Remember Us the Tassie Travellers well we are still amongst the Little Devils and still dry despite flooding and record rain fall.

We arrived in Tasmania on the 4^th March and leave on The Spirit of Tasmania on Good Friday (or bad Friday if the waters are rough!) and we are still to go to places not already visited.

In the last blog I spoke of enjoying the Targa Tasmania and watching nearly 300 old and new racers go past while Brenda read her book (Jodie Picoult). Well it took a week and now it’s over with the winner a GT-R Nissan sponsored by VIP Pet foods taking the chequered flag………….oh this is so exciting I hear the lady readers declare! This I report for those blokes who followed the event with some interest who may have missed the outcome. Excitingly we were on our way south when we saw them all go past us on a transport stage…OH JOY!

Any way moving on and away from the Targa we headed back to Oatlands in the central area of Tassie. This time we had a good look at the town and enjoyed bread, wood fired baked using flour milled at the restored windmill over the road. Delightful.  From there we went back for a night at Richmond before heading to the pub at Dunalley to prepare for a big adventure on the high seas.

During our travels here we have met a number of people who suggested and recommended a trip with Pennacott Tasman Island Cruises around Tasman Island or Bruny Island. We chose the Tasman Island trip leaving from Port Arthur via Eaglehawk Neck. Promised the viewing of sea lions, albatross, dolphins and majestic scenery we accepted their offer of 3 hours on the rolling seas in a craft designed to rescue boat people off sinking vessels! Issued with serious wet weather protective gear we trundled slowly from the safe harbour at Eaglehawk. After a safety briefing and being issued with Blackmore’s Travel Calm pills we hit the high seas thrust forward by three, 300 HP Supercharged Mercury outboard motors…..this is a very fast boat!

Before long we were gazing up sheer cliffs, sighting sea lions in the water and basking on the rocks and going oooohhhh aaaaarrrrggghh every time an albatross in flight from the Antarctic passed us by.  The waters were rough and the rain came as we got near Tasman Island to look at the old lighthouse and the way they came ashore to replenish supplies. 

At this point of the journey Brenda was a bit quiet and it was discovered that the sea was taking its toll on her tummy despite Mr Blackmore’s help and she was advised to sit at the back of the vessel along with the equally afflicted Japanese tourists! While a lady from Nippon decided to feed the fish with her sushi lunch Brenda remained stoic and retained her sandwich made of wood fired bread and Pecks Anchovy paste.

Then we were in the calm waters of the bay basking in the feeling of having done something really worthwhile. This is a trip all who visit here should take. 

Well off we went again and ended up at the back of the Nubeena RSL club to camp for a few nights and I met some “new very best friends” in the bar who yarned about their days in Vietnam 40 years ago serving with the ADF.

As I write I sit here once again in Deloraine, in the sun and the relative warmth of a Tasmanian autumn day thinking of where we will go today. We went to a honey farm yesterday and today I believe Ashgrove’s Speciality Cheese factory beckons.

So until the next blog take care everyone.

Johnno and Brenda

PS. Tuppence is still working on his diaries and apologises for the delay. He says it’s been too cold to put paw to paper to record his inner most thoughts but will report soon.

We LOVE Tassie…….Still! (And will continue to do so for some time yet)

I begin this blog with the news that because of heavy bookings and off season departures we cannot return to Melbourne on The Spirit of Tasmania until the 22^nd April. No problems, still a lot to do here in the Island state. (Trying to keep warm I think)

Any way since my last dissertation from the land of Devils we have been very busy. I will include what I can here without boring you all to sleep and I will also let the pictures do the talking.

Touring up to the North West of Tasmania we again noticed how the country changes. After the beauty of The Franklin Gordon World Heritage area and the desolation and misery of Queenstown we again saw the sea. Travelling along from WYNYARD we took the road to the top left corner of the state and stayed at a place called Marrawah. On the way we saw “The Nut” at Stanley, trees blown down in a storm at delightful Sisters Beach, and sheep everywhere.

Look BIG sheep say's Tuppence!

a Nut at The Nut

We had stayed at Wynyard Showgrounds and met a local bloke called Lyndon who lived over the road. Told us all there was about the place. One of those Aussies who you never forget…mind you he never stopped chatting but we learned a lot from him. The first night in Wynyard it blew a gale and rocked the van. Nearby at Burnie it took the roof off the stadium. Didn’t quite match Cyclone Yasyi but the locals thought it was a bit fierce.

Johnno has a blow.

Vinnies got a good work out in Wynyard and Burnie, books and some clothes bought. No records. All there is are the usual suspects, bloody Harry Secombe, Kamahal and Jamie Redfern, oh and the Young Talent Time mob as well!

We enjoyed Wynyard as there was a market on and we bought local Crab Apple Jelly jam, local apples and homemade pasties…….very nice.

Then back to Burnie where we saw (on a chilly night) The Little Penguins coming ashore to rest. Brenda really enjoyed it and I must say it was nice to see those little happy feet clambering out of the surf and up the rocks to bed.

Next day it was discovered that there was a Spotlight store in town, so Tuppence and I did our own thing for a while .LOL

 On then to a lovely little place called Railton where Brenda and I played football at the end of the day for a larf. Not much fun as I am still hobbling after a week having kicked the ground instead of the blood ball.

Limping on we went to Ross and Oatlands in the midlands of Tasmania. Both historic towns with old Georgian places, Oatlands was lovely with its old flour mill. 

The Lake at Oatlands, check the Citroen just behind our van

From there back to Sorrell to re supply at the fab new Coles store there and stay at the excellent council camp site ahead of a journey up the North West Coast.

We have been told about all the fresh fish and oysters in this part of the Tassie but failed to find anything. No oysters because of the storms and fish to dear (cheaper at woollies and Coles sadly for the fisher persons). 

Klevedon Beach

Any way the scenery was ok and we stayed alone on a beach at Klevedon ahead of Scottsdale and then on to George Town for the start of The Targa Tasmania which for those who don’t know is a car rally on bitumen with cars of distinction. Brenda of course was wetting herself with joy at the prospect of sitting by the road watching almost 300 very fast cars go by for hours but passed the time by reading a book! Can’t blame her, it’s like me spending 3 hours at a Quilting Expo….mind you I wouldn’t take a book. IPod maybe.
Who knows what the next blog will contain. I do know we are heading to Launceston and the Tamar so will have plenty to go on about. And keep an eye out, coming soon “The Tuppence Diaries” the story of a little dog on the road in pictures and woofs!