December 12th to 25th 2010

12th December 2010

Due to inclement weather we haven’t done any tourist activity but intend going to Port Arthur when the weather is more suitable. We visited there in 2000 but the new camera that we had at the time was one of the first video cameras that also took stills to a separate card at $3500. The still photos were only 0.8Mp resolution and the video tapes had to be processed via a computer program to be able to be put on to  disk. Good still cameras in 2000 had a resolution of 1.5Mp so the video combination didn’t seem too bad at the time. The current cameras that we are using have a resolution in excess of 10Mp, and we don’t have to process the videos. The memory card that came with the video camera was a 4Mb capacity so we looked big and bought another card that was the biggest capacity made at the time of 16Mb. Once both cards were filled the still photos had to be saved on the mini video tape.

15th December 2010

We left Foxy at home and drove the 120kms to Port Arthur as the weather forecast was for sunny weather for a change. It was overcast all day just to prove the Met office wrong again, but at least it didn’t rain. We arrived at about 9.30am and had a cuppa in the car park and then entered to spend most of the day inside. We didn’t do the organised tour as we did that in 2000 and didn’t want to listen to some dude yapping on as that means standing around.

We visited the old original Cafe first, which is now screened off by shrubs that were only 30cm high in 2000. The screening is because the locals do not like the memories attached to it but other people like to visit and ponder.

We then attacked the penitentiary, law courts, guard tower and the Commandants more fancy accommodation.

We walked through the Government gardens to the cafe and bought a take-away cuppa and retreated to a bench by the Government Cottage, where we had our pre-packed lunch.

After lunch we took photos of this cottage and the shell of the original church which in 2000 we could go up the stairs in the tower but not so on this occasion. A lot of the buildings that are in ruins is due to 2 bush fires through the site and then material being removed for renovating the houses of locals, etc.

We took our photos of the building and the church and moved on to the new smaller church that is still used, and the parsonage before taking a hike up to Scorpion Rock Lookout to get an overview of the site.

 We came back down via a different track which led us to some more cottages that had been occupied by magistrate, Roman Catholic Chaplain, Junior Medical Officer and on to The Separate Prison which was the original asylum (1849) and the Museum that was the newer asylum (1868). We then made our way across the site to the dockyards before heading to the carpark for another cuppa and the journey home.

It was well worth the return trip for the better photos and lots more of them.

18th December 2010

The weather has been wet again since our Port Arthur trip but it did allow Barry to do some maintenance on the Patrol which has been a slight worry since our stay ion Bruny Island. It developed a high pitched squeak when under load at around 2100rpm, or 2800rpm if it had changed down a gear. We asked for this to be checked out when we had the service done a few weeks ago but they reckoned we would need to book it in again as they needed it for four hours as they had to take all the turbo covers off to check for Manifold leaks. If this proved positive they would need to keep it until the manifold was removed, checked for warping and machined if necessary, and then all refitted with new gaskets at a cost of anywhere from a minimum of $400, to a possible $1600. We couldn’t relate the noise to their diagnostics as a gasket leak would be present all of the time, not specific rpm, so we cancelled the booking that we had made as our logic said it sounded more like vibration or air squeezing in, or out, of a hose. Barry tighten all of the hose clamps that were visible, especially on the air intake hoses, and also repositioned the plastic Intercooler cover that has a slight split at the rear. He thought the cover was touching the Gas injection control unit and might be a cause of vibration. We have had two short runs into town, which is uphill and therefore under load, and held 2100rpm without any noise then or any other time. It is looking good at this point in time but will wait for a longer trial.

19th December 2010

We used the excuse of needing to go to a market in Gormaston Road, Moonah to drive the car for a reasonable distance over a journey were we know the squeaky noise is always present to see if we had really been successful, and came out with flying colours, so the Hobart Nissan agent will not be seeing us again.

22nd December 2010

We drove down to Dover where had originally booked to be for the last three weeks but changed our minds and should have just been moving back to 7 Mile Beach, but we changed our minds about that also as we like it here in New Norfolk.

We stopped off at Geeveston on the way down as we had been here before when we went to the Tahune Air Walk but didn’t have time to visit the Timber Industry Museum. It was actually much smaller than we expected and probably could have done it last time; however, we have done it now and checked out the rest of the small country township.

We continued on to Dover and had a look at the caravan park which was close to the edge of the bay on the way out of town with nothing make us wish we had stayed there as originally planned.

The town was also very small but not as compact as Geeveston. We moved on with the intention of going to Southport (the most southern township in Tasmania, and therefore in Australia) and it felt a bit like the Antarctic. However before reaching Southport we saw a sign to Hastings Caves and turned inland to check them out. It involved a 45 minute stroll in the caves at a constant 9 degree temperature which isn’t too bad as there is no wind with it. It also involved 200 steps to go in and move between the various chambers.

It was good but we have seen better, especially with respect to the lighting arrangements which show up the colours better in other caves We didn’t come out feeling it was totally worth it.

We had a late lunch in the carpark and then headed back to the visitor centre and Merry walked down to the thermal pool whilst Barry stayed with Foxy rather than desert her again.

We then called into Southport which is a small township along the edge of the bay with Dover being the nearest shopping facilities and that didn’t amount to a great deal. On the way back as we headed uphill after passing through Huonville the mystery squeak re-appeared suggesting that the dirt road vibration have moved some of the pipework that Barry moved a few days ago, so another attempt is called for, but we are convince we are on the right track to cure it permanently. We stopped at a roadside stall and bought some cherries and raspberries on the way back home.

24th December 2010

Barry re-adjusted some of the pipework under the bonnet of the car and tightened the cable ties to hold the gas injector unit away from the wheel arch and then we drove into Glenorchy and proved the squeak was properly dealt with.

25th December 2010

This was treated as a genuine rest day with the only energetic action being a 40 minute stroll that took us alongside the river for about six minutes and then turned up the hill and into the top end of town, through the town centre and the park at the bottom of town and back to the caravan park. In the afternoon scrubbed up and drove to New Town to have Christmas dinner with Stu and Be with the addition of Stu’s parents, Dick and Val, and had a great meal with great company.

20th November to 2nd December 2010

20th November 2010

We visited The Salmon Ponds about 10km out of New Norfolk and walk around the large of the ponds and along part of the adjoining River Plenty, then had lunch in the cafe called Pancakes by the Pond which offers an         excellent range of both savoury and sweet pancakes, plus burgers.

We then walked around the remaining ponds and along the more of the river, but this time we feed the fish to film the mad scramble for food. The ponds contain rainbow trout, brown trout, albino trout and Atlantic salmon as the original salmon farm experiment didn’t work but they retained the name. They now produce trout to supply the highland lakes and rivers of both Australia and New Zealand. The park surrounding the ponds is very well manicured and creates a very relaxed, calming effect.

21st November 2010

We visited the largest Antiques and collectables that we have ever come across, not because we are into antiques but because it is advertise on TV and the building appeared interesting. There are at least three other antiques establishments in town so where does it all come from.

The one we visited also claims to be a museum but there is no entry fee which is not normal for a museum, however there was some museum like articles but no written history with it as it was all for sale. This included several restored English motor bikes with two 650cc Triumphs, two 650cc BSAs from the early 1950s and an earlier 500cc Vincent. They all had aluminium mudguards, which were not original equipment for any of those models, and one BSA had Siamese exhaust pipes which is also a bit non-standard, but had a rev counter implying it is a sports version. If that is the case, why does it have sit up type handlebars rather than lowered sports handlebars? However, they looked good but the $32000 price will ensure they retain custody of them for a long time. The rest of the items resembling junk consisted of furniture, crockery, books, stereo amplifiers, farm equipment, pictures, etc in no orderly fashion but covered a huge area inside this building.

Outside was a display of “cars of interest” which included a Mercedes, a Lotus Esprit, another sports car with no name but Italian designed; both of which had rear engines and required a shoehorn to get in to, and a few other sedans plus a few ancient relics and “bring and buy” stalls with the usual contents of peoples garages that they think everybody else needs. Down the road was the usual Sunday market which also offered a collection of junk, cheap jewellery and clothing, but no vegetables.

24th November 2010

The Patrol had to go into Nissan for its 90000km service so we took the opportunity whilst in Hobart to use the courtesy car and drive up to the upper level of the Queens Domain for view of the city.

This proved almost useless as the trees have been allowed to thrive and block out the view unless you walk out to the tree line, but there are no defined paths for those so you have to walk through long grass. It had rained all night and was still showery so the walk in long, wet grass didn’t happen. However, we get to see the low cloud around the mountains.  We drove back into the CBD and parked by the Museum and walked through the city centre for some retail excitement but were passed off for a walk up Elizabeth Street to succeed in our mission. On the way back to the car we stopped for an Alfresco lunch in the city Mall, as we had Foxy with us, and then went to Parliament house but the tours are at very specific times which didn’t fit in with our timing.

We also walked to the harbour to have a look at the two anti-whaling ships that are alongside restocking in readiness to do battle with the Japanese whaling ships again. The third ship, a tri-hull is on it's way from Fremantle to join them We eventually returned the courtesy car and collected our Patrol and returned home.

28th November 2010

We met Stu and Be at the Salmon Ponds for lunch to celebrate Barry’s birthday with some friends, and they fit the requirements perfectly. It had rained nearly all day yesterday and through most of the night so the water in the ponds was rather stirred up and muddy which spoilt the view of the fish, and the water level in the river had turned it into a torrent where it had been rippling over the rocks. The changes from last weekend were quite dramatic but the meal was just as reliably good and the company were great. On the way back to the caravan park we led them into the town for a short tour and then into the park for a final drink before they left for home. The weather when we arrived at the Salmon Ponds change from dubious to pleasantly warm which made it easier to tour the gardens and ponds.

We went into Hobart to do the tour of Parliament house which was interesting but quite small, and then walked around the gardens attached to the area and photographed the various monuments. On our way home we drove round to see Stu and Be to pick up some mail and celebrated Barry’s again before returning to New Norfolk.

30th November 2010

We took a drive through the local tiny village of Lachlan, which lived up to the tiny bit but was quite pretty and then continued on over the bridge to explore the other side of the river and in particular, have a look at the golf club, The area out here was suburban for a kilometre or so and then very rural with blocks that looked good but beyond what we would know what to do with The Golf Club looks really good and challenging, and also allows us to take Foxy round with us, so it will be given the benefit of our presence in the very near future.

1st December 2010

We drove into Glenorchy to the shopping centre to have a link removed from the bracelet on Barry’s watch and also hoped it had a Kmart but it didn’t. It also didn’t have an eye clinic for Merry to get some new glasses. We found an eye clinic in Moonah that suited our needs, and a Kmart in New Town which didn’t have what we wanted but Bunnings did, so we achieved everything we set out to do.

8th November to 16th November 2010

8th November 10

We packed up the camp and moved to the historic New Norfolk, north of Hobart on the side of the Derwent River, about half an hour’s drive upstream. Many of these towns claim historic value due to the convict labour used to develop them in the beginning of their history. Campbelltown has a long row of paving stones along the footpath on both sides of the road with each one dedicated to some poor soul who was deported for anything from stealing a slice of bread to murder. Some as young as three that didn’t survive the journey out here and wouldn’t have survived if they had stayed in England if they had to steal everything to survive at all.

The park New Norfolk is alongside the river and well presented with plenty of shade. A drive into town for some shopping found a pleasant park at the bottom end of town, but we have yet to find the antiques/museum.

9th November 10

The weather has become more spring like and therefore the daytime temperatures have improved so we took a walk alongside the river which provided some great views of the river. After about half a kilometre or so the track took us up about 60 steps to the top of the cliff and this then led us back towards the town through some very pleasant tree lined streets with very well tended gardens that are now all in flower. When we arrived back at the park we walked the way along the river to the bridge, which took in some interesting real estate. In the afternoon we drove back to Seven Mile Beach to collect some late mail but went over the bridge and along the other side of the river which has some serious real estate, and great views.

10th November 10

We had to find a garage that fills gas bottles as we don’t like the exchange system and also one that has auto gas which meant a visit to two garages in new Norfolk. The second one was opposite the central park and as we had our cameras in the car, took advantage of the opportunity to take a few photos. We then drove round to the Oasthouse Museum which turned not to have operated for the last three years, but will be open again in a couple of weeks. We were given an external tour and told that the original owners/builders came from out home town, Maidstone in Kent, and that the hop vines grow up the strings in a clockwise spiral only, in both north and south hemispheres. If you try to train them in the other direction they fall down and wither. There are a lot of hop fields around the New Norfolk area. We then went in search of platypus in the stream alongside the Oasthouse but without luck. The afternoon and evening turned into winter again with rain and a drop in temperature.

11th November 10

We had a pleasant surprise this morning as we took Foxy across to the grass for her morning business, we were greeted by someone from two bays away that we recognised and turned out to be Ivan and Liz Davie. Liz was the MDs secretary at Karratha College and Ivan was the boss cocky at the Karratha Police station. We met him on a purely social basis through our friends Steve and Terry who were their neighbours. Later we took another walk along the river bank, to where the platypuses were still not evident again, by the Oasthouse, and then walked back past the town. In the evening Ivan and Liz enjoyed a bottle of red and some nibblies with us, and shared some tales. They leave in the morning for two days in Hobart before flying home to Broome, where they retired to about a year before we retired.

12th November 10

The weather was reasonable so we drove to Bothwell via Hamilton on the more scenic route. Hamilton is very small as villages go but has a grand old hotel and picnic/camping area.

Bothwell on the other hand had quite a lot of interesting buildings, a nice park through the centre and a visitor centre which was once the town school but is now the Golf Museum. The Golf course is the oldest in the southern hemisphere and was introduced by the Scottish nobility that settled in this area, which was originally known as Fat Doe. The bakery is still called The Fat Doe Bakery and is where we had lunch but can’t actually recommend it to others. The museum is small but very interesting, especially if you have any golfing interest as it follows the history over a long period, and has plenty of examples of the different balls and hickory shafted clubs over the ages. The area was also the first to introduce a radio telescope thanks to an American who now resides in the cemetery, and also had the first public library in Australia.

Due to the scottish influence, all of the street signs are on a tartan background.

We returned home via the main Midland Highway as far as Kempton were we turned off for a look at the small village and then turned off again onto dirt roads over the mountains to go to Gretna which has a Gretna Green Hotel. From here we followed the river to the bridge to New Norfolk to cross to the town side for the Caravan Park.

13th November 10

We walked to the top end of the town to the Memorial Hall for a flower show but unfortunately we arrived nearly two hours before it opened so we returned home via a different route and drove back later in the day. This allowed us to collect over 100 litres of diesel with 8 cents a litre off instead of the usual 4 cents.

The flower show was small but had some really good exhibits; however the judges’ decisions didn’t always match ours, and at times didn’t seem to comply with their own requirements, but we don’t know the relationships between the club members and the judges.

16th November 10

We took the 120 kilometre drive out through Westerway and Maydena and out into the wilderness to Strathgordon and the Gordon Dam which took in some great scenery.

We stopped for lunch at Strathgordon, which is the camp base for the Hydro scheme workers and looks like a deserted mote, but has an interesting section of a Huon Pine that was felled in 1975 has tags on its rings denoting special events that happened throughout its long life which included the signing of the Magna charter in 1215 and that was only halfway through its diameter and went on much earlier past Nero fiddling whilst Rome burnt.

The Dam is very impressive, although having seen Kariba dam, is not the biggest we have seen. However, when you are actually on the dam wall and conscious of the forces act against it and the working conditions of the builders, it creates a strong sense of awe.

 It is 196 metres wide and 145 metres deep and a walk across the wall provides a view along the gorge and along the Gordon Lake created behind it, but also means you have to climb back up the 196 steps to the carpark.

On the return journey we turned off along a dirt road to the Serpentine Dam that helps form Lake Pedder but is nothing like as impressive, being only 41.5 metres deep and not particularly wide. We also turned off to Wedge River picnic area but it was rather pathetic with no view of the river without wandering through bush to see it, and no path along it. It is very shallow which shows up the brown/red tallow colouring in the water. After a few more photo stops at the roadside, which included an Echidna crossing the road in front of us. This time we had somewhere to stop off in a hurry and actually got some photos although most were of him/her rolled up in a defensive ball. Interestingly, the Tassie Echidnas have mainly fur rather than spikes for warmth benefits.

20th October to 3rd November 2010

20th October 10

We had an effortless move 30kms or so down the road back to Seven Mile Beach and had the annexe set up by 12.30pm. Later in the afternoon we took Foxy for a walk along the beach until we were almost level with the end of the airport runway and watched several military aircraft fly in over the water and land. We haven’t been able to identify them as a particular model, other than very big. They appeared to be on a training exercise as they also took off again and did more laps and land/take-off several times, which gave the impression that the military had at least a dozen of these aircraft rather than three, maybe four. There were also Qantas and Virgin Blue planes landing in between some of the military planes causing them to do a slightly wider lap.

28th October 10

Merry flew to Sydney to meet up with her sister Jackie and her son Andrew for a few days sightseeing. The last time she saw Jackie was at our younger son’s wedding 15 years ago, maybe more, and the last time we saw Andrew was in 1985.

29th October

Merry, Jackie and Andrew toured the Sydney Opera house as a group of 3 rather than a large group because of Jackie being in a wheelchair. They gained the benefit of seeing every auditorium including backstage, and were unofficially allowed to take photographs. Unfortunately Merry’s camera decided to throw a fit and didn't do very well out of it and it eventually died, so we will borrow some photos from Andrew.

 It did allow some photos to be taken but the nightime ones were handheld on a moving boat so not too many ended up useable. In the evening they did the evening dinner ferry trip around the harbour prior to returning to their hotel rooms that over look Darling Harbour.

31st October 10

I visited Stu and Be for dinner which meant one day I didn’t have to cook my own dinner with Merry still being away in Sydney. However, the meal was a bonus add-on to the company.

Meanwhile I am told that Merry, Jackie and Andrew had a conducted tour of the Blue Mountains which included riding the cable car down to the bottom and returning on the train that zigzags back up and also had lunch in the cafe that look directly at the Three Sisters, putting them pretty much in-your-face.

1st November 10

Merry and party visited the Taronga zoo but encountered rainy weather which slowed things down a bit, and somehow fitted in a trip to Bondi beach and the Queen Victoria shopping centre.

2nd November 10

Merry arrived back home in the afternoon so life has changed for the better and Foxy is much more relaxed.