11th, 12th, and 13th Feb.....HOBART to BRUNY ISLAND

11^th – 12^th – 13^th FEB – HOBART, MT. WELLINGTON, SALAMANCA MARKETS, BRUNY ISLAND

Busy, busy, busy – this is first opportunity to get more journaling away.

Friday 11^th MT. WELLINGTON

we left New Norfolk and headed for Hobart, just sticky beaked around Claremont, Berriedale, Glenorchy, then headed up Mt. Wellington.

Sunny below but after 1000 metres, we were in the clouds. Up on the summit it was like Winter, spooky and freezing, desolate and eerie. then coming down again, you suddenly burst into sunshine again !!! .... weird.....(will post more pics, which will all end up coming BEFORE this blog.... for some reason, they won't download right now, so will post this and try again...xxx)

Couldn’t get motel, caravan park or ANY WHERE         to stay and it had started drizzling after Mt. W’ton. Finally had to head into the lower base of the mtn to Longley and camped beside a river again. That’s when you get stir-crazy, as we just finished our dinner outside van and the rain started, so had to chuck all inside and go to bed REALLY EARLY. (Michael gets grumpy when it’s raining, but we have to just make the most of whatever the weather brings)….

Saturday 12^th – SALAMANCA MARKETS, BOAT SHOW, REGATTA & MORE.

Had ‘’bucket’’ bath/wash, and headed off to Hobart’s Battery Point. (Historic part near the harbourside). Very old buildings – a real step back in time. E.g.-

Arthurs Circle – a group of little old cottages joined in a circle with a round park in the middle of them, and then Kelly’s steps which link down to the harbourside .( This Kelly fella was a whaler, and he came back from one of his many trips to find his wife and 7 kids had all died, then he got killed for sleeping with another man’s wife). He was a very well-off whaler with the monopoly for the business.) Felt bit weird walking down his steps past his building (home?) …. These steps end at Salamanca Court, the site of the famous Salamanca Markets, held every Saturday. (of course we had to go there too.  Heaps of buskers EXCELLENT !!!,  massive length of whole wharf area. Way bigger than The Rocks markets at home.  Had Crepes, and Devonshire Tea before walking all the old streets back to our van.

Found out why we couldn’t get any accommodation anywhere …..

This weekend there was the markets, the annual boat show, a Regatta, and the Hobart Cup.

We tried many accomm. And tourist  parks via phone, needing a place where we could at least have a proper shower and charge our phones, puta, cameras, etc, but the only place we could get was in the Huon Valley at Huonville -  The Grand Hotel.  (So we got to visit where my Aunty Ace used to live after all).   Old Hotel, very clean, and very reasonable tariff, but no laundry and we needed to do pile of washing, but we were happy to just get proper lodgings for the night.  I got to have a wonderful deep bath – aahhh, Heaven.

Sunday 13^th – BRUNY ISLAND ECO ADVENTURE CRUISE

Had to get up really early and drive back to the coast again to Kettering to get our link and ferry crossing for our Bruny Island Eco Adventure cruise.  BIG long day ……..Left the hotel 7.30am, caught our link 8.45, then our bus went on ferry to Bruny Island by 9.15am.  Set off in our Jet boat for a fantastic experience.  This particular eco cruise is family-owned and very informative about the geological history, the plant life, and all the marine life.  Ancient dolomite cliffs, hundred of millions of years old (Jurassic era).  Fascinating commentary and great fun as well …. Got drenched heaps (as the pics will show)….. We saw heaps of seals and many endangered bird life rookeries, but missed out on the dolphins, (and the whales had already finished migrating).   Got back to land about 2.30pm and back to mainland where we parked our car around 4.30.   Big day – worn out.

Drove to Cambridge tonight to book a cabin, east side of Hobart, on our way to Richmond (another historic town, which we intend to visit tomorrow).

I have spent all tonight doing piles of washing, and remaking the bed in van, etc.  We may keep this cabin for another night to just relax for a change and chill out in one place for 2 days.

OK, will get the pics in here now, and get back to you all again ASAP x x x x