Tuesday 28 April: With yesterday mistakenly gazetted as a NSW teachers’ public holiday and today a pupil-free day we were still not free of school kids everywhere. After too much walking yesterday we decided to still do the Manly trip but aim to walk less. With an in-room raisin toast late breakfast we were in plenty of time for the 10.30 am Manly ferry full of wrinklies and tourists as ever. The wind was light and warmer but with the odd cloud to take away the sun occasionally. The nearer we approached Manly the more wind there was. It was well over 20 years since Michael had been to Manly and the changes were many and noticeable. For the most part Manly was more tidy and prosperous but will still a lot of old, decrepit property spoiling the ambience. We had an excellent coffee in the beach pavilion restaurant on the ocean side. Then it was a walk new to both of us to Bower Point in warm temperatures. After a short rest a track was plotted back to the ferry terminal where we picked up some sandwiches and ate them facing the harbour side. The seagulls were a menace as was the rising southerly wind which drove us at a quick pace to catch the 1.15 pm ferry. We were rolling in the swells between the heads before reaching calmer waters.

On the way up George Street we popped into number 190 to see the Bond Uni name on the sign but didn’t enter the centre.

10,600 steps

Monday 27 April: Latish rising after good sleep and out for a Maccas breakfast. Despite the somewhat dingy surroundings the upstairs level at Maccas was quiet with plenty of newspapers – Margot’s raisin toast was not impressive though.  Because of the unexpectedly cool overnight temperatures, almost a record low for April, I bought a long-sleeved casual top at my tailor’s and replenished our water supply. Then it was off again down Castlereagh St with its quite biting wind to Circular Quay and the busy Watson’s Bay ferry. This took an unusual route along parts of the north shore before Watson’s Bay with only 1 stop at Garden Island. We grabbed a coffee at Doyle’s Quay with incredibly slow service and were then invaded by wrinklies from a coach party. Escaping the rabble we headed for South Head Reserve with its undulating path past HMAS Watson and stunning views of the harbour and both heads. There were obviously many great viewing points for the Sydney-Hobart Race start. Reconnoitring for the great race was one of our main reasons for this Sydney visit.

Our return route from South Head took us to The Gap Park at the top of the hill for ocean views, both heads and stunning views back down the harbour. Back at the ferry terminal the rabble in Doyle’s takeaway was too much and we settled for real fish and chips (Ulladulla flathead) in the main restaurant and had a good meal, with great harbour views but sadly also many flies.

We came back on the 2.15 pm ferry and walked up George St to spot Bond’s new Sydney Postgraduate Centre. However I had the wrong address and we missed it. Calling at Dymmocks we finally bought a Sydney Harbour walks book with more sensible maps. Regaining the hotel at about 3.30 pm we crashed out immediately into a long sleep. On waking the room was too cold and the vigorous walks took their toll with both of us feeling distinctly queasy. Brandies were required to get us feeling normal again.

12,000 steps

Sunday 26 April: Clear blue skies, somewhat chilly. Up at 5 am and away by 6.30 headed for Coolangatta and the Gold Coast Valet Undercover Parking service in Ourimbah Rd we are using for the first time. It was super efficient and we were checked in by 7.15 am with plenty of time on our hands before the 9.00 am flight. It was disappointing to see major works still in progress at the airport after so many months. The flight to Sydney was on time and with a quick bag pickup we were at the hotel by just after 11 am with light Sunday traffic. Fortunately the Sheraton on the Park were far from full and even had our room ready for us. It was only minutes before we set out in the bright sunshine but distinctly cool wind for the 1 km walk to Circular Quay stopping for an ill-fated lunch at David Jones on the way.

The expected Information shop at Circular Quay was sadly closed down so we walked with the crowds past the Opera House to Mrs Macquarie’s Chair and then the Botanical Gardens. Surprisingly this is a part of Sydney new to us and we found it very interesting. There were huge quantities of bats in the centre of the Botanical Gardens. Across the Cahill Freeway it was on past the Art Gallery and Hyde Park to do a little shopping before back to the hotel for a well-earned rest.

After a drink in the Sheraton Bar we headed out for a quick meal when Margot was struck down with suspected food poisoning from the DJs lunch, talk about Delhi Belly! Fortunately she stabilised overnight.

12,400 steps

Thursday 5 March: On the Wednesday evening the Prince of Wales restaurant was full of large parties all with menus in their hands so we aborted our table. Back at La Porchetta we enjoyed a relaxed meal with our last taste of Tassie cider and beer.

We awoke early to the sight of the Russian Antarctic vessel moving berth very slightly up wharf to a position of causing maximum generator noise had we been staying. After a pleasant breakfast we were packed earlier than expected and drove round the harbour to checkout at Elizabeth Pier. I had a chat with the manager on duty about a tariff reduction because of the noise from the ship. He was pleasant but firm in his refusal, with the refrain that the ship had docked there many times without complaint from guests. I obtained the contact for the next manager up and paid up.

Being early we drove to the Rosny Lookout but the weather was closing in. Although the site had been spruced up since our last visit the trees had grown to obscure part of the view of the mountain. Reading the paper Margot discovered a letter to the editor of The Mercury from Arthur Sale about the incompetent use of SMS by the Vic Police. After dumping the car and gaining the airport lounge I fired off an email to Arthur indicating our reception of the SMS even thought our phones were bought in Qld. He replied later in the day thanking me for the additional information and pointing out an important sentence that had been chopped from his letter in the paper.

Our flight home was uneventful and we had a quick run back to the car parking company and were on our way home in very short time. The traffic on both the Gateway and M1 was very heavy even thought it was only 4 pm. The temperature was supremely hot a big contrast to the 16 degrees when we left Hobart.

All in all it was a most enjoyable re-acquaintance with Tassie, and the Pomona Cottages find so compelling we have booked another week in September.

Tuesday 3 March: We had a reasonable night’s sleep despite no sign of Russian Antarctic ship moving berths. With the weather clear but cloudy we drive over the bridge to Richmond for coffee at the bakery, our usual haunt, and some sandwiches for lunch. We had a good drift around all the shops there but no-go for and bell. Noticed that one or two shops had closed down although plenty of visitors around. After Richmond we drove back to the Waterworks Reserve for lunch as the heavy rain set in – I guess Hobart needs as much rain as it can get. It was then just a short drive to the Cascade Brewery for the 2.30 pm tour. We were a little early so were moved up to the 2 pm tour which we thoroughly enjoyed in a group of 20 people. The bottling plant was particularly interesting and was the cask-filling robot. There were generous samples of several beers afterwards, and all in all it was a memorable day. Drive distance for the day was exactly 100 km.

Wed 4 March: A warm and very strong northerly sprang up the previous evening and lasted all night. We actually moved the bed and had the best sleep so far, resulting in a late breakfast and late start for the Tasman Peninsula. The wind became stronger and we were lashed in spray crossing Pitt Water to Sorrell. We were aiming for the knickknack shop in Copping. Sadly it had become a museum and nothing was for sale. So we backtracked to Dodges Ferry and Carlton Beach, places we discovered we had never visited before. The wind was absolutely wild on Carlton Beach and as we visited the historic site of the original Dodges ferry a huge brown dust storm was in progress in nearby Lewisham. When we drove through there visibility was down to 10 m for a while. Picking up sandwiches at Banjos in Sorrell we ate them on top of the Domain in Hobart being severely buffeted by the wind. Then it was back to the unit for a siesta while the clouds were coming in and wind gradually dropping. Driving distance 95 km.

Sunday 1 March: Very little sleep overnight because of noise from Russian ship leased to the Antarctic Division moored near units. Up and out by 08:45 to see if we could move to Elizabeth Pier unit but to no avail. We had a leisurely breakfast in the Customs House Hotel in a relaxing atmosphere. Then some food shopping at Coles in Sandy Bay then a trip to the Globe Hotel for some port. After a rest and sleep back at the unit we walked into town trying to find a hand bell and new polo shirts. In this we were not lucky although we had a good walk in relatively warm conditions. We rustled up a meal in the unit with port and pink Jansz. Margot discovered if we slept at the foot of the bed we considerably reduced the ship generator noise, and after watching some cricket we slept well.

Monday 2 March: A good breakfast in the unit after an excellent night’s sleep. We watched the NZ naval vessel Te Kaha leave the dock then drove up to the Cascade Brewery hoping to do a tour only to find all tours that day booked out. We booked for the 2.30 pm tour on Tuesday and settled with buying a polo shirt, cap and waistcoat. Changing plans we drove to Margate to give the old house a squiz and then to Huonville for coffee and to buy lunch. Going further south to Geeveston we looked round the stores before driving back through Huonville and then on to Glaziers Bay on the north side of the Huon, somewhere we haven’t been before. Very pleasant by the river but overcast and cool. There were a few spit of rain on the drive back via Oyster Cove and Margate in lots of traffic on the Channel Hwy. Driving distance over last 2 days 180 km.

Saturday 28 Feb: Up in reasonable time to glorious clear morning but obviously cooler overnight with condensation on car and plastic sheets round the rotunda. Our last breakfast with the superb views over Port Dalrymple and the Tamar – views we will not forget in a long time. We were packed and tidied up by 09:30 and after payment away by 09:40. It was fairly busy in Exeter being show day, but no long queues at the Bakery where we picked up our favourite sandwiches. Using our last Woolies voucher we filled up at Legana then straight through Launceston on to the Midlands Highway where there was noticeable traffic. Campbelltown was the stop for morning coffee and to our horror was completely overrun with bikies making huge noise and generally swamping the eateries and loos. We bought some take-away coffees without too long a wait then hightailed it out of there taking the Lake Leake road over to the East Coast.

On the tops we ran into cloud and some light rain. Swansea was looking prosperous with lots of new developments and full of people. We stopped at Spiky Beach for lunch in a cool SE breeze and low clouds making it almost impossible to see Schouten Island and Freycinet in the distance. Then it was a familiar run to Orford with some new housing being developed. Changing drivers there the weather began to lift and for Margot’s drive over the steep hills the sun was breaking through. It was in full sun by Sorrell for the run into Hobart. We picked up the keys at Elizabeth Wharf and were in the Somerset on Salamanca unit by 15:45. The unit is good with aircon and plenty of space, but there is a low rumble from a ship’s generator tied up at the wharf opposite.

Joy oh joy, there is Optus 3G for the iPhone. After settling in we walked around the eateries of Salamanca and the docks and eventually settled on a very crowded Mures where because we were suitable dressed we sat outside on a cool evening enjoying the sights. The King Fish and chips was welcome. A slight downside was our inability to locate a bottle shop to buy some port.

Once again we saw a live wild echidna attempting to cross the road. This makes it almost one echidna a day taking their life in their hands. This confirms what we heard at the Platypus House that echidnas are very common and are active during the day in Tas.

Driving distance 315 km.

Thursday 26 Feb: Another slow, relaxing breakfast before a short shopping trip in Beauty Point for fresh supplies and a paper. We first had coffee at Carbones but found it noisy right be the road. Then we drove round the back blocks of Beauty Point and it soom became clear that Oxford St up on the hill is the place to live with good views over the water and no power lines. With no decent bread we drove towards Beaconsfield but not finding a bakery straightaway it was on to Exeter where we knew the famous bakery woujld be open. While there we stocked up on some excellent sandwiches as well as bread. Then we took the road along the river for Gravelly Beach looking for a lunch spot. Eventually we found ourselves at the end of the Paper Beach peninsula with a good beach and picnic tables despite the illegal dogs being allowed to roam.

After lunch we drove back into Beaconsfield to visit the mine museum and the new heritage centre. This complex is now very impresssive and attracts a lot of visitors. It also happened to be the day that the final coroner's report on the ANZAC Day 2006 mining disaster was published blaming no particular individual. We discovered in the museum there that Beauty Point was the original port for the Beaconsfield gold mining boom, and is named after a cow called Beauty who was drowned at that spot. It was then home for our final bbq and the wind died sufficiently for us to eat out in the pergola with the great views. Driving distance 60 km.

Friday 27 Feb: This was designated lazy day with a very late breakfast watching the ship come and go in Bell Bay. After lunch we drove to Clarence Point so the see the housing developments there which are many and plenty of new land for sale. On the way we actually stopped at the historic York Town site, the place of first Tamar settlement in 1804. Driving distance 30 km.

Photo album

Monday 20 October: Finish my class at 10 and interview about use of our new pod room by 10.30. Set out for Brisbane Airport by 11.30. The traffic seemed light so risked the Gateway to Nudgee. Parked by the estuary in glorious conditions – good mobile broadband reception on 3 USB modem, catch up on email. Arrive Qantas terminal by 14.45, the Cairns flight is 15 minutes late. Great to meet up with Marg and Frank again after so many years. Caught up on much news during the slow drive back to Gold Coast in heavy traffic but no hold ups. Celebrated with Tassie Jansz sparkling on patio but driven indoors by the mozzies. At home a voicemail from Warren indicating that he and Kay could come round for a bbq which they duly did, but the wind drove us to eat indoors. We had a great evening ending with the now compulsory trivia questions.

Tuesday 21 October: Up at 8 for breakfast on the patio. The weather forecast for Wednesday was poor so we decided to head for Byron Bay. Made the mistake of joining the Pacific Highway at Robina where an accident held us up for 20 minutes. Then a good drive south on clear roads to Byron and up towards the lighthouse. Spent a pleasant time on the Cape in strong winds which raised the whitecaps on the ocean. Drive back into Byron for coffee/chocolate. Heading back North we turned off for Murwillumbah at Yelgun on the old Pacific Highway through Mooball NP and the Burringbar Ranges. Good views of Mt Warning from this road. We lunched by the Tweed River at Tumbulgum on hearty pumpkin soup. Then on to Point Danger for a view over Durnanbah and the Tweed mouth in howling wind. Back home we made copies of the Inces slides and copied them onto the home server so we could view them on the TV. Then drinks and dinner indoors with wind still fresh from the East.

Wednesday 22 October: Although the forecast was poor the morning was bright enough for us to drive to North Burleigh Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC) for a somewhat raucous breakfast surrounded by ankle biters. We then walked South along Burleigh Beach with the tide being low. Frank and I then walked up to the lookout in Burleigh Heads NP and spotted two humpbacks, one just about 300 m offshore which we tracked for a while attempting to record the occasion on a believable photo. Just as we arrived back near the car the rain began and we headed home taking a spin around the Bond University ring road on the way. We lunched at home hoping the weather would clear before going to the Q1 observation deck. Sadly the weather worsened with very heavy showers, storms and significant hail. Instead we watched the Kenny movie on DVD and some TV. One local news channel reported a water spout off Point Danger. Hoping the balcony was enclosed we drove to Kurrawa SLSC at Broadbeach for an evening meal kindly sponsored by Marg and Frank. Unfortunately bananas were off and we missed out on the banana pancake dessert!  The deck with the ocean view where we ate had all the clear blinds drawn to keep out the wind which was distinctly cool on leaving the club (temperature actually got down to 12 degrees – like winter). Then it was home for a table skittle competition with whisky and chocolate – although close the men won hands down.

Thursday 23 October: The storms cleared overnight but the morning was still cool so no patio breakfast. To be safe we left early for Coolangatta airport taking the Gold Coast Highway, the slow but safe route. We dropped off Marg and Frank in plenty of time. A subsequent SMS found them safely in Melbourne but not without suffering chaos at Coolangatta, probably caused by the Indie Race Event that started than day. Time flew by during the visit and it was over so quickly. However we managed to update the family happenings and hope to meet up again in England in a few years, or maybe in Australia if Marg and Frank make it out again.

Thursday: Set out in the morning with broken cloud and stopped at Beaudesert McCafe for coffee. We then headed directly south via Rathdowney on to the sealed part of the Mt Lindesay Hwy that wanders into NSW. To our dismay we were soon meeting huge trucks that seemed to hunt in pairs. The surface west of Woodenbong is pitiful, certainly not suitable for trucks. Nevertheless it was interesting if slow drive. We arrived at the Benito Apartment in Harris St, Stanthorpe, just after 2 pm and checked in when we could contact the reservations manager. Benito turned out to be a really excellent single-level, 4-bed, 2-bath house with a garage for the car. Just a few months old it was very well appointed with an outdoor spa that we didn’t sample. There was wired Internet, LCD TVs, free DVDs and a Playstation2. The only disappointment was the mattress in the master bedroom.

After lunch we headed into Stanthorpe for up to date details at the Information Centre and picked up a few leaflets. With a shower threatening we headed back for tea checking on the RSL on the way. A thunderstorm did eventuate and we grabbed fisherman’s baskets for our evening meal downed with our usual Jansz. Margot’s birthday card had a particularly sentimental photo:

Friday: The Birthday. The isolated showers prevented a Girraween walk. Instead we went for a circular drive around the Amiens Road where the soldier-settler properties are located. We admired the superb deep-yellow Granite Belt wattles in full bloom and the massive cages shielding the fruit trees, amongst which some early blossom was visible. We sampled an impressive range of cheeses at The Dairy Shop – the Wensleydale-like Thurlimbah cheese was my favourite – and bought some samples. After coffee at the new Vincenzos we visited the Castle Glen liqueur outlet with it huge range of liqueurs of all kinds. Their sour Limoncello was excellent so we bought back a bottle to sweeten our champers.

After a heavy shower we drove back to the lookout at Mt Marley from where the birthday picture was taken:

With more rain we rested during the afternoon and hit the Internet connection. Then the highlight buffet at Annas for the official celebration. The food was up to its usual high standard and the bill surprisingly low; a thoroughly memorable meal.

Friday: Again the weather was not conducive with continuing isolated showers. The mattress had done for Margot’s back/hip so we called in a the Stanthorpe pharmacy and the Spore Creature Creator CD extracted from the Courier Mail. The Killarney-Mary Falls-Boonah route was canned and we farewelled the beautiful wattles and arrived in Warwick for coffee at McCafe. To our surprise we met only 1 truck each way on the Cunningham. Home for 1.45 pm for Margot to rest her back which recovered a little by day’s end.

The weather was not kind but we enjoyed our three days and were impressed overall by Benito apartment.