The wet weather cancelled the option of camping over the weekend, so instead a road trip was planned to the Huon Valley. We stopped in the town of Cygnet to grab a cup of warm chai and desserts at the Lotus Eaters Café (a favorite of Halsey and Tess’s), where food looked delectable but it’s nearly impossible to grab a coveted seat during their limited lunchtime hours. While waiting for our tea I was entertained by the all female team who ran the restaurant and communicate all orders with a shout to the kitchen (including teas). Walking through the Cygnet market we checked out the local crafts and wares: handmade soaps, self published children’s stories and illustrations, knit hats and scarves, honey, jams, plants, seeds, etc. In each of the markets live music was played, making it feel even more rustic and quaint.
After we were scammed into purchasing the last 2 homemade “German” pretzels from some cute local kids, we decided to move on to our destination for the night, the Huon Bush Retreat. Tess found this eco-lodging / campsite, which has on-site hiking and the coolest lodging ever: Tepees. Each couple had their own tepee with a fireplace (preheated for our arrival), a comfy futon and cd player with an eclectic music selection (Hello Sade and Deep Forest! If you haven’t heard Deep Forest’s Sweet Lullaby in a tepee you haven’t lived). Each tepee was set back in the forest so you felt truly apart of the bush and the wildlife all around you. When we arrived Michael, co-owner, invited us to stop by reception where we could meet wallabies who have been hand raised by them. These are wallabies whose mothers were hit by cars and Paul & Michael have raised them up from little Joeys! After 2.4 seconds of nonchalance we rushed down to meet the wallabies and were given apple slices to feed Ellie. It was a pinnacle of cuteness to watch her eat the slices with her tiny hands and pet her. I was able to pet her pouch where I could feel the bump of her own teeny tiny Joey (size of my pinky finger). It was a wonderful rainy night, with outdoor dinner preparations in a race against the dark and 2 very pushy possums, wine and competitive board game play. The only low point was feeling very, very stupid after failing to get past one pie slice playing Australian trivial pursuit which perhaps we should have given up on sooner. The next morning I literally had to tear myself out of bed, with the warm fire burning and the sound of rain on the tipee.
-Evie
