Down, over and across … Down -Cairns to Melbourne. Tick. Over -Bass Strait to Devonport. Tick Over- Bass Strait to Melbourne. Tick Turn Left. Tick During one of Australia’s hottest and driest summers on record, we have been fortunate to avoid most of the really hot weather, apart from a couple of very hot days in Canberra. We have seen the results of the terrible fires on the North Coast and watched as the fires have devastated some of the areas we have already travelled through. Our thoughts and prayers are continually with those communities. As we leave temperate Tasmania, we are welcomed back to the heatwave, that is the mainland. After driving off the Spirit of Tasmania at 5.45am we breakfast at Daylesford, an hour or so north-west of Melbourne. We have heard much about Daylesford’s reputation as an alternative, sustainable spa town. Breakfast, a wander through the local markets and a stroll around the man-made lake is about all we can manage, for by 9.30am the
Penguin, could easily lay claim to the title of
the quaintest town in Tasmania. Penguin is reached in just twenty minutes from
Devonport along the fast moving Bass Highway or by a gentler and more scenic meander
along the old coastal road, with views that rival the iconic Great Ocean Road. The
sparkling green sea close to the coast is contrasted with the deeper blue ocean
of Bass Strait. Penguin’s main beach proudly faces north, enjoying brilliant
sunshine, golden sand, and pristine views. 
The town is bursting with creativity, craft,
coffee and community. It is home to the beautiful children’s bookshop and toy
store The Small Folk store, which has a huge online following. From Penguin it
is a short drive up the coast to the amazing beaches and coastal scenery of
Table Cape and Boat Harbour. The fascinating historic village of Stanley boasts
The Nut, a sheer bluff which is all that remains of a volcanic plug, is just
over an hour away. A similar distance south from Penguin is Cradle Mountain
with bushwalking tracks and boardwalks for hikers of all ability.
Finally, Penguin boasts penguins. Yes, all along
the coast these cute little guys return every night to their burrows after
their daily adventures. Like the penguins we venture out during the day and
return each evening. Following the penguins’ lead, the idea of making a burrow
in Tasmania’s quaintest town of Penguin seems like a good idea. 
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