The power of the falls

Having done our research we decided the best transport option for the day was to hire car. And so we set off to the obscurely located hire depot some 2 kilometres from our hobbit hole mid morning, treaking through a seedy part of town (cigar shops and massage parlors) to get there. After the usual signing away of our lives we soon found ourselves weaving in and out of the lanes on the wrong side of the road in order to get to freeway. Discovering that not only will the locals refuse to drive to the left we also found out they have poorly signed turnpikes. So after a couple of annoying diversions through back streets, some clever navigational skills from our (previously mentioned) guide we finally got pointed in the correct direction for Niagra. The locals don't seem to care so much about speed limits so join them we did. Wide roads, thousands of vechiles, grey dull skies, steam pouring out of factories and lakes as big as oceans sum up the journey.

Upon arrival at the falls town we were absolutely awe struck at the tacky commercialism/theme park ambiance of the place. Made even weirder by the lack of people. It's winter and mid week so there are places like the Haunted House (every day is Halloween... apparently) Ripley's believe it or not and the Guinness world record museum. What more could anyone possibly ask more for when all you started out wanting was a waterfall? The falls themselves are truly awesome. It was raining nearby. Just there. This is due to the mist the falls throw up from the sheer power of a million litres per second being thrown down 39 stories of sheer cliff. The sound of the thundering resonates through everything nearby. We took the plunge and went down in the tunnels underneath. This is where the power is truley experienced. Getting drenched in the mist and spray and splashes and rain we had a thoroughly enjoyable time snapping away with every device we held.

The 3hr drive back to town was uneventful apart from traffic congestion but there was no stress as we were in no particular hurry. Arriving in the dark at filling up for 95c p/l ( and wondering how this " world parity" thing works in Aus) We headed off to China town for dinner and then home via the skate park to grab more snaps.

Time in Toronto

Todays tour of Toronto Town took us to tons of terrific tourist traps. Talk about being teed up to tread the terrances of the transport tunnels which traverse the town. In other words - we walked the streets for many hours. After a few kilometrs our tour guide (Louisa) took us to the centre square Where the pool is is so cold they ice skate on it.

It'd unseasonably warm here at the moment. 6 degrees C max, with a cold biting winds coming off the artic tundra. And its about to get colder apparently. Finding some relief in a shopping mall we headed off to the old distilery area. Unfortunately no stils (or outcomes) were found. Just lots of corny stalls selling standard Canadian tourist items dressed up in Christmas themes. Still, the fur trees were covered in lights and tinsel and the choirs belting out carols was enough to put everyone in the sprit of the holiday season. And who'da thunk that Santa would actually have a Canadian accent? All this ambience was shattered one block away as we trolled off to the harbour by the reality of cold concrte landscapes of multileveled freeways and serious biting winds. The ferry to the island was well worth the trip - just to get a good view of the city. We didn't actually land on the island - apparently there is nothing of interest in the winter months. So we stayed on board and caught the return journey with all the tradies heading home for the day.

A journey on the underground street car system saw us back to base before heading out to dinner with Tim & Joy. It was a fine dining experience with lobster, calamri and steak gracing our plates. And so suffering from jet lag, exhaustion and lowered balances we headed home and crawled off to bed.

Canada - Getting There

35 hours on the go. 3 cars. 3 planes. 1 train. 8 conveyers Well over 20 queues and more than half the planet circumvented in kilometers. Luckily we are not stressed travellers (so when did that happen?) as the day started off with a late pickup for the airport and finished with chaos at the end. So whilst Kez had forgotten about us she still delivered in a timely fashion. The Qantas hop over the pacific was a long yet 14 restful hours.

The transit through LAX was an army like precision drill as we were masterfully guided through the rabbit warren of that complex. Sunrise over LA and sunset over NYC from the air provided perfect bookends for the next 6 hour jaunt, with chapters of deserts and vast swaths of the middle America farmlands covered in snow in between. We were due for an easy 4 hour stopover at JFK airport in NY however due to the vagrancies of the weather, air traffic controllers and cheap airlines some one decided to cancel our next flight, potentially leaving we three stranded in the States and Louisa stranded in Canada. Patience and calm. breath deeply and don't sweat (after a full day of traveling that's the worst thing to do....). With some magic from a counter guru we swapped airlines, swapped airports via an Jamerican taxi driver ( hey the roads work here!) only to find our replacement flight was running 4hours late. Stay calm.. etc. etc. A cheap meal at the airport terminal cost us $150 au. Hmmmm might have to find a supermarket.... and so we headed low over man lit terrain to Canada. 90 minutes later were a reunited foursome hurtling down the freeways at 140 km per hour. And here we are, ensconsed in our warm basement abode looking forward to tomorrow's adventures.

Back to Gloomy Melbourne

As all good things come to end, so does this little adventure.

Another perfect weather day, brilliant colours, glorious vistas and our resident sea hawks hovering outside the windows greeted us upon awakening. A quick clean up and we headed back to the beach bar for a final dose of that fabulous coffee before the final pack and last soaking in of the views before hoping into our chauffeured transport back to the (SC) airport. A very uneventful flight ensued - thinking about that's exactly what you'd want all flights to be. The home town looked resplendent in its grey cloudy cloak. The traffic was stop/ start (so build the tunnel!), the shock jocks whiney and the supermarkets overly priced...yay home.

At least it is good to be home to a welcome hug and happy smiles.

To Market To Market

Finally realised the way to see the sunrise is to go to bed early.

The ever persistent sea winds abated overnight to let the sun rise over calm seas. Wlist the waves continue their relentless barrage on the rocks below the rest of the area went through a phase shift. Windsurfers gave way to paddle boards and swarms of swimmers descended upon the coast. Our mission for the day was to hit the weekly street market, which we did with enthusiasm (for one) and resignation (for the other). At least they had good bands and good coffee to help while away the time.

Loaded with colourful expressions and considerably less financially endowed we headed back to the beach for yet more coffee whilst watching the waves pummel the would be surfers. as the day progressed the surf got bigger and bigger. Not wanting to miss out we donned our togs and headed out between the flags of kings beach for our own dumping. Apart from one misadventure with the rip it was all good fun.

Pity some waves were uncatchable due to the sardine nature of the milling throngs - being hit by pounding waves is one thing, being hammered by out of control body surfers does tend to put a downer on the day at the beach.

We cooled down in the pool at the abode and then wasted the afternoon entirely by taking a long siesta. Keeping with the theme it was paella for dinner at our now favorite haunt. Gellati for afters and then a movie in to finnish off the day.

A long walk into Golden Serenity

Awaking to the sight of our local reptars hovering outside our windows - keeping a keen eye on the swirling waters below we soaked back the ambiance of the bright morning daylight washing over the east coast and into the vast continent beyond our vision. A fabulous coffee at the local beach side cafe' charged the minds and legs for our long trek southwards.

Pausing to admire our abode from the rocks along the shoreline whilst dodging rock hopping cyclists we headed along the coastal trail, past the trendy eateries, caravan parks and manicured foreshore gardens towards Golden Beach. Aptly named in the same mindset that turned Shark Bay into Safety Beach. eg. False marketing.

There is no gold. Indeed there is no beach. What there is is a never ending sprawl of holiday homes, retirement houses and resorts selling "absolute water frontage". Yes they are next to the water. The beach is equivalent to a kindergarten sand pit. Most likely imported from the same source. The village of Golden Beach basks in the shadows of the looming resorts and has a certain buzz of excitement that is somewhat akin to a cemetery. Maybe its the off season.... Anyway, the weather was nice and warm and we had a pleasant stroll all whilst racking up step counts on the pedometer. Toasties for lunch back in our abode whilst watching the never ending spectacle of interesting things happening just outside our windows was apt reward for our labours. It was so captivating the afternoon was spent watching a video which suffered only the occassional distractions such as helicopters flying past (yesterday it was hornets).

And so, as the sun slowly faded into the west we consumed our free bottle of bubbly and then dragged ourselves down the the same cafe' for dinner. Which was delightful. The closeness of the shipping channel was highlighted yet again by the sight of a huge passenger cruiser just off shore. Very impressive.They were looking at us, we were looking at them. And then the moment passed.

Walking around Perfectville

We awoke with the sunrise streaming over the bed creating louder sensory input than the constant roar of the ocean. Quite pleasant really. Peering over toenails we could see the Glasshouse Mountains looming over the condos across the waterways. Waking up to 270 degrees views is rather enthralling. Breaking fast on the aforementioned essentials we were soon on our way treaking northwards along the coast hugging walkway.

It's all so pretty here. The ocean pounds relentlessly against the rocks and beaches whilst meters inland the sculptured gardens create a naturistic barrier before the never ending swarm of multi-story buildings define the skyline.Lots of architectural expression makes one jealous of the dollars expended here over the years. The pathway is lined with a plethora of plaques of past armed forces personnel, both recently and historically lost to us. The RSL has obviously been very active here and good on them. Lest we forget. You won't if you do this walk.

Our tiring legs took us up to the bluff that provided a view over Dickies beach and the hills of Noosa heads in the distance. Here we rested and watched the surfers plying their wares. The trek back was uneventful apart from a run in with a large lizzard whilst collecting leaves I.L.O. bandaids for blistering feet. Laid back latte's proceeded a dip in the pounding waves of Kings beach. Good fun. A wander into town saw some purchases of window cleaning gear which was subsequently used and then disappointingly applied as a rain storm can through and mucked it all up again. oh well - we tried.

The waterways below were swarming with kites and surfers. We watched one get into serious trouble in the waves. Eventually he was rescued by a collegue açnd sailed back. Dinner at the local SLSC was noisy and crowed yet fun. The stroll home along the boardwalk a nice way to end a great day.

On to SCQ

And now to Sunshine Coast Queensland.An easy drive to the airport had us contemplating the pros of cancelling the new tunnel. Leaving the airport from the the bottom gate we were squirted into the air and shot up to the warm weather in a comfortable trip as we yet again deployed the "take over the empty seats as soon as possible" tactic. A single phone call ensured a cheap and personalised carriage to our abode in Caloundra. After letting ourselves in and scaring the beegeebees out of the the cleaner we dropped our bags and headed into town for a trendy burger at a trendy café on the trendy esplanade that hugs the water front of the picturesque inlet which has Bribie Island defining its other bank. Caloundra really buzzes on balmy Thursday afternoon (not). After a walking circuit of thr town to get our bearings and essential supplies we returned to the apartment to find the apologetic cleaner still doing her stuff.

Our residence is so close to the rolling waves that the sound thunders in and the warm sea breezes wash through windows cleansing the soul and whisking away the stresses of metropolis. Possibly the best location amongst thousands of options in the area. We've done quite well. Sunset from the balcony looking over the boardwalk was spectacular.

Final day up North

Our last morning in Paradise saw us cramming the inevitable chaos that was our lives for a week into a series of suitcases, backpacks and handbags which then miraculously became luggage. Which we then lugged down to the vehicle and temporary storage at reception, checked out and headed for the hills. Literally. Having most of the day to kill it was time to see a different aspect of TNQ.

Heading in the direction of Broome (didn't quite make it that far) the Savannah Hwy winds its way up to Kuranda which is so chic in its touristy ambience we skedaddled out of there and headed off through the rapidly more arid landscape (complete with ant hills) to Mareeba - stopping for ice cream and spiders along the way. After admiring their drive through bakery we made a quick stop at their market. Unfortunately it was pack up time and being short of available minutes ourselves we headed on down to Atherton to grab a bite of lunch. You could write songs about this place. It was Saturday afternoon, the boys were just driving around wasting time and the flame trees were in full bloom setting fire to the town. Couldn't be more clique'd Aussie if you tried. And so leaving the tables full of old friends swapping yarns we headed east again and wound our way off the tablelands, through green fields, thick rainforests and down one of the funnest winding roads ever made. Well fun for the rally driver - not so much for the passengers being thrown around by the copious twists and bends in the road. Eventually it straightened out, tyres stopped squealing and we casually cruised back up the coast to Cairns. Temp in suburbs 38c. It just seems to get hotter and hotter. Back to collect our bags and then off to the airport for the inevitable waiting, queueing, sitting, waiting, queueing, waiting, sitting, queueing etc. that is travel by air these days.

We bade trinity beach farewell from 3000 ft as rain finally washed over it and then chased the setting sun down south westwards during the uneventful flight. The airport created one of the biggest shocks of the year. Our luggage was on the carousel before we got there! In disbelief we cruised back through the balmy Melbourne evening (27c) to quiet Surrey Hills where the constant roar of the ocean is replaced by the distant roar of traffic.

Life as locals

With the threat of the weather taking a turn for the worse (it didn't) we had another quiet down day which translates to no major organised tour expenses. Another early stroll down the beach front

for a coffee and chat underneath the lush tropical vegetation watching the world of Trinity Beach going through it's morning ritual: fit people doing their thing, council workers pretending to be effective and the local dericts behaving as if to script. All fascinating stuff. Two of us then repeated the exploration of the headland with the explicit intent of collecting wild fresh mangoes (success). We also tried for bananas and coconuts but to no avail. There are locals living in humpy's hidden in obscure places who are most likely cleaning up all the edible food well before we came through. The headland offers some fabulous views which we spotted a sea eagle also enjoying. He was brilliantly perched on his tree stump with commanding views of the entire domain.

Leaving the scatteted debris of party animals behind us we watched some indigenous folk wading through the water spear fishing - exactly where the signs advising of crocs and stingers reside. so what goes on? Do these supposedly dangerous critters only attack tourists? ....Maybe it's only tourists that have access to lawyers if (on the remote chance) something goes wrong.... Following the sound advice from yesterday's captain we jumped into the blue rocket and headed off up to the swimming hole favoured by the locals and not on the tourist lists. And it was great. In comparison, Mossman sucks - this place rocks.

With fresh, crystal clear water cascading over a series of falls through an incredibly narrow, cliff hugging rain forest canyon we trecked up the easy pathway to the pool beneath the main falls to spend a lazy hour or so cooling off in the overall tropical ambience. This is the stuff they make ads out of. It was also at the complete contradiction to the signs telling us to do otherwise. Apart from the freshwater crays being mistaken for underwater scorpians all was calm and peaceful... An easy drive back to the gated compound was followed by a quick game of down ball on the apartment veranda (suspect this had not been done before - a first for us - yay!) and then dripping we headed next door for another very pleasant dinner on the bistro balcony watching the setting sun light up the (try hard) storm clouds over the ocean.

Raging Rapids

Another calm day across the coral sea as FNQ bakes in the heat of the delayed monsoon. We awoke early (for us) - due to the plentiful rest the proceeding day - and slowly got ready for our big downstream adventure.

An early morning late' on the beachfront preceded a trip into Cairns proper for a photo recovery mission and a stroll and minor shop in the Central. Whilst busy, the place just seems so much more calm and relaxed than in chaotic Melbourne. It's easy to see why people choose to live here, apart from of course: the oppressive heat, the personal dangers in the water, the catastrophic cyclones and being at the forefront of the devastation caused by global warming....at least the traffic flows in peak hour. The midday sun beat down as the sea breeze disappeared whilst we struggled down the 200 meters to our bus pickup. It was sitting idling at the public bus stop running with it's welcoming air-conditioning as we slithered up the burning concrete and into it's cool interior. After paying the exorbitant fares and filling out the mandatory non disclamature forms we headed up the Barwon river for a series of white water high jinx. Raging Thunder is a well run operation with a lot of rubber boats, a plethora of paddles and helmets, a lot of fit/young guides (similar to the snorkeling cruises - maybe only the standout beautiful people get jobs in tourism up here?...) and about 80 paying participants having the time of their lives.

Our jaunt down the river was shared by 3 Bostonian girls who tried valiantly to stay dry and yet failed miserably. We Aussies on the other hand jumped in and got drenched at every opportunity. Louisa actually took the role one step beyond what was required at one stage and got flung off. Unable to utilise the life rope thrown to her she ended up having to walk the 20 meters or so to the next calm patch before re-joining the crew. Thanks to the guidance of our captain Ryan (maybe he pushed her?) We were probably the most skillful team on the river that day. At least the go-pro was on the correct setting this time. And so armed with memories in our minds and in our backpacks we headed back to HQ for debrief and cocktails. Dinner on the strip was pretty funny due to the drunk waiter who confessed and then tried to cover up. Given adequate direction it all worked out well. Trinity beach is a very relaxing place to be this time of year.

A Relaxing day

Today was downtime. No big trips. No high jinx. No exciting adventures. No interesting stories. You have been warned.... Finally managed to view the sunrise - albeit by capturing it on time lapse video and watching it on the TV in the middle of day, but what the heck.... This way we got sleep-in as well :) Our accommodation looms over the end of the beach road which has a public BBQ and shelter. A very popular spot which due to the prevailing winds we hear everything the inhabitants say, smell every morsel of food that they cook and breath every tobacco they choose to smoke. So last night we drifted off to sleep with the sounds of their youth revelries and woke up to the "joy" of their awakening. Combined with the dulcet tones of local council workers tidying up the steep bank below the pool with whipper snippers and blowers it was an interesting concophany of alarm clocks.

The monsoon is still holding off. Lucky us, poor locals, who really do need the rain. In another perfectly calm day we went for a stroll over the headland which turned into an adventurous trek. 2 meters inland the breeze disappears and the sweat starts to flow. Following a series of rough storm water dug out tracks we found some great vistas, picked some fresh mangos, discovered a remote tropical beach and eventually got lost in a mangrove swamp. Not bad for all of 10mins away from the compound. After a refreshing iced coffee back in civilisation the rest of the day was spent lounging around the pool and/or the apartment to the continuing sounds of portable 2-stroke engines. They've done a great job of stripping away all the vegetation just in time for the rains to wash away the exposed soil. Dinner in and then late swim in the pool ended the day.

Picture Perfect on the reef

Up early (although still not early enough to catch the sunrise) we joined the pre-peak hour traffic and headed to the organized chaos of the Cairns jetties. Here we joined the swarm of tourists heading out for their slice of the great barrier reef. The Reef Experience is exactly that. Well there maybe more to the 2400 km than the few square meters than we saw but we were pretty happy with what we did. 70 odd passengers from all over, 20 or so staff with the attitude and skills to give 'em their monies worth and we were off... We scored one of the classic calm days which most simply wish for.

Our vessel effortlessly sliced through the silky smooth seas whilst the sun made the fish and the coral below glow with a brilliance that made one require sunglasses underneath the diving masks (well ok then - maybe not that much - but it was pretty good). Our first stop at Saxton reef involved snorkeling.

A significant school of tourist fish slowly drifted out from the rear of the ship, intermingling with the natural inhabitants: multicoloured, multi-species and a variety of corals (hard and soft) and the first of many underwater videos.

Lots of free dives to capture the action up close were performed during the day, only the realise at the end of all the events that the camera was on the wrong setting. Well at least we have old fashioned memories to fall back on.... Next came the highlight. Included in the trip was a free scuba dive for beginners. And so we did. 15 minutes later we had encountered ear aches, anxiety, seriously large parrot fish and an amazing views of the reef down deep. Great fun.

After a fajitas lugnch we roared over to Norman reef (not one mention of the old joke) for more snorkeling. The weather was so perfect we moored on the "wild" side to perform more snorkelling, wasted videoing and sunburning of our backs. The free drinks on the way back to harbour went down extremely well, as did the boat cutting through the millpond still water. The day was nicely rounded off with a poignant serving of fish and chips.

A day on the Daintree

Missing yet another spectacular sunrise we arose to a calm day with the view bathed in brilliant sunshine and a warm breeze still wafting through the apartment. Ahh Queensland - beautiful one day, perfect the next (maybe I should go into advertising?). We bundled our day trip gear into the blue rocket and headed north again. Giving PD a miss we had a quick coffee stop at Mossman and then tore off up through the green sugar cane fields to explore the Daintree. Breaking the cardinal rule, we paid the ferryman before we even boarded the vessel. Safely to the other side however, the winding roads were duly captured on the go pro as we balanced clear vistas with crazy tourists and a distinct lack of visible cassowary's.

A high canopy of fan palms filters light onto the boardwalk at Cape Tribulation as it meanders its way through the rain forrest exposing all sorts of wildlife. We saw wild pigs, goannas, bush fowl, lizzards and English tourists. Ending up on the pristine beach was a welcome relief from the oppressive humidity. It would have to rate as one of the best beaches in the world. Apart from the crocs and the stingers and the sandflies and the sharks of course. We had lunch (lastnights leftovers) at our very own beach (Thortons) followed by dessert at the local ice creamery (go figure....this place is meant to be isolated...end of the world...see this and you've seen it all...and next door we have an exclusive ice cream factory that does wattle sead flavours!). Back across the ferry (front row this time) we shot back through the cane fields and headed up the Mossman Gorge. Spending a good hour or so lolling around in the river was good clean fun. With impressive mountain peaks looming in and out of view as the ever present local clouds trying to form rain bearing capability (apparently they will succeed in two days time) we saw a plethora of tourists come and go. Some dipped in. Others didn't. A good money spinner for the traditional owners. Who do a very job running the whole show.

And so with wet cozzies we sped off down the Captain Cook race track (fun road to drive when its clear and you know it) and back to base for pre's and then pizza's by the beach at one of the many trendy restaurants which are inevitable in a place such as Trinity.

A markets morning

We are lucky enough that the rising sun does not shine directly into our faces as it spectacularly illuminates the easten sky over the ocean whilst it claws its way out of the darkness. This means we slept through the entire scenario - to the sounds of the unceasing waves washing onto the beach below our bedroom. Last nights storms had the locals happy about the gardens being watered and the fact that the ensuing floods had dissapeared from the area as they set up their Sunday markets. To these we headed...up the Cptn. Cook Hwy through spectacular coastal hugging roads to Port Douglas - where the rich rub shoulders with ...the rich and the local hippies flog them ingenious stuff whilst they are doing so.

This place is a destination. Swimming it's own chic ambience the main strip feels like a Disney theme park, complete with it's own wild western saloon and expensive boutique stores. Development has gone to the extent of famous views being dominated by expensive play pens. Lunch with the Terns will only be meaningful to those of us who experienced it. The weather today was perfect. So good that we stopped off at Ellis beach on the way back south for a refreshing dip in the cloudy tepid water. Some local engineer has developed an ingenious method of keeping the crocs and stingers at bay with an elaborate array of nets, ropes, pullies and a huge winch mechanism. Now all they need to do is come up with an ingenious way to keep the water clean (apart from waiting for the monsoon - which is of course, a cop out).

Dinner back at the compound was a BBQ using yesterdays booty. We tucked in as the full moon slowly and spectacularly appeared over the ocean. With the extensive patio doors thrown wide open to watch it and the warm breeze wafting in off the sea this really is pleasant way to spend an evening.

off to the balmy tropics

Up at 3:00 am for a 6:00am departure. The 3hr flight to TNQ was easy and uneventful. After collecting our blue rocket from buchet'we headed into the Saturday morning street party of inner Cairns. With only the occasional tourist spotted Louisa has come to the conclusion that she likes this place because everyone must sleep in Saturday mornings. After brunch at a foreshore cafe we made the short (but very cramped)

journey to Trinity beach and we are now ensconced in our palatial 4th floor apartment. Thinking about shopping for the week.......which after a few uncoordinated short naps we did. The supermarket at Palm Cove was the same as any in "Mexico" the only difference is the humidity experienced upon exit. After distributing the boot load of booty into the large variety of options in the kitchen we headed to the pool to cool our heated bods and play around with the go-pro. Dinner was on the balcony of the bistro which is part of the extensive tavern conveniently located next door. We skedaddled home under the threat of looming thunderstorms to then thoroughly enjoy the show as they drifted out to sea.

An easy trip home

And all too soon it comes to an end... Up early (for us on this trip), pack the bags (it is amazing how much mess 2 people can make in one room in two days!) and check out of the hotel. A light brunch in the same cafe' (with same orange juice in quite possibly the same jar) and then back in the car and off through the quiet roads of Hobart's peak hour to the airport.

This place works really well - no hassles and then we are on the plane winging our way home. The seat behind us was empty so we both had window seats and fabulous views over Phillip Island , our suburb and the city. Very disappointed to see Melbourne Airport has re-introduced paying for luggage trolleys - 4$!! - what a great way to treat our international visitors (not). The weather here looks as good as it was in Tassie - no doubt we were very lucky with the weather all round and it certainly did make the trip all that extra special.

Moaning about Mona

A peek between the blinds at the sunrise was the only interupption to our last sleep in - even the constant rumble of the traffic and a significant fire in town was not enough to disturb us. Either Tassie is a noisy place or we chose our accomodation poorly on this trip. Brunch was in a trendy cafe' where the fresh orange juice is served in a glass jar. We then joined the chaotic (not!) traffic and went to begin the cultural highlight of our trip at the Mona museum. We were warmly greeted by "Closed Today" signs out the front. Unperturbed we went in anyway. The vineyards were turning a golden autumn brown, the sun came out highlighting the blue sky and a warm northerly breeze gently tickled our skin. Unfortunately none of this ambience opened the doors of the place.We did get to see a skeleton of a Cement truck.

And so grumbling about the fact we did not do our homework adequately we headed back into town and visited the replica of Mawsons Antarctic hut instead. This was quite interesting - they did it tough and they did it well. A refreshing cider admiring the scientific vessels moored at the dock and we headed back to the room for a relax and wind down. Dinner at the Drunken Admiral was a thoroughly enjoyable experience surrounded by a plethora of shipping related artefacts. We almost donned bloomers, boots, belts, became buccaneers and bellowed out sea shanties in our enthusiasm inspired by the décor. Arrrrrhhhh alas ye hearties .... all we did was afterwards wander through the docks again for a dessert of rocky road gelati.

Heaps of Huon

We bode the Port Huon cabins farewell and headed up the road to the Huon cafe for breakfast by the tranquil waters of Huon Harbour. Afterwards we drove north along the banks of the Huon river, spotting Huon Pines along the way. Refueling at Huonville we turned left at the old Huon boatbuilding depot (apparently they use Huon wood milled from Huon pines which are curiously prolific in the Huon valley). Our journey down the south bank of the Huon river revealed a quieter side to the Huon district away from the Huon highway. Driving through Snug and an emergency stop in Cygnet(not a swan in sight) we turned left and climbed our way out of the valley still unenlightened as to what a Huon actually is. Lunch at the Hartzview winney was fabulous.

It was a picture perfect sunny day. We were the only guests and the calm autumn afternoon was emphasized by the occasional voices drifting up from the pickers of the pino noir berries casually collecting the late season cool climate crop of which the vineyard is renowned. We continued through more fabulous country vistas on our way back to a glowingly warm Hobart afternoon. Our room oversees Constitution dock in such a way it's tempting to yell out morring directions to Arorus Australis from our window.

A riveting expedition of retail therapy in the city centre was counterbalanced by a fun evening in the Salamanca district. Struggling with limited comms access behind the thick stone walls of the historic buildings we managed to converse with those in the wider world to a limited extent. Gourmet pizza followed by gelatti as we wound our way through the chill night air of the docks back to the room.

Flying high over the treetops (sort of)

Another beautiful sunrise over the calm waters of the Huon river was again totally ignored as we slept in. Eventually driven out of bed by the incessant roar of the road we headed up to Geeveston for brunch and a wander through the wall of lollies. This is a fascinating display of sweets from around the world where the value contained in the plethora of glass jars would be less if the contents were coins. And so with lighter still wallets we headed along the winding forest roads to the Tahune air walk. Not even a tree blocking the road stopped us in our determination to get there. After a gagle of hardy blokes broke of the low hanging branches all the sedans squeezed underneath and with a cheery wave to to the stranded campervans continued on. The walk through the forest, over the swaying bridges and up along the elevated platforms was enlightening. The highlight though was the hang gliding experience across the river. Makes one think that it would be worth doing it one day without being suspended from a cable.

Tonight we eat in. Gourmet pies followed by a video. As the sun settles over the mist covered hills and chill winds waft down from the high plains beyond.

As far south as you can get

A well earned sleep in and then a stroll up the road for a late breakfast at a quaint cafe saw us wander past pitureesque waterways dotted with idle yachts. We then jumped back in our wheels and headed for a discovery tour of the deep south. With ghostly twangs of banjos haunting our subconscious we drove to Dover pub for lunch. Finding it burnt down we continued to Southport to discover an idealic location with more water based vistas than you could poke a stick at. After perusing the quaint (yet somewhat silly) historic tourist railways and Luke warm thermal springs we headed north via the coastal route with visions of food blurring our thoughts. Eventually ensconsed in our abode we were blown away by the consumption of possibly the best scallop pie ever to be eaten. Now looking forward to dinner as the light slowly fades over the calm waters of Huon bay.

Off to the Isle of Apples

Off to sunny Hobart. No traffic problems. Straight through check in only to find a 30min delay taking off. Stressed? Not really. Who cares....we're on holidays.:)

Arrived to a beautiful sunny day. After dealing with a smelly hire car we had lunch at constitution dock and headed up to the freezing winds on top of Mt Wellington to admire the panoramic views. Coffee at fern tree and then headed down the quiet winding roads to port huon. Based here for 3 nights and ready to explore. Ate a Geeveston Fanny after buying a bag full.