I have never been to an English country town, but when visiting Westbury in Tasmania, I can imagine that this is pretty close. This town is full of historical homes and it is a delight to wander the streets and just enjoy seeing the excellently preserved heritage buildings. The Village Green would have to be my favourite place in this town of many delights. Way back in 1828 this large expanse of grassed land was planned as the centre of a garrison town by Lieutenant Governor,

This is a story of a sign, a message, and a reminder to Go For It. After successfully avoiding catching COVID for over two years, I finally succumbed and caught a heavy dose of it. Like a bad cold, I coughed and sneezed, head pounding, nose running, and went to bed for several days. However, mine was not the familiar bed of home. I was away working, and had to quarantine in a hotel. Not a fancy five star hotel, but a country town hotel with only a view from my door of the car

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In the town of Latrobe Tasmania there is a 2.9km walking trail named - the Teddy Sheean Walk, named after a true Australia hero. Edward (better known as "Teddy") Sheehan was born near here and soon after his birth, the family moved to Latrobe, where he grew up. The walk is a favourite of mine and takes around an hour to complete. Notice the word walk there, but some people do run it in less time. Any time of the year is a good time to enjoy this trek that takes you from the

Having lost many electronics cables over the years in my travels or not being able to find them in my luggage, I was delighted to have a storage bag that holds most of my electronics in one place. There are two compartments. The top has multiple elasticised loops to hold cords in place and a zippered mesh pocket for smaller items such as flash drives, sd cards, power adaptors etc. The larger compartment on the bottom is an ideal size to hold larger items and also has a zipper

Absolutely everyone who knows Tasmania recommends going to Reliquaire gift shop in Latrobe. They rave about it, usually advising that you cannot fully describe it to anyone, you must EXPERIENCE it for yourself. So, intrepid traveller that I am, I decided to venture to this store and see for myself. Nutcracker soldier statues standing to attention outside give a slight hint that this will be no ordinary store. It blew my mind! What an incredible, fantastic shop. I mean, going

Stepping into the French inspired gift shop of Monclairs in Latrobe Tasmania was a fabulous feast for the eyes. This boutique store is definitely worth spending time, if not money, wandering around and admiring the beautiful wares they have for sale. Located in the main street of Latrobe and housed in a renovated bank, this building originates from the 1870s. There are five elegant rooms to admire, both for the building itself and the goods. My fondness for handmade jewellery

This is one of those things that you don't realise you need it until you need it. In an emergency situation you can sew on a button and fix a rip or tear, no matter where you are, and what time of the day or night it is. It is also a money saver, as you don't have to go and buy new clothes if you can repair a tear. Lightweight and in its own zippered case, this product lives permanently in my suitcase, and I am surprised by how often I have used it. Not just for obvious repai

Imagine being able to see plants for all over the temperate world in one pleasant place. This 66ha botanical garden in Northern Tasmania is home to over 4,800 tree species. With one metre of rainfall per annum, it rarely snows here in the sheltered valley on the banks of the Don River. The Arboretum is also migrating plants to warmer and drier species as the rainfall declines over the years. The plantings are arranged geographically, and include areas such as Tasmania, Austra

When travelling solo, getting photos of yourself can be difficult. Often we hold the phone at arms length for a selfie, and only get a partial shot. Or we ask a stranger to take a photo, and risk getting the camera or phone stolen. This tripod is ideal to solve these problem. With up to 10 metres distance with the remote control, or as an extra long selfie stick you can be finally in the picture. It is also suitable for cameras and gopros. Made of an aluminum alloy, it is lig

Emu Valley Rhododendron Garden is promoted as “A Garden for all Seasons”, which means that at whatever time of year you visit, there is something beautiful to see. There are over 24,000 rhododendrons here, but there is more to see. This is an award winning botanical garden with many different types of plants, in addition to the rhododendrons. The peak flowering season is between September to November and March to May. Companion trees and plants thrive in the rich volcanic soi

This smart travel device is just 77mm x 50mm x 40mm and fits easily into your travel bag. I love that it can be used in almost all countries, which means just one adapter needs to be used. It has dual usb ports which is great for charging small appliances. Rated power: 110V~/650W, 220V~/1300W Power output: 100-240VAC~50-60HZ 6A Max Usb output :DC 5V 2.1A Only to be used on small power appliances such as mobile phones, computers etc. Do not use for items such as microwave oven

If you have ever slept on a memory foam pillow you will understand how comfortable your sleep can be with one. This is just one of the reasons I love my memory foam travel pillow. It provides wonderful support and comfort. This product comes with a washable storage bag, earplugs and eye mask. Perfect for long flights when you need to sleep or just relax. I also love the clip on the pillow as it attaches to a backpack or suitcase, without it falling on the ground or getting lo

Coffee, the morning heartstarter, is one of my favourite drinks. I often find when travelling that the quality of coffee can vary greatly, from hey-mumma, knock my socks off good, to oh-no, is this dishwater? poor. An aeropress is a coffee maker that I use at home, and have a travel one for when out and about. The Go holds everything you need in one package, the mug has a silicone lid, and everything packs conveniently inside the mug when not needed. Why an aeropress? If you

The longest uninterrupted expanse of water on the globe is the Indian Ocean to the west of Tasmania. Keep sailing west from the shores of Tasmania and you will travel more than halfway around our beautiful planet, before hitting land again, in Argentina. Located just south of Arthur's River, this is a destination that has been mainly untouched by human hands. I stare in awe at the power of the sea. The rhythmic surges sweeping in and out, seem like the pulse of the earth. At

I enjoy the ambience of a hot or cold drink in a pub or cafe when travelling, it is a great way to meet locals, share the vibe of your surrounds and contribute to the local economy. There are times when it may be impractical to by either a hot or cold drink, and this is where one of my travel essentials is definitely a must have. A good insulated drink bottle should be double walled. This will keep your cold drink cold for up to 24 hours and your hot drinks hot for up to 12

The award-winning zig zag gardens were a delight to visit. They are located in a residential area of Ulverstone, from Maud to Upper Maud Street . A great admirer of gardens, I decided to include this on my list of things to do in this north Tasmanian town. The gardens were glorious. As I walked up the zig zag path to the top (yes, it does zig and zag), the hike was rewarded with panoramic views over the town once I reached the top. Visitors can start at the top but it was the

At 2.5m (8ft) this travel washing line can fit most of your clothes. The unique 'twist' feature means you don't need to carry and use pegs. The two suction cups are very handy as you can put the line up in a bathroom as they attached to the walls. I really like how little room this line takes up in my luggage. Click here to buy the washing line If you order more than $100 at the mydeal website using the link above, use this code: SOLOTRAVEL10 to receive $10 off. Happy Travels

Entally House near Hadspen in Tasmania is an elegant two storey brick building that is open to the public. Visitors can wander through the house and see it as the home it would have been to the Reibey family for three generations. Starting as a single storey cottage in 1819, one hundred convicts were loaned from the Government to work on the building. It was intended as the home for Thomas Haydock Reibey II (1796 - 1842) and his wife Richarda nee Allen. Thomas is the son of M

No more spilling of liquid or powder. No more carrying heavy boxes and bottles of laundry powder. These Ultra concentrated sheets with detergent, fabric softener and static control all in one sheet are perfect when you travel. They are fantastic space savers. I found they clean my clothes wonderfully and the sheet dissolves in the wash. Suitable for hot and cold washes, also safe for septic tanks. You can also purchase them unscented. One packet contains 32 sheets and takes u