King Island - let the food porn commence . . .

We left the Leisure Ville Holiday Centre nice and early to make sure we were at the airport with plenty of time to load the wheelchair and me.

It is quiet as we leave the accommodation and the light still early. Nothing moves quickly here and we follow a car until the town centre turnoff at about 40 kph. But the airport is only 5 minutes from the Park so we have left plenty of time. Still took a wrong turn - its a little frustrating how long it takes the GPS to catch up with your real-time location. Gosh, talk about first world problems!

The airport is fractionally smaller than Hervey Bay. Yet is it welcoming, friendly and efficient. The first real surprise is the cost of parking - first couple of hours free then $2 per hour. For longer periods, the price drops dramatically. 3 days or part thereof is going to cost us the princely sum of $12! The next surprise was that at 8am the coffee shop opened and the regular travellers, complete with business suits and laptops all queue for their regular. 

There are two planes on the tarmac. A Sharp Airlines Metroliner that is our plane for King Island and a Rex Airlines plane. I guess it is heading for either Hobart or perhaps Melbourne. They advise us that they will board us first before other passengers. I took one look at the steps up into the plane - there was no way I could manage them, and there was no guide rail, rather just a rope on either side, We book the wheelchair on as luggage - Sharp have one to take me out to the plane and once there they wheel out a manual lift which I walk on to and they manually crank me up. It feels like I am going to be higher than the plane itself! Once at my regal height, the 'lift' is wheeled the remaining 6 feet to the plane and once the lip is inside the plane, it is lowered so that there is no gap for me to trip on. "Mind your head ma'am" I am advised as a set of hands guides me from behind and another pair welcomes me in to the plane. 

We were surprised to see the plane already half-filled. Wow, this must be the plane from Launceston. It carries a total OF 15 passengers and two pilots. Configuration of seven rows of one seat on either side of the aisle plus one row of three at the very rear, adjacent to the divider from the freight half of the plane. Gen and I have two seats 7B and 7C in that back row. We assume that there is no-one in 7A and have to make a mad scramble when a lady, obviously a regular passenger walks down. She insists that she is fine to sit in the centre seat, but thankfully for us (and her) the co-pilot suggests that we would all be more comfortable if she moved to the other single spare seat on the plane. Without request, he brings a seatbelt extender and says that he didn't want Gen to feel like she was being strangled for the entire flight! 

After a short safety briefing which entailed an explanation on how to fit a life vest, and how to plug in to the oxygen supply if advised - none of this masks dropping from the bulkhead. There are quiet giggles when I ask if the life vests are all new "Never used" was his quick reply! The taxi out to the runway perimeter seems to take forever. Gen is not the best of fliers and this plane will be the smallest either of us have flown in. She tenses, eyes shut and fists tightly clenched as we roar down the runway and lift into the blue yonder. Today however, it is the white yonder, not blue as there is almost 8/8 cloud cover. Disappointing as I was hoping to get some nice photos of the Tasmanian coast as we flew over, and then of King Island on our approach. The cloud is slowly peeling back from the coast as the rest of the area around Wynyard comes to life. They cling on lingering in valleys. 

We reach cruising altitude not too far from Wynyard and from then on, we have a blanket of rolling white below us. The clouds look and behave much like waves with very distinct peaks and troughs. They look snug and cuddly. The light is short - 30 minutes, so its almost a case of as soon as we reach cruising altitude, we are beginning our descent! Gen again gets very tense as we come down through the cloud layer - this is the one bumpy bit on the flight. 

I am not sure what I was expecting King Island to look like, but it wasn't this. The land is flatter than I imagine - I mean there are hills, but looking from above, it is clear to me that these are stabilised dunes. There are a million small lakes/ponds/dams. And everything is so dry. The landscape is shades of yellow and light green as opposed to the lush green palette that I had been expecting. Before long, we have touched down and are taxiing to the gate. Gen and I wait on board while all the other passengers alight and then Gen walks ahead of me to the plane door. She alights and I am left at the top of the steps. A lift is being wheeled out - this one motor driven as opposed to the one in Wynyard. Once it is aligned with the door again I step onto it and they lower it ever so gently. I get the feeling that this is not used too often! I am happy to help them all hone their skills 😉. Seeing my wheelchair being unloaded, Gen suggests that we just use ours. Off we head for the terminal, Gen pushing me, me holding the ctutches, Gen also wheeling our carry-on luggage that had been booked as freight and the co-pilot wheeling the lift.

We are back in the land of tourism appreciation. "You are very welcome" is the catchphrase that we are greeted with at every point again. The young lady at the hire car desk at the airport is cheerful and confident. She explains the rules - if the road isn't marked on the map, then the insurance won't cover it. Unsealed roads are fine. so long as it is marked on the map! There is a network of sealed roads and about twice as many unsealed!

King Island is not large at a mere 1,098 sq. kms. But it is the largest island in the New Year Group and the second largest in Bass Strait, between northern Tasmania and southern Victoria. There are three main towns - centrally located Currie (the largest and centre of the Island's administration), Grassy in the south and Pegarah on the east coastline. Once we have the car organised, we decide to drive into Currie, 9kms from the airport to have some brunch. The King Island Bakehouse is renowned, so its here we head.

Gen is ecstatic. Our hire care is a Nissan X-Trail. She sits higher than in the Lancer. While the inside capacity is the same, just the fact that it has a bit more 'grunt' makes her happy. I'm pleased for her! King Island has more than its per sq. km allocation of things to see and do. And that first stop for us is the Bakehouse. They are known throughout Tasmania  for their pies. We are standing looking at their menu board when the attendant asks what we want. "Eeny, meeny, miny, mo" was my first reply that got a giggle. I really want to try their crayfish pie before we leave here, but fear that it will be too rich at this time of the day. So we settle for plain beef pies, a mini pecan tart and a slice of (sublime) honey cinnamon roulade. Plus a coffee each. we sit inside, out of the wind and slowly savour those morsels of local goodness.

Hunger dealt with we decide to drive north toward Cape Wickham. We start out on the sealed road, but its not too long before "Ooh, that sounds interesting" gets the better of me and we head onto gravel roads. We head for Quarantine Bay where there are the wrecks of four ships in the area. We travel through rolling dunes, miles and miles and miles of them. We see large herds of hereford and black angus bulls. Hundreds to the hectare, literally. I can't believe the load per hectare. It is maybe 100% more than I have ever seen before. The birdlife is amazing. There are flocks of paired Cape Barron Geese, more blackbirds than anywhere else - and they are HUGE. Then there are the domesticated geese being farmed, pheasants that take flight as we pass them. Millions of tiny wrens and swallows flock together in murmurations sweeping through the sky all around us. We saw a solitary eagle soaring on the thermals before diving to some prey we could not see. There was a peacock and two peahens dashing into the briar, turkeys being fatted and the ever-present seagulls - the common white ones as well as the brown Pacific gulls. Yes, King Island is a bird haven. There are a number of hides across the island and April is devoted to a birdwatching and monitoring program.

Moving on we are still driving north - its not far, but the roads need to be driven carefully and slowly. We pass the King Island Dairy, home to the wonderful King Island Cheeses, and we vow to have lunch here on our return trip. Finally we reach Cape Wickham and the Cape Wickham Lighthouse, home to Australia's tallest lighthouse, built in 1861 and then automated in the 1920s. It sends its light far out into the inky depths to the west of Tasmania and was built in response to the numerous ships that had crashed into the rocks of King Island. Initially it caused further sinkings when captains mistook the lighthouse for one on the southern point of Victoria and then turning south and sailing straight into treacherous rocks. Gen takes a walk along the beach and we sit for half an hour, just taking it all in.

Our hunger gets the better of us and we turn south back to the King Island Dairy. The cheese tasting and history building is quiet with only one other couple there. We opt for the cheese tasting - a sample of six of their cheeses: Three Rivers Triple Cream Brie, Victoria Cove Smoked Camembert,  Lighthouse Blue Brie, Endeavour Gorgonzola Style Blue, Surprise Bay Cheddar and Stokes Point Smoked Cheddar. I discovered that I do like (good) blue cheese and Gen is finally developing a palate for cheese (yay!). We also had a Baked Brie with walnuts, thyme and local (manuka) honey. Oh it was so good. we bought some souvenirs and have sent some cheese home. We will host a cheese tasting when we get home - better let us know if you want an invitation! In order to get them home, we rush back to Currie so that we can make the post. Our parcel will be kept refrigerated until it leaves the Island! Guess we aren't the first to do this.

The afternoon is drawing to a close, so we head to check in to our accommodation. Boomerang By the Sea. Set on the edge of a cliff with views out over a rocky cove we hold high hopes. Not fully dashed, but this property is very quiet and looks very tired. There are three rooms being checked in today - we know this because there is a sign on the reception door with our names and room numbers, and the advice that keys are in the doors! Talk about trusting! However, we know that there is at least one policeman on the Island because he was eating his morning snack at the same time as us in the bakery this morning - and its not easy to flee the island!! Still, the room is clean and the bathroom is accessible. Turns out Monday night is everyone's night off with the exception of Wild Harvest - the paddock to plate restaurant in Grassy. We phone expectantly, but they are booked out all month. So we head down to the King Island Hotel for dinner tonight. Very pub food, my Schnitzel was tasty with herbs and cheese in the crumb and Gen's Eye Fillet was cooked to perfection - blue but not leaking blood! She was happy. She was going to have vegetables instead of the house salad but at an extra $6 she decided no. Its easy to understand, we saw potatoes at $5.8/kg, mandarins at $15/kg and capsicum was $16.6/kg. Turns out, vegetables are at a premium here!

Day 1 of 3 done, we are tired and heading for bed. Tomorrow we will head to the south to Grassy and a Calcified Forest. Sleep well.

The story of The Nut

Following our disappointing night last night, we returned to our little cabin to continue our search for accommodation when we arrive back on the 'big' island on Wednesday night. We had booked a unit at a motel between Wynyard and Burnie, but after driving passed it the other day, we cancelled it. They are at the back of a pub that is in the middle of nowhere (figurtaively speaking of course) that is surrounded by industrial units. And on our way back last night, it is lit up with neon signs highlighting Gaming and Licensed. Yep, very glad we cancelled it.

This has always been the way that I have travelled, with a start point and a finish point/date and little else planned. That flexibility has afforded me some wonderful opportunities that would have been missed if I had already locked in other plans.
Covid however, has put a big damper on this style of travel. Without the opportunity to travel internationally, everyone craving an 'overseas' trip is presently travelling in Tasmania. I kid you not! And so, we are struggling to find accommodation at short notice.  So today we abandoned plans to come back to Burnie and will travel a little further east to stay for the night we arrive back in Tassie at Penguin. Then we are moving on directly to Launceston for 4-5 days and will do day trips in the region. Staying in Penguin will also provide opportunity to have a morning catching up with Bruce in Ulverstone - its been many many years!

Travelling for over a month necessitates that some of the boring 'normal' daily activities to be done. While I don't scrimp on holidays, I refuse to spend much of our budget on continually buying new clothes! Ergo, washing is a must. Staying in self-catering accommodation provides opportunity to make our own breakfasts (and other meals if preferred) and provides options for laundry. Once we have had our breakfast of crumpets with honey and some of the fabulous cheese we have been lucky enough to purchase, Gen takes herself off to the laundry which is conveniently opposite our cabin. 

Washing on average once a week has worked well. But you are never in the right place at the right time - one place requires $1 coins for washing machine and/or dryers, other require $2 coins. And it is almost always the ones we don't have - oh, for some consistency!! The actual cost of a load of laundry is $4 per load, plus an additional $4 if you want to put it all through the dryer. We prefer to not use dryers and were thrilled that there was a clothes line outside the back of our cabin WITH some pegs! We travel with a small twist line that doesn't require pegs, but haven't had to resort to it yet. 

The day is beeyootiful! We are headed for a top of 21, there is. little cloud cover and only a gentle breeze blowing. The washing is gently dancing on the line as we head west towards Stanley. It takes us a bit to get going this morning, and we blame the ennui of our slack day yesterday!

Stanley is a 66 km drive that will take us about 50 minutes snaking our way west along the coast. Its a drive through beautiful countryside, rolling hills and far off mountain ranges to our left, with coastal beaches and rocky headlands to our right. There are dancing lights across the waters as clouds move in and out of view - its truly looks like diamonds sparkling. 

Gen has been telling me all along of her first visit to Stanley and how proud she was that she had walked the path up The Nut rather than take the chairlift. She did that because she has a fear or heights. We come around a bend and there it is - The Nut. We are 38 kms away, and it fills the centre of my vision. It is enormous! As we draw nearer, you can see the path zig-zagging up The Nut - it stands out clearly and the people 'walking' up the path look like ants! We have also been told that Hurseys is a really good seafood restaurant. 

Daylight saving ended in Tasmania in the wee hours of this morning. When we arrived in Stanley it had just gone 12 noon. We see the big Crayfish that signifies Hurseys, and given our light breakfast, decide that we should have lunch first given that they are only open for lunch between 12 and 2 pm. Lunch will also fuel our trek on The Nut. We enter the premises through the takeaway shop. There is a lift to the first floor restaurant. As the lift doors open you are greeted with magnificent views across the small port to the sheltered bay. The restaurant is spotless, well laid out and we are met promptly by a young waitress dressed in a simple, smart black uniform with the company logo embroidered in red.

She asked if we had a reservation, and as I looked around the restaurant, there was only two other tables seated, I answered no. We were shown to a window-side table and left with menus to contemplate our hunger and how best to satisfy it!! There were Specials Boards around the room. Now, their speciality is Crayfish, or as we better know them - LOBSTER! And as the saying goes, "when in Rome . . ."

In the end, we order a Cold Seafood Platter that included a half medium lobster (1.1kg whole), prawns, pickled octopus, smoked salmon, salad and sauces; and another half medium lobster that was served with chips and salad. OMG - there was so much lobster crayfish. It was so white, so succulent, so moist, so delicious. Gen tackled (some of) the prawns, octopus and salmon and I think perhaps a mouthful or two of the salad. The rest of the salad and the chips went to waste. Honestly, we should have thought to tell them not to serve the 'sides'. It was quite wasteful, but if I had tried to eat anything other than the crayfish, then I am quite sure that I would have been sick. The service was impeccable and the meal delicious. Great value for money too.

Lunch done, we headed the couple of streets to The Nut chairlift building. There is a cafe at the base, but we decide that we need to walk off our lunch before we have a Valhalla Ice Cream. Gen looks up the path and is amazed that five years before she had actually climbed the path. It is very very steep. There is no way that I could have walked any of it. It was enough of challenge to walk the incline to the chairlift office! Gen has gone very quiet. Knowing that I can't walk the path, and wanting to make sure that I saw the stunning views from The Nut. She also understands that I am going to need assistance in getting on and off the chairlift with my crutches. So, facing her fears, she came along with me on the chairlift. The young man at the base station explained that he could not stop the chair, but could slow it down. He was calm, which was important in reassuring Gen, and we managed to take our seats without incidence. He radioed ahead to the top station to advise that we would need assistance. She went quiet, very quiet. I tried to reassure her, encouraged her not to look up or down, but the look around at the level where we were. It was not a long ride - there are four numbered pylons only.

We arrived shortly at the top without incident and alighted without problem. At the top of The Nut, there are a number of walks that can be taken. I want to try to get to the closest lookout which is a 250m walk. I managed to get about 200m along the undulating path before we are met with a flight of stony steps without any handrails. I don't dare to try to go further. Gen is disppointed, me not so much - it is what it is, and I was pleased to be able to do at lest part of it. But I don't want to let my lack of ability to hinder Gen revisiting the walk she had previously done. So I returned to the chairlift station and waited at a picnic table. Gen intrepidly set off on the circular path around the top of The Nut that is 2.2km in length.

I watch people come and go, those who have come up on the chairlift like us, and others who arrive red-faced with the exertion of the steep walk up the path. There were older groups, quite a few mature ladies travelling together, a surprising number of families with young or teenage children and lots of Asians travelling this part of Tasmania.

There is surprisingly little wind - just the occasional eddy. Its surreal because even when there was a wisp of wind, there was no sound. The tussocks of grass sway gently and silently. The only sound you can hear was the intermittent chatter of excited children "I'm on the top of the volcano!" "No, not quite yet, but nearly," was the patient reply. Adults speak in hushed tones, as if so not to break the spell of this place. And from way below us in the town there is the sound of a vexed dog, barking constantly at something that was irritating him.    

I do not really enjoy the downward trip, that feeling of leaving your stomach behind has never thrilled me, but I try to remain very calm so that Gen did not pick up on my jitters. Just look at the horizon I tell her, following my own advice - don't look down. The view is absolutely amazing - it truly is. You can see bay after bay after inlet and in the distance, cows grazing in fields and further away, mountain range after mountain range. 

We arrive safely back down at the base and settle in for a coffee and a Valhalla Ice Cream. Delicious as always. Gen drove around the outside coves and past the convict remains of The Highfields. At this time on a Sunday, they are now closed so we head for our home base in Wynyard. En-route we take the coastal route off the Bass Highway to come back into Wynyard and make a quick detour to have a look at the Table Cape Lighthouse from the lookout on the next point. From this point you look across almost 100 klms of coastline from beyond Ulverstone in the east to Wynyard below us. Its is amazing. And all the rocky outcrops in the sea are good evidence of the importance of this lighthouse.

Back at the Leisure Ville Holiday Park Gen collects the now dry washing.  We spend a bit of time rearranging our luggage to take what we want to King Island tomorrow. As night falls, we head back in to Burnie to fuel the car, and to try to find the little penguins. The main season is from September to March during which time a volunteer organisation takes free guided walks to the nesting dunes. We follow Google Maps to where the centre is, are briefly mistaken for someone else as we slow down and wind the window down to ask directions (Oh, you are not who I was expecting. Do either of you smoke?  No mate) - we hurry off before we are implicated in anything less than savory! (wink wink)

Finally we read between the map lines and find ourselves down at the shelter used by the guides. Locked up as tight as a barrel, deserted for the season. We do get out, we hear what we think are the penguins and our patience and persistence is paid off. We spend the better part of an hour taking night photos, trying not to fall over in the dark - thankfully the path is very even and flat. We watch and make noises with about 2 dozen little penguins - how very special!

The night sky is very dark tonight, showing lots of stars, but there is too much ambient light to get good photos - perhaps we will be luckier on King Island. We phone Antony to wish them a good holiday. They leave for Chinchilla at 5 am tomorrow morning for a week and are taking all 5 of their telescopes as well as their astronomical cameras with them. They will get great photos I know - they gifted me a print from their last trip there, for Christmas.

Off to King Island at 8am tomorrow - watch out for the food porn.  Can't wait! 

A Wynyard with no trains in sight.

Its the weekend, and we all deserve a sleep in sometime, so today was our chosen day. The morning dawns clear - we have been so lucky with the weather in this trip down south. BOM is predicting 21 degrees today, so off comes the jumper and the spencer and out comes a short sleeved top. It makes a nice change from feeling like the Muffin Man! lol.

Turns out that wall has not yet moved. We decide that a rest day is in order. The Leisure Ville Park is pleasant, sitting in the sun and sheltered from any wind. It's quiet too. I'm sitting in the sun squinting as I go through about a week's worth of emails. Gen is catching up on sleep and intermittently waking and browsing on the net. 

Wynyard is a quiet beach-side town with surprisingly little traffic. Likes it namesake in Sydney, there is a rail line and therefore presumably station here. But unlike Sydney, the trains have long since stopped running. Pity, kit would have made for a very picturesque trip from Burnie through to Stanley hugging the littoral dune, mere metres from the beach sands. The waves barely ripple this evening. Even a nipper would not be challenged. The tide is out and the rock shelves are all exposed, as are break-walls a little way off the beach and any number of rocky outrops. Yet the water is quite high on the beach. It will be interesting to see the tidal change.

There are heaps of posts on the Travelling Tasmania Facebook pages with stunning photos of Aurora Australis sightings from the north west region of Tasmania. OMG that is where we are! The only challenge is that it is only visible in the wee hours of the morning. Is that something that we might like to try? Bloody oath it is. That means that we will need to get some rest today. That is also doable! So we will go into Burnie this afternoon and treat ourselves to a movie. It's the beginning of the school holidays so the pickings are a little lean, but Gen is wanting to see Morbius, and without anything jumping out for me, that is what we opt to see. The afternoon showing will be in time to allow us an early dinner before a few hours shut-eye if we want to venture out for some night viewing. 

Well, that was the plan. Turns out that our restaurant of choice didn't have any sittings until 8 pm so we decide to see a later showing before dinner. Gen was disappointed that Morbius was not dark enough whilst I was pleased that there was a half plausible story line and not too much blood and gore. The theatre did have Valhalla Ice Cream so that was another bonus. Weren't too many others in the theatre, just a group of teenage boys, with all the chest-thumping of such once the movie was over.  Felt like standing up and telling them to watch out, I was the one with the crutches - don't worry you'll get it if you go and see the movie! 😄

We have booked in to have dinner at Bayviews. The menu on their website holds much promise. Put on the glad-rags and all. The first hint that we might be disappointed is the volume of noise on arrival. Making our way to the beachfront entry, we pass the bistro and takeaway downstairs. Arriving at the restaurant upstairs (there is a lift thankfully) the noise is coming from here - the 'background' music is way too loud and this is matched by the noise of dining patrons. Our tables weren't quite ready so we ordered a cocktail and sat while the server cleaned a bar booth table for us to sit at - but not the filthy floor under it. The restaurant is packed - so much so that our waiter had to ask one lady to stand, and she moved her chair to enable me to pass with the crutches to our large window side table. Covid, what on earth is that? Despite all the signage at the restaurant entrance, there is no way a 1.5m rule could be applied anywhere here.

We had like the look of the Chef's Tasting Menu at $120 per head (6 courses) but this is only available before 7:30pm. A little disappointed we chose a variety of entrees, mains, a dessert tasting plate and a 3-cheese plate. A glass of wine each and a coffee. An expensive evening wasn't totally wasted, the entree tasting plate was nice, and Gen said her lamb was really delicious, but we found the other menu choices were somewhat mis-matched. I am disappointed enough to provide some constructive criticism, but will do it directly to the management, not here.

We have realised that there is too much ambient light here to hope to see any Aurora, but hope that King Island will afford us a better choice.

Trying to decide where to book accommodation for our last couple of weeks. It's definitely more appealing to stay for more days in one spot and do day trips than it is to change accommodation daily.

Monday morning nice and early we fly from Wynyard to King Island, returning late on Wednesday. We will book another couple of nights is Burnie and I hope to catch up with a friend from my teenage years - Bruce Harpley. He and his family live in Ulverstone, a short drive from Burnie. He is a glass artist in his spare time and I have previously bought Izabella a hand-made Tardis Clock for christmas a few years back from him.

Tomorrow we are heading to Stanley and The Nut. More stories after then.

We move to Wynyard in the North

A late night following the trip to Strahan for the day has well and truly taken its toll today and this afternoon I hit the wall big time. I've just re-surfaced after a couple of hours sleeping to have dinner. We are presently watching Magical Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald while sitting under a blanket at the foot of the air-conditioner draught. You forget how cold it can be on the Coast and what a different cold it is to the cold of the mountains. It is a little 'damper' As though the cold air is carried on the droplets of the air.

Snippets of the show 'The Ship That Never Was" last night come back unbidden. I swear I will never look at a vegetable steamer the same way again - it became a jellyfish flittering open and closed and when directed to sit, the audience cast member with the steamer became a box jellyfish. Get it? Sit. On a box. Box Jellyfish!

This play at one glance is full of fun and nonsense, but in reality, it is so much more. There is so much wit, social comment and references to current and past opinions, stances and stories that you really need to hold Richard Davey (the writer) and his actor daughter, Kiah is quite some esteem. I would have loved to spend some time with her after the play, but the light was fading fast and Gen wanted to be closer to our accommodation in Queenstown 45 minutes away before dark hit. It still feels a little strange that at after 7pm it is still light - daylight saving finishes here on Sunday, so we can take advantage of that extra hour for more sleep!

Our stay at the Gold Rush Inn has been unexpectedly comfortable. At the time of booking, we were having so much trouble finding accommodation that we took their last room, which just happened to be the Executive Suite. To be honest, it was a little more expensive than what we were hoping to pay, but believe me, it was worth every penny. We get the feeling that it must have, at one time, been the manager's residence. It is adjacent to the Reception and is the only room with undercover parking. There was a king-sized bed, a full lounge with a smart TV (and streaming service access!!) plus a full-sized kitchen with full-sized fridge, microwave, stove (not that we needed it) and a pod coffee machine! The table and chairs comfortably sat 4mpeople. We have had the space to bring e v e r y t h i n g out of the car to try to sort out what is being posted home, and what we will continue to carry, knowing full well that we will probably buy more souvenirs!

After checking out we head into town to have a look around Queenstown. The Mining Museum is very comprehensive. Its like the Military Museum back home, while the title refers predominantly to the mining activity and history, the Museum also has an amazing collection of the social past of Queenstown. There are surely a number of people here who have collected every little item that relates to the living of lives in Queenstown - there are rooms and rooms and rooms devoted to it!

Some displays are indeed very unique - there is a whole room dedicated to the Mining Disaster of 1912 where a fire broke out, killing 42 men. Amongst all the memorabilia was a list of the miners, their personal status (single, married, family man etc) and what compensation was paid. While the average appeared to be around 200 pound, some were as low as 10 pound and the largest was 700 pound. It seems that where a bereaved widow with children to support negotiated, she was taken advantage of, whilst the lawyer father of another single miner negotiated that highest figure. Seems that enterprise has changed little over the years, with the powerful taking advantage of those with less or no power.

We walked through the 7 rooms on the ground floor and there are another 16 floors on the two stories above us. There is no lift, and when I asked Gen if she wanted to go and take a look, she said no, that museums are not really her 'thing'. "Why then did we come here?," I asked to which she said, "I know you  like them!" Ain't that love!! She did however, find some of their geology collection of crystal specimens quite interesting.

From here we drive into the Town Centre sand walk the couple of blocks. Oh good, there is the Post Office - we buy post bags and boxes to pack for home. And although is cost a tidy sum, it is still cheaper than excess baggage fees will be! And it gives us a chance to take a photo of the orange shop. It is not open, and with black plastic dropsheets hiding everything behind the window display, we will never know if in fact it every traded. It is bizarre and quaint and unusual and quirky all at once.

We are headed back over the mountain ranges through to the north coast. In readiness for our side trip to King Island on Monday, we have decided to stay in Wynyard for the next couple of days, and do a few day trips from here. We have a cabin at the LeisureVille Caravan Park, on the Old Bass Highway here in Wynyard, right across the from Freestone Cove looking out across the bay and the mouth of the Inglis River to Table Cape - an imposing plateau jutting into the waters of the Tasman Strait. It is nice to have beach views again after all those majestic mountains.

The drive over began in the mountains and I think that Gen is well and truly over the hairpins and ups and downs for the minute. One minute we are looking skywards at the dominant Dolerite Crags, the next we are travelling though dark tree'd tunnels through the rainforests. As I peer deep into the blackness, there are occasional shafts of light piercing the dense foliage and illuminating a single tree or fern, or at best, a glade. The closer we get to the coast, the thinner the trees become. No longer are they the lush growth of the ages, but are now the ordered, geometric, linear plantings of hardwood forests. No matter how clever man might be in growing timber for use, we can never match the beauty and mighty strength of mother nature with her trees of immense girth and ageless wisdom. 

We take a side detour to visit Zeehan - how many towns in Australia can claim to begin with a 'Z'? Dr Google (using the Austpost site) tells me there are 11! There are a number of small disparate museums here, and we again run into the hot rod cars towing vintage caravans that we saw at The Wall the other day. However, you could only buy a combined ticket at $25 per person - that explains why people were looking over the colourbond fence at the Railway museum. They would do better to offer a ticket to a single museum and discount tickets to multiple museums, so they did not lose all funds. I mean $50 for two of us to see the one museum we wanted to visi?! Nope. Not wanting to leave without spending any money, we stopped at the coffee cart outside the museum and bought coffees and pies - they are really good here.  

Back to the main road, we pass through Rosebery where there is supposed to be a good bakery - well, there might have been one. Not any more, it is closed and the shop marked For Sale in the window. There is an IGA with a post office franchise. Every other shop in the town is closed. This is an area in serious economic decline. I guess that even mining has an end-date.

So we push on. Closer to the coast, we now return to those idyllic pastoral scenes - cattle being fatted in green fields, hay stock-piled for the winter, wrapped tightly in green or lilac wrappings. And the roadwork. Yep, kilometres and kilometres at 40 kph. we pass over newly laid bitumen and the smell takes me back to memories of my father-in-law who carried bitupave for the last of his working years. High above Burnie, we again see the sea as diamonds sparkling in the afternoon sun. Its a sight for tired eyes.

In recognition of our return to the coast, we decide on Fish 'n' Chips for dinner. Needing milk, once we check in we head into the town centre, passing a seafood outlet - right on the beach! Gen will come back later for our order. Turns out seafood is expensive all over the country - they have Trevalla for $50/kg fresh and as a meal combo, it is $23 per serve which turns out to be battered. However, that batter was so light - think tempura batter - and the fish so fresh, so white. It is a truly delicious dinner.

A quiet night in watching some telly (supposed we really should go out late to try to see the Aurora Australis, but seriously we are too tired). Night all. we plan a sleep in tomorrow before a trip over to Stanley 45 minutes away so Gen can show me The Nut! Hope the chairlift is working - that'll be the only way I will be going up it!!

Hope you are all well. Avagoodweekend as the saying goes. 

World Heritage Wilderness at its best

Almost all of south west Tasmania is a National Park.

Wilderness areas are such vital resources in the dwindling untouched areas of our planet. And yet, for these to be understood and appreciated for what they are and the important role they play, people need the opportunity to safely explore these areas.

This morning we are up the earliest we have started since leaving Brisbane. The alarm goes off at 5:30am. Argh, on holidays that seems all too early! But it is for good cause. This morning we are driving from Queenstown over the mountains and down the west coast slightly to Strahan to join the World Heritage Cruises, a local family-owned company who operate cruises on the Gordon River. We get to Strahan in the early morning light, with Gen dropping me off near the door and going to find the parking.

Remember, we were lucky to get the last two tickets on this boat. As I walk across the wharf apron towards the booking office, I marvel at the sleek vessel that sits alongside. It sure looks like someone has made a significant investment in this business. I can only hope that the last two years of Covid restrictions haven't crippled them. Surely now though, they are well into recovery. This boats seats 192 persons and carries 8 crew and 1 skipper. It is fully booked. And there is a second boat the same that we can only assume is also fully booked. Gen and I did a bit of mathematical calculation and at the income (less staffing, fuel and services) the company should easily service their debt. Good on them.  

I get into the office and see one of the sales staff immediately. While we had booked and paid for our tickets over the phone, I still need to collect them. I ask whether there was any option for Upper Deck seats - in the event of a cancellation or no-show. She explains that there have already been some requests, but that she will add our name to the list. In the meantime, she can offer us an upgrade from the centre seats to two window seats. Yes thank you, we most definitely want the upgrade. Another $70? Sure. An upgrade to the upper deck would have been another $150+.

We get the call to board the boat at 8 am. We are the first in line, and as the crew warmly welcome up aboard, I repeat my request to be considered for any possibility of an upgrade to the upper lounge. We are told that it will be highly unlikely, and are shown to our seats 341 and 342 on the starboard (right) side of the boat. The boat is filled very efficiently with two of the crew on the main deck and another three on the upper deck, just directing people to their seats. In every sense, this is a very well-oiled machine!

The boat is filled, and we are pulling away from the wharf on time at 8:30am. For the size of the vessel, it is very manouverable and responsive. The captain guides the boat - the Spirit of the Wind deftly through the Macquarie Harbour. A running commentary is continued by the crew, interspersed with video presentations by various 'charachters' that we get to know during our trip. We learn of the selttement of Strahan and the development of the company in whose hands we place ourselves today.

We commence our trip in Macquarie Harbour and travel the only safe channel with the history of past (early) engineering feats to render the passage safe for all vessels - of underwater 'walls' constructed with rock mined from the surrounding mountains. We continue at a standard speed, with very little wake - its amazing the power yet gentleness of such a large catamaran. There is no other marine traffic and there is a light rain falling gently against the huge picture windows that run the length of the boat. Inside, the cabin is spacious, with seating in a 2 aisle,4 ailse, 4 aisle, 2 seat configuration. despite the number of passengers, it is not crowded. Behind us is a service area where you can purchase snacks, morning tea, coffee, or alcoholic drinks. Lunch is included in the price of the tickets.

I digress. We are approaching Hells Gates. while it might sound alarming, in today's world of technological feats, this narrow passage, surrounded by shallows that can be as little as inches deep, provides the only route out of Macquarie Harbour - and in to the wilder Southern Ocean with ease. This is the realm of the almighty 'Roaring Forties' those infamous winds that have been the downfall of many a sailor! Inside the gates, it is easy to tell where the channel runs as the water looks a deep blue. All the other waters are varying shades of an almost tropical azure - reflecting the shallowness of those waters. From time to time during the voyage, the captain displays the depth (electronic) charts he is following and we can easily see the channel. We are now through the 'gates' and into deeper water. There are whitcaps all around us, yet the rise is still smooth, we can feel an increase in the swell, but it is not alarming, just more of a slight rolling sensation.

The next point of interest is to be shown a small part of the large industry that is salmon farming. We are advised that there are three companies farming salmon here in large circular 'pens' covered with mess, not to keep the fish in, but to keep predators out. Predators that include the Australian Fur Seal who very 'on-cue' pops his head to acknowledge the mention - far too fast for anyone to capture it by photo. Here one second, gone the next! Much of the process is mechanised with large vessels pulling up alongside the pens to dispense feed, clean pens and the waters they sit in, and even to vacuum harvest the fish from the waters once they have reached a marketable size.

We continue past Sarah Island, the home of yet another penal colony in this beautiful, isolated part of the world. Here were housed repeat offenders from points all over the settled world. But more of that later.

We have now reached the mouth of the mighty Gordon River. Without this cruise, the only way to see this area is by overland hike - and a very significant one at that. We have entered the World Heritage Listed area are the Gordon-Franklin River systems. The boat pauses, momentarily, as the diesel engines are switched to almost silent electric engines for the cruise in to the pristine waters that might have been lost. (There is a fleeting reference to the Green Lobby that saw the danger of dam construction in this area stopped, but this is definitely not the focus of the day.) There are a number of reasons that this hybrid boat with its electric engines is used. This provides the smoothest possible ride, and leaves no wake in its path. No wake means minimal water disturbance, and no damage to the banks of the river. Walk lightly, leaving nothing but footprints. We continue upriver until we reach the Gordon River Heritage Landing. It is here passengers disembark for a 45 minute walk to explore the old rainforest environment. I didn't partake as I wasn't sure that I could have completed the whole walk that is a one-way circuit all on a boardwalk again the manage any possible damage to this pristine area. Everyone returns to the vessel rosy cheeked from the chill, but animated with their stories of finds. Gen brings back photos including some of the largest fungi she/we have ever seen.

The company knows their passengers. It is know that they announce that lunch will be served. As I said before, a very well-oiled machine. They call small blocks of seats at a time to come to the service area, collect a plate, select your choice of lunch from a buffet of all Tasmanian produce including smoked salmon, freshly shaved ham, chicken pieces, pasta salad, coleslaw, potato salad, beetroot salad and green leaves. Breadrolls and butter complete the choices. You took what you wanted, and really there was no limit. Generous helpings of that salmon with thinly sliced segments of lemon available, were taken by almost everyone. And they just kept filling the platters! That smoked salmon was some of the freshest salmon I think I have ever tasted, not having smoked it myself. Lunch over, the staff collected plates rather than having a whole group of people milling around with scraps and empty plates - well-oiled!!

We are quietly motoring back towards Macquarie Harbour. Sated, people are quiet, reflecting on their experience thus far. There are mangroves, lush grassy banks and reed beds protecting towering trees, fallen logs that are slowly decaying to provide feed for new growth, and ferns like you imagine were found in Gwondanaland. It is magical. And green. Rich and precious.

Before too long, we are back at Sarah Island. The boat stops in sight of some of the salmon pens and some of the passengers step ashore to explore the harshest convict settlement in Australia. A 1hour guided tour, reliving the absorbing tale of how the convicts turned a hell on earth into one of the largest ship building yards in Australia. Pre-dating Port Arthur and feared by every convict, this settlement has a 'history with a twist'. The guide, Kiah, was the lady we booked our tickets with and she is enthralling and engaging. Again, I waited aboard while Gen joined those on-shore. Once all who wanted to go shore were ashore, I carefully got off the boat and walked the jetty, getting some photos of sandbeds, exposing shorelines and clumps of rocks. There is plenty of evidence of the former uses on Sarah Island - the ruins of a tannery, bakehouse and the ship-building works. Kiah brings this history alive through the stories of the inhabitants - convicts and freemen. The afternoon is passing quickly, and as the day passes, the sun heads for the horizon and the temperature is dropping.

We pass again through Hells Gates and on the ebbing tide, we see just how shallow the waters really are. The Spirit of the Wind docks just after 2.30 with thunderous applause for the crew and company.

We have tickets for the show 'The Ship That Never Was' starting in a few hours. Just enough time for a visit to the souvenir shop, a local restaurant for coffee and cake - Chocolate Molten Cake with raspberry ice-cream - Valhalla of course - and as we are sharing. We request a second scoop!!

A walk through the Strahan waterfront displays small but rather affluent looking period homes - as you would expect in a flourishing economy of free settlers.

Around to the Tourist Visitor Centre advises us of the location for the play - it is here that we collect our pre-booked tickets. Returning to the car, we drive back to here, so we are close when the play finishes. This play is the longest continual-running production in Australia - now in their 28th year. The setting is in a covered amphitheatre, covered, but still very open to the wind. No-one cares what they look like - we are all dressed for the weather! - mismatched, coats, beanies, gloves and blankets. Sitting on 'cushioned' (not really) planks in a tiered theatre-in-the-round setting, there is not a bad seat in the house.

Right on 5:30pm the show starts. And who should be a key actor? Why, Kiah of course!! In fact, there are only two actors to play the ten characters. It starts off well enough, with the seasoned calmness of a show well-known. Soon, it become apparent that audience participation is a must, and provides not only the other characters, but also the chorus and the off-stage commentary. The show is amazing. There was not a single person in the audience who did not fully engage with the players and the remarkable set that has been designed and constructed. A true theatre in the round. 

Gen tells me that she was secretly begging not me, not me, as they were corraling the participants, but I like to think that many of the audience were secretly begging to be chosen. The story, set on Sarah Island, tells the last story of the island, the last escape - and the wittiness that saw the fleers, freed. It involves the construction and pirating of the ship 'The Fredrick'.  The story is based on truth, and the play was written by Kiah's father - Richard Davey. We bought the book - I do not want to spoil it for anyone else who might get a chance to come and see this, so if you want to know more, you will have to borrow our book.

Suffice to say, it was a scream, engaging, exhilarating, participatory and most of all FUN. There was not a single person who left quietly. Everyone was chatting (and chattering as it is freezing by the time the show finishes at 6:45pm). what a wonderful effort and result from a small production company, passionate about their stories. A huge WELL DONE. #TheShipThatNeverWas.

A dusk drive back to Queenstown where Gen is really getting sick of hairpin bends. Tomorrow we leave for the north - with a base in Wynyard for the next few days.

Have we missed an election announcement while we have been here in the south? The quantity of political advertising is increasing exponentially. Bring on the bloody election, it can't come and go fast enough.