Week 2 – Day 6 – Strahan to Swansea

The first thing I want to say about today, We saw SNOW!!!!   And the second thing, it kept snowing!!!  It was very cool and there are quite a few photos of the snow her for you all.

Off to an early start today to ensure that we got to Swansea in daylight.  Although it wasn’t far we were not sure what the quality of the roads would be. The map had them as unsealed, so we weren’t sure if they would be passable with the amount of rain or if there would be snow stopping us getting through.

Dale’s been navigating around Tasmania so far and this was the first time that we were relying on Claire and also on the map.  Claire takes us the fastest route and we wanted to go straight across the centre through Alma Pass and Interlaken.  The Marlborough Highway, a major road through the Tasmanian Highlands used by log trucks and cars alike is a gravel road.  Have a look at the photo of it in the snow.  And you can see from the condition of the car what you come out looking like at the end of it.  It could only be Tasmania.

On the way out of Queenstown was the first place we saw snow, although it was at a distance on the mountain up ahead.  When we got through Queenstown (and the road coming out of Queenstown is a narrow very windy road up the side of the mountain) and headed up it started getting frostier and then we saw it had settled and there was snow on the sides of the road.  We got out and took some photos. 

As we kept driving there was more snow and we took some more photos.  We kept an eye on the temperature and for the duration of the drive across the centre it went up and down between 1 degree and 5 degrees.  After we got back on to the Midland Highway at Tunbridge it went up to 10 degrees and it didn’t get any higher. 

I have put in a photo of peak hour in (I think it was) Miean.  It was quite amusing. 

 

Ended up getting to Swansea at about 2.30.  Checked in to the hotel (thought we were getting a villa but got a room, oh well!) and then went for a drive around. It didn’t take very long as Swansea is not very big.  Katies Berry Farm is small but quite nice.  They sell boutique (translation: expensive) jams and afternoon tea.  There was a car on the side of the road that Dale wanted to take a photo of.  Here it is.  Dale’s mum used to live in Swansea so we went and took a photo of her old house.  The gate was locked so we couldn’t get up real close. 

Had dinner at the Bark Mill Tavern.  Really nice food and we were at the table next to the open fire so it was lovely and warm.  Quickly checked our emails at the internet and the pub and came back to our room. 

We get to sleep in tomorrow as it is only about an hour down to Hobart.  We will take it slow and do a bit of the touristy thing on the way. 

Thanks to dad for letting everybody know that we are unable to update.  Also thanks to all of you who have been sending us notes on the blog.  It’s nice to know you are vicariously enjoying our trip as much as we are. 

Ciao for now. 

D & E