As usual I woke way too early and popped my head outside for the sunrise.

After a delicious breakfast of spiced quince oats and truffle omelette with fresh squeezed orange juice and chai/coffee we sadly said our goodbyes vowing to be back again soon.

We drive just down the road to Latrobe to check out the recommended Reliquaire toy and gift store. This is one amazing store, massive…. and comparable to Aladdin’s cave with its trove of treasures with an old world quirkyess. Nutcracker soldier statues standing to attention outside give a slight hint that this will be no ordinary store.

Behind each door or around each corner you might find a hungry life-sized dinosaur, lion or polar bear… a magical Christmas wonderland… or fall down a rabbit hole! It is a gift and gadget paradise with lots of creepy dolls, a handpicked range of candles and skincare, clothing and handbags, jewellery, vintage furniture, games and science toys, puppets, soft toys, baby gifts, cool books, Disney and Alice in Wonderland collectibles, replica Medieval swords and helmets, kitchenware and cookbooks, games and puzzles, wooden toys, puppets, dinosaurs, fairy dresses, Harry Potter and Doctor Who themed areas. It blew my mind! What an incredible, fantastic shop. I cannot fully describe it, you must EXPERIENCE it for yourself.

The staff, who were all amazing, took us down to check out the Alice in Wonderland area, and the “Down the Rabbit Hole” carpet. This is a visual effect that can be unnerving, it truly looks like a hole in the floor… and took some wacky photos of us.

So, what did we buy? Sadly, as travellers with small suitcases we couldn’t buy much although Karen found an antiquey lead light lamp which was something she’d been looking for a couple of years and had it sent home. Me- several kids books. Seriously the best range of lovely kids books I have ever seen. You could easily spend hours within this store, browsing all it has to offer but on a definite timeline with flights to catch later in the day, we had to leave as there was still a couple more quick stops on our itinerary. What a kaleidoscope of joy! A must visit!

We then made a stop at Deloraine. The town might be small- with a population of only 2000- but it is big on character and stands in the shadow of the Great Western Tiers. The historic streets are lined with charming Georgian and Victorian era buildings, cafes, bakeries and art and craft stores.

We passed a park that was so beautiful… with the most amazing blossoms I have ever seen.

And then visited the three monthly country market before driving to Evandale. Like several other small towns we had visited, when you arrive in Evandale you feel as if the clock has been wound back 100 years.

It’s a National Trust classified Georgian village with unspoiled heritage buildings making it a popular place for tourists and easily accessible from Launceston. Clarendon House, just outside of the village, is said to be one of Australia’s greatest Georgian houses.

I then dropped the girls at the airport. And now they have gone back to Brisbane and my plans that were the reason I stayed an extra day have been thwarted by circumstances beyond my control. Feeling kind of sad and lonely and at a bit of a loss at what to do. So visited City Park and walked in the sunshine.

Seems strange to have monkeys in the park and I felt sorry for them having this life in an enclosure… thought we knew better these days although I guess kids love coming to see them.

Then headed back to Windarra for the night