A move towards the north - for more cheese (hic)

It was significantly colder last night and as we watch the news tonight, find out that it got down to 2 degrees. Yep, a lot colder! Even Gen felt the need for the aircon to be turned to heat this morning. Before we went to bed last night we sorted out the remaining 'stuff' we are carrying. I filled on postbag with some clothes that I won't be needing for the last week, nor immediately when we arrive back in much (much) warmer Queensland! We moved clothes for the next week, souvenirs that we will want as soon as we touchdown at Upper Kedron 😉) and some breakable (liquid) items to the large suitcase. We put all the laundry needing doing in a bag for laundry on Wednesday before we head back to Hobart, and started to put aside food etc that we will leave with Nick when we go - I men, there is no point in wasting it. Meredith and Andrew have good luggage allowances and have offered to carry some things home for us (they arrive home on Monday just before we leave for home). I'm really grateful for this as it will minimise the luggage Gen needs to carry between Hobart and Brisbane.

Because we had sorted our sh*t last night, we were able to get away in good time and drove away from the Rosevears Hotel right on 8:30 am. There are three routes that we could take to reach Scamander. Gen had thought that the most northern route would allow us to have a look at the coast, but we (lol we, read me!) really want to visit the Pyengana Dairy cheese factory. And as luck would have it, it is located closest to the most southern route we could choose! Turns out the choice was made for us. Our hire car has a 'no gravel roads' clause in the rental agreement and the centre route that would have been the most appropriate is unsealed. But we don't really want to stick to the highway as it goes through the southern part of our route, and nowhere near the coast. So our second choice becomes our first!

Our route north from Exeter (near Rosevears) took us almost directly north to Pipers River and then to Bridport on the coast. We began in lush pastoral country filled with a multitude of wineries and then surprisingly encounter 'big timber' forests again as we hit a mountain range. We had not expected to find mountains this close to the coast. 

It was interesting to see the change in landscapes so abruptly. One minute Gen is traversing the dreaded hairpin bends up and down slopes at an average of less than 40 km. The next corner puts us back on the coast with the sleepy seaside town of Bridport coming in to view. Well, it looks sleepy on its outskirts, but is much larger than it first appears. Gen was happy to find a petrol station there!! From here, the soil is again sand, the dunes are not only seen, but crossed as are numerous small streams and rivulets. The birdlife is abundant and in the earlier (lol) light of the day, we startle a number of flocks of black birds, just waiting for the roadkill to commence. There are lots of sheep in the paddocks and the cattle are now more diary cows than beef cattle. Traffic is light and the travelling easy, although the road is somewhat undulating, as though the sands are shifting beneath us. 

By now, neither of us has mobile coverage so we are relying on road signs. We have abandoned trying to get to the Pynegana Dairy as it looks like it will need significant back-tracking. With glimpses of the clear aqua water of the Bass Strait teasing us through dunes and low-lying wind-sculpted coastal trees and shrubs, we turn toward the south after travelling as far as we can along the northern roads.
We reach Gladstone (the other one!). If wanted to continue to the northeast most point, Cape Portland, then we needed to do it another way as from here, the road is unsealed. Between the towns of Derby and Gladstone (there are lots of references to English places, reflecting the pioneers) we see a tourist sign to the Little Blue Lake. 

Now, I have seen plenty of blue lakes in my travels, but this was something altogether different. There is a viewing platform just off the road, with a solid chainlink fence keeping you back from the edge. And while most of the blue lakes I have seen attribute their amazing colour to glacial or summer snow melts, this one was very different. It is the result of about 100 years of mineral mining - mainly tin, and at this spot, that tin was intersperced with kaolin, that amazing white clay that is so prized by Chinese pottery makers.  The colour is truly amazing, but what is also amazing is that there is no signs of life anywhere near it - the vegetation stops about 3 metres from the water's edge and there is no sign of wildlife - not even a bird. This site is part of the mine rehabilitation area of the former South Mount Cameron mine.

A little further south, we pass through the hamlet of Moorina (there are numerous much smaller settlements - but what do you call a collection of less than ten houses?) At Moorina there is an intriguing sign pointing to the Moorina cemetery and the Chinese Monument - the Tin Dragon. Now, that sounds interesting! Turns out that this area has quite a history of mining, opportunities sought, fortunes won and lost, of Chinese immigrants and their legacy locally. The monument is more of a memorial because although it is located adjacent to the local cemetery, there are very few Chinese graves because if they perished, as many did, the bodies were returned home - predominantly to the Guandong region from where most of them came. An unexpected and interesting stop on the route. 

Gen asks me "What will we be eating in half an hour or so?"
"I don't know. Lobster?", I ask.
"Nope", she says with a grin, "Cheese!"
On this memorial there was a great regional map and despite the convoluted route we have taken, we are now a mere 29 kms from the Pyengana Dairy Factory! Yay!! 
We are skirting around the edge of the other side of the Blue Tier Forest and back into winding roads. And the dairy cattle are now everywhere. Its not long before we see the signs and take the road towards the dairy and St Columba Falls. This award-winning dairy is literally in the middle of nowhere (and still with no mobile coverage), so we are quite surprised when we get to the farm gate to see that their car-park is full, with more vehicles parked on the side of the 'highway'. 

The dairy visitor centre is housed in a former milking shed. There are lots of story-boards, under cover, along the long side of the building that leads you to a viewing platform where you can watch the cheese being made. That is what you would normally see, but today one of the farmers is there explaining that they are not making cheese this week as the milk is all needed for the Easter demand! It is just after midday and lunch is certainly on the cards. I had read in the Travelling Tasmania Facebook page that the Cheese and Chive scones were excellent. They offer a small but sufficient selection for lunch. I have already decided that I am going to have those scones which are served with their dairy butter and a smoky tomato relish (that has a bit of a kick) and Gen decides on the Tasmanian Gourmet Platter that includes homemade pumpkin sourdough, crackers, a range of their cheeses and local meats and fruits. Both were delectable and as usual we shared. Gen had asked if I wanted a glass of wine with lunch - they do offer that lovely Josef Chromy Pinot Gris, but I said that while in Rome . . .  so we had milkshakes! While Gen ordered our food, I found a table right next to the gentle warmth of the open fire. Man, this is living. AND they offer Valhalla icream that we both love.  Jersey Caramel and Strawberry Choc Chip were today's choices.
The have a great selection of cheeses and other souvenirs and again, I may, (or may not)  have sent some cheese home - the free postage if you spend $100 was very easy to reach! Remember - Saturday 23 is tasting day at home - keep it free peeps!! Pyengana is well worth a visit if you are in the north/east of Tasmania - AND they do mail order from their website.

Now absolutely rolling with all the food we have consumed (well, that is a bit of an exaggeration, we brought some of it with us for tonight!) we left and turned for the East Coast and St Helens (again, not the local one). St Helens is the gateway to the Bay of Fires where those amazing seascapes of lichen and algae covered rocks in crystal clear waters are known world-wide. There are opportunities to see them right along the roadside, with plenty of parking areas for a car or two, but the formal viewing area is at the very end of the road. We arrive about 3 pm and spend about an hour with me taking telephoto shots and Gen walking down slippery ramps and across very soft sand to clambour over the rocks. 

This is truly a beautiful landscape and it is easy to see the inspiration for many professional photographers and artists whose works grace glossy books and galleries right across the state! As we leave there is a steady stream of traffic coming out - heavens knows where they will park, as the carpark is already full. The rocks are best seen as the sun is setting, but it has been close enough for us! There is an on-shore wind and our views are softened by a fine powder of both sea-mist and that fine sand as it is blown across the roadway. The whitecaps dance along the crystal clear water in lines as they meet with rock obstacles. From time to time, there is a whoosh as water encounters a rocky outcrop and I am rewarded with some lovely photographs of shooting waters.  

In total, driving directly it should have been 4.5 hours travelling to cover the 304 kms trip - seems like a cinch, but in reality it took us all day - with us arriving at Pelican Sands at Scamander right on 4:30 this afternoon. Turns out that Terese and Tony from home are here in town tonight also. They have been here for a short trip of about 9 days - and depart on the Spirit of Tasmania on Saturday. They have travelled the opposite direction to us. We will need to catch up when we get home and trade stories! We have some of the cheese we left at lunch for a light dinner, with one of our last apples (purchased at Willy smiths in Huonville what feels like weeks ago). along with the cheese, I am enjoying a can of Crafty Cuts Lemon+Lime Gin Cucumber Cooler - very quaffable! Will have to see if we can get it at home/online!

We are here for two nights (accommodation is very hard to find, with the local news tonight reporting that there is NO accommodation left for the Easter break in either Hobart or Launceston!). Tomorrow we are headed to Bicheno, 45 minutes away for lobster rolls and a visit to the Devil's Corner winery (as the Farmshed East Coast wineries that stock wines from all the east coast wineries).

Off for an earlier night - biggie coming tomorrow. Later . . .

"Nice to see you Australian's like your mead"

Description

I didn't sleep all that well last night.  Before I had got into a deep sleep we had docked at one of the overnight ports where the Hurtigruten vessels pull in to collect daily food supplies and make freight deliveries.  Our cabin is very close to the gangways - both passenger and freight and for some reason, last night seemed noisier than previous nights. Still, little price to pay for being close to the excursion exit points - literally just outside our door.

When ships pass in the night (and in the day), there are three horns sounded from each vessel. Before you realise this, as the horns sound you start to count, waiting to hear for the evacuation alarm.  Must admit, the first time was a bit alarming as we got to the sixth horn, until you realise that the second round of three blasts sounds different to the first three.  Phew, no need to get wet!


The ship is in and out of open waters at the moment.  You can immediately feel the change without even looking out the window.  When we hit open waters, unprotected from islands, islets or rocks, the swell increase is quite noticeable. 

We are back into the exploring today with two excursions.  Firstly, we are headed for Bodø - the second largest town in northern Norway and home to 70,000 people. 
Bodø lies just north of the Arctic Circle. It is also the end of the line for the Norwegian rail system.


Bodø was bombed in 1944 and assistance was provided by the Swedish government to rebuild parts of the ruined town. In return, the city now has a sector dubbed the Swedish quarter. Today, Bodø is a very fast growing town. There is very little manufacturing. Rather, it is a city of communications, access, tourism and learning. The 'high school' was granted university status a couple of years ago and is now home to 7,000 students. 
There is a very noticeable amount of building and roadworks happening with new civic and private investment happening. Its a nice mix of traditional timber homes and modern high-rise apartments.  

After our whirlwind drive through the streets of Bodø, we leave to drive 30 kms north to the point where we can observe the effects of the Saltstraumen current. 
Our driver and guide Michael was obviously very proud of his home. As we boarded the bus, he handed out samples of Arctic Salt in rather unique little tins. This salt is harvested at Saltstraumen where the ocean currents rush into the fjord.



The Saltstraumen is the strongest tidal current in the world with water speeds reaching up to 22 knots. Up to 400,000,000 cubic metres of seawater forces its way through a 3 km wide strait every 6 hours! The Saltstraumen has existed for about 3,000 years.  Depending on the conditions, there can be up to a 1 metre difference between the level of the seawater and that of the water inside the fjord. Today, we have arrived about halfway in to the turn of the tide and the Saltstraumen is just beginning to develop. If you look very closely, you can see eddies forming at the edge of the current. Too bad we are not 2 hours later when it would beat its peak.  We are told of the maelstroms that can occur and the loss of life over the years. Michael was saying that only yesterday a small ship was pushed on to the rocks when it lost its engine. Both the crew and the ship were saved.


The scenery en-route is a little ho-hum - just kidding! Like the rest of the Norwegian coastline to now, it is a mix of towering mountains that plunge to the sea, small lakes and streams dotted with rocks and rocky outcrops and glacial plains that are farmed and settled. 
The high mountains, like in other parts of the world are the cloud nurseries and we see clouds forming high in the mountain valleys. At times, they tumble over the ridges and cascade down the mountainside.

Out at sea,we can see squalls where it is raining in one view and in the next there is bright sunlight reflected so sharply that we need to squint while looking out the windows.

Back on board we have missed the lunch service.  We could have had an early lunch, or

packed something to take with us, but all we seem to do is eat, so we chose not to have anything after a good breakfast this morning of eggs,sausage, pancake (pikelets) with jam and sweetened whipped butter, yoghurt and fruit.  Instead, we head up to the cafe for a hot drink and the obligatory cake - today's afternoon delight! There are a number of points on board where you can have instant coffee or tea for nought, but personally, would prefer to pay and have the real deal!

We rug up a bit more for our next excursion - an evening journey for a taste of Viking life on the Lofoten Islands.
This trip we journeyed from Stamsund to Borg before continuing to the Lofotr Viking Museum. We are met at Stamsund by our guide Christian, dressed in Viking garb. He tells a good story in preparation for our visit to the local Chieftan's house - a fully restored full sized reconstruction of a traditional Viking home. Chieftan Olaf and his wife Olsen met us at the door. They then introduced us to some of the other members of the household including Olsen's sister - alive for 18 winters, and their slave who had been found by a local farmer as a baby and given to the chieftan when her own family came along. Picture a flamboyant Baldrick and you have him in one!

Into the banquet hall we file where we feasted on a traditional Viking meal of Lamb roasted on the fire, swedes, carrots, barley gruel, 'bread', sour cream and ligonberry conserve. The meat was cut with a knife, but the meal was eaten for the most part with your fingers - much to the chagrin of some of our fellow travellers! Served with goblets of mead and water.  Every time something significant was said, it was time for a toast - a reverberating 'Skul' - and

then a hearty swig of the mead. They generously refilled the goblets of all those who partook a generous swig. True Aussies in style, we celebrated with the chieftan with gusto.  Donna was one of the lucky ones who got to join in the dance at the end of the meal.

All too soon our visit was at an end. The ship had sailed on and we drove for just under an hour to reach it, now docked in Svolvær.

Tonight we are promised something special on the outside deck just before midnight - we are sailing in through the Trollfjord and in this narrow channel, you can almost reach out and touch the cliff walls on either side of the ship!  Coupled with a moon hanging high in the sky over open water, it certainly made sitting up worth it. Too dark for a photo,but forever in our mind's eyes!


Another memorable day in a very memorable part of this beautiful world.