Coles Bay to Richmond to Airport
Our flight out of Hobart International Airport was about 1 pm in the afternoon, during our trip planning stage, we were debating if our last night should be at Coles Bay (3 hours to the airport) or Richmond town (20 minutes to the airport). After some deliberation we decided to stay a night at Richmond which would leave us plenty of time to return our rental car and to reach the airport with ample time for a meal before flying out of Tasmania.
Route from Coles Bay to Richmond to Airport
Kelvedon Beach
After one hour drive from Coles Bay we took a short break at Kelvedon Beach. It was a pretty beach and from the beach we could see some islands across the sea. We took out our google map and realised that the islands were Freycinet Peninsula and Schouten Island. Freycinet Peninsula was where Coles Bay was located!
Kelvedon Beach
Maria Island Cafe
From Kelvedon Beach we drove into Swan Port town looking for a cafe for a coffee break. We saw one cafe by the side of the road but it was closed. By the time we found a cafe we were already in the town of Tribunna. The cafe had a queer name, it was called the Spirit of Maria Cafe.
Spirit of Maria Cafe
We entered the cafe and bought a coffee and a cake. From the brochures in the cafe we figured that the “Spirit of Maria” was the name of a boat and “Maria” was the name of an island just across the water from the town of Tribunna. At this cafe, visitors could buy a day tour ticket (starting in morning) to Maria Island on the boat “Spirit of Maria”. Maria Island looked interesting, too bad we did not have any spare time/day to visit the island
Richmond
Richmond was one of the small pretty towns in Tasmania. This colonial-era town had more than 50 Georgian buildings, many of them were meticulously restored and now operating as cafes restaurants, galleries and accommodation,
Richmond town
It was a short walk (500m) from our stay in Richmond Coachmans Rest to the town. Along the way we passed a beautifully restored “Richmond Arms Hotel”, cafes, bakeries and other eateries. We were told by our hotel manager that all these shops would close by 5 pm! We were pretty surprise as were hoping to dine out in the evening. This was our last evening in Tasmania and had planned not to cook!
Richmond Bridge
Richmond Bridge was the most famous sight in Richmond. The bridge was completed in 1825 using convict labour. It was the oldest stone span bridge in Australia and recognised as an outstanding historic place and listed in the Australian National Heritage List!
Richmond Bridge
The bridge was not very huge or tall or wide. It was well maintained and carried pedestrians and vehicles. It spanned over Coal River. The river banks on both sides had huge green areas with grass, bushes and trees and walking paths. This place looked popular with human and water fowls!
By the banks of Coal River
Our stay at Richmond
We stayed at Richmond Coachmans Rest. We booked this place because it had self contain unit. The unit had a small kitchen for cooking simple meal. The cost for one night was AUD$128.
Our unit at Richmond Coachmans Rest
It was a cosy studio with double bed, sofa, dining table, kitchen, shower & toilet . It also had a small private back yard garden! The place was clean, spacious and comfortable.
Our unit at Richmond Coachmans Rest
On our final evening in Tasmania, in Richmond town there was no restaurants opened for dinner. Apparently during the Covid 19 period, many shops closed early due to poor business in the evening. Now though the Covid 19 restrictions were lifted and more visitors were coming into Richmond, the shops/cafes/restaurants had still yet to revert to longer operation hours.
Lucky for us we still had some food in our “grocery” bags. So instead of throwing away the fresh ones and bringing home the dried ones we ate them up for dinner and breakfast at Richmond!
Self cooked Dinner and Breakfast at Richmond Coachmans Rest
Return the Car and to the Airport
We returned our car at Apex outlet near the airport. Returning the car was a breeze, there were no issue. Our car was rented with 0 excess, it costed about AUD$1500 for 23 days which also included 24/7 roadside service. We understood from Apex staff that their cars were supplied by Avis, they were usually the older ones but still in good shape.
The free ride to the Airport took only 10 minutes.
Apex Car Rental Outlet to the Airport
At the airport we waited in Q to drop in our luggage and get our boarding passes. Then quickly went through security check and got into the departure hall. The departure hall was so much more vibrant than the checkin halls. There were cafeterias and shops!
Quiet Check-in Hall versus Crowded Departure Hall
We were flying out of Tasmania on Jetstar. It was a domestic flight between Tasmania and Melbourne. At the boarding gate near boarding time, a Jetstar staff stood at the front of the Q and weighted every carry on bags. All bags including handbags were weighed, once the total weight exceeded 7 kg the passengers would have to pay for the extra weight before allowing on board!
Lucky for us we had check-in luggage so our cabin bags were pretty light!