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.

Tasmania - where everything is "You are more than very welcome"

After eating our way through some of our provisions last night, we settled in for the night. There was an increasing rain steeling in and the wind was whistling through the trees in the NRMA Holiday Park and more loudly could be heard in the bushland surrounding the park. We were glad to be inside with the aircon gently seeping through the room. Its not set very high, but is definitely warmer than outside.

We had decided that we would head into the Port Arthur Historic Site as soon as they opened at 8am and have breakfast there - sitting at one of the benches that sit around the restaurant border, looking out over the historic site, in relative warm. It truly is a beautiful site around the curve of Mason Cove. I marvel at the knowledge and skill of early explorers, who, from the water, can look at the uncleared lands they encounter and decide where a suitable land for settlement might be found. Whilst the land is steep in past (as Gen's legs will later attest), overall the site is gently undulating with (now) space between the buildings of the settlement. During the tour of the site later, we discover that what we see today is only a small percentage of the buildings that once covered most of the cleared lands here. Photographs in the Visitor Centre certainly show a bustling community not unlike the photos of the early settlement of our home town, Maryborough in Queensland.

In preparing for dinner last night, we had discovered that I had made some serious mistakes when I was doing the bookings back in February. For instance, the restaurant is closed on Sunday and Mondays which we realised when we arrived at the locked boom gates. It was at that point that Gen and I remembered our conversation last month (can February really be only one month past? It feels like a lifetime) about eating dinner out on the second night of our visit. At the same time, I had also booked our three tours and only last night realised that when I did the booking, I had not changed the booking dates, and so therefore, we were booked for tours in February. When we arrived at the Park this morning, we went to collect our entry tickets and confirm our dinner booking, and despite all the references to no refunds, the staff were very obliging and helpful, putting forward our case for a refund. Thanks so much to the management who have agreed to refund or un-used bookings. Very much appreciated. The advice was that all but one of the tours we had booked were unsuitable for the wheelchair, or even my crutches, so we cancelled them, sadly. The staff had booked us on the 10:30am Introductory Tour which leaves us just on an hour for breakfast once we had sorted out tour bookings. 

So into the restaurant we move to enjoy our breakfast. Gen was hungry after her light dinner last night, whereas I am not so hungry. She ordered the Chef's Special - otherwise known as the 'BIG breakfast' that consisted of sausage, bacon, poached eggs, grilled tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms and home=cooked baked beans on sourdough bread. It looked huge, but she did it justice- even polishing off the sausage (Gen doesn't normally eat sausages but said that this one was very good). On a lighter note, I settled for the child's serve of pancakes, maple syrup with icecream. Pikelet size, they were perfect and just the right size for me. Chai's kept us warm as we looked out over a crisp clear morning.

Turns out we had plenty of time.

Our tour group met outside in the chill wind. we moved down the ramp and waited for the group departure as they filed down the steps. What we thought was a large group was parted into two groups at the first path junction we came to and Toby suggested that as his tour kept more to the paths, that we might like to stay with him. Unconcerned with the size of the group, he commented that in the peak of summer, groups for each guide can be up to 100 people. Ours consisted of a mere 24! 

Begun as a timber workstation, Port Arthur was a penal settlement for a relatively short. time in the history of Australia, being established in 1833, housing only 2,000 of the 120,000 men, women and children  who were sentenced to transportation to Van Dieman's Land. Went you first get your tickets your are given a playing card with a characture on one side - and you are then sent into The Port Arthur Gallery to learn your fate! If you arrive in a party of two, you get one convict card and one free/military settler card. We got the Ace of Diamonds = John Longwort, a constable who turned to a life of crime once at Port Arthur,  and the nine of clubs - Vincent Buccheri - a Sicilian originally from Malta who was transported for desertion. I looked in the wall of drawers into the characters of a lot more of the tranportees and was saddened to read of one, a boy of 12,  transported after being charged, but te crime unknown. How many of these unfortunate people ended up here, for being in the wrong place at the wrong time?

Our walking tour began on the grassy knolls in front of The Penitentiary, learning of the early intended use of the first building on the site as a granary and flour mill, with a huge (and now missing) waterwheel at one end of the buidling. However, the continual lack of a good water supply saw this purpose being abandoned with the conversion to a mush less friendly use as the settlement's Penitentiary. The size of the 'cells' certainly allowed for no joy. Hammocks hung from brass hooks in the walls and each cell had two corner shelves for belongings such as clothes (a set issued each 6 months) and blankets, which would be sorely needed in these climes!  A fire burned through the building for two days in January 1895 rendering it useless.

Our guide, Josh, went to great lengths to explain in detail the life of the penal colony in Port Arthur through the stories of those transported there and the free-settlers that serviced the needs of this community - the constabulary, the military, the clergy, the free settlers. It spoke volumes that the philosophy of discipline and punishment, religious and moral instruction, classification and seperation, and training and education. Given the inhospitable location and the forced 'religious instruction' in a church that was never consecrated due to the varied 'faiths' it needed to accommodate - with the shackled convicts separated from the free-folk by calico curtains, there were only 12 escapees were not recaptured.

Following the closure of the penal settlement in 1877 the first tourists came to te site the next year. In 1916 the site was aofficially recognised as a 'place of historic interest' and by 1920, there were a number of museums and accommodation houses on the site. Gradually, te State Government acquired the remaining buildings from their private  ownership and a major conservation project took place from te 1980s.  In April 1996, a gunman took the lives of 35 people and wounded a further 19. This act led to a change in the gun laws of our country that are the envy of many others in the world. In July 2010, Port Arthur and 10 other sites across Australia were inscribed on the World Heritage List as te Australian Convict Sites World Heritage Site. If you look at the map, you can see where we spent 5 1/2 hours exploring, up and down the steep, sandy paths with me in the wheelchair and poor Gen giving her legs and arms yet another big workout! There was not a single part of the site we didn't visit. What a day. Te difference in the living standards of the transported convicts and the free settlers was literally as different as chalk and cheese.

Included in the entry ticket was a harbour cruise, that gave us respite from the wind for about 40 minutes. Out in the harbour on the calm waters, it was easy to see why the site might have been chose, especially when there were stands of dense, straight timbered trees with a height of up to 20 feet to the first branch! But, 15 minutes into the cruise, we are crossing the edge of the waters to the Southern Ocean where the next land is thousands of nautical miles south in Antartica! There was a brief stop en-route to te dock to allow visitors to te 'Isle of the Dead' to disembark - this was one of the tours we had booked, but the guides this morning were very right when they advised us that it was not suitable for anyone with mobility issues - there was not one level spot to be seen! This was the cemetery for the colony.

So we stayed on the boat, nursing a hot coffee in an effort to warm up - well, at least I was! The wind had not abated and we were glad that Lincoln, (a transport driver who kept an eye on us throughout our day at Port Arthur and rescued us when the going got tough going up the hills, transporting us from one area to another twice) met us at te boat. The wind was now blowing a gale, and back up at the church, there is a light spitting of rain to add to te bleak atmosphere of this place. When you can find a sheltered corner  with a sliver of autumn sun, it is warm. As te spitting becomes a light rain, we move down through the Governors Gardens to the lower site. The Dahlia's are huge, lots of thistles (no doubt a reminder of Scotland) play host to loudly buzzing huge bumble bees, hurrying to collect the last of the pollen before the coldness of cold winter months put the natural world into hibernation. You could hear the bees long before you could see them. By now my face is red - whether it be from the wind or te sun, I don't know, and at that point, do I care. Its getting later, the sun is drooping lower in the afternoon sky, and with it its warming rays. The temperature has dropped considerably and its time to head indoors.

Back at the Visitor Centre, a very timely toilet stop brings immense relief (lol). The building is warm and there is no more wind. We venture into the gift shop, hoping to buy a set of the playing cards used to depict the characters. Not only do we find them, plus a book explaining all the personalities, but lots of other goodies! We are fast gathering the contents of the first box to be sent home!! 

Back to the cabin for a rest and a change before we return for dinner tonight.

The 1830 restaurant was lovely for breakfast, and dinner is shaping up to be just as good. The menu is limited but with at least one option for all tastes. I am struggling with all the food and finding I get uncomfortable quickly! O, woe is me.
We both chose the Pumpkin and Orange Soup with charred bread for entree. Complete with a fair dose of pepper, it was very tasty. Pair with aProsecco for Gen and a Merlot for me, it was rich and warming. Looking across all the options for mains, they all looked too big, so I opted to have the Chicken Terrine with pickled cherries from the entree menu and Gen had the Special of the Day - Braised Beef Short Ribs with celeriac puree and a rich jus. The meat fell off the bone, and disappeared very quickly. Gen said the flavours were well balanced. We waited a little while before ordering desserts. Gen had the Ice Cream Sandwich with Poached Spiced Apple and salted caramel sauce. Mine was the Lemon Brulee with Lime Infused Sorbet and Candied Orange quarters. Oh my gosh, that was a citrus explosion worth repeating, and often! We both finished wit a coffee and a half-nip each of the local Mcenry's Single Malt Whiskey. A very nice tipple, but I'm not sure it is worth more that twice the cost of other single-malts. And for about the fourth time today we were left with the salutation "You are more than very welcome". Tasmania does service and does it well. This saying was used by every staff member we encountered here today as well as the VIC staff two days ago,

The lights are now on across the site, giving the area a warm glow, belying the chilling winds outside, As we walk out of the building, I am secretly glad that we are not setting off in this wind to do the Ghost Tour, again, not suitable for mobility restricted persons.

So its back to the Cabin, driving very slowly once we turn onto the access road - there is heaps of wildlife here and warning signs up everywhere - and we don't want to add to the roadkill that is so evident along the higway. It is after 10pm and tomorrow we will stop at the UnZoo to see the Tasmanian Devils and the Port Arthur Lavender Farm on the way to Bruny Island. Better text me if you want lavender products early tomorrow! Ciao, I'm off to a warm bed - turned the electric blanket when we came back. Sleep well world, and spare a thought for the poor people of Ukraine. Gen rema4ked how scary it is becoming and how she thought she would not see war on this scale in her lifetime. I'll check-in with the Hotel where I booked rooms for refugees tomorrow.

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! 

Hobart - a City of choices

 Despite the rain late yesterday and last night, this morning dawned overcast but clear. The rain has cleansed everything, the air is crisp and the light is bright.

We begin our morning with breakfast at Daci and Daci - yet another bakery recommended by many. Situated on the fringe of the CBD, we consider ourselves lucky to get a car space across the road. They are busy, but we get a table without any difficulty. And now to the choices - the first of many for the day.

The menu is varied with all day servings from both the breakfast and lunch meals. After coffees while we deliberate, we settle on a Twice Cooked Gruyere Souffle from the breakfast choices and a Chicken, Creamed Leek and Tarragon Pie served with Red Pepper Relish from the lunch menu. I ate about 3/4 of the souffle and Gen, 3/4 of the pie. They were truly delicious, flavour-some but not at all heavy. The service couldn't be faulted, again with all staff wishing the patrons, enjoy the rest of your day - every one of them to every customer. TASMANIA DOES SERVICE and does it very well. There is no rush, people sit and chat, sipping hot drinks if not partaking in a meal. We admire how classy the black uniform looks on the waitresses, and look up at the funky lighting. We've decided rayther than try to take a cake with us, we would add dessert to our breakfast - we are not planning to have lunch so we are ready for Mures and seafood tonight! In deference to the growing number of patrons in the shop, Gen goes to the front display counters and photographs the amazing pastries and cakes - all of them! They are amazing and are the subject of choice no 2. Again, we decide that if we buy two different ones, and share them, we can expand our experiences. After discussions and sometimes almost arguments, we choose the Mandarin and the Organic Chocolate and Raspberry Bombe.

The Mandarin looks realistically like a ripe, plump mandarin sitting atop a fine small pastry tart and the Bombe had the crispest tempered chocolate shell encasing a rich but not over-sweet pudding consistency filling with a raspberry gel centre. They were very different, one lighter and citrussy and the other rich and the other dark and decadent. Needing another hot drink to have with our desserts, but not wanting to be bouncing off walls, we both had a seven-spiced Chai Latte. So, breakfast, morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea all done in the one setting we leave this little bit of paradise.

Our next choice was to decide whether we take a little time out to plan the coming few days, or start our exploration of historic Hobart. Planning won and we headed to the Tourist Information Bureau for advice and bookings. Again, the service was friendly and prompt. Staff gladly shared their passion and knowledge for their home state, made suggestions and checked vacancies in the South East for the following few days. I had booked for Port Arthur before we left home, but that was as far as we had planned. So looking at our (dwindling) time and our desire to see as much of the island state as we possibly can. So we explored two routes in particular around the Huon and Bruny Island.

After checking accommodation and tour vacancies we settled on two days on Bruny Island staying at the Bruny Hotel lodges at Alonnah and on my birthday, taking the Pennicott Wilderness cruise on the waters around the island and the adjacent Tasman Sea. We have needed to buy a National Park Pass. You buy it for a day, a week or for 2 months. So two months it is! Not sure whether we will be able to pass it on to someone for the second month, seems like a bit of a waste if we can't, but it was the most economical choice (yes, another choice!!) Also booked the Bruny Island ferry (also owned by SeaLink - starting to think that they have control of most of the ferries connecting the Australian mainland and our far-flung islands). After collecting appropriate tourist literature, we raced across the road to 'negotiate' with parking inspectors who had taken an interest in our car. Like all the Tasmanians they were friendly, and given that we were now ready to leave, they were accommodating. (we had overstayed our time - just a little!)

Parking, like in any capital city, is at a premium. The VIC (visitor information centre) staff had recommended that we use the Council car parks as they are cheaper and more conveniently located than the private car parks. Would hate to see how much less convenient the private ones are, because it was a bugger to get to the Council one! Google Maps does not recognise one-way streets in Hobart, so we ended up going quite a few blocks more than what we would have, had we been on foot.

This afternoon was devoted to exploring the Hobart CBD. Leaving the carpark, we encounter the first of many many hills and dales. Hobart has any number of very steep streets, and given the distance that we were planning on seeing, she had insisted that it was a wheelchair day. Thank goodness she did, there is no way that I could have walked where we went. We followed 'Hobart's Historic Places - A walking guide through the city centre' - a guide we can highly recommend.

We concentrated our walk in the Victoria, Collins, Macquarie and Davey Streets between Argyle and Harrington Streets. We explored church and cathedral - St Joseph's Church - the oldest surviving Catholic Church in Hobart and St David's Cathedral where we found a tattered piece of a Union Jack flag that is dedicated to Australia's last Anzac Alec William Campbell, in stark contrast with home where we celebrate Australia's first Anzac, Duncan Chapman. 

Following these immersions, we moved into more secular surroundings, stopping to admire the statuary and fountain and public art in Franklin Square where the dedications leave no doubt to the appreciation of the citizens of Hobart to earlier public models. Hobart's amazing architectureincludes the Hobart City Hall, the National Mutual Life Building, the Masonic Lodge, Hadley's Hotel, Ingle Hall and Hobart Town Hall - which span more than 200 years. We finally arrive at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. It was here we took refuge from the sun and breeze, although I found the temperature and humidity controlled environment a tad chilly. And my poor lips are paying the price - I was hoping that away from the stresses of work, my lips would stop peeling - wind and aircon however are giving them no respite! 

This complex is set in three floors (plus basement) of the former Bond Store and an adjacent younger building. Beginning with the geography, geology and zoological displays that showcased Tasmania's unique wildlife very well, the second and third floors concentrated on the social history of the development of the state, concentrating predominantly on the Hobart area. it was good to see that the encounters and later treatment of the First Peoples were genuinely portrayed. As sad as any colonising force many of the local natives that were encountered were murdered.

In the adjacent building there were exhibits that detailed Australia's activities and excursions into Antarctica where the worrying prediction states that within 50 years we may see much of that continent devoid of snow in the summer months!
There was scientific equipment, a 'live' (for the want of a better word) chunk of Antarctic ice - place in a frame on a refrigerated bed.  No wonder I was feeling the cold in this room! Gen on the other hand loved its icy air!!

The balance of this building housed art exhibitions including a Taswegian artist who lost her home in bushfires and is constructing new furniture from reclaimed wood and branches and twigs, hoping to fill a future home that is airy and stark. Her pieces are very organic and really tell a story. There was the Tasmanian collection of old and new masters and one focussed on jewellery. That one didn't really appeal to either of us.

It is now 4:45 pm and the museum is closing. Back into the streets we go, me in the wheelchair and Gen manouvertting through the-end-of-working-day crowds, up more. hills than we care to count to return to the car. We have a booking at Mures for dinner and Gen really wants to rest for an hour or so before a refreshing shower. Our reservation is for 7:30pm, the first booking we could get.

At 6:45 we depart the Battery Point Manor for Mures. 

There are three venues at the facility - Mures Upper Deck which is a rated restaurant, Mures Lower Deck which is more casual and Pearl and Co which is more of a retailing seafood. We had a reservation for Mures Upper Deck - on the recommendation of friends and those who have previously lived in Hobart. 
The traffic has calmed down and we find. parking spot within metres of the door. That was where my luck ran out. They have a stair-lift, a commercial version of the one we were considering for home, but it needs a key. So up the stairs goes Gen to collect said key, only to be told that the lift is currently out of order. Back down she comes to deliver the bad news and to walk behind me as I climb 18 stairs to the restaurant. With 14 steps at home, I figured it would be a breeze. Not quite. They were steeper and those last 4 steps were a challenge.

We are shown to a window-side table, both seated to look out over the waters of Victoria Dock and beyond that to Constitution dock where the Sydeny to Hobart Race ends. 
The menu is not large, and with some meat and vegan options, it focuses on locally caught seafood.
More choices to be made. Do we do entrees, mains and desserts? Or do we choose The Share Table at $70 per head? Of course we chose the latter and it was sublime, beginning with warm olive bread with oil and balsamic reduction that we paired with a cocktail. Then the courses in order of presentation were:
1. Oysters - we chose Kilpatrick
2, Gravlssx
3. Scallops (roe on) with smashed broad beans and bacon scallop cream
4. (Amazing) Seafood spaghetti with squid, salmon, premium white fish, prawns with a tomato salsa - one of the best dishes I have ever eaten.
5. Mures prawns and crumbed pink ling with chips, salad, brocollini and beans. And they had the hide to call this Fish and Chips!
6. Finally, dessert! A Chocolate Mousse with salted caramel sauce, toasted cocnut, orange segments and an almond crisp, It was light but oh-so-rich. The other dessert was a much lighter Earl Grey brulee, milk crumb and candied citrus peel.
We enjoyed a cocktail followed by a Pinot Gris for me and a cherry and pear Cider for Gen. We couldn'e even fit in any coffee!!

Decided we would walk along the dock looking at amazing bronzed statuary that pay homage to early settlers, early explorers and those who have lost their lives at sea fishing so that all of Australia can have quality seafoods from the cold southern waters. By now the wind had dropped and there were few pedestrians and even fewer cars, so it was easy to spend the next hour wandering the dock.

We have now returned to the Battery Point Manor and as I finish this tale, Gen is re-loading suitcases in readiness for our departure tomorrow for Port Arthur.

Check in again tomorrow night for the next instalment in our trip!

A day of old and new - historic Hobart and MONA

 Woke this morning feeling like a mac truck had hit me!  Proud of the walking etc yesterday, but methinks I need to pace myself a little.

We got up at 9am and headed out a little while later. So we ended up at Jackman and McRoss for Brunch. It was busy - with locals, with tourists and the local biking fraternity. There's a lively buzz and the clatter of dishes and cutlery, steps on creaking old floorboards all muted by the smells. You know the sort, the smells of warmth and love  and warm breads and pastry. It was divine. 

Meredith had told us of their fabulous pies, but today we chose Potato Rosti with Avocado, Trout and Poached Egg (with an extra egg so we could share). It was at once comfortingly familiar, with a twist of fennel and chilli that showed us the chefs here don't rest on their laurels. We also ordered a Buttermilk and Raisin loaf with Butter and their Raspberry Jam (again, to share). It was amazing. Light, warm, with a sweet crusty top that smashed into delectable shards in your mouth. The loaf itself was fluffy and fragrant with plump raisins that was only enhanced with generous lashings of unsalted butter and even more generous dollops of rich fruity raspberry jam. I'm so in love with this jam, I intend to bring or post (😉) some home. Orders will be taken at $10 per bottle - that'll help pay for my postage!!

We contemplated buying an Opera Cake, or a Lemon and Passionfruit Meringue or some other delectable dessert to have later in the day, but couldn't justify that when we have tartlets, honeys, nuts sweet and savoury, and biscuits remaining from the visit to the Salamanca Markets! Perhaps as we depart the area on Tuesday.

So we took ourselves off on foot for a stroll through Battery Point. Quaint residences sit comfortably among other historic buildings that have been converted into cafes, restaurants of global cuisines (think, nepalese, japanese, thai) alongside historic pubs whose walls would no doubt tell many a salacious tale! Battery Point was named for the battery of guns established on the point as part of the early Hobart defences around 1818. They sat in what is now known as Princes Park. They were decommissioned in 1878 when a review found that instead of protecting the area, they would more likely draw fire into the (by then) heavily residential area.

The homes are small by today's standards, but obviously far more oppulent. The windows are ornate, many with wrought iron window boxes, stunning carved doorways with ornate knockers. The fences are varied, as varied as the houses they encase, but the most amazing sights are the gardens. Trees and flowers jostle with each other in small courtyards and small plots. Roses are blooming, firs are flowering and fruiting. One of the stunning sights were huge multi-coloured hydrangeas - twice as large as the pink and blue ones that graced my grandparents home in Taree. they were elongated in shades of white, creams, muted plummy colours, pastel greens - all in one blossom. Longer than my hand and almost as large as my forearm. Truly beautiful. There are a myriad of scents on the air, which is crisp in the morning. The light is clear, and everything looks bright and sharp. Hobart surely is a stunner.

We vanished back in time for an hour, wandering through Annick's Antiques. If there was only some affordable way to transport a dining table home. Anyone know of any Maryborough (Qld, not Victoria) residents driving a truck home from Tassie? There were so many silverware pieces, tablecloths, doilies and china specialities I could have bought to love! But I have promised myself (and Gen) that we are seriously downsizing our 'stuff' so I won't be buying any more to add to my collections at home.

The weather today is closing in. As we look out to Kunanyi today, like all large mountains the world across, is birthing the clouds that will later today bring a misting damp, dank rain. But for the moment it is still dry, so we head for MONA. Given that its a wheelchair visit, and there are 99 steps to climb from the ferry terminal, we have to bypass the beginning immersion of the Posh Pit on the Ferry. Nevertheless, the drive up the hill to the museum through the grounds of the Moorilla Vineyard is stunning. There are vines ranging from young plants, reaching skywards for the sunlight, to vines thicker than my arms that have withstood weathering, rain and dry and are now producing amazing bounties. The last of the grapes are refusing to fall, as if defying the whim of man and seasons by purposely missing the picking season!

And although the view from the water must be amazing, Gen made sure that I saw the weathered steel bulkheads from every possible angle. Steel and concrete and glass superimposing features are set amazingly sympathetically into the landforms in which it sits. The plants on the grounds are pre-dominantly native with the familiar scents of which they are so readily known. Its quite a juxtaposition, yet seems so 'normal' or 'natural'!

We began by exploring the outside exhibits of which there are plenty. From the neatly coiffed ramps set within steel frames leading you down to the well-shared rusted steel sculpture of a cement truck on the back of a prime-mover - constructed of the most ornate and 'pretty' iron lacework! There was the dome reminiscent of the horn of an old gramaphone - I sat there leaning in, straining to hear someone - floors below me - wanting to talk with someone out in the open air - but to no avail. It sat, a silent sentinel today, holding tight to secret conversations shared past. But for me, the most amazing was the white cube room, void of anything. One entry door in and one door on the adjacent side wall, leads out, and with narrow slit-like windows that have triangular glass rods inserted in them. If you just walk in , wonder and walk out, you will miss the majesty of glass and sunlight. But, if you sit quietly in reflection for a few minutes, you are rewarded with the magic of the rainbows that prisms create. The play of light that moves fleetingly through the room on all walls, across the floor and across the ceiling certainly have a magical feeling to them. We eventually leave and continue to the top viewing deck to take in the amazing views that this elevated position provides, before returning again, back down the winding path to the main museum.

Staff here, like most service staff we have encountered here in Hobart are very friendly and helpful. Now, you need to enter MONA with few expectations and fewer inhibitions. All the exhibits are below ground and the instruction is to start at the bottom. Like many of the instructions, this is double entende - a play on words. The collection is very eclectic, yet has been curated into a collection that gathers around themes. There are the old such as the Butchering Scene from a tomb in Saqqara, Egypt, dating to around to 2494 BC - carved in limestone with remaining traces of pigment. Then there are the new, such as the musical composition that is played by a quartet every afternoon at 4pm, of the music the composer has written that day - truly a work in progress.

There are Australian wonders of Sidney Nolan and 'Two Canoes' 2004 by Judy Watson who was born so close to home in Mundubbera. There are the challenging and confronting. From the collection of works based on suicide notes to the 'infamous' Vagina Wall - how different we all are!! Gen watched it from the sensual vibrating couch!
We walked passed a lush emerald green velvet curtain to be gestured stealthily into 'The Ladies Parlour' where two women were enjoying a high tea whilst being serenaded by a blindfolded saxophonist and treated to silver service by a butler. The room was subtly lit by an amazing crystal chandelier and its walls housed ornate treasures - crowns, small vessels and gilded sculptures and Egyptian jewellery including rings, brooches and headpieces.

For me, one of the most amazing installations was 'supersymmetry' two pieces that were inspired by the artist's residency at CERN. A conception of light pulses, strobe lights and grating sounds that depict CERN's work into mathematical modelling to help explain why particles have mass. Mathematical equations dash along computer screens while tiny balls dance across the plastic sheets over sound boxes. Absolutely enthralling.

We left MONA quite exhausted. It winds up and down, in and out, weaving a curated line through the main buildimg. Towards the end there are two exhibits designed to bring you to some internal 'peace' - one where you sit and sort into whichever pattern or process you choose, rice and lentils, allowing you to spend quiet time by yourself. The other is a depiction of the Library of Alexandria, one of the seven wonders of the ancient worl, lost to all mankind. It is presented as a library of nothing. white books with white, blank pages on white shelves. So we departed just short of the closing time, hours after we entered, knowing some, questioning more and with a feeling of accomplishment. Gen still feels its not something for her, but did say she enjoyed it more this visit. Maybe not for everyone, but I would still tell you to visit. I found it enthralling.

Back to Battery Point, trying to find somewhere for dinner, with most places fully booked. We strike it lucky a block away, but need to drive as it is now raining. The Shipwright's Arms is a local pub with a very tasty bistro. Andrew and Meredith's son Nick works here, but as luck would have it, he is at home in Queensland this weekend. I follow Meredith's recommendation and have the Seafood Chowder and Gen chooses their half Crayfish. Both now come with our recommendation also! Then back to the Battery Point Manor for some well-deserved rest. My feet kill me and Gen reckons that her calves will be screaming tomorrow!

We are hoping to get into the city centre for some walks tomorrow - but the weather will dictate our actual plans. Stay tuned peoples!