Choosing a Destination

Choosing a location for honeymoon is a big deal to me. I hope to make this trip a special one for my wife, to bring back fond memories for us, many years down the road. It is, nonetheless, the first quality time spent with your beloved spouse.

The destination we considered was Australia. But which part of Australia? Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne...? It seems that these areas are very crowded especially during the December holidays. At the suggestion of my close friend, who went Tasmania for their honeymoon, and being influenced by those wonderful photographs, we decided to go to Tasmania.

Some Sights and Senses

The first lesson we learnt was to be well prepared for any trip. We landed at Hobart City, the capital of Tasmania, with a cooling temperature of 19 degrees Celsius in summer! Luckily, we brought sufficient warm clothing. The tour guide brought us to Mount Wellington (1270m) for a view of the whole Hobart City. The day was cloudy and he feared we would be in for some disappointment. But surprise was in stored at the peak of the mountain. It was too cloudy for a view of the town; but we had fun playing in the snow. Yes, it was SNOWING. It was supposed to be raining, but the temperature was cold enough to turn the rain drops into snow. We were so indulged in playing in the snow and taking photographs that we were not too bothered by the coldness.

The Salamanca Market opens only on Saturdays. It is like the flea market in Singapore, selling a whole range of products, from antiques to fresh fruits. We did not get to experience the crowd 'cos of the tight itinerary.

Singapore is too small for wildlife park theme, but is a common sight in Australia. The idea of free roaming animals is always a thrill to many people. We went to the Bonorong Wildlife Park in Hobart City. Not only did we get to pet the famous Koala Bear, we also had a glimpse of the infamous Tasmania Devil and the little known Wombat. (Click on the Tasmania Devil to see the close-up)

In Launceston, another city in Tasmania, we had an optional penguin tour. We were brought to the northern end of Tasmania (Low Head) and waited for the sunset. It was a spectacular view.

After about an hour of long wait, the first batch of penguin was sighted. They were too small to view from far, but we were prepared. We brought along a pair of binoculars. Much could not be seen due to the faint moonlight. The penguin tour guide cast red light on them for better view. Slowly, the little creatures crept past us. They were less than 100m from us and we could see their pint-sized figures. This was where the fun began. The guide brought us to look for their nests. We managed to catch a more detailed view of them in their nests. It is the mating season and we saw a male penguin trying to woo a female! But the female was the least interested in him. There was once when a penguin literally went past our feet. It was such an enjoyable sight. Flash photography is prohibited (It will scare off the penguins), our "penguin" pictures came out very 'ghostly' like. (Click on the Penguin picture to see a detailed view)

Cradle Mountain- a heavenly place. It is named Cradle Mountain, as it looks like a baby's cradle. The view is so soothingly peaceful that we could just sit there and enjoy the serenity for the whole day. We would like to spend one or two days in Cradle Mountain when we visit again. My friend stayed in Cradle Mountain Lodge during their honeymoon. Imagine waking up to find kangaroos, wombats, etc at your doorstep everyday.

What is a trip to Australia without visiting a strawberry farm? We went to Hillwood which is 20 minutes drive from Launceston. There were BIG and sweet strawberries. We plucked from the strawberry bushes and eat it right away. Strawberry lovers can buy from the farm and savour on the way home.

It will take us forever to tell you every single detail of the trip. These are just some of the snapshots of the trip. Even today, every little chapters flew into our mind as we flipped through the photographs. Tasmania may appear to be a small island in Australia, but travelling from one attraction to another takes at least one hour. While some of our tour-mates took the opportunity to catch a few winks, we enjoyed the sceneries - vast plot of greeneries, several plots of poppies, cows and sheep breeding, etc ....

Sunset at Low Head at 9pm

We enjoyed ourselves very much. There are many other places which is very scenic; we had no qualms taking a few days to stay in those places in the future. I recommend Tasmania to you, if you enjoy sightseeing and having the countryside experience. Die-hard shopping fans may be disappointed if you think this is a shopping paradise.