http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Tasmania/Burnie/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Oceania , Australia , Tasmania , Burnie en-us Thu, 23 May 2013 00:35:41 +0000 Thu, 23 May 2013 00:35:41 +0000 Beautiful delightful Burnie TasmaniaWe got up early because our guide Robyn wanted us on the first shuttle bus. She met us at the information center with a Tassie bag with little treats a furry platypus a picture album and more. She is a local lady who retired from financial planning and now takes out folks from cruise ships or corporate visitors to the Caterpillar facility. We were her first http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Tasmania/Burnie/blog-757368.html On Thursday morning 5th January Steph and Gerry went through their regular early morning swimming routine which we could have joined but we had a leisurely breakfast whilst admiring the views. We popped out to have a look around the town and were slightly disappointed to find that parking meters were everywhere so we drove back to the area where we saw the penguins and parked outside The Mak http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Tasmania/Burnie/blog-678592.html Tuesday 3rd January. Getting everything ready for Tassie proved to be a bit more complicated than we had anticipated as well as swapping lots of gear between the caravan and the car we had to make sure the caravan was off its current site by 1000am. Firstly with the temperature rising rapidly Graham drove the car the short distance to the storage area and emptied everything from the car putt http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Tasmania/Burnie/blog-676242.html 2610 Keeping our Eyes Skinned in TasmaniaThese aussies really have a strange way of talking. They greet you with GDay tell you no worries mate and now we have to keep our eyes skinned. This was all as we were traveling on our Taste of Tasmania Tour yesterday in Bunie. Our guide was a semiretired govt worker business developer and apparently a volunteer for the guide job as were most we s http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Tasmania/Burnie/blog-473711.html I had decided a few days into my Tasmania trip that it would be great to hire a car for a couple of days. So I did that the day after Cradle Mountain. I chose a little Hyundi Getz from a place near the airport and off I went for two days. Some of my driving lessons were done in this car so I was familar with it. I had booked a bed at a town called bernie on the north west coast for that night so t http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Tasmania/Burnie/blog-419075.html The animals.I can truthfully report that I have seen all the major Australian creatures. In Melbourne the zoo is home to a nice collection and the duckbilled platypus was very very active. Much smaller than I expected about 12 long he or she was swimming back and forth nibbling on river grasses and making a real spectacle of itself. I would have loved a picture but they ask us no http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Tasmania/Burnie/blog-379514.html Well Dez and I took on the Aussies with flair and style and had an absolute blast during her 12 day visit. She arrived on Sept 30 and once she finally cleared customs we spent about 4 hours chatting and cackling like hens catching up before we caught our flight to Tasmania. We flew on a regional airline into a small airport that is mostly used by commuters and business people so the pilot was sto http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Tasmania/Burnie/blog-334124.html Not long to go now today is officially the last day at work until my big trip away. Everything is organised now so i'm ready to roll and I must say i'm a little excited but still can't get my head around the enormity of the whole situation the longest plane trip i have had hasn't been over 2 hours That has nothing on the 14 hour trip that i'm about to take onAs you can see in the pic the http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Tasmania/Burnie/blog-276792.html On Our WayOnly one more sleep to go before we head off on our Round the World Adventure kids in tow.We look forward to sharing our experiences and photos with you all and look forward to emails and news from home as well.We start our trip in Hong Kong then to Dubai for 4 nights where we will have Dinner in the Desert complete with belly dancers and camel rides.On to London for 3 nights then pick http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Tasmania/Burnie/blog-265794.html Well after sleeping on a ferry all night we have landed in Tasmania with sun but fresh airand 2 jumpers. We spent the day traveling the coast line heading north west.Our first stop was Burnie here we decided to investigate The Creative Paper factory this was really interesting they recycle all kinds of things like cotton that is left over from the end of the reel this also gives the colour t http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Tasmania/Burnie/blog-230017.html Dec 29. More boats arrive. 'Mercury' shoot for tomorrow's edition. 13 degrees. Finally cleared in arvo. Kelp gull black wings white markings red on tip of lower bill. Sun finally appeared.Dec 30. Long day spruik. Many many supporters. One lady got a flag for caravan. She'd sold the old rig and needed new sticker too. 'Mercury' article bw. Salamanca market stallholders good. Dec 31. Anot http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Tasmania/Burnie/blog-116284.html Ahhh routine. Up early off to the pool for a swim before the kids get there teach em how to blow some bubbles and then home for a snooze or a run as the whim takes me. That's about it at the moment folks.Ulverstone is a small town located pretty much dead centre on the northern coastline of Tasmania only 15min drive either side of Devonport and Burnie Tassies 3rd 4th largest 'cities'. Its a http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Tasmania/Burnie/blog-104556.html Hiya continuing with some blog enteries for the good people abroad trying to entice them into a trip or two to AusTassie with some sights from home. Please feel free to remove yourself from the mailing list if your sick of me clogging up pefectly good email space.... otherwise cheersBeen an interesting week settling back into the swing of Tassie life very layed back... Figured a good way to r http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Tasmania/Burnie/blog-95485.html What a great few weeks. A couple of weekends ago Marcus and Sharon came over again and stayed with us for the weekened Sharon is looking very pregnant They arrived Friday teatime having driven down from Northern Tassie in a rental car. Friday night we went round to a colleague's of Ivor's and excolleague of Marcus'. Jen and Andrew also came with Anabelle and Sebastian. We had a curry and c http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Tasmania/Burnie/blog-95434.html Oh dear me . Still stuck in dreary culturally impoverished Burnie. Gotta get of here just gotta get out http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Tasmania/Burnie/blog-5704.html