he said with a smile.

We watched a bird land on a boy’s hand at a neighboring campsite. “Oh look! He caught a bird,” I said to the kids. “It can’t be a wild bird,” Tory said, “I bet he brought it from home.” Who brings their pet bird on a camping trip? I teased. This made us all chuckle.

Andi and I went for a campground walk after dinner. It’s so fun to see the way other people camp; everyone does it differently, especially in a foreign country. We saw several signs for animals we didn’t know existed, like the Tasmanian red-bellied pademelon. What is that?? Andi and I wondered.

A few minutes later, we saw one! A quick Google search told us that pademelons are a marsupial and a relative of kangaroos and wallabies. It was much smaller than those animals; about the size of a raccoon. The pademelon had a long tail and small arms like other marsupials. The animal seemed friendly and not at all disturbed by humans in the campground.

I was already cold at bedtime so I knew tonight was going to be a long night. Each bed has one thin comforter supplied by the rental company, and I second-guessed how often the bedding is changed considering the cleanliness of the rest of the RV. Eww.

Nevertheless, this is home for the next two weeks. Tomorrow, we plan to explore Port Arthur.