Day 21, Wednesday 15/1/2014, Freycinet to Bidalong Bay, Bay of Fires

So excited! We have another bush camp next to water, Jeanette Beach, Bidalong Bay. We found a gorgeous spot to camp right near the beach with a massive tree canopy covering our group sitting spot. Everyone was excited and social, all back together again and a bit of freedom and privacy. Directly out from us is a small headland with beautiful rocks around it . It has a rougher beach to its north and a calm protected beach to the south. Col, Bruce, Fiona and Jess went back into town to get a few things. Jordan and Jack were reading (Jack stole Col's kindle), and Leah, Gary, Eliza and Amara were having lunch. I went on a glorious solitary walk around the headland. Another photography craze, capturing orange rocks, aqua water and "bird rock". Such beautiful orange lichen, after which the whole area is named, Bay of Fires! Bird rock is the name I've given to a large boulder of rock that is white with two birds perched on top.

Once I'd rock-hopped my way around to the calm beach I found Leah and Gary. The kids were in the water, swimming with wetsuits. Not long after that Col came walking over in swimming gear. I was pretty hot, and the water looking so beautiful that I decided to join him, clothes and all. It's fun to be a little crazy at times. Leah ran back, got changed and also joined us. A very refreshing 17 degrees C. The sand is so fine and smooth that Leah and I started using it as an exfoliant and came out looking like newborns! Everyone was over here by now. I headed back to camp to get dry and warm. It's a heatwave in Tassie at the moment, 36 degrees C. For us it's normal, but the locals are stressing and talking about laying in cold baths to cope.

Col had bought a plastic tub and bath bombs. Very special and romantic of him. I gave half of mine to Jordan. It was bliss! Amara and Eliza did a lovely job decorating our table with flowers and Jordan discovered the joy of panoramic photography, doing special arty shots and magic twin shots.

After tea we all went down to the beach to watch the sun set, had fun playing on the boulders and getting more panoramic photos. I had so much more energy today and love this camp spot. There is a lagoon just south of here. We might go for a paddle tomorrow.

Day 20, Tuesday 14/1/2014, Freycinet

No sleep-in for me. I was up by 0700hrs. There were some loud annoying neighbours with a teenage girl that wouldn't stop wining. I have a splitting headache, aching muscles and feel really down about not climbing Mount Amos with the others. Hours went by with me just reading and swatting at mosquitos and generally feeling sorry for myself. Leah had gone to the beach with her girls and the teens were just hanging around doing their own thing. I didn't feel well enough to go to the beach, but probably should have. I needed a good cold water dunking.

Finally we all went out for lunch at Freycinet Marine Farm, firstly stopping on the way to visit the shortest lighthouse in Australia. You had to drive up a Jurassic style mountain. There were great views across all the mountain peaks. Amazing landscape!

Yum! Col and I had half a crayfish, and oysters with salmon and brie. Jordan and Jack went with salmon steaks. It's another 35 degree day. After lunch Col and I sat in our chairs in the shade and read until our planned 1700hr paddle.

Our paddle today was superb! Around rocks, beside mountains, crystal clear aqua water and great lighting pre sunset. It was a leisurely cruise around the shoreline ending with a choppy paddle straight back across the bay into the wind. Fiona didn't come because of a sore hand and went for a walk with Jess instead, so an excited Jack took her kayak. I had offered mine to Jordan but she didn't want it, said she was too tired and stayed at camp. It was 1900hrs when we were packing up our kayaks.

After a quick spaghetti bolognaise we went down to join the others for party food and drinks. Poor Leah had to walk her girls to the toilet so much that she really didn't get to chat with everyone.

Day 19, Monday 13/1/2014, Freycinet

Col, Bruce, Fiona and I went out for a paddle in Coles Bay at 0700hrs. First we circumnavigated the little island just in front where Fiona saw a guy in a sleeping bag. The view back from here, and south into the next bay is spectacular. Five mountains, the Hazard Mountain Range, is lining the southern edge. From there we headed north to check out Simon and Lisa's resort, Sapphire Freycinet, having to paddle into the wind the whole way. It looked so posh that we half expected guards to come down and shoo us away. Such a leisurely paddle back following the coastline south with the wind behind us. Col and Bruce then wanted to go around the next point to the south. I definitely didn't want to finish into the wind so I got out and Fiona followed suit.

There was enough time for a coffee and bacon roll before Simon and Lisa arrived with their 2 gorgeous dogs. Hugs all round. It's lovely to see family at the ends of the earth (of Australia anyway). We discussed how sad it was that Lisa, Stuart, Michael and Jamie weren't there to see them, their jobs at the resort and great local things to do. The rest of the group came down to meet them and hang out.

After a bit of a play on the beach with the dogs, Lisa and Simon left to meet with other friends so the rest of us went for a bit of an adventure to the south end of Friendly Beach on a 4WD track Simon had told us about. Morgans spread between the three 4WDs. It was a pretty easy track but 4WD was required for a rocky creek crossing which Jordan enjoyed. It was very windy and wild at the beach which kept the temperature down nicely while we hiked around the point rock hopping. Such beautiful rocks with lovely orange lichen and granite that would look great as my kitchen bench.

Lunch was at our cars overlooking the beach, before heading back to the peninsula and as far south as you can drive to hike up a mountain to view Wineglass Bay. It was really hot now, 35 degrees C at 1500hrs. It was a hard slog for me up many steps, but Fiona and Leah nicely hung back with me for my "photography" breaks, making them perfect models.

It was so much more spectacular than you see in brochures, and there were some great boulders and tunnels that Jack was playing in. There was even an Easter Island head! After a decent rest a photoshoot and lots of water, Jack finally managed to talk Fiona, Leah and I into exploring and climbing. So much fun and it was about 10 degrees cooler in there.

Back at camp we had a cool shower, relaxed and read for a bit, then Col cooked sausages. The vegetables had gone bad so I chucked them and sent the kids down to the bistro to get some takeaway caesar salad to go with the snags.

I told everyone I was planning to walk around to the south bay to get some sunset shots with the awesome mountain backdrop but didn't get any takers. I headed off on my own, enjoyed chatting to a fisherman and got some pretty shots.

Col, Bruce, Fiona and Gary plan to hike up Mount Amos in the morning. I struggled today, so I know I won't manage 2 days in a row. My legs are jelly, feeling very sad. Col was all excited about the mountain climb tomorrow and was packing a little snack box of nuts and lollies. Jordan and Jack started singing at the tops of their voices "Bohemian Rhapsody" with a group singing nearby. I read pretty late with a plan to sleep in tomorrow.

Day 18, Sunday 12/1/2014, Tasman Peninsula to Freycinet

Everyone had to be ready by 0815hrs to make sure we didn't miss our cruise at Maria Island. The alarms were set, Morgans for 0630hrs, ours for 0645hrs but we were ready by 0745hrs. Morgans were fast today and were ready by 0800hrs. Williams and Parkes (including the teenagers) took a short cut up a dirt road through farms and the tiniest town ever. It only had two buildings, a mini church and one that looked like a combo school, grocery store and pub. Morgans route was longer, but faster on the black top, meeting at roughly the same time in Triabunna to have brekkie and coffee in a sweet cafe. I bought a lovely book there on aurora chasing in Tasmania. This was the place for us to board the ferry for our leisurely cruise along parts of Maria Island. In places it reminded me of Jurassic Park and was a geologist's (or Gary's) dream.

An hour further north had us at Coles Bay, Freycinet. The Big 4 was pretty sad. We were given spots that were barely large enough for a hiking tent, way back from the water and not all together. Col and I would have coped being separate from the rest but Fiona and Leah were upset that they had booked ahead 6 months specifically to get better spots. They went to discuss it with reception, but with no luck.

After a drive, a cruise and setting up tents we all voted on dinner at the pub at the front of Big 4 which was pretty good. Fiona bought a sav blanc to share with the girls 42 degrees S. Yum. Coles Bay is quite protected with a little island out front and Sapphire to the right. It was decided on an early paddle tomorrow before meeting up with family. There is a swarm of mosquitoes here, much smaller than ours but relentless. An early night to bed to relax with my Game of Thrones book.