WOW … what an HONOR!

 (Record of activities on 7^th September, 2010 but posted on above date)


This blog has been in existence for less than a week and today I received an email from Gerald Englebretsen of Tourism Tasmania in which he says:

“Gordon – your blog is really interesting. Your pics and observations are a great read. I would be very pleased to see you craft a few words and pics for our 'Tasmanian Experiences' site
http://experiences.discovertasmania.com/
from the perspective of a (cara)vanner”.

How about that! Of course Barbara has placed an immediate ban on me appearing in any future photographs for the rest of the trip. She says my big head would look absolutely stupid and all out of proportion to the rest of my body.

Being a latter-day Melbournian and a former New South Welshman I have long been envious of the job Tourism Tasmania has done and is still doing for this great little State.  Once Barbara was fully into retirement we just couldn’t wait to get here. So when I have “crafted” that special piece for Gerald, I will let you all know so you can check it out.

As for right this minute … we are about to have dinner of scotch fillet with mashed potato, onions and carrots; meat purchased from two incredibly genial guys at Hygienic  Butchery in Somerset shopping centre, just up the road a bit from that town’s Beachside Caravan Park.

Now, if you know your map of Tasmania, you are going to immediately say … “but hang on Gordon, that’s less than two hours drive back towards Devonport from whence you originally came. You are never going to get all the way around and criss-cross Tasmania in the allocated 14 weeks at this rate”

I know … I know … but you see … we stuffed up.  When we left Melbourne, we forgot a vital piece of computer hardware that allows us to use our laptop as a TV. A friend has mailed it to us care c/- Burnie Post Office, but we suspect the delivery man is swimming Bass Strait with it strapped to his back! So we just have to hang around ‘til it arrives.

Before we left Stanley we called in to the office at the caravan park to thank the proprietor for providing such a lovely “home away from home” for us since we arrived last Friday afternoon. We cannot recommend this park highly enough. Their location and facilities are definitely 4-star and their rate represents great value for money. Thank you so much Louise.

 On the way to Somerset we stopped in to Rocky Cape National Park for an out-of-the-van lunch. What a delightful secluded  beach we discovered  there.  It offered some great experimental photo opportunities with tight close-ups of colorful rock formations, beach pebbles and even bees on pollen-laden flowers. Barbara gave full vent to her  “arty farty” side here.

I'll find a way to add a slide show of other pics we took which is eluding me at the moment

Finally we called around to have a look at Burnie Bowling Club’s new 3.5 million dollar council built indoor/outdoor complex. Holy cow …. fancy being lucky enough to be a sports club in Burnie Tasmania.  Not only the bowls club, but also the footie club, the cricket club, the tennis club (and one other I have forgotten for the moment) have all had new facilities provided for them by the local council.  And isn’t that going to be good for the future of lawn bowls in Tasmania.  For example all the local high schools now have introduced bowls as a sport and kids who once scoffed at bowls as an old man’s game are discovering what a great sport it really is.  We are going to have a roll up there tomorrow.Here are some shots of the complex:

And before closing, at Barbara's urging, I am adding a bit of "dunny" humor to the page. This morning while killing herself laughing, she insisted on photographing me attending to my "favorite" caravaning task.  She says she wants her girl-friends Caroline, Patrice, Janine and Tess to see how well she has trained her little "Pooh Bear". YUK!