Overnight it was pouring with rain which made me very glad that I looked at Cradle Mountain last night as it would be shrouded in cloud and an utter disappointment today. And so it proved to be. After breakfast I looked for some fuel but it was $1.965/L at the visitor centre and I asked if fuel would be available in the town of Moina, some 24 kms away. A woman who lived in Perth but worked at the park said that it would be.
In a bid to conserve fuel I drove at 60-70 km/h which was a good idea as the cafe/servo at Moina was closed for winter. Winter which finished six weeks ago mind you. The nearest fuel was, you guessed it, at the visitor centre 24 kms back up the road (and up the mountain). I decided to drive to Staverton and was a little disappointed to find only three or four houses and one antique fuel bowser. Knocked on a couple of doors to ask where the nearest petrol station was and one guy told me that it was 15 kms down the road (in Sheffield). Drove very slowly until we reached Sheffield then discovered a petrol station that was completely automated. I must have driven for close to 25-30 kms with the low fuel light coming on and off.
On the journey to put fuel in I'd noticed a sign for a town called Nowhere Else and decided to backtrack to investigate. Turned out to be nothing more than a couple of farms. Bit of traffic about though.
Back in Sheffield I found murals all about the town. No wonder they call it the Town of Murals. Very pretty and a great tourist attraction. Bought some souvenirs and asked for directions to Marakoopa for the caves to which the shop owner quickly provided a map.
As I approached the turnoff for Marakoopa Caves I noticed that we only had a few minutes until the next tour started - but we weren't the last to join. Brian, the guide, gave a great tour complete with stalactites, stalagmites, mightytites, flow, melted cheese, straws, pendutites, two rivers and glowworms! He has done more than 1755 tours. We went 400m inside the cave and weren't disappointed. The fine for breaking off some of the furniture for a souvenir is $15,000 and they've fined three people to date. Tour finished at 1pm and we headed to Perth, Tasmania. I drove quite slowly as fuel was getting low once again.
By the time we arrived in Perth it was raining quite heavily. No postcards available, except at the post office which was closed, so we hunted for food. I ate a wallaby sausage at Utsi - a cafe made from a converted church. The lady at the visitor centre at Cradle Mountain had said to try the food there. Finally found a place that sold food, the restaurant at the petrol station, and we had nachos and a King Island pie. Not bad.
Asked for directions to the airport, as there were two ways to go. They told me the quicker way which was about three kilometres further - not that I had the fuel for it.
Well, I'm sure that the car was out of fuel. My rental agreement was that I purchased a tank of fuel and any fuel that was in the vehicle was free for Avis. They weren't getting any freebies from me, not after the insurance incident at the start of the car hire. At Avis' desk the girl tried to inform me that the total price payable would have fuel added to the rental/insurance, etc, but I pointed out that I had paid for a tank of fuel. After telling her she was then able to inform me that I was correct. Their slogan, "We Try Harder", may be correct in that they try it on. Not a pleasant experience, really.
Quite a queue for the check-in for Qantas Link. And right behind us was a Japanese family that took the cave tour with us. Down in the waiting lounge there was a Jetstar flight that was delayed for 30 mins. We started boarding at our scheduled departure time and so were some 20-25 mins late in leaving. With a 150 km/h headwind we weren't going to make up any time into Melbourne. No probs as we had four hours to kill anyway.
Melbourne-Tassie Trip 2011 Photo Album No.3 - See photos 105-162.
Showing posts with label Tasmania. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tasmania. Show all posts
Sunday, January 08, 2012
Melbourne-Tassie Holiday 2011 - Day 14
Early start to the day as the cruise on the Gordon River started at 8:30 am and we had to be ready before then. Brekky and check out to take care of before finding parking all day for $2.
Boarded the Lady Jane Franklin II amongst the 89 passengers and we had a seat in the middle of the lower deck. But we were free to wander around on all decks. The captain, Rob, took us through Hell's Gates, at the entrance to Macquarie Harbour, and the entrance was only 65ft wide. Our ship was 9.5m wide, a smidgen over 31ft, so there wasn't much room for error. Met up with the Davies couple, from yesterdays train ride, and said hello.
The cruise through Macquarie Harbour, at a cracking pace, took us past some salmon/trout farms. With no natural predators the fish do quite well. As we approached the Gordon River the pace slowed considerably. This was to protect the river bank.
I wondered about the lack of birdlife on the river and it turns out that the river is too deep for normal waterbirds near the bank. All of the big Huon pines have been harvested from the area by convict labour in the 1820s and 30s, and by the piners in later years, so there wasn't a lot of big trees to see.
We stopped at Heritage Landing and The Boy was given the job of counting chimneys created by burrowing crayfish, of which we didn't spot one (probably because they are nocturnal). He reached 1,031 in the 30 minutes that we were there.
The ship turned around and lunch was served. Luckily I noticed that the pasta had pesto as The Boy had quite a bit on his plate and with his allergy that could have been very serious. New plate required. Lots of tasty salmon to eat.
Cruised back to Sarah Island which was settled by convicts in 1822. A total of 131 ships were built in 12 years (96 in the five years that Captain David Hoy was in charge). We were given a tour by Jane Flanagan, from The Round Earth Company, and that was very informative. After the play last night I wanted her to be our guide.
Once back on dry land I did some searching for decent souvenirs and went to the sawmill. There is a huge fine for cutting down the protected Huon pines so only driftwood, which doesn't rot, can be used. Therefore the wood is quite expensive. Bought a mixing bowl and spoon for the missus.
Back in the car and The Boy remembered where the road to Zeehan was. Some dumb woman stopped in front of us, in the middle of the road halfway down the highway, with no indication, just so that she could take a photo. And it was in a spot where overtaking was not allowed! Some people should just not be allowed to drive vehicles. Full stop.
Much to my disgust, and against of the guarantees I had been given, it wasn't raining when we reached Zeehan. Strahan has only 40 days a year when it doesn't rain and we enjoyed two of them consecutively. I planned to visit Montezuma Falls nearby but with a three hour return journey on foot I thought "bugger that".
Drove into Cradle Mt - Lake St Clair National Park and had another person stop in front of me in a no overtaking zone - on a bloody steep hill this time! Stupid tourists should be barred entry into Tasmania. It would seem that idiot drivers flock to Tassie.
Cradle Mountain itself was experiencing clear skies and great views. Called into the YHA to book a room and they upgraded us to a 4-bunk room at no extra charge. In fact, we had the 6-room bungalow to ourselves. Bought some very expensive groceries also.
Across the road to the Visitor Centre to buy a Parks Pass but as it was already ten past five they had shut for the day. Was fortunate enough to see an employee and asked about the pass and she showed me the after hours pass, of which there were only two left to buy, and told me how to fill it in. I put $24.75 in coins into the envelope only to discover that I couldn't put it into the box.
Drove into the park which has some 40 one lane sections until you reach Dove Lake near the mountain. Had to fill in a booklet detailing our planned walk - to Dove Lake boat shed and Glacier Rock at Dove Lake. Certainly came in a bit colder and the clouds finally came in. Beautiful walk and fantastic scenery. A terrific place to visit.
The drive back to our accommodation was about 18 minutes without traffic so we certainly picked a good time to visit. Tea time and then off to our room. The tiniest bit of rain fell at 8pm.
Melbourne-Tassie Trip 2011 Photo Album No.3 - See photos 41-104.
Boarded the Lady Jane Franklin II amongst the 89 passengers and we had a seat in the middle of the lower deck. But we were free to wander around on all decks. The captain, Rob, took us through Hell's Gates, at the entrance to Macquarie Harbour, and the entrance was only 65ft wide. Our ship was 9.5m wide, a smidgen over 31ft, so there wasn't much room for error. Met up with the Davies couple, from yesterdays train ride, and said hello.
The cruise through Macquarie Harbour, at a cracking pace, took us past some salmon/trout farms. With no natural predators the fish do quite well. As we approached the Gordon River the pace slowed considerably. This was to protect the river bank.
I wondered about the lack of birdlife on the river and it turns out that the river is too deep for normal waterbirds near the bank. All of the big Huon pines have been harvested from the area by convict labour in the 1820s and 30s, and by the piners in later years, so there wasn't a lot of big trees to see.
We stopped at Heritage Landing and The Boy was given the job of counting chimneys created by burrowing crayfish, of which we didn't spot one (probably because they are nocturnal). He reached 1,031 in the 30 minutes that we were there.
The ship turned around and lunch was served. Luckily I noticed that the pasta had pesto as The Boy had quite a bit on his plate and with his allergy that could have been very serious. New plate required. Lots of tasty salmon to eat.
Cruised back to Sarah Island which was settled by convicts in 1822. A total of 131 ships were built in 12 years (96 in the five years that Captain David Hoy was in charge). We were given a tour by Jane Flanagan, from The Round Earth Company, and that was very informative. After the play last night I wanted her to be our guide.
Once back on dry land I did some searching for decent souvenirs and went to the sawmill. There is a huge fine for cutting down the protected Huon pines so only driftwood, which doesn't rot, can be used. Therefore the wood is quite expensive. Bought a mixing bowl and spoon for the missus.
Back in the car and The Boy remembered where the road to Zeehan was. Some dumb woman stopped in front of us, in the middle of the road halfway down the highway, with no indication, just so that she could take a photo. And it was in a spot where overtaking was not allowed! Some people should just not be allowed to drive vehicles. Full stop.
Much to my disgust, and against of the guarantees I had been given, it wasn't raining when we reached Zeehan. Strahan has only 40 days a year when it doesn't rain and we enjoyed two of them consecutively. I planned to visit Montezuma Falls nearby but with a three hour return journey on foot I thought "bugger that".
Drove into Cradle Mt - Lake St Clair National Park and had another person stop in front of me in a no overtaking zone - on a bloody steep hill this time! Stupid tourists should be barred entry into Tasmania. It would seem that idiot drivers flock to Tassie.
Cradle Mountain itself was experiencing clear skies and great views. Called into the YHA to book a room and they upgraded us to a 4-bunk room at no extra charge. In fact, we had the 6-room bungalow to ourselves. Bought some very expensive groceries also.
Across the road to the Visitor Centre to buy a Parks Pass but as it was already ten past five they had shut for the day. Was fortunate enough to see an employee and asked about the pass and she showed me the after hours pass, of which there were only two left to buy, and told me how to fill it in. I put $24.75 in coins into the envelope only to discover that I couldn't put it into the box.
Drove into the park which has some 40 one lane sections until you reach Dove Lake near the mountain. Had to fill in a booklet detailing our planned walk - to Dove Lake boat shed and Glacier Rock at Dove Lake. Certainly came in a bit colder and the clouds finally came in. Beautiful walk and fantastic scenery. A terrific place to visit.
The drive back to our accommodation was about 18 minutes without traffic so we certainly picked a good time to visit. Tea time and then off to our room. The tiniest bit of rain fell at 8pm.
Melbourne-Tassie Trip 2011 Photo Album No.3 - See photos 41-104.
Monday, January 02, 2012
Melbourne-Tassie Holiday 2011 - Day 13
No hassle this morning as our West Coast Wilderness Railway ride wasn't until 10:15 am. Yu-Jin and I walked to IGA to buy food for breakfast - pancakes. Took forever to cook without butter didn't taste very good. Played a bit of totem tennis and then I realised that my booking was made but I still had to collect the tickets and get to the station. Upon collection of the tickets I was informed that we had to be there at 9:45 so we still had a bit of time.
The lady giving the tour had only been doing it for three weeks and it was her first day with the whistle and flag. Her commentary was a bit muddled and she wasn't really confident in her delivery. Give her time though.
The stories that were told made the journey better. Train ride was OK, lunch was nice but the photo opportunities were few and far between. Quite difficult to obtain a decent photo at times. It is the case that the pollutants from the Mt Lyell Mine contaminated the Queen River and then the King River. No fish or wildlife can live in either river. Perhaps in 100 years time, after rehabilitation, the wildlife may return.
We had 40 minutes to wander around Queenstown until the coach left so wander we did. Not a great town to see either. The coach took 50 minutes for the journey, which took me 33 by car, and we watched a DVD entitled the West Coasters.
After the drive back to the railway station I visited Peoples Park and took the short walk to Hogarth Falls. Quite nice and I learnt that ferns only unfurl one new frond each year. Not really productive then.
Back at the YHA we went for a walk with Vince (co-owner) and Finn (his dog) around the area and past the beach. Best way to learn about the place is to take a walk with a local. The Boy and I played a few more games of pool and I had a chat with a South Korean who had trained in Melbourne to become a pilot. He was travelling around Tasmania by bus.
The Boy and I had dinner at the tavern. Schnitzels, veal, not too flash. Veggies left a lot to be desired.
Melbourne-Tassie Trip 2011 Photo Album No.3 - Photos 1-40.
The lady giving the tour had only been doing it for three weeks and it was her first day with the whistle and flag. Her commentary was a bit muddled and she wasn't really confident in her delivery. Give her time though.
The stories that were told made the journey better. Train ride was OK, lunch was nice but the photo opportunities were few and far between. Quite difficult to obtain a decent photo at times. It is the case that the pollutants from the Mt Lyell Mine contaminated the Queen River and then the King River. No fish or wildlife can live in either river. Perhaps in 100 years time, after rehabilitation, the wildlife may return.
We had 40 minutes to wander around Queenstown until the coach left so wander we did. Not a great town to see either. The coach took 50 minutes for the journey, which took me 33 by car, and we watched a DVD entitled the West Coasters.
After the drive back to the railway station I visited Peoples Park and took the short walk to Hogarth Falls. Quite nice and I learnt that ferns only unfurl one new frond each year. Not really productive then.
Back at the YHA we went for a walk with Vince (co-owner) and Finn (his dog) around the area and past the beach. Best way to learn about the place is to take a walk with a local. The Boy and I played a few more games of pool and I had a chat with a South Korean who had trained in Melbourne to become a pilot. He was travelling around Tasmania by bus.
The Boy and I had dinner at the tavern. Schnitzels, veal, not too flash. Veggies left a lot to be desired.
Melbourne-Tassie Trip 2011 Photo Album No.3 - Photos 1-40.
Sunday, January 01, 2012
Melbourne-Tassie Holiday 2011 - Day 12
Good start to the day. A hearty breakfast to attempt to finish off all of the food that Loic had prepared for us. Left at about 9:30 am for our five hour drive to Strahan and the first turn I took, on the Southern Outer, was the wrong way. Soon corrected that. Drove into Hobart looking for directions to Bridgewater or Glenorchy. Managed to head the correct way and we were on our way.
As we didn't get caught behind log trucks we made good time. In the Gordon-Franklin National Park we stopped at the Nelson Falls and walked to the 35m high falls. Pretty impressive, as were the snow covered peaks in the area. Not a great deal of traffic in the area but plenty of narrow and windy roads. It brought out the rally driver in me - albeit in a Hyundai Getz 3-door.
The entrance to Queenstown was like a moonscape and certainly not what I'd come to expect in Tasmania. Got caught behind a truck for about 2km from within Queenstown but luckily he wasn't headed down my turn off to Strahan. Managed the drive, not including the waterfall stop, in four hours for just over 300 km.
Strahan is situated on the Gordon River. Considering that the population is only 637 there seems to be accommodation for thousands. It's just that our accommodation was pretty difficult to find and it is a case of what I was anticipating to be the easiest to locate was, in fact, the most trying. Irony, eh? Stopped in town for a bit to eat and found that all of the specials had sold out at the bakery/cafe. After locating our accommodation, pretty much by accident as it isn't well sign-posted, we had a snack and a couple of games of pool before I decided that we should see a play entitled "The Ship That Never Was" by The Round Earth Company. The Boy took some convincing to come along. I was annoyed to find that the entry fee had increased, in relation to the pamphlet that I'd read, but for children under 13 it was a gold coin donation and so was actually cheaper that I had planned for.
The pantomime was great and The Boy and I both got to play parts. Talk about a good laugh and an interesting story to boot. The Boy enjoyed it far more than he had expected to. If you are in town you can't afford to miss it.
Walked into town and up to View 42° restaurant and bar for a pizza and drinks. Nice. On the way back to the YHA we stopped by the supermarket to pick up some breakfast but it was already close. Only open till 7 pm and not 12 am like Hobart and Launceston. Shower and bed.
Melbourne-Tassie Holiday 2011 Photo Album No.2 - Photos 201-238.
As we didn't get caught behind log trucks we made good time. In the Gordon-Franklin National Park we stopped at the Nelson Falls and walked to the 35m high falls. Pretty impressive, as were the snow covered peaks in the area. Not a great deal of traffic in the area but plenty of narrow and windy roads. It brought out the rally driver in me - albeit in a Hyundai Getz 3-door.
The entrance to Queenstown was like a moonscape and certainly not what I'd come to expect in Tasmania. Got caught behind a truck for about 2km from within Queenstown but luckily he wasn't headed down my turn off to Strahan. Managed the drive, not including the waterfall stop, in four hours for just over 300 km.
Strahan is situated on the Gordon River. Considering that the population is only 637 there seems to be accommodation for thousands. It's just that our accommodation was pretty difficult to find and it is a case of what I was anticipating to be the easiest to locate was, in fact, the most trying. Irony, eh? Stopped in town for a bit to eat and found that all of the specials had sold out at the bakery/cafe. After locating our accommodation, pretty much by accident as it isn't well sign-posted, we had a snack and a couple of games of pool before I decided that we should see a play entitled "The Ship That Never Was" by The Round Earth Company. The Boy took some convincing to come along. I was annoyed to find that the entry fee had increased, in relation to the pamphlet that I'd read, but for children under 13 it was a gold coin donation and so was actually cheaper that I had planned for.
The pantomime was great and The Boy and I both got to play parts. Talk about a good laugh and an interesting story to boot. The Boy enjoyed it far more than he had expected to. If you are in town you can't afford to miss it.
Walked into town and up to View 42° restaurant and bar for a pizza and drinks. Nice. On the way back to the YHA we stopped by the supermarket to pick up some breakfast but it was already close. Only open till 7 pm and not 12 am like Hobart and Launceston. Shower and bed.
Melbourne-Tassie Holiday 2011 Photo Album No.2 - Photos 201-238.
Melbourne-Tassie Holiday 2011 - Day 11
After brekky we jumped on the Southern Outlet and headed down to Huonville. I wanted to use my expensive tourist pass to obtain a free jet boat ride. The weather was quite variable and some of the hills were a bit too much for the car on the way. Weird roads in Tassie too. Gotta really pay attention to where you are going and which lane you need to be in.
Visited Huon Jet Boat Company. We were the only customers which justified my decision not to make a booking. They even waited a little longer in case anybody else turned up. Which they didn't. Still had to pay $10 ea instead of $72/$49. Needed to throw on a few extra layers of clothes and a life jacket as it was going to be cold. They waited for the rain to clear, and made reference to a snow front, before taking us out. Our driver was Andy and he gave us a great ride. We went some 12km upstream at speeds of 75-80 km/h. There were a number of high speed spins and bumpy rapids to go over. We really enjoyed ourselves and The Boy even asked for extra spins.
I planned to look through Huonville for arty things but there didn't appear to be any of those kinds of shops. So I ended up driving straight out of the place. Next stop - Mt Wellington.
Didn't take long to get back to Hobart, as the roads aren't bad, but the road up the Mountain isn't quite so good. The drive up the Mountain is over 10 kms long. I was worried about the car hire agreement which states that the car can't be taken above the snow line. We stopped the car at The Chalet, 1000m above sea level, and walked a fair way up the road. Enough snow for us to have a snowball fight. I copped a few hits to the back but The Boy got a nice one to the face. It snowed during our walk.
After finally seeing a car come down from the summit which wasn't covered in snow I had confidence to drive to the top. Actually, the road was still dry so there wasn't much to worry about.
The summit was very windy with snow falling. I collected some snow in a bottle and had a look at the observation area. Hobart started disappearing from view quite quickly as another blanket of cloud made its way over. Great view though.
The 10 kms descent took about 18 minutes. Drove around Hobart, through Battery Point and into Sandy Bay so that I could do some shopping for lunch. Back to the Signalman's Cottage for some hot chook. The afternoon was one of TV and napping. At night we looked at the city from the lookout on Mt Nelson.
Melbourne-Tassie Holiday 2011 Photo Album No.2 - Photos 153-200.
Visited Huon Jet Boat Company. We were the only customers which justified my decision not to make a booking. They even waited a little longer in case anybody else turned up. Which they didn't. Still had to pay $10 ea instead of $72/$49. Needed to throw on a few extra layers of clothes and a life jacket as it was going to be cold. They waited for the rain to clear, and made reference to a snow front, before taking us out. Our driver was Andy and he gave us a great ride. We went some 12km upstream at speeds of 75-80 km/h. There were a number of high speed spins and bumpy rapids to go over. We really enjoyed ourselves and The Boy even asked for extra spins.
I planned to look through Huonville for arty things but there didn't appear to be any of those kinds of shops. So I ended up driving straight out of the place. Next stop - Mt Wellington.
Didn't take long to get back to Hobart, as the roads aren't bad, but the road up the Mountain isn't quite so good. The drive up the Mountain is over 10 kms long. I was worried about the car hire agreement which states that the car can't be taken above the snow line. We stopped the car at The Chalet, 1000m above sea level, and walked a fair way up the road. Enough snow for us to have a snowball fight. I copped a few hits to the back but The Boy got a nice one to the face. It snowed during our walk.
After finally seeing a car come down from the summit which wasn't covered in snow I had confidence to drive to the top. Actually, the road was still dry so there wasn't much to worry about.
The summit was very windy with snow falling. I collected some snow in a bottle and had a look at the observation area. Hobart started disappearing from view quite quickly as another blanket of cloud made its way over. Great view though.
The 10 kms descent took about 18 minutes. Drove around Hobart, through Battery Point and into Sandy Bay so that I could do some shopping for lunch. Back to the Signalman's Cottage for some hot chook. The afternoon was one of TV and napping. At night we looked at the city from the lookout on Mt Nelson.
Melbourne-Tassie Holiday 2011 Photo Album No.2 - Photos 153-200.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Melbourne-Tassie Holiday 2011 Day 10
Took some fruit for breakfast. Drove to Port Arthur to visit Remarkable Cave in the Tasman National Park. It's a long cave that the waves have carved out. Didn't stick around for long. Drove across the isle to view the convict coal mine. Spent most of our time at the barracks and the cells of solitary confinement. Couple of other toursits out there but it feels a bit remote. Put $10 of fuel in as the fuel guage was getting low very quickly.
Also dropped in to Tasmans Arch, Devils Kitchen (both better viewed from the boat yesterday) and The Blowhole (not on song). The lookout provided a great view. Had fish and chips and squid and chips, and ice cream, at the Doo-Licious van. Being nearby Doo Town it, the name, makes sense. Nice meal.
Filled up the car in Sorrell and headed over to Richmond to search for Zoo Doo Wildlife Park but took the wrong road initially. Found it but it hadn't been signposted too well. For a major tourist attraction I was disappointed that that was the case. There weren't as many animals to view/feed as Tasmania Zoo but we got to hold a snake, feed emus, ostriches and a camel from the safari bus and there were white lions and tigers on display. The feeding of the Tasmanian devils was funny as one of the devils kept attacking the bucket where the food was being held. Lions weren't interested in feeding which was a bit disappointing.
Back to town for a walk around to photograph all of the old buildings and Richmond Bridge - the oldest bridge in Australia which dates back to 1823. Had a drink at the bakery.
Quick drive into Hobart but took a wrong road and missed the city centre. Drove around for 10 minutes or so and then decided to head towards Mt Wellington before turning off at Mt Nelson where our accommodation was situated. Accidentally had to turn off and follow the Southern Outlet. I did notice a sign regarding Mt Nelson later and it turned out, by a complete fluke, that I had struck the correct road. At the top of the mountain was our accommodation - The Signalman's Cottage B & B. Our hosts, Georgie and Loic, were very nice and Georgie gave me a mud map to Sandy Bay to find some dinner and do some shopping. Ended up buying souvlakis @ Mykonos.
Very interesting to see Hobart disappear from view because of cloud and reappear a few minutes later. Not a great deal of off street parking available in Hobart, due to the city being built in the time of the convict and horse and car, and it makes driving around more difficult also. Quite a few one way streets and not much level ground either.
Melbourne-Tassie Holiday 2011 Photo Album No.2 - Photo 98-152.
Also dropped in to Tasmans Arch, Devils Kitchen (both better viewed from the boat yesterday) and The Blowhole (not on song). The lookout provided a great view. Had fish and chips and squid and chips, and ice cream, at the Doo-Licious van. Being nearby Doo Town it, the name, makes sense. Nice meal.
Filled up the car in Sorrell and headed over to Richmond to search for Zoo Doo Wildlife Park but took the wrong road initially. Found it but it hadn't been signposted too well. For a major tourist attraction I was disappointed that that was the case. There weren't as many animals to view/feed as Tasmania Zoo but we got to hold a snake, feed emus, ostriches and a camel from the safari bus and there were white lions and tigers on display. The feeding of the Tasmanian devils was funny as one of the devils kept attacking the bucket where the food was being held. Lions weren't interested in feeding which was a bit disappointing.
Back to town for a walk around to photograph all of the old buildings and Richmond Bridge - the oldest bridge in Australia which dates back to 1823. Had a drink at the bakery.
Quick drive into Hobart but took a wrong road and missed the city centre. Drove around for 10 minutes or so and then decided to head towards Mt Wellington before turning off at Mt Nelson where our accommodation was situated. Accidentally had to turn off and follow the Southern Outlet. I did notice a sign regarding Mt Nelson later and it turned out, by a complete fluke, that I had struck the correct road. At the top of the mountain was our accommodation - The Signalman's Cottage B & B. Our hosts, Georgie and Loic, were very nice and Georgie gave me a mud map to Sandy Bay to find some dinner and do some shopping. Ended up buying souvlakis @ Mykonos.
Very interesting to see Hobart disappear from view because of cloud and reappear a few minutes later. Not a great deal of off street parking available in Hobart, due to the city being built in the time of the convict and horse and car, and it makes driving around more difficult also. Quite a few one way streets and not much level ground either.
Melbourne-Tassie Holiday 2011 Photo Album No.2 - Photo 98-152.
Friday, December 09, 2011
Melbourne-Tassie Holiday 2011 Day 8
Both of us had had a comfortable nights sleep. Our room was very nice and I'd certainly recommend the accommodation. Eula, one of the proprietors, served a hot breakfast at about five past eight which we enjoyed very much, along with one of The Boy's socks, which had become lost whilst doing the washing. Chris, her partner, mentioned that the Blowhole was worth a look and Eula said the high tide was at 6:30 that morning.
Down at the Blowhole it started to rain every time I had the umbrella but stopped when The Boy took hold of it. And the Blowhole was on song. We enjoyed our time there.
Headed down the road to Triabunna, as we'd seen a sign for fresh fish, and popped into the info centre for a chat - about the pronunciation of the town's name, ghosts, fish and chips, etc. Ordered fish and chips from the van across the road and walked, in the rain, past Dead Isle, the first cemetery, whilst we waited. Ate lunch and while The Boy was finishing his I drove around town looking at Cusick Cottage, Cuff's Cottage, St Anne's Church and the cemetery. In the town's cemetery I noticed Davey Jones who was a boat builder.
Bought some food from IGA and even got them to wash the carrots. Looked at the Old Barracks and Triabunna House. Back on the road and we visited St John the Baptist Church in Buckland with its 14th century stained glass window. On to Port Arthur. Stopped at Pirate Bay (Tasman Lookout) and the Tessellated Pavement before going to Eaglehawk Bay and the Dog Line.
Into Port Arthur and we stopped at Tasman Island Adventure Cruises to discuss a Tasman Island cruise and all the other tourist activities in the area. Practically next door was the Port Arthur Historic Site and we visited for 45 minutes. So much to see and do. Bought Ghost Tour tickets for 9pm. Had a good look around in that time.
Found our hotel in Nubeena, 10 kms away, and Susan Ellis, the proprietor, upgraded our room as she said they weren't busy. The Boy watched a movie, Garfield, before we headed to The Tavern which Susan had booked for us for a roast pork dinner. Had half an hour to kill after the meal so we played darts which was good fun. It started to rain at 8:30. The ghost tour started at nine. Talk about creepy stories and buildings. We got quite wet but really enjoyed ourselves although The Boy wanted to sleep with me. Took a few photos but didn't capture anything out of the ordinary. Pity. Some scary moments though.
Melbourne-Tassie Holiday 2011 Photo Album No.2 - Photos 1-60.
Down at the Blowhole it started to rain every time I had the umbrella but stopped when The Boy took hold of it. And the Blowhole was on song. We enjoyed our time there.
Headed down the road to Triabunna, as we'd seen a sign for fresh fish, and popped into the info centre for a chat - about the pronunciation of the town's name, ghosts, fish and chips, etc. Ordered fish and chips from the van across the road and walked, in the rain, past Dead Isle, the first cemetery, whilst we waited. Ate lunch and while The Boy was finishing his I drove around town looking at Cusick Cottage, Cuff's Cottage, St Anne's Church and the cemetery. In the town's cemetery I noticed Davey Jones who was a boat builder.
Bought some food from IGA and even got them to wash the carrots. Looked at the Old Barracks and Triabunna House. Back on the road and we visited St John the Baptist Church in Buckland with its 14th century stained glass window. On to Port Arthur. Stopped at Pirate Bay (Tasman Lookout) and the Tessellated Pavement before going to Eaglehawk Bay and the Dog Line.
Into Port Arthur and we stopped at Tasman Island Adventure Cruises to discuss a Tasman Island cruise and all the other tourist activities in the area. Practically next door was the Port Arthur Historic Site and we visited for 45 minutes. So much to see and do. Bought Ghost Tour tickets for 9pm. Had a good look around in that time.
Found our hotel in Nubeena, 10 kms away, and Susan Ellis, the proprietor, upgraded our room as she said they weren't busy. The Boy watched a movie, Garfield, before we headed to The Tavern which Susan had booked for us for a roast pork dinner. Had half an hour to kill after the meal so we played darts which was good fun. It started to rain at 8:30. The ghost tour started at nine. Talk about creepy stories and buildings. We got quite wet but really enjoyed ourselves although The Boy wanted to sleep with me. Took a few photos but didn't capture anything out of the ordinary. Pity. Some scary moments though.
Melbourne-Tassie Holiday 2011 Photo Album No.2 - Photos 1-60.
Sunday, December 04, 2011
Melbourne-Tassie Holiday 2011 Day 7
Checked out of the Batman Fawkner Inn and walked to City Park to check out the Japanese macaques. Wandered around some of Launceston to get a few photos of the lovely buildings before driving through Scottsdale on the way to St Helens. We came across a sign for Mt Paris Dam and decided to take a look. After 13 kms of white, corrugated metal road travelling through some deforested area with thick smoke we came across a four wheel drive track. That's where I stopped the car and we walked down to the dam. Well, some ruins anyway. The further we went the better it got until we found the Cascade River and followed it as far as we could walk. Lovely spot.
Back on the road and drove through the hills. Came across a few idiot drivers who kept cutting corners or just straddling the lane in each direction. These people shouldn't have been on the road. Once I got past I soon left them behind.
Reached St Helens just before 2pm and searched for lunch. A jacket potato looked nice, as did the salt and pepper squid, but we did some shopping first. Grabbed the squid and then was told that the jacket potatoes were sold out and the kitchen was closed. Bummer, missed it by 15 minutes. Filled the car up with fuel.
Visited the information centre for some info on the Bay of Fires. Drove out to have a look. Nice spot, bloody cold and reasonably coloured. A Korean couple, whom we'd seen at the takeaway shop, parked next to us. The guy got out and said, "Hi" to which I responded, "Annyeong haseyo". He quickly replied with "How do you know?" I found that reaction to be hilarious.
Some large waves nearby and we also searched for birds' eggs but failed to locate any. Apparently the birds nest in the areas near the beach so we were interested if we could find anything.
Took the hill road, as opposed to the coast road, to Bicheno but almost went the wrong way at St Marys. Arrived at our hotel at 6pm. Carried out the washing and had a shower. Into town for tea at the RSL for a roast but they'd had 60 people already and were sold out. Tried Pasinis and bought lasagna and spaghetti - did not taste great. And we had to leave the shop as they were closing (7:45pm).
Finished the drying and watched The Mummy Returns. Had a bit of a disagreement with a NSW couple who had parked in my spot, and half of the next, who didn't want to move. When I finally convinced them the bloody Bicheno Penguin Tour bus parked behind both of us.
Melbourne-Tassie Holiday 2011 Photo Album - Photos 152-200.
Back on the road and drove through the hills. Came across a few idiot drivers who kept cutting corners or just straddling the lane in each direction. These people shouldn't have been on the road. Once I got past I soon left them behind.
Reached St Helens just before 2pm and searched for lunch. A jacket potato looked nice, as did the salt and pepper squid, but we did some shopping first. Grabbed the squid and then was told that the jacket potatoes were sold out and the kitchen was closed. Bummer, missed it by 15 minutes. Filled the car up with fuel.
Visited the information centre for some info on the Bay of Fires. Drove out to have a look. Nice spot, bloody cold and reasonably coloured. A Korean couple, whom we'd seen at the takeaway shop, parked next to us. The guy got out and said, "Hi" to which I responded, "Annyeong haseyo". He quickly replied with "How do you know?" I found that reaction to be hilarious.
Some large waves nearby and we also searched for birds' eggs but failed to locate any. Apparently the birds nest in the areas near the beach so we were interested if we could find anything.
Took the hill road, as opposed to the coast road, to Bicheno but almost went the wrong way at St Marys. Arrived at our hotel at 6pm. Carried out the washing and had a shower. Into town for tea at the RSL for a roast but they'd had 60 people already and were sold out. Tried Pasinis and bought lasagna and spaghetti - did not taste great. And we had to leave the shop as they were closing (7:45pm).
Finished the drying and watched The Mummy Returns. Had a bit of a disagreement with a NSW couple who had parked in my spot, and half of the next, who didn't want to move. When I finally convinced them the bloody Bicheno Penguin Tour bus parked behind both of us.
Melbourne-Tassie Holiday 2011 Photo Album - Photos 152-200.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Melbourne-Tassie Holiday 2011 Day 2
Subdued start to the morning. Discovered that instead of putting my watch forward for daylights savings I had advanced my alarm. Went down for breakfast, which we didn't have much time for, consisting of cereals, fruit, tea/coffee and toast. Grabbed an all day Met ticket for $3.20. Great value on a Sunday in Melbourne for public transport.
First stop was the Shrine of Remembrance. This is a building that truly commemorates the sacrifice of soldiers from Victoria. A total of 4000 medals were on display - one for every hundred that served and six that fell. We took part in a short service at the Unmarked Grave with the Ray of Light. Had a look around from the balcony. The crypt holds a special statue saluting father and son.
Victoria Barracks, across the road from the Shrine of Remembrance, looks beautiful. Tram to Flinders Street Station. Some Korean tourists were having their photo taken so I asked the photographer, in Korean, if he wanted a photo. He was surprised and said that he was a guide. Took another tram past the Fitzroy Gardens to go to the MCG.
Quite a few cars still parked at the MCG. We came to visit the National Sports Museum and were informed that it wasn't available as it was the open arena day. Oh well, we'd come this far. The open arena day, held once a year after the grand final, meant that you were allowed onto the MCG for a kick. What a bonus. The Boy took part in a handball competition for a chocolate prize after scoring a bullseye with his third attempt. We visited the MCG Superstore half an hour later to buy a football and hunted high and low for an Essendon one. Must have been the last in existence. Kicked the footy for about 40 minutes before grabbing two 4 'n 20 pies for lunch. Well, you can't go to the footy without eating a pie, can you? Just managed to grab an MCG tour with MCC member Barrie Johns. What an amazing stadium and so full of history. Ninety three steps to the top of one of the stands - nosebleed section obviously. Tour took an hour is I'd highly recommend it.
Next stopwas the National Sports Museum, which was open, for a look see. No cameras allowed, which was probably a good thing, and we kept our visit down to about an hour and a quarter. Olympic Games memorabilia, AFL Hall of Fame and Legends of the Game, James Hird and Shane Warne holograms, Melbourne Cup, Cricket, etc all wonderfully displayed.
Had another kick on the 'G until 4:30pm. Walked along the Yarra River back to the city and grabbed some tea. Caught a tram to head to the Polly Woodside Maritime Museum (closed) before walking back to the Eureka Skydeck 88 Building. Good view but too many reflections from the windows. Not until you step out onto the balcony, which was absolutely freezing, do you get a great view. Glad we didn't pay money for the Edge Experience as you couldn't even use a camera inside it. Personally, the Rialto Building provides a better view.
On the way back to the hotel we stopped at the Shrine of Remembrance which looks fantastic at night (9pm by this stage). Had to wait quarter of an hour for the next tram but it was OK. Bed at 11pm. Wonderful day at the 'G.
Melbourne-Tassie Holiday 2011 Photo Album - Photos 9-49.
First stop was the Shrine of Remembrance. This is a building that truly commemorates the sacrifice of soldiers from Victoria. A total of 4000 medals were on display - one for every hundred that served and six that fell. We took part in a short service at the Unmarked Grave with the Ray of Light. Had a look around from the balcony. The crypt holds a special statue saluting father and son.
Victoria Barracks, across the road from the Shrine of Remembrance, looks beautiful. Tram to Flinders Street Station. Some Korean tourists were having their photo taken so I asked the photographer, in Korean, if he wanted a photo. He was surprised and said that he was a guide. Took another tram past the Fitzroy Gardens to go to the MCG.
Quite a few cars still parked at the MCG. We came to visit the National Sports Museum and were informed that it wasn't available as it was the open arena day. Oh well, we'd come this far. The open arena day, held once a year after the grand final, meant that you were allowed onto the MCG for a kick. What a bonus. The Boy took part in a handball competition for a chocolate prize after scoring a bullseye with his third attempt. We visited the MCG Superstore half an hour later to buy a football and hunted high and low for an Essendon one. Must have been the last in existence. Kicked the footy for about 40 minutes before grabbing two 4 'n 20 pies for lunch. Well, you can't go to the footy without eating a pie, can you? Just managed to grab an MCG tour with MCC member Barrie Johns. What an amazing stadium and so full of history. Ninety three steps to the top of one of the stands - nosebleed section obviously. Tour took an hour is I'd highly recommend it.
Next stopwas the National Sports Museum, which was open, for a look see. No cameras allowed, which was probably a good thing, and we kept our visit down to about an hour and a quarter. Olympic Games memorabilia, AFL Hall of Fame and Legends of the Game, James Hird and Shane Warne holograms, Melbourne Cup, Cricket, etc all wonderfully displayed.
Had another kick on the 'G until 4:30pm. Walked along the Yarra River back to the city and grabbed some tea. Caught a tram to head to the Polly Woodside Maritime Museum (closed) before walking back to the Eureka Skydeck 88 Building. Good view but too many reflections from the windows. Not until you step out onto the balcony, which was absolutely freezing, do you get a great view. Glad we didn't pay money for the Edge Experience as you couldn't even use a camera inside it. Personally, the Rialto Building provides a better view.
On the way back to the hotel we stopped at the Shrine of Remembrance which looks fantastic at night (9pm by this stage). Had to wait quarter of an hour for the next tram but it was OK. Bed at 11pm. Wonderful day at the 'G.
Melbourne-Tassie Holiday 2011 Photo Album - Photos 9-49.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Melbourne-Tassie Holiday 2011 Day 1
Holidays are finally here. Last night, when walking the dog with the missus, I made the discovery that her flight was on Sunday and not Monday as she had thought (she was heading off to Korea). Lucky, as she was making shopping plans, dog grooming plans and cleaning plans accordingly. Had to throw those plans out of the window.
Up early to do a final check of emails as I'll be disconnected from the virtual world for the next two weeks. Popped over to see the neighbours to ask if they could collect my mail while I was away. Had a nine o'clock appointment with the dentist - boy, do I know how to enjoy my holidays. Rang the boarding kennel to book Hunter in two days early.
Miky wanted to buy some gifts for friends in Korea and seeing as we still had some time, even though the appointment at the dentist following mine had come early and made my appointment late by half an hour, I drove her into the city. We were also able to buy Subway for lunch.
All the way out to the airport Miky kept asking how to drive home. Easy, stay left leaving the airport, turn left and then turn left on to Tonkin Highway, etc. Got dropped off, said our goodbyes and proceeded to check in our luggage.
In the waiting lounge we ate our lunch and then plonked ourselves in front of the TV to watch the first quarter of the AFL Grand Final between Collingwood and Geelong. Saw Stan Lazaridis in the departure lounge. Quarter time coincided with our boarding call. I rang Miky to find out if she had arrived home OK only to find out that she had become lost twice after heading right on Tonkin Highway instead of following the straightforward instructions. She'd only just arrived which probably left only enough time to wash the dog, have a walk with him and then drop him off at the boarding kennel.
No problem boarding our Jetstar flight. No screens to watch the footy though. And no live ABC radio to listen to the match either. One of the cabin crew was Korean so he was quite shocked when I asked for water in Korean. So shocked that he asked me if I was Korean. Gee, must have really caught him off guard. Bottle of water set me back $3.50. Score update - Pies 71, Cats 73.
Screaming babies - seem to be a staple component of Jetstar services. People should realise that the headrest of the seat in front of you doesn't constitute a handle to pull your fat arse out of your own seat. But, with a Collingwood-supporting husband, what else could I expect?
Geelong 119 - Collingwood 81. Yahoo! I'd picked the Cats by 14 points. Bit of a cheer on board the plane. Grizzling from behind me. Heh heh.
The baby behind us screamed for all of the descent and carried on after we landed. Ears must have been sore. Or she was a Collingwood supporter.
Waiting for the baggage took almost as long as the flight. Well, not quite. Quite cold in Melbourne. Wet too but not raining. Grabbed a Skybus to the city which arrived just as I bought the tickets. Quick ride to the city. It was 7:30pm by this stage and not much info on hand at Southern Cross Station. The VLine (train) info lady gave me some info but I couldn't find the tram info that she spoke about. We left the station and The Boy found a map on a street pillar. It pointed out a free tram, the Circle Tram, which would take us to the No. 8 tram that we required. Got off the tram one stop too early. Walked with baggage to the Flinders Street Station and waited. So many happy Cats supporters and many fewer sad, despondent Magpies supporters. Drunk and cheerful Cats supporters everywhere. Caught the No. 8 but got off about three stops too early. Finally found the hotel. Checked in. Room was spartan.
Went out to find something to eat on Chappell Street. One woman yelled out, "Go Bombers" and clapped as I walked past with my Essendon jacket. Back to Falafel House across the road from the hotel. Lovely chicken souvlaki and lamb kebab. Ate in the shop. Pakistanis, I think. Back to the hotel for a shower and watched Die Hard.
One thing that can be said about the ladies in Melbourne who are hitting the town for a good time - the more attractive they are the less clothing they wear. Even in the cold weather. It was supposedly 9C when we landed.
Melbourne-Tassie Holiday 2011 Photo Album - Photos 1-8
Up early to do a final check of emails as I'll be disconnected from the virtual world for the next two weeks. Popped over to see the neighbours to ask if they could collect my mail while I was away. Had a nine o'clock appointment with the dentist - boy, do I know how to enjoy my holidays. Rang the boarding kennel to book Hunter in two days early.
Miky wanted to buy some gifts for friends in Korea and seeing as we still had some time, even though the appointment at the dentist following mine had come early and made my appointment late by half an hour, I drove her into the city. We were also able to buy Subway for lunch.
All the way out to the airport Miky kept asking how to drive home. Easy, stay left leaving the airport, turn left and then turn left on to Tonkin Highway, etc. Got dropped off, said our goodbyes and proceeded to check in our luggage.
In the waiting lounge we ate our lunch and then plonked ourselves in front of the TV to watch the first quarter of the AFL Grand Final between Collingwood and Geelong. Saw Stan Lazaridis in the departure lounge. Quarter time coincided with our boarding call. I rang Miky to find out if she had arrived home OK only to find out that she had become lost twice after heading right on Tonkin Highway instead of following the straightforward instructions. She'd only just arrived which probably left only enough time to wash the dog, have a walk with him and then drop him off at the boarding kennel.
No problem boarding our Jetstar flight. No screens to watch the footy though. And no live ABC radio to listen to the match either. One of the cabin crew was Korean so he was quite shocked when I asked for water in Korean. So shocked that he asked me if I was Korean. Gee, must have really caught him off guard. Bottle of water set me back $3.50. Score update - Pies 71, Cats 73.
Screaming babies - seem to be a staple component of Jetstar services. People should realise that the headrest of the seat in front of you doesn't constitute a handle to pull your fat arse out of your own seat. But, with a Collingwood-supporting husband, what else could I expect?
Geelong 119 - Collingwood 81. Yahoo! I'd picked the Cats by 14 points. Bit of a cheer on board the plane. Grizzling from behind me. Heh heh.
The baby behind us screamed for all of the descent and carried on after we landed. Ears must have been sore. Or she was a Collingwood supporter.
Waiting for the baggage took almost as long as the flight. Well, not quite. Quite cold in Melbourne. Wet too but not raining. Grabbed a Skybus to the city which arrived just as I bought the tickets. Quick ride to the city. It was 7:30pm by this stage and not much info on hand at Southern Cross Station. The VLine (train) info lady gave me some info but I couldn't find the tram info that she spoke about. We left the station and The Boy found a map on a street pillar. It pointed out a free tram, the Circle Tram, which would take us to the No. 8 tram that we required. Got off the tram one stop too early. Walked with baggage to the Flinders Street Station and waited. So many happy Cats supporters and many fewer sad, despondent Magpies supporters. Drunk and cheerful Cats supporters everywhere. Caught the No. 8 but got off about three stops too early. Finally found the hotel. Checked in. Room was spartan.
Went out to find something to eat on Chappell Street. One woman yelled out, "Go Bombers" and clapped as I walked past with my Essendon jacket. Back to Falafel House across the road from the hotel. Lovely chicken souvlaki and lamb kebab. Ate in the shop. Pakistanis, I think. Back to the hotel for a shower and watched Die Hard.
One thing that can be said about the ladies in Melbourne who are hitting the town for a good time - the more attractive they are the less clothing they wear. Even in the cold weather. It was supposedly 9C when we landed.
Melbourne-Tassie Holiday 2011 Photo Album - Photos 1-8
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