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Published: March 3rd 2009
DAY 115
We both slept well, but it was time to move again, so again everything had to be packed away. It wasn’t too much of a chore, as we had not put the awning up as originally we were only going to stay one night. I went over to the camp Kitchen only 15 yards away and put the kettle on, “Why use our gas” when there is a perfectly good kitchen fully equipped that I have paid my share to use.
We still had ½ a day credit internet time left so I made a cup of tea and did the blog, definitely feeling better, the tablets seem to be working (fingers Crossed). The internet speed was better than last night, so I Skyped my sister Jane.
Caroline wanders over, again her lip is looking better, sleep is a good healer. Again we try to sort out our final requirements for staying in Tasmania, and we think finally we will extend it by a week. We have spoken to loads of people who have been here 3 months and not seen it all. When we initially made our plans we had 16 days, and somebody
way back said to me you will need at least 3 weeks.
Caroline Skyped her Mum and Dad again as the line last night was so poor. Her Dad spent most of the day worrying about us. But parents do worry about their children no matter how old and how long ago they left home. It works both ways though.
We packed up and set off, to Cataract Gorge, where we had been yesterday but it was packed. However, today the car park was nice and quite and it was easy to park the truck and trailer in a double bay, as it is 9.4 mtrs long. On with our boots as we were unaware of the terrain we were going to encounter, and down to the entrance.
The first thing we saw was the large centre wheel of the chair lift, Caroline’s bum cheeks suddenly went tight, as she is not that keen on heights, me “I love em”. (C: it is not the height that worries me it is the being suspended from a small dangly piece of metal on a thin piece of wire that worries me! I had remembered seeing this advertised on
the boat and said to Andy that it would be nice to do.)
You could pay 8 Dollars one way or 12 Dollars return, so my logic was take the chair lift return and if it is OK then we can walk back up. The chair lift was brilliant about 10 minutes each way and it was so smooth, apparently is the longest single span chair lift in the world. All the gardens were kept pristine, there was a large swimming pool where a fella and his girl where in their bathers just about to jump in
At the top we hopped of our chairs, and had a look around, there was a walk to the very top of the mountain, which we did and saw some spectacular private houses over looking the gorge basin.
Looking at our watches we noticed it was nearly dinner time and we hadn’t even started off for Hobart yet and still had some things to do, so we hopped back on the chairs and took the ride down.
I liked Launceston it just had a good feel to it and anyone who plans to come over, don’t miss the Cataract
Gorge, it well worth seeing.
Diesel was the next thing we had to get, it was only 200 K’s to Hobart, what we had would get us there but it is wise to keep the tank topped up. Petrol stations on Tasmania do close early.
We have said before fuel in Australia is complicated it fluctuates by the day virtually and the amazing thing is you might get two fuel stations side by side, with different prices, but when they are the same company side by side with different prices?
The two big supermarket players are Coles and Woolworth’s, and they have some tie up with Caltex and Shell, we shopped at Coles the other night, (65 Dollars of Groceries) when you get the receipt for your shopping there is a voucher attached which allows you to save 4 cents off every litre of fuel at Shell/Coles Express stations.
As we pulled in to a Shell station there was a sign offering another 2 cents saving off fuels if you spend $2 in the shop which then gives you a total saving of 6 cents. Caroline bought Ice Lollies for us, as it is warm today,
The Pool
These two souls were braver than usso we had our full 6 cents off. Now you may be wondering if it is worth the bother, but on 120 litres of fuel and with the amount of fuel we are using every cent counts plus we get and ice lolly each! They do like to make it complicated.
Now we were finally off, heading down the Highway 1 towards Hobart, sandwiches made for our journey, truck fuelled and our water bottles full we were set.
A while into our journey, I notice out the corner of my eye a Cyclist on the other side of the road, just laying a bike over. We drive on. I mention it to Caroline, and you have to be wary for the right reasons.
A couples of K’s later Caroline says “your conscience is nagging you isn’t it”, so we turn around to go back to the cyclist and a pull over the truck on the side of the road, Caroline drops the window, “are you OK?” “Yes” she replies, “I have a puncture, but someone has already gone to get me a new tyre”. “As long as you are OK”. Thumbs up, and I swing the truck
around, back in the original direction, happy that this traveller is OK.
I understand the world and the need to be cautious but we must have a little humanity or else we are all doomed. When stopping for someone in Australia, especially up North, we have been warned to keep the truck locked and only wind the window down slightly to ask if someone needs help. But you do have to take each situation on its merit.
We stopped in a town called Ross, if you have ever been to Stow-on the-Wold or Morton in Marsh in the Cotswolds then you have been to Ross, what a beautiful little village.
We parked the truck on the street and had a walk around, not before falling in to a pretty tearoom for a cup of English Breakfast tea. When we are paying the bill the cashier says “you not from Tasmania with those tans”, we say we are British and she says “that’s even more amazing, British with those tans”.
It was such a great little village, we stayed a good couple of hours just nosing around, it had some excellent architecture, and the remains of a
The Bridge
and the view of the first basin. I have no idea where the second basin is. women’s prison. One other tourist comments to us as he walks past “thankfully we were not living back then, poor beggars”
Driving on 20 more K’s we found a road side stop to have our sandwiches in, like we have said before the Australian road side stops are not like British ones “thank god” more often than not they are spotlessly clean, with empty rubbish bins, a non vandalised information board, with good seating area’s, working gas Barbeque and clean toilets. We have our sandwiches and a drink and enjoy the sunshine.
Off again, and we turn off Highway 1 and on to a small B road, for the final 60K’s the scenery is magic, going through some pretty places. I have already said to Caroline that if she wanted to live in Tasmania, you wouldn’t have to ask me twice, I don’t think she is that keen on the climate over her, but it might be nice to have a couple of years over here, just doing bits and pieces.
We arrive at our destination and book in; we have booked this Big4 site via the Internet. The young lad said he has no knowledge of
the booking, and did we have the reference number, which will begin with a 3, we do in the truck, which we know begins with an X, but we notice our details are written down on an A4 pad, I explain that this is us, so you must have all our details, I don’t want to be a pushy Brit but come on son, get a grip!! We haven’t got all day.
We erect our camper trailer, which does only take 10 minutes, but the awning takes a good while longer if you want to get it right, which I always do, the better you put it up the more comfortable and cosy we will be. Caroline hates the awning, she just thinks it’s a pain in the arse, it is a little fiddly I have to admit, but hey ho, we are stuck with it until we can afford our T-Van (I’ve Promised her one).
Whilst putting the awning up one of the poles falls out and hits her across the skull, Ouch I felt that, I’m tittering whilst typing this but it wasn’t funny at the time, and I did apologise last night when we went
Ahoy Down Below
We were really high here. to bed for being a little bit un-sympathetic towards her.
It’s all done and dusted and the only cost was a bump on the head. We sit a while and have a cup of Coffee, then decide to got in to a suburb of Hobart and have a look around.
Before we go out we speak to the “Ferry Company” about our booking we want to extend it another week and sail back on the nighttime ferry so we don’t have to pack up our stuff at 4.00 am in the morning and have a mad dash to the ferry terminal.
The booking documents seem to say that making changes to your allotted sailing will cost you $60.00 dollars and the lady seems to thing the night sailing will be another $72.00 dollars because you have to book some kind of accommodation on board even if it is only the reclining chairs. Looks like the change could get expensive, but we are really keen to stay a little longer. Lynne says that she is having problems with the computer because half of our booking information is missing, but will ring us back.
Half and hour later
our mobile rings, Lynn from the ferry company says she has sorted it all out and announces the total of $72.00 dollars, all in including our night sailing, so when we get off in Melbourne at 6.00 am on Sunday 15 March, we can get some breakfast and then get going heading for Geelong and the Great Ocean Road then onwards to Adelaide, and so the next phase of the adventure begins. We will now need to review the schedule and timescales that Caroline has worked out.
We are now more interested in uploading some images that have been missed from the blog so find the golden arches and do what needs to be done. Right next door to where we are is a Pizza restaurant so we go in and have something to eat.
Finally we get back to the trailer about 10.30 and we haven’t stopped all day, we are tired but satisfied, oh and some of us have a bump on the head to prove it.
Until tomorrow bloggers should we be spared!!
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