Thankfully Gen had sorted the suitcases last nigght. We are using the small suitcase when we have two night stays to minimise the need to drag the large suitcase out of the car every day.
This morning we woke to a very overcast morning - not at all cold, but low clouds dripping from the sky as though they wanted to join their watery cousins in the bay. Still very full from our dinner last night, we decided to buy a takeaway croissant and coffee and hit the road. Just as well we didnb't want to eat in at Jackman and McRoss - whoever would have expected Thursday to be as busy or busier that the weekend and Monday. Not only were they full, they were turning walkins away, or giving them a booking time to return for a table!
So, chocolate croissants and chai teas were the order of the day. The croissants were warm from the toaster, with chocolate drizzled over the top and spread generously through the centre. Two bites in and I'm saying to gen that there was no way I could finish it I think that my stomach went into revolt, still trying to clear a space for more food! We sat at the park at Salamanca Place and ate our 'breakfast', in the car because by now it is drizzling. The traffic is might lighter this morning - guess if you are holidaying in Hobart at the moment, you are taking refuge indoors from the quickly turning weather.
We had not brought water/wind proof jackets with us from the limited range in warmer Queensand, preferring to wait we got to Tassie where we knew the selection would be more substantial. The girls at the VIC yesterday suggested that we try Kathmandu in the City, but that if we wanted a bargain, we would be better calling in to Anaconda on our way south. I knew where this was as we had passed in when travelling from the Aiport into the City on Saturday. And if she thought we would get.a better bargain at Anaconda, all I can say is that I am glad we didn't go to Kathmandu - because it was not cheap for any of the clothing choices. The jackets began over $200 and despite a search of all on display, poor Gen with her generous busom could not find the size or cut that would comfortably fit her. We had called into a chemist earlier nd bought cheap ponchos that could be worn in inclement weather, So she left with a warm fleecy, hooded jacket and will make do with the poncho over it. Luckily for me, there was plenty to choose from, and knowing that it won't get must use in Queensland (although will be perfect for us should we get back across the ditch to NZ), I bought a lined jacket that not only had a hood, but also an extended collar that can be turned up to cover my ears in windy but now wet weather. The credit card is surely being given a bit of a flogging!
So we turned C24TS (our hire car - a Magna) south for the southern districts. Richmond and Sorell are short detours off the Highway South and we know from those who have visited before us that Richmond in particular was worth a stop.
Seems like half of Tasmania has the same idea. Parking is at a premium and as we turn down small back streets, we find quaint churches and the Richmond Botanicals Company. Now settled in Tasmania, the owner and her husband had moved after he left an army posting here. And like Antony and Amanda, they lived in most states of Australia. They had purchased a corner building along with outbuildings such as the stable (where the shop is now situated, and the servant quarters). The beautiful garden and sympathetic restoration displaying part of the history of the site including laying new flooring over the uneven cobblestones that would be impossible to traverse as a retail setting. However, they have left windows in to the past by providing 'windows' into the original flooring, covered with toughened glass. There is an extensive range of soaps and candles manufactured on-site with a complementary range of local products that includes some of the most beautiful alpaca blankets that I have ever seen or felt. They have a beautiful poodle and an older retriever, white with age and slow to rise for a pat, So Gen managed to get a cuddle with them - not as good as snuggling up to our Blossom (cat), but perhaps the next best thing! (Quite) a few pennies lighter, we move on.
We manage to park on the street opposite the Richmond Arms Hotel, where one of the local characters is welcoming all the visitors vocally! You certainly can call Taswegians a friendly folk! We wander up and down streets, into alleys and courtyards, finding all sorts of local goodies. There was an olde time lolly shop that was packed with guests, but the most popular venue in town today is the Richmond Bakery whose courtyard has seating to about 80 people. We are still not hungry and knowing we are at the 1830 restaurant for dinner at the Port Arthur historic site, decide not to have lunch. The drizzle has now increased to a light rain and local and visitor alike are seeking shelter indoors. We decide to get back in to the car and keep travelling south. From Richmond, we take the scenic coastal route and come upon Sorrell. Surprisingly big for such a rural setting with heaps of new development taking place. A real juxtaposition of age softened dwellings alongside much smaller modern dwellings that just scream (in Kim's voice) Look at me, look at me! The johnny come lately, brassy city cousin, come to stay.
As we turn back towards Port Arthur, Gen spies a sign for a Fruit Barn where you can pick your own fruit. All that is in season are apples, pears, nashi and tomatoes. We get out of the rain (I ain't picking anything for anyone in the rain!) and enter the small shop onsite. Filled with james and chutneys, it smells of a home kitchen and Angie, the owner tells us she has just taken scones out of the oven. Bugger - we will have to try them! We shared a savoury scone served with cheese and the nicest tomato relish I have ever tried, and the a sweet one with Raspberry Jam (I can make strawberry any old day, but the raspberries here are something else - HUGE, plump and sooo flavourful) and cream. Both were warm, and delicious, but tbt savoury ones got our vote. Turns out, it is only 25 kms to Hobart, so evidently there are more ad more people living outside the urban area and commuting to work in Hobart. Angie tells us that the traffic into town at peak hour is horrific. Its all relative I guess. I would be happy for a few minutes of pain daily to live in such a lovely area.
Heading still further south, towards the end of the trafficable world, we are coming into the large eucalypt forests. The tress are turning, shedding their bark for the new season, like a woman changing her attire. Their bark drapes in graceful folds, uncovering the bold new colours of the new season. A bit like the oranges, reds and deep ochres that are all the rage this autumn. Their scent is heady, not as sharp as menthol, but just as therapeutic. The silver touched leaves hang long, dripping the water gathered high in their folds to the root line, ensuring that the whole tree benefits from the short rainfall. And the tree ferns are growing larger. I have never seen such large fronds and overall tree ferns - they tower above us and their fronds stretch metres across - its the sort of plant that I would imagine would be found in tropical climes, not the cool scherophyll forests. Something new to learn every day!.
We call into a small bakery en-route to buy a couple of breadrolls and croissants for breakfast in the morning - at least that was the plan - tomato chutney and cheese on the bread rolls and and some of the sublime raspberry jam on the croissants. Certainly won't hurt us - either in the hip pocket or the stomach, to have a lighter breakfast!
We arrive at the NRMA Port Arthur Holiday Park, with another four vehicles. It is nicely laid out - nestling powered and unpowered sites and various glamping options and cabins between a range of forested areas. we cannot park in our designated car spot because they are waiting for an aborist to trim a large gum. I suppose they can take risks, but it looks ok to my untrained eye. Car unpacked, Gen lies down for a quick snooze while i begin today's post. Jeopardy watched - yes, I try to keep up that little obsession - I wake Gen to get ready for dinner.
Our reservation is for 6pm dinner followed by the 8:30pm ghost tour. It's definitely cooling down, and even though I have put on my new season wool jumper, I am still cool. Looks like my new (expensive) all-weather coat that I bought this morning is going to come in handy tonight! We head off-site to the main road to the Port Arthur Historic site. Veer to the left following the signs to the 1830 Restaurant only to find the gate padlocked and a sign saying that the gate is locked at the close of business. So how the hell do we get to the restaurant? We can't find any other access. A look at the sign again and it says open Wednesday to Sunday. What the??? we have a dinner reservation for tonight. Oops, no we don't - and its just about now we remember having a conversation about whether we change our days of the booking because of this very reason! So no reservation for tonight!
That's not a big problem, we have the breadrolls, the chutney, apples, raspberries and blackberries. We can make do. Now, if only we could get some cheese to have with the bread and relish. Into the carpark of the Bottlo and IGA we turn - nope, they are closed!!! Really? it literally 6pm! And given that Port Arthur doesn't have a town centre of any form, we decide that a drive to Nubeena a mere 11kms away is in order. Back into the forest we travel and climb up 12% slopes and then down the other side, watching the clouds being born in the treetops around us. Coming down the mountainside, we are teased with glimpses of water, Wedge Bay on the left, while on our right is a dry marsh are with its sedge grasses sitting like small islands in the midst of this straw coloured lake. The Bay views are stunning - there is not a breath of wind, not a ripple on the water so the view including boats moored in the Bay is mirrored - quite a beautiful sight.
Now, Nubeena is the service centre for Port Arthur, so you would think something might be open. Nope, the RSL serves meals Wednesday to Sunday and the supermarket closes at 6pm! So much for being a tourist destination. We turn the car around, and with tail between our legs, we head back for the caravan park and will just polish off our entire stock of fruit, meagre rolls and will have to suffice with water and the whiskey sampler we purchased at Salamanca Markets last Saturday - life really is not bad at all. And just before we turn into the park, we spy a sign that says groceries and drinks. And they are still open! Run by asian, they are somewhat more enterprising - ☺. So, here we sit, in a very suitable little cabin, snacking on bread with cheese and chutney and apple slices, nibbling on a side of full-thimble sized raspberries and only slightly smaller blackberries, sipping on 'The Good Pear' sparkling juice with a dessert of our one slice of Maple and Pecan Pie also purchased at the Salamanca Markets. Yes, life is most definitely sweet!
There are padmelons, ground parrots at our door and we fully expect to be visited by possums tonight. Sayonara - its going to be a VERY full day tomorrow, so we are going to try to get to bed a little earlier tonight.
Post script
While I was going through the photos I took today, I came across the ones taken where we turning at Eaglehawk Neck. At a T intersection we sat at a red arrow. Couldn't see what the stop was for. It seemed that forward traffic was free to go, but those waiting to cross the water onto the final piece of the oeninsula could not. And then, to our left something was happeni9ng that I couldn't understand, until the bridge had swung open enough for us to see it moving! The bridge swung open to allow the passage of a fishing vessel. It chugged through quietly and efficiently and then the bridge keeper pushed another button and the bridge swung back to its home state. The arrow stopped flashing, and the traffic moved forward. If you had not been there to see it, you would never know that the bridge even opens. The small instances in a day can be so interesting!
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