*yawn* Hi all. Last day of our trip today!
Due to our prime position on the ferry (the bus was literally second to leave) we got an early start to drive. And drive. Etc., etc. We drove for a little over 12 hours with small stops for lunch and ice coffee. Eventually, we made it back home to an ecstatic Nelson and our house and garden in good condition (Thanks house sitters!).
This trip was amazing. Tasmania is a wonderful place and we would recommend it to anyone (insert smiley face here).
Fauna: Birds, Nelson, pigs, turtles.
Vehicles Overtaken: 0
Wicked Vans: 0
Favourite Walk:
Gabby: Rock-hopping at Apsley Gorge
Maddy: Rock-hopping at Apsley Gorge
Jo: Rock-hopping at Apsley Gorge
Ed: Montezuma Falls
Favourite Food:
Gabby: Fresh Raspberries
Maddy: Fresh Silvan Berries
Jo: Fresh Hand Picked Blueberries
Ed: Smoked Salmon
Favourite Accommodation:
Gabby: Binalong Bay
Maddy: Snug
Jo: Binalong Bay
Ed: Binalong Bay
Favourite Town:
Gabby: Sheffield
Maddy: Sheffield
Jo: Stanley
Ed: Stanley
Favourite Animal:
Gabby: Echidna
Maddy: Echidna
Jo: Platypus
Ed: Wombat
Favourite Boat Ride:
Gabby: Maria Island
Maddy: Gordon River
Jo: Arthur River
Ed: Gordon River
Favourite Beach:
Gabby: Greens Beach
Maddy: Greens Beach
Jo: Greens Beach
Ed: Wineglass Bay
According to Triple J, Adelaide was the hottest city in the world today. Glad we’re escaping it, but bad luck to you all.
Today was pretty laid back. We started the day with a few hours of doing nothing apart from eating breakfast and picking grass seeds out of our shoes (last night- epic walk but horrible grass seeds). Maddy and I played hand and foot again which was fun (insert smiley face). We then drove to a small beach which was wavy but rocky, where I read a really good Jodi Picoult book and the others played cards. Next was a short shop and then to our current destination, the caravan park from the night before last. We basically just played more cards and walked to a cool little island only accessible during low tide. Highest temperature? About 21 degrees.
Bye (smiley face)
-Gabby
Fauna: various birds, pademelons, crabs (XD), dogs and a probably dead stingray (poor thing).
Vehicles Overtaken: 0
Wicked Vans: 0
Hello everybody!! Today was a lovely, peaceful, calm, relaxing day. In the morning we walked down to the caravan park office, where we hoped to book in for another day. Alas there was no more room, someone had already booked the site we were on, and we had to find somewhere else to stay the day and night. Fortunately Mum had already planned for us to stay at Narawntapu National Park another evening, so we packed up the bus and headed there a day early. After finding ourselves a beautiful campsite, Gabby and I went for a walk on the beach and promptly got lost. The beach was pretty, but hard to walk on; we kept sinking to our knees in sand! After we had walked for ages, Mum and Dad called: they had also gone down to the beach and were looking for us. Reluctantly we turned back and found Mum and Dad.
Instead of walking back along the beach, we took the nearest exit out and walked around trying to find our campsite. We got lost again. After walking around in circles (literally! We walked around in a circle!!), Mum and Dad figured the way back to the bus. As we neared the bus, we stumbled upon a fire track. Mum and I followed it and Dad and Gabby followed the road. Mum and I got to the bus first (ha ha; take that Gabby and Dad). We relaxed for the next couple of hours. After lunch we walked (4km return) to Bakers Beach (they spelt our name wrong, but we forgive them). Dad and I swam out in the shallow, clear water, while Mum and Gabby laughed at us and took pictures. We returned to the bus and relaxed until tea. After tea we went on the Springlawn nature walk. The walk was fantastic! We were met with wide eyed pademelons along the track, beautiful birds at the Bird Hide pavilion and wombats, Bennett’s wallabies and Kangaroos along the grassy plains. The first part of the walk was well maintained, but the grassy plains part of the walk was signposted with yellow poles a fair distance apart. So, there we were; at almost nightfall trying to navigate our way through badly signposted plains, with wallabies and kangaroos watching our every move. Good fun!! Luckily, we finished the walk with plenty of time to spare.
Hope you’re not all melting in the hot weather, Maddy.
Fauna: Wrens, pademelons (that came up to us at mealtimes wanting food. Gabby managed to get the little cutie to sniff her finger!), Bennett’s Wallabies, Kangaroos, Wombat and loads of different birds.
Vehicles Overtaken: 0
Wicked Vans: 0
Hi all, Gabby here.
Even though it can’t compare to the temperatures you guys are getting (40+!), today was really warm at about 32. We
started the day with a short drive to 41 Degrees South, a salmon and ginseng farm, where we could taste some products, feed the fish and walk around the farm. We tasted some smoked salmon and salmon rillettes (yummy) and some leatherwood honey and spice mix (eh…). The fish were massive and happy to eat the food, and the walk was shady and nice (especially through willow ‘maze’).
And the temperature slowly creeps up…
Next was the Alum Cliffs walk. The final view of the walk was awesome, looking out on ochre cliffs, forest and a river, but the walk was steep and the temperature high.
Leaving Alum Cliffs we stopped at Deloraine and bought some mutton bird for lunch. We ate the smoked salmon on bread, which was delicious, and the mutton bird, which was yummy for the first few bites then too strong for the rest of the meal. I like mutton bird, but not enough to eat it regularly. I can still taste it!
To get the taste out of our mouths (and to stick to the schedule I guess) we drove to Ashgrove Cheese for cheese tasting and yummy ice cream made from fresh produce and berries. I had a delicious combo of mango and raspberry.
Finally (or so we thought) was Railton, where we were planning to stay the night, because Dad wanted to drink some beer at a brewery. Unfortunately, the weather was really warm, and he just bought a few take-away bottles instead. We left the town after driving around to see some of the incredible topiaries. My favourite was an elephant and it’s calf; one of the
best of the countless number. There were Tassie devils, Tassie tigers, guitars, trains, numbers, people, horses, birds, fish, and so much more.
After a thorough circuit of Railton, we drove to Sheffield, where we walked around looking at the many, many amazing murals painted on (what seemed like) every flat wall. They were incredible, depicting themes varying from history to dreams to abstract art.
Finally (for real this time), the weather was so warm that we decided to go to the coast to Port Sorrell (which was much cooler) and spend the evening and night there. Port Sorrell has a lovely beach and jetty with hundreds of people swimming, sunbathing and running around screaming “I caught a fish in my hat!” (don’t ask). The Caravan Park where we are staying is massive, with over 150 spots almost full.
Bye (insert smiley face here)
Fauna: fish, cows, horses, various birds, platypus (seen by only Maddy - Maddy's note: They all think I was hallucinating or something. Grrr.)
Vehicles Overtaken: 0
Wicked Vans: 0…
Hello everybody! Today was a lot cooler than yesterday and the day before, making for a much nicer day. We started off the morning with a little (ha) 6km walk to an old power station at Cataract Gorge. Surprisingly there were still some people swimming in the gorge pool; at 8:45 in the morning! The walk was nice, cool and quiet. After making our way across a suspension bridge we were at the power station. The site had fallen into a state of disrepair; there was loads of graffiti on the walls. The information signs were still really interesting and we spent a while exploring. Turns out the power station was the first hydroelectricity station in Tasmania. We then climbed what felt like a billion stairs and finished our circuit walk. Next stop was Launceston where an auto electrician fixed our broken indicator and supplied us with a spare part. We also walked through Launceston to a Telstra shop to recharge a dongle that connected us to the internet; the reason our blog posts are late. After a quick look through a bookshop we drove to Bracknell for lunch and a mad rush at the playground on Gabby and I’s behalf. I amused myself by running on playground equipment (probably meant for other purposes) as fast as I could (6 seconds), whilst Gabby (the mature one) swinged and timed me. Next was a hair raising drive to Liffey Falls (we made several false starts going up light vehicle only roads) where we had planned to camp the night. The resulting 45 minute walk to Liffey Falls was very pretty; leading us through a rainforest. Unfortunately a lot of horizontal trees and a fallen tree made progress very difficult. Finally arriving at the falls; Gabby and I rock hopped our way down the river. Getting back to our campsite, we decide to keep moving instead of staying the night because of the abundance of bugs and isolated location. We have ended up back at Bracknell next to a river. Gabby and I spent the rest of the afternoon wading and skimming stones; good fun.
Maddy
Fauna: fairy wrens, peacocks, cows, skinks, gigantic insects (including cicadas) and various other birds.
Wicked Van: 1 Wicked Camper
Vehicles Overtaken: 0
Hi all. Today was really, really warm (for Tassie) with the temperature almost reaching 30 degrees! We weren’t used to it, and were very hot. Hope you guys are coping with the even hotter weather.
We left the caravan park in the morning and drove to a small-ish market. It housed two warehouses filled with stalls and some outdoor ones, all selling either bric a brac, books or CD's, clothing or food. Maddy and Mum bought a book each while I bought two CDs for $6 (good quality and cheap). We also bought some fresh fruit and lunch; a bacon and cheese loaf thingy. Next was another market, which was more like the Salamanca Markets than bric a brac, but still had some used goods stalls. Maddy bought a shirt and Mum bought some spoons, along with some cauliflower and cherries.
Pleased with our purchases, we headed off to Woolmers, which is a historic homestead with a rose garden. We walked around the property, investigating the garden and random buildings, then took a tour of the house which was very interesting (six generations of Thomas Archer lived in the same house without removing anything massive, resulting in items from the early 1800’s to the 1990’s. The rose garden was beautiful but we avoided it as some people were practicing for a wedding. After lunch and a short drive we were at Brickendon, which was really cool with hens and their chicks, turkeys and ducks wandering around and donkeys and sheep in close paddocks. The buildings weren’t as interesting, but the adjacent gardens were beautiful.
Finally, we did a little bit of shopping then headed back to the same caravan park as last night.
Sayonara! -Gabby
P.S. Tea was delicious and mostly made up of local produce- pasta with tomatoes, broccolini and chorizo.
Fauna: Ducks, chickens, turkeys, sheep, a donkey, dogs and random birds.
Vehicles Overtaken: 0
Wicked Vans: 1 (YEH)
Whew! It’s pretty hot over here. Well, to us. It’s probably only 29 degrees or so, but after weeks of cool weather it feels boiling. This morning we drove to Launceston, stopping on the way to do a quick walk to a lookout; Brady’s Lookout. The lookout overlooked a beautiful river with charming little houses on the banks. At Launceston, our first stop was the Harvest Market where we purchased various fruit and vegetables, including some delicious apricots, as well as some bacon and chorizo. Gabby and I also ate a yummy popsicle each; one flavoured rhubarb and cream, the other flavoured raspberry sorbet. After dumping the produce at the bus, and eating an apricot each; accompanied by a glass of goats milk or ice coffee (the morning tea of champions), we started our walk around Launceston. Some memorable spots were the monkey park, a solo trombonist and various heritage buildings. The city park, also known as monkey park by Gabby and me, housed beautiful exotic animals including Japanese Snow Monkeys and a solo trombonist (hee hee). The Japanese Snow Monkeys were adorable; there were several little babies playing and one little wussy monkey clutching to his Mum. The trombonist was awesome; he played along to a karaoke machine playing various songs including: Live While We’re Young by One Direction (eww), Some Nights by Fun, Skyfall by Adele and Knew You Were Trouble by Taylor Swift. He was very good. The heritage buildings were also fabulous. One of my favourites was an Indian restaurant that had taken advantage of the brickwork and placed black silhouettes of Indian buildings on the brickwork. After lunch we headed to Cataract Gorge. Cataract Gorge was awesome! It housed a free swimming pool, a chairlift, peacocks, various walks, a suspension bridge (which I was unfortunately unable to swing, safety regulations and all that) and several dozen idiots who decided to jump off tall rocks into the murky water. Gabby and I swam in the blue waters of the pool, not the murky waters of the river inside the gorge. The water was FREEZING, but it was warm outside and we managed a couple laps before drying ourselves in the sunshine. On the way to the swimming pool we passed through the gorge - ous (ha ha ha) gardens and peacocks. We left the gorge via a steep track and a lookout. We shall return to the gorge on Monday to do some of the other walks. After a short detour to a gallery and gift shop, the gallery housed lovely photographs of different Tasmanian Tarcine forests, we walked back to the bus and drove to the caravan park in which we are now situated.
Hope you are all surviving the hot weather, Maddy.
Fauna: Peacocks, monkeys (duh), a bug in my lettuce (eurgh), possum (up in a tree with dogs underneath it at the Harvest Markets) and a pademelon (or other such animal; Gabby and I can’t decide).
Vehicles Overtaken: 1(Yes!!!)
Wicked Vans: 0
Before we start, some questions: has anyone patted an echidna? And does anyone believe that echidnas are spiky?
Today was really good, if quite quiet. We first drove to the Beaconsfield Mine to look at the incredibly informative information centre and tour. The first room we entered held old-fashioned machinery and the like, the second a detailed explanation of what it is like working in a modern mine, the third the story of the Beaconsfield miners trapped under ground, the fourth giving the history of the olden day mines. Finally, there was an outdoor area which housed more information and old machinery, including a massive waterwheel that turned and activated some thing-a-ma-doodles which made a lot of noise. I liked the fourth room best as I could try out an ink pen and read about the past, but the third room was incredibly interesting but very sad, as one miner was killed in the accident.
Moving on, we came to the Platypus House which was awesome. We first viewed some three platypuses (not platypi- the guide specified that), Thor, Dusk and Freya, being feed and swimming around. They were absolutely beautiful, a touch chubby, funny to watch and intriguing, being quite strange looking animals. The platypus is a monotreme, an egg-laying mammal. It’s only friend in the monotreme club is the echidna, whose skeleton is almost identical to the platypus, young are also called puggles and until a certain age the puggles are identical. They nose around with their duck-like beaks for food, and can stay under water for about 14 minutes. Next was Jupiter, a male platypus, who was also chubby and sweet, but either not hungry or a little dim as he completely ignored the yabby and worms put near him.
Next, in the same building, was the Echidna Garden! It houses 3 adorable, waddling, spiky and funny echidnas. Who, for the record, are not actually all that spiky when you brush your hand against their spikes. We got to feed the funny creatures, and watched their long pink tongues flash out and guzzle the watery mixture.
Moving on, we drove to our caravan park at Green’s Beach. We quickly settled in then drove to a national park for a short, steep walk involving scaling some rocks to get down to the water . Finally, we spent the rest of the afternoon mucking about on the beach, eating cheddar and goat milk feta on jatz and all out relaxing. I hope everyone is well!
Fauna: platypus, echidna, pademelon, horses, birds, little fish, yabbies, worms.
Wicked Vans: 0
Vehicles Overtaken: 0
Good afternoon to you all! Today we took a break from walking and went to a Goat Cheesery, a blueberry farm, another fruit and vegetable shop and a treetop adventures company. Before all this, in the morning, we went down to the river that we were camped by and scanned the waters for a platypus. We got lucky and spent the next quarter of an hour watching it forage for food, swimming through the water as it did so. The platypus was tiny and very cute. The Goat Cheesery was first and a bumpy, hilly drive from our campsite. The drive was through a forest that would look right at home in a murder mystery, Agatha Christie novel. Turns out the navman had taken us the wrong way, the back way, to the Cheesery. The Cheesery didn’t open until 10.00, so we waited in the car park until then. Inside the Cheesery we tasted several different goat cheeses, most of which I disliked. Mum, Gabby and Dad enjoyed them though and we left with two different varieties and a bottle of goat’s milk. I tasted the milk as soon as we got back to the bus and it was delicious! Mum and Dad, both of whom had tasted and disliked store bought goat’s milk in the past, tried and liked it as well, presumably because it was fresh milk. Only Gabby disliked the taste. Next we headed to a pick your own Blueberry Farm. A half bucket full of blueberries later, we were on our way again this time to another fruit shop. We bought a bag of plums and a lettuce. After that we drove to Holly Banks Treetop Adventures, where we had a delicious lunch of fresh fruit (plums, currants and peach)and tinned spaghetti. Then we embarked, well Gabby and I did, on our treetop adventure. Firstly Gabby and I got dressed in all the safety gear, did a quick safety briefing and test “flight”. We then headed to the real thing. I was first in line and was clipped into the zip line and pushed away. The zip line was amazing! We flew through the trees, striking odd poses and enjoying ourselves. This happened several more times, each flight becoming longer and taller. The last flight was 400m long and 80m off the ground. After collecting photos from the kiosk we were on our way. We are now residing at Lilydale Falls, where we just completed a short walk to two pretty, but plain waterfalls.
Maddy.
Fauna: Goats, platypus, echidna.
Wicked Vans: 0
Vehicles Overtaken: 0
Hello all. Today was quite laid back. We sadly left our beautiful campsite by the beach and drove to the Goblin Forest Walk, a 400m walk through a forest and old mining area. The walk was pretty, but some of the photographs on the signs were a touch inaccurate (I severely doubt a miner from the 1900’s would wear a plastic hard hat). On the drive to a cheese place, disaster struck! Okay, slight exaggeration. Some fallen branches had blocked the road we had to drive along, so with Dad’s hack saw and us holding back the branches we managed to get through. Next was yummy cheese tasting Pyengana, I have decided I very much like cheddar and cows (smiley face). We saw many, many cows over the next hour. I love the tan-fawn colours of some best. Following our cow-watching was a short walk down to the Saint Columba Falls, a 90m high cascade of water. Maddy was feeling ill so she stayed in the bus, but she’s feeling better now. The walk was steep on the way back but through a lovely forest with small creeks running. After a quick lunch we drove to Legerwood to view some clever wood sculptures. The original trees had been planted in memory of soldiers in World War 1 but they were deemed dangerous and destined to be cut down. An artist instead, with a chainsaw of all items, carved beautiful sculptures of the men and their hobbies, family or the like. Finally, we went to a bakery for afternoon tea and drove here, a rest stop in Scottsdale. Hope everyone is well.
Maddy’s footnote: I beat Gabby in Hand and Foot this afternoon!!
Fauna: Albatrosses, cows, seagulls, parrots, dogs, cows, echidnas on the side of the road (spotted while driving along, a lot of fun), cows, small fish and a pademelon.
Wicked Vans: 0
Vehicles Overtaken: 1
Hello everybody!! Our progress today: driving to St Helen’s, doing the laundry and grocery shopping at St Helens, buying some red currants, youngberries, peaches and apricots (the lady selling the fruit told us why we haven’t been seeing as much stone fruit for sale; it has been a very bad, cold season for stone fruit) driving to the Bay of Fire and digging a very deep and big hole. Overall a successful day. When we arrived at the Bay of Fire, I’ll skip what we did before that; it wasn’t all that interesting, we went for a walk to the right side of the bus; a large clump of rocks then a beautiful white sand and blue sea beach. After a delicious lunch of toastie toasties and the youngberries (like blackberries; delicious) from earlier, Gabby and I walked to the left side of the bus. Not as nice as the other side, the left side contained a large clump of rocks, then gritty sand. We walked, with great difficulty, back to the bus and rested, playing hand and foot. I, finally, beat Gabby at hand and foot, by a convincing 4000. We then walked back to the right side of the bus where we spent the next several hours digging a massive hole with Dad’s shovel; cheating, you may think. It was lots of fun and we ended up with a gigantic hole. After completing our hole, Gabby and I lounged around it in for a while until Mum and Dad came to congratulate us on our achievement.
For a lazy, restful afternoon, today has been good fun.
Maddy.
PS I lost my hair wrap today; it fell out while I was digging the hole.
PPS Dad went for a quick swim today! Photos below!
Fauna: Albatrosses, seagulls, dogs.
Wicked Vans: 2
Vehicles Overtaken: 0
Hi all! I hope you are all having nice holidays (insert smiley face here).
After the copious amount of walking yesterday, you would expect that we would have a little bit of a calm, restful day. But, no, 8.9km uphill/rock scramble instead!
In the morning we left our lovely caravan park to drive first to Whaler’s Lookout, then a blowhole and then to a fish shop (all in Bicheno). The Whaler’s Lookout had a wonderful view, looking out along the coast and onto Governor’s Island, a marine reserve. The walk was steep uphill but the view was eventually worth it. Next was the blowhole, a slightly unexciting spray of water gushing up every minute or so, set on a platform-like group of long rocks. It was pretty, but not exactly thrilling. Before leaving Bicheno, we visited a fish shop and bought some fish (wow) and squid (om nom nom…).
And here, ladies and gentlemen, we have the 8.9km walk. The Douglas Apsley National Park was quite the pretty setting, with many different plants including yellow dogwood, bull oak and eucalypts (ah, information signs). To begin the walk, we walked around a small pool of water and began our steep ascent. We travelled for over a kilometre upwards, with the track varying from stone steps, a slightly worn gap in the bushes and our best guesses. Next was the (also steep) descent. That was also over a kilometre and was slightly better signposted with stone steps and gaps in the bushes. And finally, at the gorge! Large rocks and pools of trickling water greeted us. I stayed and took of my to dangle my feet in the water while the others explored further a bit and found a little waterfall. We moved there and relaxed for a few minutes, skimming stones (Dad is very skilled in that area, but I am not) before moving on. The next few kilometres was very enjoyable, as we hopped over, climbed around and walked onlarge rocks. And then I spotted a snake curled up on a fallen log! It was very scary, despite its small size of about half a metre. We managed to move on without disturbing it, and breathed a collective sigh of relief. Travelling on for a few more minutes, it began to rain. Yay. We only had a short way to go, and managed to escape falling into the water, despite our best efforts (Maddy slipped and only just got a foothold, and I slipped off a rock and stepped into some shallow water). Eventually, with aching feet and slightly wet clothing, we made it back to the bus for lunch and drove off the Iron House Brewery at Four Mile Creek. There we ate four yummy entrees, consisting of: duck croquettes with chilli jam (very yummy), some sphere-shaped breadcrumbed rice-y things with tomato-y sauce (yeuck) arancini balls, sticky chicken wings (yummy) and 3 different dips (sun dried tomato, eggplant, beetroot) and pita bread (extremely yummy). With full stomachs, Mum drove us to our campground at Lagoon’s Beach as Dad had consumed several tiny glasses of a selection of beers. Unsurprisingly, we made it back alive and spent the afternoon walking on the beach and playing cards (I beat Maddy at Hand and Foot, hehe).
-Gabby
Fauna: a SNAKE, various birds, geese, cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, horses, yellow tailed black cockatoos, dogs and numerous skinks that are hell bent on giving me a heart attack, pretending to be snakes.
Wicked Vans: 3
Vehicles Overtaken: 0
I am currently lamenting the loss of mobility in my legs and feet. Now, you may question on how this occurred. Well. We woke up early and drove to Wineglass Bay. We had to get there early because of the copious amounts of tourists that visit the beach. From there we started on the reason for the loss of my mobility; an 11km walk. The walk started at the car park, travelled through forest, rocks and beach, then ended at Wineglass Bay with an extra 3km on the end (included in the 11km). The walk was great. Gabby and I shared headphones and listened to music the whole way. The downside to
this was that we had to walk very close; a feat sometimes impossible on the little path. We stopped for a break at a tiny, pretty, secluded beach about halfway to Wineglass Bay. Wineglass Bay itself was stunning, with white sands, turquoise water and orange and grey rocks. Gabby and I dumped our sneakers, an action that we would regret later, and explored the rocks. The water was cold and not many people were swimming. After a snack break we continued on our way. The last 3 km had lovely scenery and all, but was also very steep and rocky. We stopped at a lookout, about halfway back to the car park, overlooking Wineglass Bay in all its beauty. Finally completing our walk, we drove to Coles Bay where I figured out, as I tried to charge my phone, that the invertor had stopped working. Not only could I not charge my phone but we also couldn’t run the fridge. Dad, thankfully, fixed the invertor. We are currently at Bicheno in a caravan park. Mum and Dad went for a walk through Bicheno while Gabby and I read. I also spent some time cooking up stewed apples.
I shall take my leave to rest my weary feet, Maddy.
Fauna: Wallabies on the beach, Skinks (that scared Gabby half to death) and an echidna.
Wicked Vans: 2
Vehicles Overtaken: 0
Hello All! Today was, to say the least, exciting. We boarded the ferry after leaving our lovely (little) caravan park. It was very small, the ferry, only holding at most 40 odd people. A strong wind was blowing and the waves were high, so it made for an exciting (and slightly stomach churning) ride. And then the ‘fun’ began. Prior to our visit, some work on the jetty had begun and not been finished, resulting in some wave breaks being absent. It proved to be very difficult for the crew to tie the boat to the jetty, it took over 20 minutes! Getting off the boat was another problem, with the crew and rangers helping us over the almost 1m jump.
After the excitement of all that, we visited the Visitor Centre and investigated the restored houses dotting the area. It’s very interesting seeing the style and type of houses of the past. Next was the Fossil Cliff walk, which led us to some cliffs (surprisingly). The wind was still blowing a gale, but we managed to view some fossils in fallen rocks and enjoy the wonderful view.
Next was the Reservoir Walk which led us to through beautiful woodland to a reservoir (hmm..). It was very pretty, with lily pads and reeds. Finally we had the Painted Cliffs Walk, which led us through sparse bush forest to an old brick ruin and some Painted Cliffs (I can sense a theme here). The beach near the cliffs was pretty but as there was a King Tide we couldn’t access the cliffs without getting our feet wet. On the walk back we spotted an echidna snuffling for grubs in the grass which was adorable, and a wombat crossing the road in front of us (so sweet, like a little teddy bear).
Once the boat was ready to board, we hopped on and boy, were we in for a ride. The waves were better than any theme park ride! Up and down, tipped sideways, windscreen coating with spray… it was very exciting. Luckily, no one threw up (Maddy, Dad and I quite enjoyed it, actually) and even Mum was okay after taking some tablets (phew..). Safe on dry land, we drove to the Friendly Beaches and found a lovely campsite next to a fabulous beach. After tea we walked along the beach, and saw little sea slugs disguising themselves as seaweed, tiny fish, pretty rock pools and clear blue water. Unfortunately, I left my shoes behind a rock so I could run around without having to carry them, and some possibly drunk (they were carrying beer cans) teenagers were throwing stuff around near that area. Before they left, one of them picked up something and we assume it was my shoes as they had disappeared. Goodbye, thongs!
-Gabby
Fauna: Ducks, Cape Barren Geese, native hens, wallabies, a (not dead) wombat, a (not dead) echidna, jellyfish, sea slugs and seagulls.
Wicked Vans: 2
Vehicles Overtaken: 0
Hello everyone! Previously we were going to go to Maria Island today. The ferry was all booked up though, so we continued sightseeing. Our first stop was Orford for a convict made road. We pulled up at the site and started our walk along a little dirt road with lots of stones buried in it. This road would take us to the convict built road, or so we thought. We walked along the road until we were met with a river dead end. Turns out, the horrible little road we had just walked along was the convict built road; not as we had imagined. Needless to say, we were very unimpressed. Next stop was another convict built attraction; the spiky bridge. Aptly named, it was a bridge with rock jutting out the tops of the sides. It was very interesting and unique. The sign stated that no-one knows why the spikes were added to the bridge’s design. Then we drove to Kate’s Berry Farm. Unfortunately only jams and chocolate coated fruits were sold, no fresh berries, so we were soon on our way again. Following this was a walk along the cast and through the town of Swansea. The walk was okay, but slightly boring as it travelled through a golf club and streets. For lunch we travelled to Lost Falls where we also completed a short walk to the disappointingly small waterfall. The walk also lead us to some small pools which ranged in depth. After Lost Falls, we travelled to another bridge; this one at Campbelltown. The town also featured beautiful woodcarvings, a Church for sale and an awesome cellar bookshop. As we entered the bookshop, I was immediately drawn to the books on fashion and Gabby browsed the fiction section, whilst Mum and Dad looked over recipe books and books on pigs. 2 purchases later, a cookbook and a book on pigs, we drove to Ross. We looked at another bridge that was just as stunning as its predecessors. Next we headed to Oatlands where we bought a loaf of heavy and delicious-looking bread and walked around the town. The walk lead us around town, through the streets, to a windmill that used to be used as a mill. We are currently back at Tribuna, behind a pub with 14 other campers.
Hope you’re all having a fabulous holiday,
Maddy.
Fauna: Ducks, an eel, birds, dead wombat, dead echidna, swans, wallaby, fake spider on a rock that succeeded in scaring no-one, duck and ducklings.
Wicked Vans: 1
Vehicles Overtaken: 1 (YES!)
Hello all, Gabby here *insert smile here*
Today was pretty laid back, to be honest. We left our cosy car park and drove to the Coal Mines Historic Site, which consisted of a series of walks joined in a circuit studying some ruins and tunnels. The ruins were beautiful (I love sandstone buildings) but we got slightly confused about the circuit which resulted in small arguments that were quickly settled. The dirt of the area was mixed with coal, which was an interesting effect as we strolled through bushy ruins and an area along the coast (very beautiful). Entering a tunnel that led to some separate punishment cells, I was thoroughly spooked by the prospect of being locked here, underground in the pitch black cells, and quickly exited. Next we drove back to Port Arthur and inspected several buildings we missed yesterday. The church was my favourite, without a roof and a carpet of grass making the sandstone building incredible. We completed our quick tour of the unseen buildings and headed to the Separate Prison to watch a play called ‘The Man Who Threw A Stone’. It was centered on the actions of a man, a war veteran who lost a leg and, after 10 years, his pension, who threw a stone at the king and was transported to Australia. There he refused to ‘eat the King’s food’ or ‘do the King’s work’ and starved to death. It was quite a sad play, with talented actors and cool costumes.
Leaving Port Arthur, we drove to the Devil’s Kitchen and the Arches, two massive and awe inspiring landforms created by erosion. A blowhole that didn’t actually blow up water was next and not quite as interesting. After more driving, there was the Tessellated Pavement to see. It is a naturally formed area of stone that appears to be a laid stone pavement (very strange but cool). We bought some fruit at Sorrell, grocery shopped then drove to our poky little caravan park. We have maybe two metres on each side of the bus to move.
Hope everything is well with you guys. -Gabby
Fauna: rabbits, two echidnas dad saw on the side of the road, swans and black cockatoos.
Vehicles Overtaken: 1
(Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh)
Wicked Vans: 2
Has everyone recovered from New Year’s Eve? This morning we left the Falls Festival after brekkie and Dad getting breath tested, and headed to Port Arthur; arriving at about 11.00am. We spent the day at Port Arthur. We went on a walking tour in the morning which was great, then went on a cruise to Isle of the Dead. The Isle of the Dead was used as a cemetery for the convicts and free men and women living at Port Arthur. The tour was great; we walked around the island as the guide told us stories about the people buried on the island. Half of the island was dedicated to free men and women’s graves and the other half was for the convict’s graves. All the graves were facing south-north which was unusual; usually graves face east-west. It wasn’t because of the weather; in fact the tombstones were worn away more than usual because of the weather coming from the same direction that the tombstones faced. For the rest of the afternoon we wandered around Port Arthur, exploring the Asylum, a few of the cottages and the Separate Prison. The Asylum was actually one of the more pleasant facilities on the site. Very advanced for their era, the people in charge of the asylum
kept the patients happy and calm by providing a calm and quiet environment for them instead of treating them badly. The Separate Prison was the worst building on site, almost guaranteed to turn the prisoners mad. The Separate Prison was kept always silent, no talking at all (you wouldn’t last a day Aunty Ness!!), and the prisoners were kept completely separate from each other. Even in church the prisoners were separated; occupying tiny box-like spaces to watch and hear the service. We stayed in the site’s car park until 7.00pm; the time of our ghost tour. We followed our guide, Tammy, outside. I was one of the idiots that put my hand up when she asked for “non-believers”. I was given a lantern and the role of leader. This role meant that I got to knock on doors and be the first into many rooms. To say I was scared would be an understatement. The first place we went was the parsonage; the most haunted building on site. I bravely (ha, who am I kidding) knocked on the door (with my fingernail) and held my mummy’s hand as we entered the building first. Fortunately there were no ghosties and I made it into the room safely. Setting my lantern on the floor, the rest of the group joined us. Next stop was the Church, an open aired building with grass and flowers growing on the floor. After a quick story on how the blood of two convicts had stained the bricks and ground of the church (cue creepy music) we made our way to the “dissection room”. I got to go into the cellar first, almost wetting myself with excitement (please note the sarcasm). The room was labelled the “dissection room” because of the smell of formaldehyde and blood that greets some people. In the “dissection room” Tammy told us the story of a sheep skull that was laid on the stone table, only after scaring the bejeebus out of all of us. One night on a tour the skull was rattling on the table. The guide put his hand on it to stop everyone freaking out, but it kept rattling. The guide picked up the skull and a mouse fell out. Unfortunately (*evil grin*) no-one else saw the mouse and thought it was a ghost. The mouse ran along the table and ran up a woman’s jumper. She started screaming and soon everyone else did as well. The door was shut so all the people on the tour started pushing at it to get out. The door only opened inwards, so the people thought a ghostie was keeping them inside. This caused more screaming and panic. It took ages for the guide to make his way to the door and let everyone out. Now, while this was happening two more groups had made their way to the cellar. As the people on the first tour ran out screaming and panicking, the other two groups reacted as well. The guide exited the cellar and became very ticked off as he realised the two other guides hadn’t come to his aid. He told them “Now it’s your shot!” The last stop was the Separate Prison, where I swore I saw things going in and out of the cell doors. We stayed the night in an RSL car park.
Well, I’ve probably taken up enough of your time, Maddy.
Fauna: Wrens, pademelons, rabbits (accursed pests), jellyfish.
Vehicles Overtaken: 0
Wicked Vans: 2
Happy 2014 everyone! I hope you have all had a wonderful NYE and have had a brilliant year. Best wishes for 2014.
The Falls Festival.
How best to describe the Falls Festival?
As an assault on the senses?
Your sense of smell is completely assaulted from every direction. People who haven’t washed for days, people smoking cigarettes and marijuana, the gradually increasingly disgusting long drop toilets, delicious smelling food and alcohol, alcohol, alcohol.
As a note here from the less pessimistic parents, this festival was held in the middle of a paddock, rather a number of paddocks. The set up was amazing. There was no running water, so composting toilets were assembled on site. They held up considerably well given the use. The whole atmosphere of recycling/greeny was fantastic, from these toilets, to having free drinking water available and encouraged to use rather than purchasing multiple bottles of Mt Franklin, to having a Green Patrol crew continually cleaning up, to the stalls for “Greeny/Tree Huggers” of Save the Whales etc. It was a really fantastic feel, very family friendly, and we felt safe letting the girls roam together. Lots of nice people, and the family zone was extremely well behaved and quiet. Lots of young teenagers getting drunk, but we saw no fights at all and no aggro. We were more likely to get an apology when someone bumped past you.
Your eyes are battered by flashing stage lights, bright clothing, very little clothing and unique artwork.
Your ears are struck by loud, incredible music, so many bands that you can’t remember more than a few. The Cat Empire, the Wombats, Vampire Weekend, Emma Louise, Asta, the Correspondents, Hermitude, Neil Finn and so many
more.
Your sense of touch is confounded as you collide with people around you dancing, jumping up and down, doing the tango (that’s right, we saw that) and moving to the music.
Your taste buds are astonished by spicy curry wrapped in roti, hot chips and gravy, Malaysian noodle curry in a milk shake cup, baby burgers (now with 10% more baby, erm… I’ll explain later), gozleme, pork and apple sandwiches and calamari with palm sugar dressing.
The Falls Festival was amazing. Absolutely insane but amazing.
We began our second day of festival-ness with a sleep in and a late breakfast. The first act of the day was at 11:00, giving us plenty of time. Maddy and I ventured out early to find a good spot to watch Chase City, a moderately interesting former Triple J Unearthed surf rock band. Not my thing, but pretty cool. Remembering the epic-ness of our last holidays hair wrap (for those of you who didn’t see it/read the blog that time, a hair wrap is cotton or wool wrapped tightly around strands of hair), Maddy and I sat through a long line for the cheap, pretty hair decals. The rest of the day was pretty relaxed, alternating between chilling in the bus and listening to the various bands. Some stand outs during the day were The Correspondents and Lulu and the Paige Turners. We also listened to some very funny comedians, the best being
Dave Callan with hilarious jokes about why cats and dogs were domesticated and an epic dance to Beyoncé. After a delicious tea we assembled near the Valley Stage (which lies about 1.1km from our bus- we had to walk it about 20 times) to watch London Grammar, The Violent Femmes and The Cat Empire. The Cat Empire (as usual) put on an awesome show, always a highlight. Dad and I stayed to watch Vampire Weekend for a bit before we followed Mum and Maddy back to the bus for bed.
The next day? More of the same. We relaxed and watched bands during the day then danced to some amazing bands on NYE. Before the bands, though, there was a crazy parade of people in homemade costumes made at the Village (basically a small area dedicated to art). Neil Finn was amazing, there was maybe 10,000 odd people singing along to “Better Be Home Soon”. MGMT next were insane, with good music but crazy, trippy graphics on the screens. Finally there was the countdown, and then The Wombats, which were absolutely awesome. Surprisingly, I knew maybe 4 songs and Dad knew every song (a weird thing considering I don’t listen to Triple J much). As soon as they finished we headed back to the bus and slept, exhausted.
Highs:
Dad: The Wombats, The Cat Empire and Dave Callan
Mum: Neil Finn, Asta, Emma Louise, The Cat Empire, Clairy and the Raquettes, Dave Callan and Lulu and the Paige-Turners
Maddy: The Comedians as a whole, London Grammar, The Wombats, The Cat Empire
Gabby: The Wombats, The Cat Empire, Dave Callan, Neil Finn and The Correspondents
Fashion Crazes:
Plastic 80’s style sandals with socks
Ponchos
Flower Crowns
Onesies
Toasties (like Onesies)
Hair Wraps
Beanies
Lows:
Seeing a guy trying to pee into a beer can in front of us while in the crowd
Smoke, alcohol, marijuana
Drunk people
Wicked Vans: lots camped out
Fauna: zebras, unicorns, horses, cats, Pokémon- oh, wait, just people dressed in onesies
Vehicles Overtaken: 0
We are at the Falls Festival! Today we drove from our caravan park to the Falls Festival, Marion Bay, stopping only for cherries on the way. The first place to buy fruit was very expensive, $13.00 per adult to go out and pick the fruit, so we drove a small way to a different fruit shop where we obtained some cherries. When we arrived at the Falls Festival, we were let straight through with no vehicle checks for glass and alcohol. They must have thought us trustworthy! We arrived at the festival at about 10.00am and wandered around for about half an hour. None of the acts started until 2.00pm, so we relaxed in the bus until then. The first act of the afternoon was Legs Akimbo, a crowd participation games act. The second act was Tom Thum, a very impressive beat boxer. Then came Legs Akimbo again, the acts alternated between it and musical acts. The Correspondents, a DJ and singer duo, followed, preceded (not including Legs Akimbo) by Clairy Brown and the Bangin’ Rakettes, a very good band consisting of backup singers, a lead singer and various instruments. The last band we listened to were Mountain Mocha Kilmanjaro, a jazz band with no vocalist; making the act a boring one for me. My favourite act of the evening was Tom Thum or Clairy Brown.
Maddy.
Wicked Vans: Too many to remember!
Fauna: Various humans dressed in interesting, and sometimes very little, clothing.
Vehicles Overtaken: 0
Hello! Today was fun. We left the caravan park and drove to the Hobart Botanic Gardens, which from we walked down to the Salamanca Markets. The Markets were amazing! They were full of produce, clothing, jewellery, handicrafts, buskers and knick knacks. Maddy and I both got a henna tattoo (henna is a non-permanent dye) on our hands and arms, Dad and I bought a t-shirt each, Mum bought a book and we bought some yummy fruit and veggies. The buskers were really interesting. One pair consisted of a person playing the cello and the other with a banjo and an old-fashioned voice-projector thing. Another was two girls playing the guitar and singing, harmonising their voices beautifully.
Satisfied with our purchases, we walked back to the Botanic Gardens for lunch (yummy bread we bought at the Markets- only problem was the Jalapeno chillies dotted through it, it was delicious but spicy.
Next was the interesting ‘Female Factory’, one of the numerous convict women’s jail and working place. That was very intriguing as we learned about the convicts and their lives and offences. Did you know that you could be transported to Van Diemen’s Land (Tassie) for impersonating a gypsy? Or stealing pillowcases? You didn’t have to do much.
After the tour we took the long, tight and steep drive up Mount Wellington. With Dad’s expert driving, Big Blue made it up in 3rd gear. The view on the mountain was magnificent, we could see almost all of Hobart. It was very windy up there though!
Surviving the trip down the mountain, we drove to a beach near Bellerive and relaxed there for half an hour. Despite the 28 degree day, the water was freezing and swimming not desirable.
Finally, we were back at the caravan park. To our joy, someone had parked in our crappy spot and we had been moved to a much nicer, quieter spot on the edge near some beautiful black cows.
-Gabby
(We asked a couple of locals and Google, and eventually decided to take Blue up. I must say I wouldn’t like to do it every day. The road is narrow and I think some car drivers might have got pretty scared! I was certainly nervous and was glad to get down unscathed. Bue has a very high diff so third gear all the way up and down. Blue has a 6 speed box. It was 26-28 degrees in Hobart and 16 degrees at the top. - Dad)
Fauna: cows, various birds, sheep, swans, alpacas.
Wicked Vans: 1 (yeah!)
Cars Overtaken: 0
Good evening all! Before I start on today’s adventures I would like to make a comment on last night. The charming locals decided to have a party at their house which was located right next to our caravan park. This would have been fine and dandy except they decided to sing and talk loudly and obnoxiously. Despite my protests, Mum wouldn't let me go and tell them to be quiet. There. On to today! Firstly we drove from Southport to Hobart, stopping on the way to buy some fruit (cherry plums, delicious, cherries, raspberries and garlic). We then drove through Hobart to Mt. Wellington. Unfortunately we could hardly see through the fog whilst driving up Mt. Wellington, so we decided to leave the mountain for another day. After that we headed for the Botanic Gardens. The Botanic Gardens were beautiful, with beautiful flowers and tall, tall trees. My favourite parts of the gardens were the Japanese Gardens and the lily pond as well as the conservatory. The Japanese Gardens were filled with lakes, cute bridges and a little waterwheel. The lily pond was very pretty with ducks, a tiny duckling that waddled from lily pad to lily pad and, of course, lovely yellow and pink waterlilies. The conservatory housed orchids, which were amazing and very colourful. Next we drove to a shop for a nut and bolt for the bus. We then stopped for lunch at a Wildlife Sanctuary before exploring the sanctuary. As we entered the park, we were handed bags of animal food for the kangaroos. A guide was talking about a baby wombat as we walked past the enclosure and as she took it out of its burrow and into a pillow case a number of “awws” sounded from the crowd. She then walked around, allowing everyone to pat the little baby. Next up is the Tassie Devils. They are now my favourite Aussie animal. They were adorable! One had a dead bird and whilst it gnawed on it the other devil growled at his friend, hoping to claim the dead bird for himself. After looking at various birdies and patting a koala, we fed the kangaroos with the animal food that we had received earlier. We then drove to Richmond, where we walked around the town. The town featured the oldest Catholic Church and bridge in Australia. Next up was the Richmond Gaol. The gaol was very interesting, but I, unfortunately, didn’t get the chance to lock Gabby in one of the solitary cells. We are currently situated in Cambridge. The caravan park is pretty boring, the playground features slides and swings, and there are no kids
our age.
So long for now, Maddy.
Fauna: Where to start? Tasmanian Devils, kangaroos, koalas, various birds, native hens, tiger snake, wombat baby, peacock, alpacas, cows.
Wicked Vans: 1 (and a couple of cars hired from wicked campers)
Cars Overtaken: 0
Merry Christmas everybody! Our Christmas has been a very quiet, restful affair. We are still here in Snug. After an early breakfast, and presents; Gabby received 2 CDs (Riot by Paramore and Folie a Deux by Fallout Boy), a Cadbury Christmas stocking and a trombone whilst I received a TARDIS and Dalek Salt and Pepper Shaker set (off Doctor Who), a Cadbury Christmas stocking and a punching bag, we walked to a nearby Catholic church for the morning service. After church we walked back to the bus and Gabby and I played a game of Hand and Foot which she, unfortunately, won. Next we had a delicious lunch of prawns, garlic bread and silver berries. To recover from lunch we went on a lovely walk along the beach and roads. A family game of Keez Bord followed, with Mum and I triumphing over Gabby and Dad. After our victory we lounged around reading and relaxing. Tea was next, comprising of pork chops with stuffing, roast vegetable and a vienetta. We have just returned from another walk, this time to recover from tea, through the town. We are currently just relaxing again while Mum and Dad play a game of Hand and Foot.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas,
Maddy.
Fauna: Various birds, magpies, hooded plovers (scary!) and cute kitty cats and dogs.
Wicked Vans: 0
Vehicles Overtaken: We haven’t driven anywhere today.
Is everyone excited for Christmas? Today was quite good. We woke early and had breakfast before taking on an 8.1km walk, which took us to through the beautiful, cool forest full of ferns and massively tall trees. We visited Russell Falls (absolutely beautiful), Lady Baron Falls (very pretty) and Horseshoe Falls (quite nice). Sad to leave the national park, we began a short drive to a cherry place (not open), visited New Norfolk for a grocery shop (and a lovely chat with the family we met yesterday who had just been to Brunie Island and hadn’t showered for 8 days). We then climbed the Hobart Shot Tower, the only circular sandstone shot tower in the Southern Hemisphere. It was very tall and quite scary (318 wooden steps!). For lunch we stopped near a no-longer-operating blow hole and were mobbed by very scary seagulls (don’t tell me you don’t find them scary…). Next was some beautiful native gardens, then Snug Caravan Park where I’ve spent the last hour on a swing. I hope everyone has a safe and happy Christmas :)
Wicked Vans: 0
Fauna: Wrens, pademelons, crows, plovers, eagles, yellow tailed
black cockatoos, swans.
Vehicles Overtaken: 0
Hello Guys! Today we had a very relaxing (read: Boring) day of mostly driving. Firstly we headed to, you’ll like this Nate, a football oval in Queenstown. Yes, I know what you’re all thinking: “Why a football oval?” Well, this football oval was special. It was made of a type of gravelly stuff to stop water from forming in the middle of the oval. Apparently the footballers have to learn to roll as they fall over so they don’t get hurt. Next we travelled to a waterfall named after our beloved pooch. Well, maybe. The details on who it was named after are a bit iffy. Nelson Falls were very pretty and the walk through a rainforest to get to was also great. Along the way little signs depicting a time machine and various paragraphs on what the forest looked like at different points in history. Before anyone asks, the time machine did look a lot like a TARDIS. After that we drove to a part of Cradle Mountain-St Clair Lake National Park: St Clair Lake. Once there, we went on a walk near the lake. The walk was through gum trees; a lot different to our last walk; there was also a platypus spotting platform where, to Mum’s disgust, she still didn’t see a platypus. Lastly, after a lot of slow driving through the hills, we bought some raspberries and mulberry-like berries which were delicious. We are currently situated at Mount Fields National Park, camped with many other campervans and tents.
Goodnight, Maddy.
Wicked Vans: 1(Yay! We also saw 2 other vehicles from the Wicked
Camper Company)
Fauna: Wrens, pademelons, echidna x 2, crows, plovers, no
platypuses.
Vehicles Overtaken: 24! (Nope, just having you on. 0)
Hello, Gabby here.
Today was… interesting. We woke early and drove to the Strahan Port to board the massive Eagle which would be our mini-cruise ship for most of the day. Standing up the front of the boat, heading towards Hell’s Gate (a narrow gap in the rocks leading out to the sea) and feeling the vicious wind in our faces, I couldn’t think of a better way to spend time on a boat. The captain spoke for a while about the conditions of the area, and how the favourable South East wind meant we could go a little way out to sea, which resulted in awesome waves. Apparently some waves can reach up to twenty metres! Soon the wind became a little too chilly, and we headed back inside for an hour or so. The ship then arrived at Sarah Island, where we exited the boat and went for a guided tour of the old convict settlement on the island. The island itself was only 12 and a half acres in size, only a touch bigger than our property at home! We learnt about the 7 puzzles of the island which were very interesting (I can’t remember them all, sorry, but one was focused on how the amount of lashes given to the convicts reduced by some 90% overnight, and another focused on how warm and comfortable the convicts dorms were considering they were convicts). Unfortunately, just before we reboarded the boat, the raindrops began to fall. We were hurried back into the ship for a delicious buffet lunch (mm, salmon…). After travelling up the Gordon River for about an hour, we went for a short walk on the banks (lo and behold, the rain began again). The long trip back to the port was very boring; there was so much rain and fog that was visibility was reduced by a lot.
Once we returned to the port, Dad, Maddy and I went for a short walk to a lovely little waterfall. Returning to the bus, we drove to the Strahan Visitor Centre where the play ‘The Ship That Never Was’ was shown. It was an amazing play, especially considering the cast consisted of two actors (and various members of the audience, heh heh). The story tells of the last boat that was built at Sarah Island, the Frederick, and the story of the 10 convicts who stole the boat and sailed to Chile. Four of them were re-captured a year later, while three stole another ship and became official American citizens. Both playing very significant roles and giving Oscar-worthy performances, Maddy was cast as a cat and Dad as a drunken governor.
(From Maddy: I made an amazing cat, if I say so myself. I scratched a convict and a servant on the knee and was almost killed by a tomahawk.)
Hope everything is well at home.
To the McFaul’s: I hope you guys have had/are having a safe journey and settle in/have settled in well. Hopefully you will have a brilliant Christmas.
Wicked Vans: 0 (I agree with Maddy on this: I have lost all
hope.)
Vehicles Overtaken: 0
Fauna: Wrens, albatrosses, crows, ducks, seagulls. (Does sliced
salmon for lunch count?)
