Tasmania-Feb 2005

Terrific Tasmania - Feb 2005

Margaret and I sailed across The Bass Straits from Melbourne to Devonport on The Spirit of Tasmania.
During our trip, one evening was so wild, wet and windy that the The Spirit was damaged by a huge wave and had to return to Port Melbourne. This same evening happened to be our 5th. under canvas but after that we found accommodation with more substantial cover.

We were free spirits having a car, a tent and no bookings. We “did” the North-east corner, the East Coast, the Freycinet Peninsula, the Tasman Peninsula, Hobart and the Derwent Valley, The Huon Vallley and finally up the main North South highway from Hobart to Launceston

“Did” in our case meant take in all the natural beauty of an area and usually included a good walk. We’d had quite enough rainforest walks by the end to last us a while. These included ancient Eucalyptus, Pine and Myrtle forests. We climbed Mt. Stromach through bush following strategically placed pink ribbons; we tramped the coastal footpaths both north and south of Bicheno; we had an exhillerating walk on the Blue Tier Plateau and accomplished numerous mini-walks to visitor attractions.

There were a couple of things I hated about Tasmania.

1) The numerous road-kills of Marsupials of all kinds( Except the Tasmanian Devil because it’s very fast and if it tries to eat the road-kills, it snatches and runs like billio)

2) The heavily laden logging lorries. Enough on that subject!

If you have, thank you for reading and if you haven’t it’s been a pleasure anyway.

Joan

 

Austalian seaside holiday, January 2005

From Jan. 3rd.-10th. we went for a sea-side summer holiday. That is Mike,Helen, Jan(Yan), Sophie, Molly and myself.
The sea in question was the Southern Ocean and the place, Port Campbell on the Great Ocean Rd. As soon as we arrived the weather turned cold, wet and windy. We had a very British sea side holiday. We made sandcastles wearing jumpers etc etc. However it was a break from work for Mike.Click on photo to enlarge it.
So, it was because we had to get out and about that we all saw 3 things we’d never seen before.

1. In a National Park near Warrnambool called Tower Hill we climbed up to the rim of an extinct volcano. It wasn’t a text book round crater but we were all impressed. Sophie and Molly were more impressed with the kangaroo poo that Dad had pointed out.
2. Further west in Port Fairy, we saw a Chinese squid boat.It was festooned with multuple lights about 2 mt.above the deck. The squid fishermen go out at night and switch on the lights.
   These attract the squid food which in turn attract the squid; the fishermen scoop up the squid and Bob’s your uncle.
3. 25,000 short tailed shearwaters returning from a day’s fishing at sea,to Muttonbird Island, where we witnessed this. There are 50,000 birds but apprx half were sitting on eggs.It was quite a spectacle.

Go to www.focusonflinders.com.au for more info.They are dubbed Mutton birds because early settlers ate the fattened chicks and it tasted like mutton. A small industry in this fare exists today.

All in all this was a memorable holiday.
Love Joan

 

Uwland Christmas in Australia 2005

Hello Again

Warm/Hot December.
December just whizzed by in a flurry of end of term playgroup parties,Christmas lunches (Helen’s Alphington Community made me particularly welcome at theirs) Christmas decorating and shopping,carol sevices and carol singing. It was very peculiar going to evening carol singing in T shirts and summer gear.

The Uwland dynasty included me in their traditional Christmas-Eve Christmas dinner at Mike’s (Helen’s husband) parents’ home. Tineka and Henk met at about the time their respective parents emigrated bringing their offspring with them. Of the original parents who emigrated from Holland only Omama (greatgrandma) Tineka’s mother survives.She’s in her mid 80’s and had made the large Christmas pudding.

During the late afternoon ,Santa came to the house on a fire-engine. He brought loads of presents that were put under the tree.There was a photo session of course.
Twenty seven sat down for dinner. Henk’s and Tineka’s children,their spouses,offspring and where applicable boy/girl friends. Tables had been borrowed from the church hall and the splendid meal was a joint effort. The men cooked the various meats outside in a barbeque cum oven , the ladies did the starter and veg, Tineka made the pumpkin soup and Omama made the pudding.

When everyone was full after the main course, Henk (with little helpers ,Sophie and her cousin Lewis) distributed the presents to every one in turn round and round the room.Sometime a present turned out to be a potato. In one case, cousin Kelsey who’s about 7yr.old got a potato for “telling on Mummy”.Nobody knew what she had told but every one had a good laugh.
After pressie opening Tineka poured lashings of brandy on Omama’s pudding and along with cream and ice cream in disappeared in quick style. By this time it was dark so the flames showed to good effect.
That “many hands make light work” came true and H and T were left with a clean and tidy house ready for Christmas Day
Father Christmas came the next day. Of course.