02 April 2017

23rd March to 1st April 2017

Thurs 23rd march
It has rained most of the night.  My Meniere’s seems to have taken a rest and the IBS is also silent πŸ˜ƒ
Washing and drying day today…… Thank goodness for clothes dryers.
We were going to go out towards Hastings caves and the Thermal Springs but after the past few days I didn’t like the idea of standing in a meter of 28 degree water with cold rain falling on my head.  Yes a chicken :C

Fri 24th March
Happy Birthday Aunty Helen Menz.
Off to Geeveston today with the van and camped at the RSL club.  Opportune as they are doing meals at the club tonight.
Darryl and I went for a walk up into the town and went to the Visitor info Centre.  This USED to be the Heritage and Forestry Centre but not anymore. 
Darryl and I went across to Dinner at the club which was quite enjoyable.

Sat 25th March.
We were told that there were markets on this morning in Geeveston but when we got there – no stall holders had shown by 9.45am – so the organisers told us it was off :C
We then went for a drive up to Huonville, Willie Smiths Apple Museum and the Visitor Centre.  The Apple Museum has got about 300 different varieties of Apples and the display is replaced every year.  ALL the varieties are grown on a farm nearby.
We then went for a drive out through Ranelagh (pronounced Ran-e- luh) and on to Judbury.  Here there is a great little park with climbing buildings made using hole tree trunks with ladders inside.  The children were having a wonderful time.
Back to Huonville and down to Frank’s Cidery and CafΓ© in Franklin for lunch.  There is a beautiful old Church here – from 1830’s – that the community are trying to buy and keep in the community.  We made a donation to their cause.
 Sunday 26th March
Today we went to the markets at Franklin and I met a lovely lady by the name of Louisa who is a WEAVER from Hobart.  She would like to meet up again when we pass through Hobart.  Looking forward to that.
We then drove up through Huonville and around the coast road to Cygnet.  What a great little place.  There was a lovely butcher who was open – even though it was Sunday – and we got some great meat specials.  We had a good day out and returned to the van and a cloudy but dry day.

Monday 27th March
It is cloudy today so we are heading off to Gordon over on the coast, past Cygnet, after topping up with water at the Heritage park in Geeveston.  We arrived and set up in the Gordon Recreational Reserve for $5 per night and we have access to good toilets.  About an hour after we arrived we were hit by a monster of a storm with heavy rain and very strong winds.  The van was rocking quite a bit.
Tues 28th March
Today we drove up to MIDDLETON (Darryl’s 3xgreat grandfather ran a pub here in the 1850’s called the Middleton Inn).  There is no evidence of the pub now though.  We then drove up to Kettering and found the Post Office (in the service station) where we are hoping our mail will be when we return from Bruny Island, and called into the marina and Ferry Terminal and had a coffee whilst watching the Ferry arrive and unload its cargo and reloading and heading off to Bruny again.  On our way back to Gordon, we stopped for a look see at Woodbridge and the lovely lady in the post office suggested that we go to the ‘Channel History Centre’ at Margate.  They may have some info about the Pub’s location.
We then stopped at the GrandvEwe Cheese Factory and distillery.  Some interesting cheeses and Mutton sausages which Chris and Darryl tried.  My tummy was not behaving so I didn’t try them.
On arrival back at the camp site it was to find some people that we first met at Zeehan.  Margaret makes shortbread biscuits and sells them as she goes around.
The wind has picked up again and is very blustery and here comes the rain πŸ˜ƒ

Wed 29th March
Happy Birthday to Aunty Margaret Mason, Gail Blanksby, Robert Davis and Nathan Menz.
A beautiful Sunny day today with minimal breeze.  Today we drove up past Kettering to Oyster Cove, then down the C626 towards Nicholls Rivulet and Cygnet, south to the C627 and back to Woodbridge and back up to Oyster Cove to the shop with lovely farm fresh veggies and all sorts of goodies including some lovely Gluten Free goodies.
We then drove back to Peppermint Bay CafΓ© at Woodbridge for a coffee.  This is the first place that we have encountered a tall coffee served in a handle-less glass.  When we asked for something to cover the glass so that we could hold it, the waitress glared at us and then pushed a serviette across the counter to us.  Hmmmm…..
Returned to the van after having collected some Cumbungi from the channel and – wouldn’t you know it – the rain and wind have picked up again. πŸ˜ƒ
Thurs 30th March
Off to Bruny Island this morning.  It is lovely and sunny and hardly a breeze.  We arrived at the Ferry at 9.40am and on board by 9.55am.  Arriving at North Bruny Island at 10.15am and then at Adventure Bay on the south Island at 11am.
The sites in the Caravan park are quite tight for some of them and in the end we got Chris to drive around the park and do a drive-through into her site.
The rain is squally now but we are determined to go for a look-see.  So we drove to the SE to Cook’s Landing site.  There are a couple of memorials her to Captain Cook and Captain Bligh and a memorial to where the site of the tree that Captain Cook tied the Endeavour to clean her hull.
We also called in to the Bligh Museum which gives you a lot of history of all the different explorers and navigators that came through these waters.
We then travelled back towards the NECK (Isthmus) and stopped in at what is signed as Bruny Chocolate Co.  It is more Fudge and Truffles which we found to be a tad expensive, BUT go a packet to have at Happy Hour.
Darryl and I went for a walk behind the van park, along the Captain Cook Rivulet [also known as a creek] and then down to the bridge across the Creek and out to its opening into the sea.  We then walked back up along the beach of Adventure Bay to the van park.
Back to the van and a blustery afternoon with occasional squalls.
Fri 31st March
Awoke very cold.  The temperature overnight dropped to 3-degrees.  Brrrr.
Today we drove across the South Island to Alonnah and then down to Lunawanna and out to the Cape Bruny Lighthouse.  A steep walk up the concrete pathway and then I was the ONLY person (out of about 20) that did the tour of the Lighthouse.  The steps were not too bad and my vertigo didn’t start as I came down the mesh stairs – so I felt brilliant πŸ˜ƒ
After leaving the Lighthouse we drove to Jetty Beach where camping is permitted.  A very narrow, sandy road for 2km in and some good spots in which to park the van.  National Park and $10 per night for 2 people with drop-toilets. Drove down to have a look at the boat ramp – which happens to be the sandy beach πŸ˜ƒ
Drove back through Lunawanna to Alonnah and the Bruny Hotel where we have been told they do a seafood basket that is NOT deep fried.  It is actually pan-seared! I ended up having the Seafood mixed grill (which was again NOT deep-fried) and was lovely.  Darryl had a salt and pepper Squid meal which he thoroughly enjoyed [including the Salmon from my lunch].
After lunch we drove north of Alonnah and met up with a lady by the name of Lis Brown (who Chris knows from a Facebook group) and she is in Tassie for a year.  Her project is to photograph EVERY TOWN IN TASSIE.  So far she has photographed 500 towns.  Lis also travels in a little campervan with 3 Westies. [West Highland Terriers].  We spent about an hour chatting with Lis before heading back to the van.
The flooding in Queensland has affected so many of our family and friends.  Hopefully the rain stops soon and the rivers start to go down with minimal damage to homes and property.  We are really feeling for you all.
Sat 1st April
Another wet and blustery day πŸ˜ƒ πŸ˜ƒ
We headed out this morning to check out North Bruny Island, stopping at the Neck Rookery and the stairs up to the Truganini Memorial.  The wind was blowing that hard that (if the rail wasn’t there) we would have ended up in the sea on the Eastern side.  We then travelled up to Dennes Point.  [My friend Sue Roberts’ mother grew up in Dennes Point.]  We called into the Community Hall/Coffee Shop (No mugs here for coffee – only small cups)/ grocery store/ and a Gallery.  Talking with the manager of the Gallery she was very interested in my weaving and said that when we “move to Bruny, I have an outlet for your work”.  What a great thing to be told!!!
We then drove down past the jetty and met up with a couple that we met at Geeveston – Lorraine and Cec Wollstein from Queensland.  Had a lovely chat with them whilst the wind was blowing and the squalls came through?  We then followed them along the round around the point and we called in to the Old Quarantine Station.  I had a lovely 45min walk around the station looking at all the displays.  I didn’t mind the occasional light squall that came through as it cooled me down πŸ˜ƒ.
We then called in to Get Shucked and had some lovely oysters and fish for lunch.  After that we went to the Bruny Cheese and Beer and had ---- a coffee πŸ˜ƒ and tasted two cheeses.

Back in the car and back to the van.  We invited our neighbours to Happy Hour in the ‘Green Shed’ and no sooner there and the rain was lashing the shed and the wind blowing.  It was a very enjoyable couple of hours with a lovely fire blazing.

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