I opened my mouth and out strolled my mother!

When we arrived back at our accommodation after dinner last night, we walked into a lovely toasty room (definitely not hot as Gen can't take that). The first thing I said when i stepped into the room was "nicey, nicey" and my mind went instantly to my mum! She would have loved Port Arthur, and just like me, she would have hated the wind. I have upped the B12 tablets, lather my lips almost hourly and still they split and peel. Any advice would be welcome - don't bother with topical stuff - I have literally tried them all.

Gen went over and did our laundry before we went to dinner and without an airer in the cabin we resorted to the ironing board, the shower rail and the towel rails to drape things that could not go into the dryer. In future, we will not pack anything that can't be dried in a dryer!

The cabin was very comfortable and I really appreciated the electric blanket. This morning dawned clear and cool, but thankfully without the wind. We dug into our provisions and brought out croissants bought at the Dunalley Bakery. Even two days old, they were crisp and buttery with sweet, pillowy flaking layers that stood up perfectly to the rich raspberry jam that we bought at the Sorell Fruit Farm. Hot coffees ensured the flakes were washed down.

We left the NRMA Port Arthur Holiday Park, complimenting the man on duty on the suitable cabin and a beautifully kept park. Again, his response was that now familiar "You are more than very welcome." We headed what I thought was north towards our next night stop at Allonah on Bruny Island. Turns out that for someone who prides herself on a good sense of direction, I had it all balls up today! We were in fact heading west. Port Arthur is actually east of Hobart, not south! And Bruny Island is south. So I've re-set my compass!!

Our first stop was at the Port Arthur Lavender Farm only 10 minutes up the road from the Holiday Park. Even though it was only 9:30am, and they open at 9am, they were already busy. The visitor centre is beautifully laid out with the building's back to passing traffic, overlooking neat, straight, ordered rows of lavender bordering the adjacent bay. We moved straight outside, hoping to be immersed in their heady scent. However, we are out of season and most of the rows are resting, re-gathering their energy for the next season. All but one plot directly outside the dining area have been harvested and even these rows have had a trim. They have enough blooms still on them to give us a hint of the spring and summer splendour of rich colours evoking thoughts of royalty and rarity, magic and mystery. And alongside this plot are the juvenile plants of newly planted rows. And just like yesterday, the bumble bees are heard before they are seen. Lord knows how - they are HUGE. And busy. Very very busy (little - not) bees!

The gift shop is filled with all things Lavender and we may have bought a few little things to share. Better let me know if you hate lavender wink wink. We are finding that the price of souvenirs in Tasmania is very fair, encouraging us to make sure we bring little trinkets with us when we head home. Come to think of it, we are planning to post things home a couple of times - starting with tomorrow!!

Once we had spent enough time here, we hit the road again (heading west) for our next planned stop at the UnZoo. Started by philanthropist David Hamilton in 1979 when it was a more conventional animal park form of zoo. In the intervening years, it has been updated in line with changing views on animals in captivity. Based around the Tasmanian Devil, an extensive breeding program was begun in 1980 that continues to today. The outbreak of a particularly nasty and virulent cancer, now thought to have been a natural mutation passed between the Tasmanian population has made the need for these animals in captivity and in artificail breeding, vital to the species' survival. This park now houses 6 adult Tasmanian Devils in what is endearingly called the bushland views retirement village! All six have been through the breeding program and are now seniors, beyond healthy breeding age. We watched the antics of three today, one male and two females. 

So, here is a Did You Know fact:
Female Tasmanian Devils are pregnant for a total period of 3 weeks. Being a marsupial, they carry their pups in a pouch. A typical litter is 40 pups, BUT, she only has four teats, so the survival of the fittest is guaranteed. The remaining 36 pups are usually cannibalised by their mother - a true carnivore.
Our guide (sorry, we have both forgotten his name) described them as adorable little creatures that are capable of doing so many things - but NONE of them well! They can run, slowly; jump, poorly; climb, about a foot; see, myopicly; and smell (thankfully for them) very well. They also have the strongest bite to size ratio of all living creatures. And we can attest to this as we listen to them crunching and crushing the bones of the wallaby pieces that were fed to them today - its a sickening sound. They yap like a dog, grunt like a pig and growl like, well, a devil!  

But Devils are not the only wildlife on display. After feeding the first male, we saunter over to the Birds of the Bush area where we hand feed a Green Rosella whose younger newer mate is still too hesitant to come down for the free food. Then Poderick, the Little Wattle Bird, a honey-eater, perched on my hand and drank the nectar he so craved from a milk bottle lid held between my fingers. Sharp little claws, but an even sharper beak! We wandered across the site that was originally planted to apple and pear trees (only one avenue remain in recognition of the former land-use - and at about 80 years old, all too old to bear fruit). We saw Pademelons, Kangaroos and Wallabies, regal Cape Barren Geese and bush hens (a.k.a. Road Runners, just waiting for coyote to stand under a rock). By the time we had done all this, my feet were killing me and back to the visitor centre we go for a drink - ooh, hang on they have ice-cream - Valhalla Ice Cream. If you are in Tasmania, you simply MUST try it - its delicious! Gen chose her fave Boysenberry in a choc-top while I opted for a raspberry sorbet. Gen helped me to finish it. So lovely, so filling!

Further west we headed, down to where the last bastion of impediment would greet the would-be escapees from Port Arthur - the line of dogs at Eaglehawk Neck. Unfortunately, there is a massive lot of roadworks happening right around the site and we can't even see it. The Officer's Quarters nearby are the closest we can get, so a little disappointing, but the sight in our mind's eye of a desperate, ragged man, struggling for breath after pushing through scrub and forest just to be greeted by a literal line of straining, barking dogs is vivid enough.

But the day is fast escpaing. We leave Eaglehawk Neck and don't get very far when we see the sign for the Blowhole Lookout. Can't miss that! We turn and drive right to the end of the road. We are at a headland surrounded by tessalated pavements with the water swelling and ebbing, flowing over the rocks and in a breath of the ocean, being sucked back into her lungs. The water came through the tunnel and into the channel carved by an aeon of water's destructive power. But the tide is all wrong. While we can visualise how the Blowhole works, we do not actually see it in action today. It is now after 2pm and while we had planned to have a light lunch in Dunalley where we planned to fuel up on the advice of a local, we realised we might be too late for lunch. So there was a roadside Food Van at the Blowhole. Their fare looked good on the photos on the side of the van. And that was where it stopped. Despite being right in the centre of some of the country's best seafood growing and harvesting grounds, both Gen and I are quite certain that all the pieces of seafood ordered was out of a frozen bag - you know, the sort that can be bought in any discount supermarket. And that generous friendly service was also in poor supply, altogether rather disappointing. Getting to Dunalley about 15 minutes later, we paid $2.06.90 for fuel - by far the cheapest we have seen for a while. In fact, the very next station had the same fuel for $2.24. Go figure.

We now NEED to be pushing forward and quickly. We are booked in to the Bruny Hotel Lodge, still two hours away. We need to get to the SeaLink Ferry to get to Bruny Island and to do this, we need to go through Hobart - through the very centre of Hobart's CBD. Once we pass the airport, the traffic increases exponentially, and slows just as dramatically. The traffic drags on and on - you know what it is like when you have somewhere to be, everything in the universe comes together to challenge your every attempt. The roadworks added more time and inconvenience to the trip. Finally we reach the entry to the Ferry Terminal only to find that the VIC, who had booked the passage, had neglected to include the required barcode and with a departure imminent, we are forced to buy another pass - there was no way we could go back, there was a line of traffic longer than the spaces available on the ferry, lined up behind us.

Turns out, we were the fourth last vehicle squeezed onto the boat. Under the had direction of the deckhands Gen managed to squeeze Lizzy (our Mitsuibishi Lancer) into a space tighter than anywhere else she has been!. The crossing is smooth and lasts about 18 minutes. Sitting in the car, we have to strain to see over the side of the boat. When you watch the land horizon, it hardly looks/feels like we are not moving, but strining, when you look at the water and the beaches, we see that indeed we are moving, and at quite some knots at that.

Onto the Island - well this Island - Tasmania is a state of 334 islands - another fact that many of us will not know. Prior to this journey, I was aware of perhaps 6 - and I was always good at Geography!! We made the 4:30pm ferry crossing and are the last vehicle to drive off the ferry just before 5pm. We arrive at the northern point of the north of the two islands known as Bruny Island. Well that is not quite technically correct. North Bruny and South Bruny are one island, but are connected by a very narrow isthmus Truginini or The Neck crossing the waters of Simpsons Bay. We will come back, climb the steps and get some pretty main scenes from here tomorrow or Saturday.

The views of some of those 334 islands, with evening clouds setting in and the sun waning for the day are amazing. But the wind is increasing and as we are still some way from Alonnah where the accommodation is located, we decide now is not the best time to stop for pics. Distances are not long, but the roads are very winding and Gen is pulling hard in one movement and pushing in the next. By the time we reach the Bruny Hotel, there is a soft gale blowing. We can see some cabins on a rise behind the Hotel and just hope that these are the ones we are booked in to. Gen goes into the Hotel to book in and YAY - they are the units. Before we go up to the cabins, we decide to have an early dinner. Its typical Hotel grub and I am a little disappointed that there is not more extensive seafood on the menu. Gen happily chose Braised Shoulder of Lamb - slow roasted in Bruny Island Cider and Bruny Island Honey served with seasonal vegetables and I chose the Seafood Chowder - home made with Tasmanian white fish, smoked local atlantic salmon and calamari squid. It was rich and thick and warming and that calamari just melted (unlike the tough, stringy pieces at lunch). We washed our meals down with Bruny Island Apple Cider, a very nice drop - not too sweet. Dinner done, we out to the cabins. 

We needed to get some milk to have coffees, and (wait for it) the local store is closed (at 4pm)! The closest store is at Adventure Bay, 20 minutes away. Now, there are plenty of people eating at the pub. Some in their cbins, others in self-drive caravans and camper-vans and others rough camping. If the closest goods store was 20 minutes away, and you had a captive audience, I think that the hotel has missed a huge opportunity - just saying. BUT, it was very worth the drive over to Adventure Bay. If we thought the views on this side of the island were something, the views on the other side are even more so. We turned off with bucolic scenes of cattle and sheep grazing on rolling fields. Over the first rise, we see iconic south pacific scenes - water that ranges from sandy aqua to deep water cetacean blues. There are trees higher than I can see from inside the car, huge tree-ferns. There are white sand beaches and small inlets almost touching the paved road. 

There are beach shacks that look like they have been here since the discovery of the island sitting alongside the slick new constructions - some that have been designed to blend into their landscape while others brag of wealth and entitlement. Milk got, and light fading, we turn back for Alonnah.We encounter the roadside Bakery Fridge that we had read about in the Travelling Tasmania Facebook Group. There are only two loaves of Sultana Bread, so we decide to try again tomorrow either on the way to or back from our booked 3 hour boat cruise. The road is steep, so we can't rush, which is just as well as we encounter 2 pademelons and a wallaby en-route to the cabins.

Very new. Glass and timber. HUGE picture windows looking out over the water. High end fittings and fixtures. A beautiful alpaca throw on the bed. 'Thank You' (brand) Botanical Patchouli and Vanilla hand wash and lux thick fluffy white towels. After a somewhat big day, we are looking forward to an earlier night. LOL, its midnight!

More to come tomorrow. Stay safe, keep well.

The rain begins . . .

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!