Soft Skies

The evenings are gentle at the moment - with soft skies and light breezes. The days have been fine and hot. I find it interesting how much bite there is in the sun even if the temperatures are only in the mid twenties.

Since I parted company with Shannon, Ros and Andrew, I went to Devonport and Launceston. I got to a Toastmasters meeting in each place and then found an unobtrusive street to park in. By the time a meeting finishes, it is too late to go searching and cars are already parked in the suburbs. It is easy to blend in. I spent some time in Lanuceston trying to find someone to repair my camera which I dropped and broke. Actually I took a flying fall on the bitumen in the traffic in the middle of a town, scraping knees, ankles and palms, ripping my jeans and wrecking my new camera. I have left it with a camera store in Hobart and will know tomorrow if it can be fixed.

I wandered down through some lovely little towns stopping at Campbell Town, Westbury and Ross.The Solos rally is at Campbell Town so I had a quick look around. I came across Cathy who left us in Cooee and was doing some work at the rally site. Each town seems to have a drawcard of some sort.

In Westbury I followed the whole of the Silhouette trail where historical figures are featured in metal carved panels.A useful little information brochure with a map was available at each site and they were very easy to find. That is not always the case. Some of the hidden treasures of a town remain hidden, even with a map.

Ellen Nora Payne - wood carver and sculptor

The Irish Immigrants

Sir Walter Lee, wheelwright, lay preacher, state premier

Other silhouettes are of cricketer Jack Badcock (who toured England with Don Bradman), John Peyton Jones (magistrate and mayor), the Fitzpatrick sisters (innkeepers for more than 50 years), Frank Mehegan (shopkeeper, soldier and humanitarian), and Father James Hogan (priest in Westbury for more than 50 years).

One town I will definitely return to is Ross. It is a quirky, arty place with oodles of character, quaint colonial cottages and historical buildings, including an interesting bridge built and carved by convicts. As I only stopped there for coffee on the way through, I have a lot of exploring to do. I had a long chat with one of the local ladies who saw me arrive. She asked if I was the Silver Gypsy and we found plenty to talk about - past, present and future travels. Two women at the adjoining table joined our conversation and I passed a pleasant hour in their company.

I have had a couple of days with Red Hatter Zudi in Hobart. I was amazed that I could fit my van in under her carport. I think everyone in the village watched me reverse in so, after the first time, knowing that I had plenty of room, I just drove in and spoiled their sideshow. This is the third time I have spent some time with Zudi. She is a lovely fuss-free host. She invited her Red Hat Queen, Janine, for dinner one night. Janine does a little bit of solo travel and has great plans for more travel soon.

On Monday or Tuesday, I will go and spend time with Sue and John (friends, Toastmasters and fellow travellers) at Sorrell. Before then, I decided to drive to Pontville where the CMCA rally will be held in March. The rally managers, Trish and Peter, are here on yet another planning trip, along with Chris and Boorynne, Shirley and Frank and another couple who seem to be out and about most of the day. I have met Error briefly but not Eileen. We have just had a lovely guitar-accompanied happy hour with Michael (?) and Laurie who have been our musical technicians at the last couple of rallies.

Evening sky Pontville

My neighbours are all in buses

Sunset through my side door, featuring the angel on my window

Winter in Summer

My first night in Tassie was spent with Nikki's parents, Helen and Chis when I delivered Cooper into their care. The following day I caught up with Ros and Shannon, Andrew whom  hadn't met, and Cathy whom I should have met in Forbes. We stayed for a couple of days at a free camp at Cooee Point, close to Burnie. It blew a gale - the downside of being right at the waterfront I suppose. While Queensland has been sweltering, it has rarely got above 20 degrees here during the day and real winter weather at night, particularly when the wind picks up.

We have been fortunate to have found free (or almost free) camping each night. After Cooee, Cathy headed off on her adventures. We went on to Rocky Cape Hotel, free camping but a cost to access the amenities. Ros and Shannon and I had dinner at the hotel. It was a delicious meal but our neighbouring guests were early birds and at 9pm we were the only ones there and most of the lights were out. We called out goodnight but got no response. Maybe the staff had also gone home.

Stanley was our next stop for two or three nights - a lovely open space, once again almost on the water. The adventurous trio walked up the steep track to the Nut and did the 2km hike around the top before walking back down. I knew I didn't have a hope of walking the track so decided to take te chair lift to the top and do the top loop. However the lift closed for maintenance several times during the day then closed because of the wind, which continued all the next day as well. I remember having the same problem last time I visited Stanley.

Tasmania has amazing facilities for travellers. At Tall Timbers we had about 4 acres of newly mown, well grassed free camping. The adjoining recreation centre had, for a $7 entry fee, access to a pool, gym, showers and snacks. The other end of the camp had the Tall Timbers resort with laundry available. We didn't bother with dinner at the resort as Andrew had cooked a delicious meal of salmon patties and veges. (The next night because I wasn't feeling well, he provided me with fried eggs and fresh bread.)

This is our second night at Greens Beach, Marrawah with, once more, spectacular sea views and bracing winds. Today we took the Red Boat Arthur River cruise - a wonderful experience leaving at 10am and returning at 3pm. We had drinks as we left and a bbq lunch prepared and served by the owners, Greg and Leslie, The great bonus was our guide. Rob was a third (or maybe fourth) generation farmer and tree feller in the region. He was a walking encyclopaedia of the wildlife, the river and the history of the area, as well as a natural compelling story teller.

Sunset at Stanley

Stanley - the view through my back window

An amazing sunrise, worth getting up for.

The Edge of the World, Arthur River

Cooper

Somehow time has slipped by from Christmas to today, 18th January. I had Cooper (aged 8) with me for ten days, then delivered him to his other grandparents in Wynyard. I was pleased he had had the plaster removed after breaking a finger as we had some very hot weather which he enjoyed in pools and water parks. To make his trip with  me different from his cousins (Cory, outback Queensland and Hudson, cities of Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne), we did the Goldfields. A couple of days at Ballarat and a couple at Bendigo - and every water park we could find.

Cooper left for home yesterday. He wrote a blog while he was with me and I have just had that printed into a hard-cover book which he should get in a few days. cruisingwithcooper.blogspot.com