Yesterday we did the first stage of the final leg of our journey up to Hobart.

As Port Arthur is on a peninsula the only way out was the way we cane in, but it was a very different ride to the one we had done two days earlier.

We left in a fine misty rain- just enough to require jackets but not heavy enough to be a problem for us- this kept our faces cool as we climbed the big hills out- although our rain coats soon became steam boxes making us wetter on the inside than out, so we eventually ditched them.

Being a Saturday and travelling outbound we missed most of the tourist traffic. Because we were travelling on the coast side of the road we were able to stop safely and enjoy the views which we had had to pass by on the way there. It also gave us a chance to check out the realestate signs and do a bit of dreaming.

Unusual letterboxes seem to be a’thing’ down here- perhaps it’s how people signpost their houses on this endless highway.

It wasn’t until we coasted down the long hills (some up to 9 km long) that we realised why we had found the trip in so punishing. Apart from the trip up through Eaglehawk Neck it was a pretty easy ride until the last kilometre when gale force headwinds kicked in.

We arrived in Dunalley mid afternoon happy to curl up and binge watch ‘The Crown’ on Netflix (the first TV we’ve watched in three weeks!) while the wind buffeted our little cabin (the same one we stayed in on the way down) – leaving only to walk to the pub for dinner.