[Travel Tasmania] Finding Tasmanian Devils at Unzoo, Colourful Tessellated Pavement and Lunch at Lufra Bistro

We visited the Unzoo after breakfast to see some Tasmanian Devils irl and we only had an hour or two to spare before heading towards the next destination. The tickets can be booked online but we just dropped by at around 10am and got the tickets on the spot. We paid AUD55 per pax.

Welcome to Unzoo

excited to meet the Tasmanian Devils

what's an Unzoo?

let's explore!

"An Unzoo would be a reversal of the traditional concept of a zoo."

It is a novel concept and happy to have the opportunity to experience for myself, the Unzoo in Tasmania. The lady at the counter (perhaps a member of the Hamilton family?) was really nice and her grandson was accompanying her that day. He's an adorable cutie at 4 years old.

We were just in-time for the guided tour and were informed we should still be in-time to catch Nathan (guide) for the Tasmanian Devil presentation. Ahh, so we hurried and indeed, we found Nathan talking about Tasmanian Devils with a small group of visitors.

wonder, who's looking at whom

Tasmanian Devils

Was surprised to see the Tasmanian Devils being so active in the day, as these are supposed to be nocturnal.

waddling along, everybody

hi there!

Next, we helped Nathan to feed the Kangaroos/Wallabies.

where are they?

ah, it's brunch time

up-close and personal

We'd scoop a handful of feed from the buckets that Nathan was carrying and head on towards the kangaroos/wallabies sunbathing in their small circles.

We could pet the them but do avoid places that they disliked to be touched. Ask Nathan, if unsure!

Davies Waxflower (exceedingly rare)

Nathan would also introduce some of the flora/fauna that we met along the way and it feels amazing being able to view it in real life.

look who we found

Then, it was lunch time for the Tasmanian Devils so we walked with Nathan to his next stop.

separated by just a glass barrier

Do observe the safety precautions as the Tasmanian Devils are carnivorous marsupial and feeding time means they are hungry!

 

The Tasmanian Devils feeds on wallabies carcasses and boy, we could hear the teeth crunching on the small bones of their feed. 

Next up, we were brought to Birds of the Bush presentation. It was now noon time and the sun was super hot.

Nathan, with a bottle of nectar for the birds

hopefully, they will come

So we waited after Nathan rang the little bell for the birds to come for a sweet drink. And we waited some more while Nathan shares more stories and we waited but all the birds decided that today was not the day. Hahaha, it was still a fun experience and Nathan was very entertaining, very helpful and one could just ask about anything to him.

support the conservation program

We enjoyed the visit, the interactions and the experience. Do support and visit if you're in Tasmania!

Tasmanian Devil Unzoo

Address: 5990 Arthur Hwy, Taranna TAS 7180, Australia

Website: https://tasmaniandevilunzoo.com.au/

Contact: +61362503230

Business Hours:

Daily: Saturday, 9 am–5:30 pm

Blow Hole

came across a fishing place

so many fishies to catch

mesmerized by the view

Next stop, Tessellated Pavement. According to Wiki, a tessellated pavement is a relatively flat rock surface that is subdivided into polygons by fractures, frequently systematic joints, within the rock. It got its name because the fractures into polygonal blocks that resemble tiles of a mosaic floor, or tessellations. Of course, I didn't research a thing until after the visit... now you know.

Tessellated Pavement

One could enjoy the view from the top or walk a bit to the front where there are steps leading down to the pavement for a closer look.

nice view

close up view on the seaweed

enjoying nature

one last look

After we have feasted our eyes, it's time to fill-up our empty tummies. Nearby, was the Lufra Hotel and we decided to have lunch at its bistro.

We were there at about 130pm and were still in-time to order something from their light lunch menu. Staff was nice about it and we were grateful that kitchen was still open for lunch service.

guess what I ordered

But, I was super duper thirsty and opted for an ice coffee. "Would you like to have cream with it?" Staff asked. I didn't think too much of it but said yes.

iced coffee with cream

Wow, I liked that cream with a touch of choco dust. Sweet and cold! Made the iced coffee all the more yummy.

yummy cream

Lufra Seafood Chowder @AUD25

The chowder was thick and warm. Lovely with the toasted crisp pita.

Chicken Schnitzel @AUD30

let's eat

Ivan ordered the Chicken Schnitzel and I stole some of the salad to eat. Wow, am impressed. Chopped vegetable bits with a light flavourful tangy dressing. Good.

Steak Sandwich @AUD20

Lamburger @AUD20

Shermaine had the steak sandwich while I opted for the Lamburger. Yeah, let's try something new! The burger / sandwich came with the lot which means, a side of fries/chips.

The Lamburger was juicy and tender, with a tad of gamey. There's a fried egg, caramelized onions, slice of tomato, lettuce and beetroot.

Staff was  nice to let us finish our lunch at our own pace while they've already break for a rest after lunch service. Thank you!

Lufra Bistro

Address: 380 Pirates Bay Dr, Eaglehawk Neck TAS 7179, Australia

Website: https://www.lufrahotel.com/

Business Hours:

Mon - Fri: 10 am–2 pm, 5:30–7 pm

Sat - Sun: 10 am–5 pm, 5:30–8 pm

[Travel Tasmania] Port Arthur Motor Inn - The Room, The Food, The People, plus Port Arthur Historic Site Ghost Tour

We arrived at slightly after 4pm to check-in to Port Arthur Motor Inn. Saw the signage from the road and made a turn. 

The check-in counter was at their restaurant so we went over and got the keys and our room numbers. I opted for the Queen Room or otherwise known as "Officer Row" for SGD134 (AUD155) booked via Agoda. I was at Room 8.

The rooms are all lined up in a row and one could park their vehicle right at the door step. It has an old school feels to it. The shower was alright and cleanliness can be improved, otherwise it was a comfortable stay. Am grateful for the in-room air-conditioning unit that can be turned into a heater when temperatures dropped at night.

There's a kettle, some instant coffee and tea bags in the room. 

Queen Room

There is no breakfast service at this place and we were informed during check-in. No worries as one could do a short drive out for breakfast. We made reservations prior to arrival for dinner at their restaurant. 

enjoying the outdoor terrace

There is a door that leads out to the terrace/balcony and one should keep it locked during windy days. Otherwise, it was lovely to enjoy the breeze and some sun in the morning. The terrace connects to all other rooms, so probably not a good idea to appear in your jammies unless you don't mind your neighbours having a view of that. Hahaa!

restaurant (before dinner service)

Before dinner, we drove out to Port Arthur Historic Site to purchase the tickets for tonight's Ghost Tour (AUD35 per pax).

Port Arthur Historic Site

Didn't research on Ghost Tour prior so, I agreed because the rest of the group wanted to go for one. We signed-up for the 8.15pm tour, and hence, dinner at 630pm. There's a souvenir/gift shop at the Historic Site so one could browse for cute gifts or buy a book on the Ghost Tour. Interestingly, the power went off once when we were there. 

Ok, we went back to rest abit in our rooms and then re-grouped for dinner. It was already dark by then.

We placed our orders and it took about half hour for our food to be served. I opted for the entree sized Grilled Chicken tacos and whoa, it was a good choice! Flavourful, with lovely chunky chicken pieces and lovely crunchy slaw, wrapped in soft taco.

Grilled Chicken Tacos @AUD12

The mains that the others were having were beautifully presented too. Generous portions! Only drawback, Shermaine's salmon didn't come till much much later because a different order was sent to our table. Staff was apologetic about that but Shermaine was pretty chill about it since we still have enough time before the Ghost Tour starts.

Cape Grim Beef Brisket @AUD35

Grilled Tasmania Salmon @AUD34

The Cape Grim Beef Brisket were served with chunky root vegetables and roasted sweet potatoes. The beef was tender and the jus, was charmingly homely. But I think I prefer my coleslaw more than the boiled vege. But the roasted sweet potatoes were lovely and sweet.

Salmon was of a good size, well cooked with crisp skin.

Alas, I didn't realize that there was another menu for the specials of the day. More options for diner!

remember to check the board specials

We were satisfied with the meal and made payment at the Bar counter. If one is late to the restaurant, there'll be no food as the kitchen would've been closed by then. One of the staff that we met that day, was finishing up as she has to make the trip out of the area to go back home.

We went back to the Ghost Tour meeting point to await for our guide and also to use the washroom there first as the tour would last for about 90 minutes and covering around 2km walk. Hence, wear comfy shoes as well as layer up as the night time temperature that day was expected to dip below 10 degrees. Do note that umbrella usage is not permitted during the tour. Our tour group was about 12-15 pax if not wrong.

Guide was a tall guy and he would be holding one lantern while two other participants would be holding one lantern each to light up the way. His walking pace was brisk, so I had to catch up with my short legs as I needed the light to see the path. Hahaha, luckily Shermaine was holding the other lantern so most of the time, I'd be following her instead.

It was drizzling slightly on that day, so we walked about in light rain and made stops along the way to listen to the stories of yesteryears when Port Arthur was still a settlement for convicts. It was a harsh environment, a penal colony that could break even the toughest convicts. 

Our first stop was at the Church built by convicts. So imagine, night time, illuminated only by the stars and a few lanterns and one hear stories on accidents, deaths and mystery there. Did I move away when the guide pointed at my direction and said, that was where......you bet I did!

Next stop was at the Reverend house and this was where I got the chills. We spent quite a bit of time there before moving on to the next location. Imagine all huddled up in a room to listen to the unusual activities that happened in that same room or same house...

I was happy to move on to the next location and that was the isolation cells or separate prison. The stories here were the saddest and also, seemed closer as there were recent incidents at this place.

We ended our tour safely and it was time to go back to our inn. 

stars in the sky

I thought I heard an unusual sound outside of my door that night but fortunately, nothing else happened.

morning at the Historic Site

morning view from the restaurant

We went to check-out at 9am and staff kindly let us into the restaurant's terrace to take some photos before we leave. Thank you!

Port Arthur Motor Inn & Restaurant

Address: 29 Safety Cove Rd, Port Arthur TAS 7182, Australia

Website: http://www.portarthur-inn.com.au/

Business Hours:

Check-in time: 1:00 pm

Check-out time: 10:00 am

Restaurant Hours: 5pm to 7.30pm

Port Arthur Ghost Tour

Website: https://portarthur.org.au/

Tour Times:

Wed - Sun: 7pm, 8:30pm and 9pm (do refer to their website for any time change)

Then, we went to a nearby General Store to grab some quick bites before we move to our next location.

Port Arthur General Store

sweets

drinks

We ordered what we liked and I opted for a muffin with sunny side up. Staff was nice to ask if I would like the ready-made ones as there's one already done up or would I like a freshly fry up? I opted to wait a bit for a new fry up. 

bacon potato pie

ooh, there's minced meat inside

curried scallops pie (again?)

chicken pie

The best tasting pie from the General Store, was the chicken pie! Lovely flavours and good portion of ingredients. 

The Works @AUD25

Bacon and Egg Muffin @AUD7

with ketchup

My breakfast tasted homecooked and I liked it. The coffee here though, was not something that I'd order again. Staff was friendly and helpful.

Port Arthur General Store & Takeaways

Address: 6959 Arthur Hwy, Port Arthur TAS 7182, Australia

Business Hours:

Daily: Sunday, 7 am–8 pm