Category: Uncategorized

When the sun came out the next day Tofino turned out to be a lovely coastal holiday village with a number of beaches and wonderful scenery.

Being a weekend in school holidays it was pretty crowded and parking nearly impossible, but we managed to negotiate the 4-way stop signs, stay on the right side of the road and find a park near our rendezvous with Kate McCallum from Tofino Food Tours.

This could not have been a better way to get to know the town. We were the only people on the tour, which was great for us. Kate had had a very big tour the day before with some rather unpleasant people so she was happy that there were only two amiable Australians to look after.

We got to know each other over maple bacon donuts and jelly berry donuts at the Rhino Coffee Bar, the go to place for the local fishermen in the early morning and the tourists for the rest of the day. Then it was a wander through the town whilst Kate told us the history, and gossip, of Tofino.

A stop at SoBo Restaurant for crispy shrimp and cod cakes with sweet mustard sauce and a glass of apple spritzer where we met Lisa, the amazing owner and chef, and heard the story of the restaurant.

SoBo was started in a well-equipped purple catering truck to rave reviews from locals. News of the its fresh and amazing food soon reached visitors and they were named one of the top 10 Canadian restaurants in En Route magazine in their opening year, 2003. Since then they have moved into a purpose built permanent restaurant. When Lisa’s son was born she scaled back and now chefs at lunch time which is mainly fish and vegetarian, her love. The nights are catered for by another top chef who specialises in meats of all description. The awards still keep coming in.

On the Schooner Inn for some fish chowder. One of the oldest eating establishments in Tofino it first opened its doors in 1949. Visitors to Tofino were a rare and hardy breed back in those days and willing to brave a four-hour, white-knuckle, unpaved logging road from Port Alberni. It gets its name from the schooner, half of which sticks out the back and half in the restaurant and was the vision of three wayward draft dodgers from the Vietnam War.
The Paddler’s Inn, which was Tofino’s original hotel, was constructed in the early 1900’s when guests arrived by ship and there was no road access to the west coast. We sat on the balcony and sampled a range of produce from the Picnic Charcuterie Company whilst overlooking the fabulous harbour and Meares Island with bald eagles soaring overhead and seaplanes taking off.
From there it was down to the Dockside Smoked Fish Store where wild smoked pacific salmon is served in all it’s forms. Run by the First Nation people of the area it is situated behind the Himwista Native Art Gallery, which we also visited. We were served a platter of Wild Smoked Sockeye Indian Candy, Wild Smoked Chum Honey Garlic, Wild Smoked Chinook Lemon Peppered and Wild Smoked Chum Teriyaki – all of them delicious!

Our last stop was the Ice House Oyster Bar situated on the Tofino Fish Company pier, where the fishermen top up with ice. We sat out on the patio in the sun and tried the Umami Tsunami Oyster, a Baked Middle Beach oyster with mushroom ragout, marmite and anchiote mayonnaise.To drink with this we had a Tofino Brewing Company Kelp Stout. The kelp is infused in the beer at three different stages of the brew. This results in a fairly robust stout with a smoky cocoa and caramel flavor and the rather subtle salty presence of the sea.

We admired the tiny kitchen, which used to be a coldroom, and heard the story of the young chef who came to Tofino and transformed the restaurant from a mediocre eating establishment to an award winning restaurant. That, and a read of the menu, was enough for us and we booked in for the next night.

Kate left us there to enjoy the sun and with vouchers for the Tofino Chocolate Ice Creamery, which was on our way back to the motel. It had been a fabulous, relaxed and informative tour and we can’t recommend it highly enough.

We headed back to the motel via the Ice Creamery and sampled their icecreams. Just as delicious as promised!

A long walk on the beach and then back to our room to get ready for the next day – sea kayaking to find the black bears. This was also a recommendation from Tim and Sandra but in the intervening period the company had bought a boat and they now launched the kayaks from the boat. Climbing into a kayak from a rocky boat was something I was viewing with ever increasing trepidation.

Up at 4.30am and packed, checked out and in the lobby by 5.30 saw us ready for what was to prove a long day, an even longer night and a mind numbing day the next day.

Our eleven hour “luxury” Beyond the Call of Duty Tour proved to be somewhat disappointing though the visit to Pearl Harbour was not. Our breakfast turned out to be a local donut, our guide was not very enlightening and our lunch was hardly luxurious. We did, however, have immediate access to all the highlights of Pearl Harbour, which were very moving and educational and we were glad we had gone – but next time we will get an official pass, take ourselves and save over a hundred dollars. To be fair, the day was hot and tiring and no one wanted to stop at the Royal Palace and State Buildings in Honolulu to take photos on the way back so the tour wasn’t as extended as it might have been.

There is no question that the attack on Pearl Harbour was the biggest mistake Japan ever made and led it into a bloody war costing millions of lives. You can only speculate as to whether America would have entered the war to (largely) protect other countries assets in Asia if it had not been attacked and what would have been the subsequent world outcome if it hadn’t. If the radar detection of the incoming planes had not been mistaken for the early arrival of American planes would the Americans had time to get more of their planes in the air and thus lessen the impact and subsequent American outrage. If the cancellation of the third wave of Japanese attack planes aimed at the fuel depots, the submarines and the dry docks had not been cancelled leaving them virtually undamaged how long would it have taken America to retaliate. Would that have given the Japanese time to achieve what they were aiming for in Asia.

A visit to Pearl Harbour answers a lot of questions, raises some more and leads to a lot of speculation.

We boarded a navy shuttle boat and travelled down destroyer row where most of the destroyers had been anchored and sunk. Operation Rimpac had just finished and ships from all nations were now anchored there.

The Arizona Memorial was closed as the dock was damaged but we circled the site and could make out the outline of the ship below. It is still the burial site of most of those killed and many of the survivors have chosen to be buried there along with their comrades.

We boarded the submarine USS Bowfin and inspected it from end to end. Not quite the “Canberra”!

We then boarded the battleship USS Missouri where history was made

Then it was on to the Pacific Aviation Museum for lunch before completing our tour

We were back at the Halekulani by 3.30pm and were given admission to the Hospitality Suite for the rest of the afternoon. We unpacked our togs and headed back to the beach and the pool for the rest of the afternoon before having a shower and going back to the House without a Key to see if the Steamed Onaga was as good as the previous time – it was!

This time at the Halekulani was our saving. The ability to use all the facilities long after we had checked out meant that we arrived at the airport in reasonable shape for our overnight flight to Vancouver. Though the Halkulani may be expensive it is worth every penny. It is not only its friendliness and helpfulness during your stay – and it’s excellent facilities – but the fact that you could check in early after the arrival of an early flight and use the facilities late before the departure of a late flight means your stay is extended and comfortable. We have joined it’s legion of fans.

Here I am sitting on the balcony overlooking the ocean, Waikiki Beach and the famous Halekulani swimming pool – and I have absolutely nothing to do except read, relax and enjoy myself!
June has been an incredibly busy month with lots of tenants to welcome and farewell, our trip to Canberra with Sterling for his holiday with his uncle Vranken, (not an initial success but hopefully improving), catching up with family, welcoming our beautiful granddaughter Lily and attending a lovely celebratory lunch for Mike Tyquin’s 80th birthday.

Departure day arrived and, even though I was still mopping the floor when the taxi arrived, we had the downstairs ready for an incoming tenant, upstairs ready for Clare and Terry to housesit and had packed our bags (16kg for me – a record!)

Despite a slight debacle with changing money (yes, we should have done it days earlier) and a kerfuffle with our Jetstar meals (there has to be an easier way) we had a good flight on the Dreamliner and arrived in Honolulu, only slightly dazed, at 5.50am on the same day we had left. We were picked up at the airport by a very amiable driver and whisked off to the Halekulani to be warmly welcomed and told that our room was ready and we could check in immediately.

A leisurely buffet breakfast under the palm trees followed by a shower and a sleep was the order of the day and as I write this Ed is still in dreamland.

Our plans are to have a swim in the pool and then the beach and wander into town to have a look around and find a money changer (yes, we should have done it days ago), a little shopping, dinner on our balcony and an early night.

Monday 30th October
At 7.00am we saw Lyndal off for her drive home to Brisbane in Scott’s car, then Edgar and Scott had a bit of breakfast and secured everything in the saloon before heading out at 10.00 into a brisk northerly. We took the shortcut across the top of Woody Island so there was only about half an hour of pushing into the choppy waters before we were running down the Sandy Straits with the wind behind. At 1.00pm we dropped anchor tucked in to the south of Turkey Island in a nice gutter across the channel from South White Cliffs.

An old Hervey Bay veteran living on his boat next to us in the marina had told me this was a good spot in a northerly and we noticed that “Moreton Lady” which had been anchored further back in the Curtis Coast book spot, moved up to anchor next to us when they realised it looked like a better position.

The wind was 20knots plus throughout the afternoon so we were not tempted to put the dinghy in the water even though there was quite a nice little beach opposite. A quiet afternoon aboard followed by one of Lyndal’s pre-cooked dinners from the freezer went down very well.

Tuesday 31st
High tide was 0640 so we got under way at 6.00 so as to cross the shallow section of the straits which was just a mile or so beyond our anchorage. The wind had died down overnight and gradually dropped to a complete calm so we had a very pleasant hour cruising over the shallows and on to Garry’s Anchorage, a sheltered channel behind a low island. Here we dropped anchor right opposite the little beach so after breakfast went ashore for a walk. We followed the track through some attractive semi rain forest which gradually petered out to dry woodland.

We had taken note of the sign at the landing place which warned of the possibility of crocs being present so we avoided the alternate track back along the shoreline which would have involved wading around logs etc.

Since the wind had now completely died it was becoming rather hot at Garry’s Anchorage and there were plenty of mossies about so we abandoned the plan to stay for the night and cruised on down to Pelican Bay, just to the south of Inskip Point.

This would also give us the option of crossing the bar tomorrow if the weather looked suitable. “Moreton Lady” was already there and the skipper Paul came over in his dinghy for a yarn after we anchored. He said he was waiting another day and after a late look at the forecast we decided to do the same.

Spent a pleasant afternoon aboard where we were able to observe once again the tendency of some boaties to enter an anchorage with plenty of space available yet come and anchor right next to you. Having had one bloke do this at a distance just inside the comfort zone (eliciting some very “grumpy old man” comments from skipper Ed) we were astounded to see another small yacht motor up and commence putting his anchor down in between our two already close boats just as if he was in a Woolies carpark or somesuch. At this the grumblings from Ed escalated to a full throated roar and this bloke was told in no uncertain terms to “back off”. Good thing we did because during the night this noong dragged his anchor and ran into “Moreton Lady”

The wind eased in the afternoon and we went over to Inskip Point in the evening and walked a couple of k’s up the beach and back which definitely cleared the lungs.

Wednesday 1st November
In the morning the boat anchored next door left so we were able to spend a peaceful day aboard Suzanne. It was windy morning with a couple of heavy rainshowers so we were pleased to be staying in Pelican Bay. In the evening we went over to the beach for a short walk and on the way had a yarn to “Moreton Lady” and heard about his dramas with the wayward yacht last night.
Back onboard we got everything ready for an early start tomorrow.

Thursday 2nd
High tide was 0615 so we got under way at 0445. We motored out into another beautiful Queensland dawn and were the first boat of the day across the bar which was nice and quiet but getting quite shallow at the outer edge. “Moreton Lady” was right behind us and about a dozen more boats behind her – obviously a good day for crossing the notorious Wide Bay Bar.

For once Suzanne had the legs on everyone else and we gradually pulled away from the pack

– rather a nice feeling.

We arrived off Mooloolaba at 1220 and coasted to a stop in the bay to get our fenders and ropes positioned. It was right on low tide and we were rather horrified to note that the quite low swell was breaking across the entrance of the breakwater. However a call to the Mooloolaba Coastguard informed us that by staying south of the entrance and entering close to the southern arm of the breakwater we would have enough depth. We watched a couple of boats ahead of us and followed them in.

We tied up a bit before 1.00pm and after a cool drink caught a taxi over to Cotton Tree where Scott shouted a very nice meal of fish and chips at the Boathouse followed by a visit to his unit to view the renovations. It was then back to Suzanne for a scrambled egg supper and quiet night.

Friday 3rd
Under way at 0600 and a pleasant day outside if a little bit rolly with an easterly swell. We had nice views of Kawana and Caloundra and by the time we got in to Moreton Bay west of Tangalooma it was an absolute flat calm – a very pleasant way to finish our voyage.

We tied up in our home berth at Manly a bit before 1.00pm. Lyndal arrived from home and the afternoon was spent washing down the boat, emptying the fridges and freezers and packing up. Finally locked the back door on Suzanne and headed for the Straddie Ferry.

It was a strange feeling to be heading back to our Island home after more than two months voyaging. Ed in particular had not spent a night off Suzanne since our first night aboard on 27th August.

Suzanne had performed splendidly and we had a great store of memories to look back on.

24th October
Tuesday morning and after a few final odd jobs such as buying a couple of frozen mullet for the crab pots, we unmoored at 11.00 to go with the start of the outgoing tide. Gladstone tidal flow runs at 2 knots or more so not something to push against. The harbour was busy with tugs and ship movements. There was a bit of easterly breeze outside the harbour so the salt Ed had washed off Suzanne was soon back on again.

It was a reasonable run over to Pancake Creek, which was the usual idyll of peaceful calm. We had yet another early start next day as it is quite a long run down to Bundaberg so we left the dinghy up and just relaxed on board for the rest of the day.

25th October
In the morning we waited a bit past the turn of the tide so that it was on the rise and got under way at 6.00. The breeze was about 10 knots from the north with a bit of a sea still running from the previous day so it was fairly rolly for the best part of the trip.

Otherwise it was quite a good run apart from a south to north set to the current which slowed us down for the first few hours. We heard various boats on the radio warning of debris in the water near the coast which we later realised was due to recent heavy rain.

On arrival in the Burnett River Channel at 2.30 we could see the source of much of the debris because the river and adjacent coastal water was brown with mud. When we tied up in the Bundaberg Port Marina at 2.45 we were even more horrified about the amount of sticks and water hyacinth in the marina. But it was too late and too far to go anywhere else so we tied up well forward in the bay to keep the rubbish away from the stern, and determining to get away as early as possible we didn’t connect the shore power and left the fridges off for fear of sucking debris into the water intake.

Apart from that Bundaberg was its usual hospitable self with the bonus of some beautiful fresh seafood off the trawlers at the Factory Outlet and another delicious seafood marinara at the marina restaurant.

Back at Suzanne and settling down for an early night’s sleep in anticipation of meeting up with Sandra and Tim at Hervey Bay tomorrow morning, we got a phone call from Sandra throwing all our plans into disarray. The way Ed heard it from Lyndal, with his hearing aids out, was that Tim had “bloat”. Turns out it was Krug, their doted upon German Shepherd! However Ed drifted back to sleep thinking of cows with bloat and “poor Tim, that would be a real bugger!”

26th October
Thursday morning and the deadline of Sandra and Tim’s arrival had gone but we still had the incentive of a rising wind forecast and the desire to get out of the muddy and debris filled marina so it was another “picaninny daylight” start and we motored out of the Burnett River into another dawn.

The wind was still northerly about 15 knots, starting to get a bit of a sea running but not too bad downwind. At any other point of the compass Suzanne will steer herself and hold course with barely a touch on the wheel, but not downwind so with the autopilot out it was hand steering all the way for five hours.

Approaching Sandy Straits Marina there was consternation as we now wanted to stay the night and it seems there were few if any berths available. They finally found one for us on a corner which added to the crowded state of the marina and the narrow laneways was a real corker to get into. However the Marina staff and helpers arrived en masse to take our lines and Suzanne was wedged in to a very tight space with another boat’s bowsprit and anchor only a couple of feet from our bow.

While we settled down and waited for news as to whether the Swains would ever get here we decided to make a start on the seafood and had a very tasty prawn salad dinner aboard.

27th October
The morning saw us talking to Sandra and finally resolved it was not worth their while to come up for a couple of days with the weather a bit doubtful. A bit more re-planning and we decided Lyndal would fly home from here so a call to our faithful crewmember Scott followed. Scott rose to the occasion and agreed to drive up on Sunday and Lyndal would take his car back on Monday morning instead of flying. So up to the marina office to see about a few more days stay which revealed we would have to move to another berth.

Bob the marina manager came down to walk our bow line back so we would not drift against the very close boat on our starboard bow and we then moved to the new berth without further drama.

At lunch time, with no Swains present, so we just had to eat four bugs by ourselves – a bit like the proverbial “death of the rich uncle” really – sad the Swains weren’t with us …. but the bugs went down very nicely!

Back in Gladstone, when entering the marina, Ed’s interest had been piqued by an old fashioned looking sailing boat just ahead so he walked round the marina later to have a look. On saying hello a fit looking wiry little bloke put his head out of the cabin. On being asked the history of the boat he responded : “Built her myself last year”. The boat is about 25 feet long, built of marine ply, more or less flat bottomed with a “box keel” (perhaps you sailors will know what that is). She is a “motor sailer” – the motor you ask? A 9.9hp outboard fixed in a well ahead of the rudder! Austin is a solo sailor and he left Ballina earlier this year, had been as far as the Whitsundays and was on his way back south. Her average speed under sail or power? 4 knots.

All this was fairly awe inspiring, so when Ed met Austin round at the Boat Club he invited him round to Suzanne for a bit of afternoon hospitality. We sat on the back deck, comfortably cool with a glass of wine in hand and learnt about Austin’s sailing adventures in “Francis Clare” and his rather knockabout life which encompassed RAF service in North Africa as an air traffic controller, a horse wrangler on a dude ranch in Hampshire, a rouseabout on a Wellington NSW sheep station and time in Alaska (as not sure what). He has drifted all across America, England and Europe, working in some places and just travelling in others. He is from County Tyrone in Ireland and is one of 9 children. His parents are from large families and he has relatives all over the world.

His boating adventures include taking a Dragon keelboat from Malta to Tripoli to help out a mate, having never sailed before and using nothing but a compass and a road map of Europe. It’s a distance of 350 kilometres and took them three days and nights, crossing some of the busiest sea channels in the world, and when they got to the other side they were only out by 12 kilometres. He has also helped to man a charter boat in Bass Strait and sailed around the islands of New Guinea – where many of the natives had never seen a white man.

He came down to Sandy Straits marina behind us yesterday, and was still crossing Hervey Bay when the wind got up to close to 30 knots in the afternoon. He did admit it was the worst experience he had had in his entire voyage to date and he sometimes doubted he would get there at all the seas were so big. He arrived at the Marina well after dark and quite exhausted. He must be closer to 80 than 70 and is quite an inspiration.

Well you certainly meet some interesting people while cruising. We wished Austin well for the rest of his voyage. Perhaps we will catch up to him again later.

We finished off the evening with dinner at the Cafe Balaena restaurant just at top of our ramp in the marina.

28th October
The morning started slowly, with breakfast on the deck and then a few odd jobs and catching up with some bookwork. Edgar in his investigations had discovered the Boat Club had two movie cinemas and one was showing Victoria & Abdul with Dame Judy Dench. The movie had excellent reviews which, as we discovered, were well founded (the speech Victoria gave to her son and senior members of her household when they were trying to have her declared insane was quite something – a masterful performance by Dame Judy).

For lunch we tackled the wood smoked fillet of salmon on toast with a lovely Reisling – sorry Sandra and Tim.

With the crab still to consume (Crab Linguine on the menu for tonight) we thought we should get a bit of exercise so decided to walk to the jetty at Hervey Bay. We had a lovely walk along the Charlton Esplanade and were reluctant to turn back it was so pleasant.

The result was we walked for nearly two hours so were feeling very virtuous and ready for a drink and dinner.

29th October
A fairly leisurely day with a walk around the marina and the purchase of snorkelling fins for both of us. Scott arrived late afternoon and settled in and then it was time to head out for dinner at Coast along the Esplanade in Urungan.

We had no great expectations of this restaurant but it had some good reviews and it was open on a Sunday. It turned out to be a fantastic dining experience, reasonably priced and on a par with some of the best restaurants we have dined at.

We started with drinks – Ed had a Burleigh Brewing Co. Big Head lager whilst Scott and I tried the Elderflower Collins. The menu is a share platter arrangement and there were a number of very delicious dishes to choose from – which took us some time – and negotiation! During the ordering process we came across a drink called Gin & The Giant Peach which consisted of Gin, Champagne, Peach and Citrus. We decided we had to have one to celebrate the end of the trip for Lyndal and the close to the end of the trip for Edgar and Scott. It was totally delicious and only the thought that one of us had to drive home stopped us ordering another – definitely on our menu from now on.

In a very short time our entree platters arrived – Grilled Hervey Bay scallops with kombu butter and wakame (absolutely delicious), Whole fried whitebait with preserved lemon aioli and Thai fish cakes with daikon and nam prik pao. These and the rest of the meal was paired with a 2016 Rosa by KT, Granacha Tempranillo from the Clare Valley (also very delicious).

Our main meal consisted of another three platters. Zucchini textures with dill, tomatoes and almonds, Sticky beef short ribs with coconut & ginger caramel and finally Vietnamese spiced chicken with star anise & lemongrass broth and a side dish of Pumpkin, honey, cumin, lemon, fetta and sage. Our waiter had strongly advised us against ordering any more and he was so right! Only the fact that the food was so delicious kept us going.

After a short break we were lured in by the dessert menu. Edgar, wisely, contained himself to coffee but Scott was taken by the Liquorice sponge with caramel, chocolate, vanilla and popcorn and I couldn’t resist the Yoghurt panna cotta with summer berries, spiced granola and lemon balm.

If you are ever in Hervey Bay – Coast is the place to go!

And so to bed well wined and dined. Lyndal was leaving in the morning and Edgar and Scott were setting off to bring the boat home on it’s last leg.

20th October

The forecast was for wind easing to 10-15 knots, so optimistically we headed out at 10 o’clock, with a backup plan to pull in to Port Clinton if we didn’t like it. Well the swell was still up with a sea on top and it was rough with a capital “R”. We got down to Pearl Bay, where there was good shelter, dropped anchor close in to the beach in bright sunshine and had a very nice hour there swimming and walking on the beach.

It was also the site of the demise of Lyndal’s waterproof camera. Ed had decided a water level photo of Suzanne in Pearl Bay would be very artistic so swam out with the camera. Unknown to both of us the side battery hatch was not completely sealed – result: one kaput camera and no artistic photo! Fortunately a very helpful bloke at Hervey Norman Gladstone was able to extract all the previous photos on the camera card, which we thought had been lost.

With the surge coming in round the point it would have been an uncomfortable night there so, ever the optimists and hoping conditions might have eased a bit, we headed out at 1200 only to find the sea the same if not more so. Suzanne battled her way down to Port Clinton – a very long hour. This time the chair Jon was sitting in went over the other way (a first) though this time he was unhurt, only stranded upside down. Have decided that the chairs are (a) very strong and (b) lethal in heavy weather – and Jon has now had his third incidence and should be fine from now on.

We got in to the southern arm of the harbour bit after 1.00 and dropped anchor at 1.30 in a beautiful sheltered spot. We had a very pleasant afternoon exploring our part of the harbour in the dinghy. This was an unexpected paradise which we would never have discovered where it not for the weather. There were birds everywhere – enough to excite any bird watcher – and plenty of turtles and fish. Looking west over Port Clinton with the south arm on the left

We found a large turtle ashore on the mud bank nearby and as we beached the dinghy next to it noticed what looked like leaves on the edge of the water but it turned out to be a very large thread fin salmon the best part of a metre long.

At first we thought the turtle was dead but on closer inspection found it was alive but had an injured flipper and was obviously taking time out to recover. Apparently when turtles are mating, rival males try to unseat the incumbent male by biting his flipper and trying to drag him off. There were amorous turtles in the water, including a couple in a very interesting position. Unfortunately with only our i-phones to take photos (and extremely reluctant to risk them) we got no photos to share.

We found a beautiful bit of beach and rock to walk on – all in all it was quite idyllic and a continuation of the theme of our progress south: fairly hard days of cruising followed by beautiful and wild remote anchorages.

21st October
The forecast was for light winds (finally!) and we had a deadline: Jon had a flight booked from Rockhampton and the airport minibus was leaving Keppel Bay Marina at 11.30. So it was early start again and we had the anchor coming up in the “picaninny light” of pre-dawn. We headed out of Port Clinton into the dawn of a pleasant day – it takes a bit of self urging but the dawn starts are worth the effort and quite delightful.

We had a good run down to Keppel Bay and tied up at 10.30. Breakfast together at the very nice little Marina restaurant and then we saw Jon off on the bus looking very relaxed after his adventures in the wilds of the Queensland coast.

The south-easterly was getting up again the next day so we cancelled our plan to stay in the marina overnight. Our plan to catch up with Richard and Libby Wilson (the owners of the marina) seemed doomed as far as 2017 was concerned. We headed out of the marina at 12.30 and on to the Narrows behind Curtis Island where we anchored just short of The Crossing about 4.00pm to await the next morning’s high tide. A very peaceful spot being in the midst of thousands of hectares of mangroves means only one thing: midge and mossie paradise! So it was bring out the mossie coils and batten the hatches. We had so many mossie coils burning round the decks we looked like our own private smoking ceremony.

22nd -23rd October
The mornings high tide was 10.50am, so a leisurely start was in order for the first time for many days. It was spring tide so we had plenty of water over the crossing – one of the few places outside Moreton Bay where we feel 2 meters under the keel is “plenty of water”. We started the anchor up at 10.00 and crossed at 10.30. A pleasant run down through the sheltered Narrows and into busy Gladstone Harbour followed and we tied up in the marina at 12.30. We had a busy afternoon with Lyndal taking over the laundromat, where luckily being Sunday afternoon every machine was vacant, and Ed washing down and filling water tanks on the Suzanne and also picking up a hire car. In the evening we had a nice reef fish dinner at the Yacht Club.

In the morning the diesel fitters from GMM arrived to service our main engines as they did last year. Keiran, the son, eyed the generator with horror and suggested we think of replacing it. He is very taken with the Volvo engines and thinks the generator is a total eyesore! He told us he could make our engine room look truly beautiful – not an adjective you usually hear to describe engine rooms! His father, on the other hand, is of the old school and thinks ‘if it aint broke leave it alone’

It was re-supply time to get ready for Sandra and Tim’s arrival a few days ahead – and of course we can’t stop at any town without visiting Bunning’s and Dan Murphy’s. We also acquired a couple of replacement waterproof cameras. All in all it was a busy day but we managed to fit in a very nice lunch at The Dock followed up by the mandatory gelato. Unfortunately we were running short of time to get the car back so Ed was not able to order the Donut Stack topped with Gelato and accompanied by a syringe of Nutella, which he lusted after – sigh – maybe next time. We had to make do with donuts to take away!!

Supplies stored and cabins readied for the next occupants it was time for bed to ready ourselves for tomorrow and the trip to Pancake Creek

15th October
We had had a wonderful run of weather in the Whitsundays but now it was becoming changeable with South Easterly’s forecast so we decided to get down to Keswick / St Bees Islands early and leave ourselves the option of pressing on to the Percy Islands or sitting out the possible stronger south east weather.

So it was up anchor at 0600, rudely awakening our new crew member in the forward cabin.

As it turned we had a nice run down to Egremont Channel between the two Islands, where we anchored at 10.30.

The wind got up a bit in the afternoon but we had an explore in the dinghy and later on the rising tide went over to a beach on St Bees for a walk and a swim. The wisdom of going down the ladders backwards and using both hands was demonstrated by Jon who, attempting to get in the dinghy with an arm full of fins, snorkels and mask, was throw off balance by a roll of the boat and landed heavily on the duckboard. Assuring us he was all right, he went after the items he was carrying as they spiralled into the depths – retrieving all.

Turns out he was not OK – with a nasty gash on his calf and grazing and significant bruising on his thigh. However after some hasty first aid, he was back in the dinghy and we headed past the resort for a look before landing on the beach.

16th October
We were out of bed early to sniff the weather and it was do-able at about 15knots but had been blowing overnight. We had a big day ahead, about 9.5 hours run which turned out to be over 10 as we were pushing the tidal flow. Our autopilot had gone out about a week before so there was no respite for the helmsman. The first few hours were hard going pushing directly into the sea, which had got up overnight. Suzanne had never had a run like this in her life, being used to Moreton Bay (with the exception of a run north last year) but she took it in her stride. The anchor leaped off its mount on the bow and Edgar had go forward, kitted up in raincoat and life jacket, to tie it down (ruined my varnish too the b thing!) whilst Jon did his share of the steering.
The sea eventually settled down a bit but it was a tired crew that saw Middle Percy Island come up over the horizon. We sailed past West Bay with no time to stop for a run ashore as we had hoped. Our goal was the east end of South Percy, more sheltered from the southeast wind. So on we went past Whites Bay and eventually dropped anchor at South Percy. We felt a need for firm land underfoot so launched the dinghy to go ashore.

We were the only boat there and when we stepped onto this most beautiful wild beach we all felt the hard day had been worth it. There was not another human footprint besides ours and three tracks where turtles had come ashore to nest, one as recent as the last tide. Numerous shells were added to the collection and feeling totally fulfilled it was back on board for a peaceful night.

17th October
After breakfast we went ashore for a roam on the beach and rocks, Lyndal walked the beach and Jon had snorkel round the rocks.

Back on board we got under way at 10.00 for Island Head.

The first couple of hours was a nice run, wind under 10 knots but then, although wind remained light, we encountered an increasing swell from the east, reaching about 2 to 2.5 metres.

Suzanne swooped over the swell manfully (womanfully?), then when a bit of a sea got up on top of the swell it became pitching and rolling as well. On one of the rolls the chair Jon was sitting in went over, quite badly bruising his other thigh – we were beginning to wonder in what shape we would be sending him back to Miranda – and they say things come in threes! Once again we were pleased to see our destination appear ahead. Passing between the heads into the inlet was like going from one world to the next with perfect calm inside. We went a couple of miles up the inlet to drop anchor.

The BBQ lamb dinner was well earned. The forecast for the next couple of days was grim so it looked like we were here for a while.

17th and 18th October
We awoke to heavy showers of rain in the morning so Suzanne got a nice wash-down to remove a lot of the salt. In the afternoon we put down the crab pots with the dinghy, and after a bit of a survey further up the inlet, we motored down to the sand spit near the entrance for a walk on the beach.

That night the 25-30 knot south easterly arrived with a vengeance. The wind howled and the boat even got up a bit of a rock – most unusual that far up the river. Even the birds got sick of flying and headed for shelter
Next morning it was sleep in and a late breakfast of delicious corn fritters and eggs cooked by Lyndal. The crew got back to their world geography jigsaw puzzle, and when the skipper suggested they might up anchor to move further up the inlet for more shelter, the deckies- who would have found themselves hanging over the bow hosing the muddy chain in a howling gale – got very mutinous expressions on their faces so the “consensus” was that we stay where we were.

The wind eased in the afternoon so we picked up the crab pots: one nice sand crab and lots of tiddlers – all his children perhaps? We let him go to fight another day and put the dinghy up in the hope of getting away in the morning.

7th October
We started the day with a drive around the island to see what damage had been done and what was undamaged or restored.

Some of the residents of Airlie Beach may be critical of the Oatleys for ‘pinching all the tradespeople’ but you have to admire what they have done since the cyclone. Most of the island is functioning as normal and the amount of restoration is incredible from infrastructure to landscaping.

The marina sustained a lot of damage with one of the arms breaking away and, together with the boats moored to it, smashing it’s way into everything else. Now you wouldn’t know it had happened.

Happily moored in the Marina we entertained the Roses for morning tea and an inspection of Suzanne before heading to Plantation Bay on Lindeman Island for a couple of days of relaxation. We had a swim off the back of the boat and Lyndal, well dosed, retired to bed whilst Edgar caught up on his reading and paperwork.

8th October
A good night’s sleep, breakfast on the deck followed by a walk on the beach and a swim left us feeling relaxed and ready to face the onerous day ahead.

The wind had shifted slightly so we decided to move across to central Shaw Island and anchor off one of the beaches there. We were followed by the “Ngak Ngak’ , a very attractive 17m sailing boat which had anchored behind us at Plantation Bay. The yacht’s name Ngak Ngak comes from the sound of the white-breasted sea eagle and is an indigenous name for that bird. Artist Ginger Reilly Munduwalawala painted the distinctive logo on her side. The original painting hangs in the boat.

We headed in to the beach for another swim and then did some reading and relaxing before motoring down to Burning Point for some oyster gathering. Another feast was enjoyed by the two of us.

9th October
Woke to a beautiful still morning with scarcely a puff of wind and, after breakfast, headed to the beach for some shell searching and a swim. Too lazy to do anything else so just read and rested for remainder of the day.

Started preparing the evening meal before an ominous silence indicated that the generator had switched off and, despite our efforts, would not switch on again. Fortunately the meal was far enough along to be edible.

Nothing to do but head for bed and plan an early start for Abel Point.

10th October
Off to Abel Point via Burning Point for Lyndal to collect some particularly fine shell grit (much to Edgar’s disgust). On the way tried to contact the local Marine engineers and electricians to see if we could get anyone to look at the generator – a lot of weaving and dodging but no one would commit in the near future.

Arrived in Abel Point about 12 noon and given an excellent berth only a hundred yards from the Ocean Club.

That was the upside. The downside was that we continued our quest for diagnosing what was wrong with the generator and trying to find someone to have a look – no luck.

Spent the rest of the day trying to work out how we were going to get home with no generator. Replacement generator moving up the bucket list – flopper stoppers looking dodgy.

Decided to console ourselves by walking in to Airlie Beach for dinner. After several restorative cocktails, drinks and dinner caught a taxi back.

11th October
Another frustrating day trying to sort out the generator. No one able to help

12th October
A breakthrough in the morning when Edgar got the generator to start by holding the fuel shut off solenoid open but it would stop as soon as released. At least we now knew it was either the temperature or safety switches that were at fault.

First one to eliminate was the overheat sensor so Ed got some of Mike’s wire and connectors that he had purchased for the radio and bridged the current from the safety switch. Then it was hold your breath and switch the start and …… away it went!

Off shopping to stock up for trip back then to Hemingway’s to dinner to celebrate! We were only going to have oysters but couldn’t resist the crab linguine and a restorative (!) fillet of beef!

13th October
Decided to refuel for the trip back and so were on the fuel dock at 6am. Finally refuelled we left the marina at about 8.30am and headed for Hamilton Island arriving at about 11am.

We had drinks with George and Loy whilst we waited for Jon’s plane to arrive. He headed for the bottle shop and stocked up with some of his favourite wines to share with us, including a very delicious Leeuwin Estate Art Series Pinot Gris and a couple of lovely rosès.

Back to Plantation Bay for a swim off the beach and a walk then back to the boat for sunset drinks on the deck. We were the only boat in the Bay so very peaceful.

14th October
We started the morning with a swim off the duckboard and then, as the wind had changed a bit, headed for Burning Point at Shaw Island. Again we were the only boat there.

Went oystering (now have a special oystering kit consisting of two buckets, two screwdrivers, two hammers and a grapefruit knife!). Again very successful and we went back to the boat for an oyster lunch with one of the lovely rosès.

The afternoon we headed into the beach for a walk and a swim and a last farewell to Shaw Island for this year.

Another beautiful sunset saw us bedded down for the night and ready for an early start on the way home.

26th September
We left Nara and, having been advised that the Hamilton Island Marina was very busy and there would be quite a wait, anchored off Cid Island until we could get in to moor.

We had about a two hour wait and made it in just in time to meet the family. High excitement amongst the children who had come all set to (a) fish (b) swim and (c) drive the dinghy (Frankie). Lorna informed us she was going back in two days as she missed her toys and game boy. Mike and Cath were all set to kick back and relax and so we picked up some more very essential supplies (Nutella, Milo and red wine) before leaving for Stonehaven, where we anchored and headed to the beach for a swim and snorkel and to release some pent up energy.

For the next ten days it was full on. The children only seemed to have two speeds – collapsed or flat out!

27th September

Off to Butterfly Bay again with our gang of seven and, having moored, off to the beach with all the snorkel gear. After some reasonably traumatic sorting out (Lorna insisted on being kitted out in pink) we took to the water for our first venture into snorkeling with various degrees of success!

Eventually, cold and tired, we retreated to the boat and headed for Langford Island. There was too much current to swim but feeding the batfish was a big hit! Lorna conceded she would stay until after my birthday.

28th September
After a peaceful night at Nara we set off for Whitehaven Beach and anchoring off the north end took the dinghy up Hill Inlet to the inside of a sand spit.

Lots of swimming, walking and shell collecting for the rest of the morning.

Children now introduced into the pleasure of jumping off the boat, which kept them entertained until we headed back to Nara in the early afternoon. More jumping off the boat and Lorna now staying until after Eleanor’s birthday.

29th September
Lyndal’s birthday. Presents and breakfast on the back deck before heading back to Whitehaven for the day – Mike now the skipper and looking decidedly more relaxed.

A good birthday present was the news that he had been made a full colonel!

Once again we anchored off the north end and took the dinghy further up Hill Inlet to a swimming hole off the beach, where we spent most of the day.

Frankie was fascinated by the soldier crabs and spent some time hovering over them to watch them freeze and then dig into the sand. On the way back the kids took turns being towed on the kneeboard, which was a big hit.

Reluctantly our crew finally agreed to get out of the water and we headed back to Nara for Nina’s birthday cake (courtesy of Cath and the kids) and Nina’s birthday dinner (courtesy of Cath and Edgar) with phone calls from the rest of the family.

30th September
We spent the day in Nara with Mike and Cath taking the kids down the inlet to the walk up to the aboriginal cave whilst Edgar and Lyndal relaxed on board. That afternoon Edgar took the children for a swim off the beach whilst the remaining adults relaxed – altogether a peaceful day.

Mike inspected the sound system and other various jobs that needed doing around the boat and we made plans to go into Abel Point the next day to pick up the necessary gear we needed to complete the jobs and replace the sound system. Mike’s years of working with the switchboards on his hobby of electric train sets has made him a pretty good electrician.

‘Rare Pleasure’ came in in the evening with the other two boats they were travelling with. Graham and Rhonda and Graham’s sister, Claire, came over for a sunset drink after the boat had been transformed from lived in to presentable and ship shape within minutes (Army colonels and Army colonel’s wives very good at this).

1st October
Back to Abel Point and whilst Ed sorted some thing out on the boat Cath, Frankie and Lorna did some washing and Mike, Lyndal and Eleanor went shopping.

Bunning’s first then Super Cheap Auto, Big W and Woolies were on the agenda for new showers, a new sound system, new togs for Lorna and more provisions. Eleanor picked out two new swimsuits for Lorna and found some funky sunglasses for Frankie. Sweet child that she is, she asked for nothing for herself but had been very taken with an R2-D2 key ring (big Star Wars fan) in Super Cheap Auto, which we surreptitiously purchased.

Back to the boat and to work. New showers first – which transformed our showering – then on to replacing the sound system. A project which evolved over the next couple of days as a new radio/bluetooth player was installed and all the speakers were replaced by Mike. In the end we had a beautifully working system albeit with a little crackling due to old wires and soundproofing – this he intends to fix at Christmas. In the mean time he put in a new switch for the waste pump and fixed the navigation lights -– what a handy son.

Takeaway pizza on the back deck and overnight at the marina.

2nd October
Leisurely start and off to Plantation Bay on the south side of Lindeman Island for the night. Arrived early afternoon and after much jumping off the boat headed in to the beach for a walk and swim. Watched a movie and off to bed ready for the much anticipated event of the trip – Eleanor’s birthday.

3rd October
Eleanor’s 10th Birthday.

A much celebrated event as our eldest granddaughter hit double digits! A hasty breakfast and then present time. She had already been given a camera as an early birthday present and she now received a much longed for pocket knife – which she promised to use in a very responsible manner! The R2-D2 keyring was received with great delight as was her elephant necklace and her beautiful glass dolphins.

More jumping off the boat and then into the beach at high tide for swimming, walking and kneeboarding. Cath and the kids had a go as did Edgar, who managed to get upright and jump the wake, which impressed his grandchildren no end.

We motored over to Burning Point on Shaw Island for an hour’s oyster collecting then back to Plantation Bay for an oyster entrée – 5 dozen between three. On the way back we spotted a boat looking like the Meander II in the distance, which reminded us to phone George and Loy. Turns out they were in Hamilton Marina so we arranged to meet at Whitehaven the next day.

Eleanor had her cake – chocolate with candles and smarties – and her birthday dinner and it was a very happy girl who went to bed that night.

October 4th
Mike, Cath, Eleanor and Frankie went ashore to climb the hill to the top of Lindeman and have a look at the views whilst Edgar took Lorna into the beach for a swim.

We departed about 10.30 for Whitehaven and anchored in just behind the Meander II on the south end of Whitehaven.

Edgar and Lyndal went over to say hullo to George and Loy and have a drink whilst Mike and Cath got the kids sorted out for a swim. Mike called over to have a look at Meander II and then went back to relieve Cath who also came over for a look. Altogether spent a very pleasant hour with the Roses before everyone headed back to the beach for a swim with the exception of Lyndal who had developed a sore throat and a nasty cough and thought it prudent not to swim.

This lasted until everyone came back and feeling hot and in need of a cooling off – and being a showoff – Lyndal decided to jump in the water off the bowsprit. With great trepidation Frankie was the next closely followed by Eleanor. Lorna had climbed outside the rail but was terrified of jumping. When told she didn’t have to wailed that ‘of course I do – I can’t chicken out’. Finally jumped with Cath (who blamed Lyndal for getting her in this position) and was so pleased with herself she did it several times more, then they jumped off the side of the boat and everywhere they could climb and jump. Lorna now decided she was staying on the boat forever and very put out when she found she was due to go home soon.

We headed back to Stonehaven about 4pm for the night and to get ready for an early start back to Butterfly Bay.

5th October
Lyndal’s bravado of the day before had paid the price and her sore throat and glands had now developed into a chest infection to be followed over the next couple of days with an eye infection and ear infection.

Lyndal now relieved of all duties and has adjourned to her cabin.

Meanwhile the remaining members of the party are taking it in turns to jump off the boat (the kids) and snorkel (the adults) in Butterfly Bay and are having a great time. After a couple of hours we set off again for Nara where the afternoon was spent swimming off the boat and exploring the reef plus some dinghy driving by Frankie, Eleanor and Lorna (bit nervewracking).

6th October
We set off about 7am for Hamilton to get the family on their 11.30 flight.

It had been a great ten days, enjoyed by all and very relaxing for Mike and Cath but the time was up and they were switching back into work mode when they left. Frankie was looking forward to going home, Lorna was mutinous (didn’t want to go) and Eleanor was in tears (didn’t want to leave us) when we farewelled them.

Ed and Lyndal hired a buggy and headed for the doctor who said that in her medical opinion Lyndal was a mess and prescribed antibiotics, steroids and an antibiotic eye treatment. Edgar prescribed lunch and a drink and a drive around the island – both treatments seem to work!

We checked out a couple of galleries whilst we were waiting for the scripts to be filled and were very taken with a glass lazy susan, which Edgar promptly bought for Lyndal as a birthday present – much to her delight.

Back to the boat and an afternoon nap for Lyndal whilst Ed went to have a chat with the Roses who were anchored opposite. We were supposed to have dinner with them that night but decided it wouldn’t be wise and instead had a light meal and early to bed.

19th September
A leisurely breakfast and a slow start saw us reluctantly leaving Shaw Island. We had had a very pleasant couple of days there and determined to come back with the family for some swimming and oyster picking!

Seeing as Scott was leaving us the next day we thought it would be nice to go round to Whitehaven Beach though the wind was not ideal. We went past Lindeman Island and Pentecost Island. By this time the Suzanne was rolling wildly and we made the decision that Whitehaven would be no good – with Scott declaring he would rather sit in a peaceful spot than be thrown around the cabin and he would visit Whitehaven some other time!

We diverted and headed up the Fitzalan Passage in a great deal more comfort. We passed Hamilton Island Resort and fully appreciated the destruction of Cyclone Debbie. We had seen signs of damage all the way up but never to this extent.
Ending up in the quiet waters of Nara Inlet, we stayed the night drinking the last of our gin and whiskey and partaking of the last of our perishable food. We had been ‘at sea’ for 9 days and were pleased to find that our water had held out well but the rubbish was taking over the boat!

20th September
Next day it was off to Abel Point Marina to drop Scott off and pick up Robbie. We passed a whale on the way that gave us a great display. Annoyingly I had only just started using my new camera and zoomed out rather than in, which somewhat negated the spectacular effect. Even more annoyingly this turned out to be the only whale we saw the entire time we were in the Whitsundays.

Last night on board with Scott and first with Robbie. We picked up some supplies and had a very enjoyable meal at Hemingway’s (thank you Scott). Great menu and good wines left us feeling well satisfied with the world.

21st September
The next morning we did some washing and had breakfast on the deck at the Ocean Club – a new initiative of Abel Point Marina that sets it apart from other marinas. What was originally destined to be a floating restaurant out on one of the arms has now been developed into an amenities complex with ensuite showers, a laundromat and picnic area with brunch provided and barbeque facilities for lunch and dinner. The laundromat has plenty of washing machines and dryers and whilst you wait you can breakfast on tea/coffee, fruit/yoghurt and croissants/muffins on the deck overlooking the marina. The cost to join? $10.
Robbie had requested a calm anchorage so we decided to go back to Nara Inlet.

There was an aboriginal cave with some paintings at the end of the Inlet, which we were interested to see. It was a fairly easy walk, though with my knees I found it a bit more challenging. Definitely worth the climb with lots of information and ancient cycads to see as well as the cave paintings.

22nd September
The following morning we headed for Whitehaven with Ernest at the helm – causing Robbie some nervousness! We anchored off the northern end of the beach and took the dinghy into a gutter, which was about waist deep and had a flat firm bottom – ideal for water walking and swimming. Also ideal for sitting on the edge drinking wine!

Cyclone Debbie had hit Whitehaven hard. With trees stripped bare and many of them dead it was quite a different spot from last year and whilst there are signs of recovery, it will be some time before it is returned to it’s former glory.

As it was a bit too rolly to remain at Whitehaven we decided to try Cid Harbour and anchored off Sawmill Beach.

Edgar, Ernest and I decided to try the bush walk round to Dugong Bay but the light beat us and we had to return without reaching our destination. Robbie’s asthma was playing up and she decided to remain behind and look for shells – probably a wise move!

23rd September
The next day bright and early we headed for Butterfly Bay via Hook Passage.

We arrived just after eight and managed to secure a good mooring where (as there were plenty of free moorings) we remained until just after lunch, snorkeling and swimming and generally relaxing.

Last night for Robbie and Ernest and they opted to spend it in Nara Inlet. When we awoke the next morning the water was so still and mirror like we could see the clouds and cliffs reflected almost perfectly. We spent the morning reading and chatting and departed for Abel Point in the early afternoon.

24th September
Another bout of washing and a big shop before the family arrived in a couple of days. We made sure we had plenty of snacks, biscuits, drink, chips and biscuits to keep the hunger pangs at bay with three small children as well as plenty of sausages, hot dogs and hamburgers.

We stowed everything away and once again adjourned to Hemingway’s for dinner, this time courtesy of Ernest and Robbie. Standouts were the Smoke Infused Rum smoked and served at the table in a very spectacular manner, the Mixed Dozen of Oysters and the desserts.

The oysters were different and very flavoursome. Edgar and I shared a dozen which consisted of one natural, one with pink champagne & lychee, one with Ora king Salmon and coconut granita, a chorizo oyster (which was a much nicer twist than Kilpatrick) and probably our two favourites -though they were all good – blue cheese with grape and cucumber, mirin and pickled ginger. The desserts were spectacular The Tropical Panna Cotta came in a glass sealed with the mango gel. The warm chocolate sauce was then poured on and melted it’s way down into the tropical fruit

25th September
We did our final wash and had breakfast on the deck at the Ocean Club, a bit of shopping then farewelled Robbie and Ernest and headed out to return to Nara Inlet and to get the boat ready for the onslaught the next day.

Our intention when we left the Percy Islands was to stay in Curlew Bay, which read favourably. We arrived after a pleasant trip up with the odd whale and interesting island to see us on our way.

It was a very pretty and tranquil spot .

Our stay lasted all of two minutes after we put the anchor down. It was just before 12 noon and a couple of good rolls and the memory of Keppel Island had us hauling anchor and hurrying on our way. We decided to head for Digby Island and shelter there. When we arrived it turned out to be only a little better, but it was now getting later in the day and hoping it would improve as the wind dropped in the evening we dropped anchor and headed to shore.

When we first rounded the corner to Digby it looked as if there were people camping all along the beach. What it turned out to be was the wreckage of a boat that had pulled anchor in the cyclone and the owner had not been able to start the engine and get away. It was still partially intact on the shore line and the whole beach was covered in the remnants of a life at sea.

The waves were breaking on the shore line which led to some interesting dismounts from the dinghy and some very wet walkers but it was nice to get ashore and we walked the length of the beach and had a swim before returning to the boat. As we headed back to the boat the “Rare Pleasure” arrived. Edgar and Scott had met the owners Graham and Rhonda last year in Rosslyn Bay and gone on board for a drink. They were travelling in a convoy of three boats but called in and had a drink with us before heading to dinner on one of the other boats. A lovely couple from Maryborough who we hope to see more of as they will be in the Whitsundays for some time.

The rolling didn’t improve during the night and we debated whether to stay or go. We couldn’t get the weather forecast but noticed that “Rare Pleasure” had departed about six. We called them up and they said it wasn’t too bad outside but by then we could see the seas outside the rocky reef and it looked a lot worse than where we were. Their boat was faster and had stabilisers and when we eventually got a forecast it was for 20 knot winds and up to 2 metre swell.

There was an unanimous decision to stay where we were and spend the day exploring the island so we packed up refreshments and once again headed for shore. We salvaged some benches and chairs from the wreck and set up camp under the coconut palms. The boys clambered up the rocky cliff to the headland whilst I made my way through a Pandanus grove and followed an overgrown track up to where they were. The Pandanus grove was home to hundreds of tiger blue butterflies and a number of lovely dendrobium orchids

and the walk over the headland uncovered lots of interesting native plants and an increasing amount of lantana and feral weeds! We trod very heavily in knee high grass whilst pondering whether there were snakes on the island and were quite relieved to reach our beach camp unscathed.

After a swim and relax we went back to the boat for a late lunch and a rather rolly rest and then Scott and I persuaded Edgar to take us back to the beach for a walk. The waves had increased and our dismounting was even wetter and more spectacular than before. Scott fell and the dinghy went over the top of him with Ed and I looking on horrified, but he emerged unhurt and laughing and we had a most enjoyable walk.

The winds and the waves had moderated the next day and just after sunrise we headed out for St Bees to anchor for the night. When we arrived at the anchorage it was still early, very windy and no beach to walk on so the crew, with little objection from the skipper, refused to lower the anchor and we kept going to Shaw Island which turned out to be a brilliant decision as the anchorage was calm and the beach beautiful.

We arrived at Shaw Island in time for sunset drinks. The next day after a substantial breakfast of sausages and eggs we set out to walk the beach and explore

Back on board Edgar took advantage of the still water to wash the salt of the boat, swab the decks and attend to some maintenance. Aided by the male members of the trusty crew they soon had everything shipshape but the crew were worn out and had to take a long rest. The next morning it was a leisurely morning watching the turtles disport around the boat before heading back to the beach to walk and swim. We had taken a bottle of wine and relaxed after several swims on the beach. We had noticed a German Shepherd on one of the bigger catamarans as we came into shore and later met Shadow and her owners. She had been cruising the Whitsundays for a number of weeks and seemed very at home on her boat. Whilst we were chatting with Kevin and his wife they told us of the bounty of oysters that were available on the rocks.

Under the able direction of our new found friends we set to and within about an hour had gathered over 60 oysters. As Ernest doesn’t eat oysters that left 20 each which were rapidly dispatched – there is NOTHING like an oyster straight off the rocks. Roast lamb and red wine completed our meal all set against a stunning background of sky and sunset. The next day after a tidy up and a quick swim it was time to depart. We left planning to come back within the next few weeks – bringing Mike back for the oysters and Jon back for the sheltered anchorage to get his sea legs before the return trip.

These were our ratings – excluding, of course, our visits with our relatives who had the best houses and gardens, best food and provided experiences not to be missed!

ACCOMMODATION
1. Helmsman’s House
2. Harry’s on the Hill
3. Salamanca Mews

MEMORABLE FOOD EXPERIENCES
1. Frogmore Creek Winery Restaurant
2. Tasmanian Food & Wine Conservatory / Get Shucked Oyster Farm
3. Me Wah
4. Springvale Winery Restaurant / Elephant Pass Pancake Parlour
5. Bruny Island Winery Bar & Bistro

EXPERIENCES NOT TO BE MISSED
EDGAR
1. Wooden Boat Show
2. Fat Pig Farm Long Table Lunch
3. Mona Museum and Golden Hour with the Sunset Light Show at Armana
4. Bruny Island Cruise

LYNDAL
1. Fat Pig Farm Long Table Lunch / Bruny Island Cruise
2. Wooden Boat Show / Wooden Boat Centre
3. Mona Museum and Golden Hour with the Sunset Light Show at Armana
4. Gourmania Food Tour / Walk to Wine Glass Bay Lookout

BEST GARDENS
1. Tasmanian Botanical Gardens
2. Villaret
3. Emu Valley Rhododendron Garden (off season – would rate number one in season)

Bruny Island is Tasmania’s fourth largest island, but really it’s two islands connected by a narrow isthmus called The Neck. Aquamarine bays fringed with icing sugar sand; fluted, dolerite sea cliffs; dense rainforest; rolling green pasture; snow-white wallabies; and not to mention the best oysters in the world: Bruny Island has it all!

When we said we were going to Bruny Island everyone had a favourite place to go and thing to do – so we had quite a bucket list!

We had our last breakfast overlooking Cygnet Bay, vowing we would return, and for much longer, to this part of the world and this great B&B. We then headed to the Bruny Island Ferry – only swiveled from our objective by a sign saying “Last Cherries” which necessitated a very quick u-turn. We had bought some cherries in Hobart but were frustrated in our search for more by the fact that the cherry season had finished and so none available – until we headed south.
We arrived just in time to for the small ferry, MV Bowen, and despite the queue managed to get on. It is very much a first come first served service with no bookings. After a pleasant 15 minute crossing we disembarked on Bruny Island and headed for the first stop on our bucket list, Get Shucked Oyster Farm.

Get Shucked is locally owned and operated and promotes the pleasurable experience derived by eating oysters. It has a fully licensed oyster bar offering a wide range of oyster dishes, beer, wine, sparkling and cider which is connected to their processing shed so you can eat the freshest Bruny oysters from the farm whilst watching your oysters being harvested, sorted and shucked. We found a table and ordered one dozen Naked (freshly shucked and served with lemon) and one dozen Dressed (Naked oysters served with 3 dressings on the side) with a Bruny Island Beer for Edgar and a Prosecco for me. The oysters are large Pacific oysters, which we normally don’t care for, preferring the smaller sweeter oysters such as Coffin Bay, Sydney Rock and Moreton Bay. However these were everything you could ask for – plump, creamy and totally delicious. So delicious in fact that we thought we should try some of the cooked and had half a dozen Mother in Law’s Kilpatrick (cooked in the shell and topped with Marie T’s Worcestershire sauce and Bruny Island Foods bacon) and half a dozen Oyster Wontons (wrapped in wonton pastry, deep fried and served with wasabi cream). All delicious but fresh is best!

We debated about going through the drive thru and getting some takeaway but decided that this would be excessive. Our destination, and location of our B&B for the next couple of nights, was Adventure Bay on the southern island. On the way we had to pass the Bruny Island Cheese and Beer Shop, Bruny Island Berry Farm and Bruny Island Chocolates – yes Bruny Island is all about food!

We stopped at the Bruny Island Cheese Shop, picked up some cheese and beer and had a coffee/tea with a cheese based dessert. We decided to leave the Berry Farm and the Chocolate Shop for another day – we were after all staying for three days! We crossed over the Neck

before arriving at “Baywatch”, a seaside house overlooking Adventure Bay. Gus, our host, had everything ready for us and we unpacked and settled in. After an exhausting morning of cleaning, motoring, boating and eating and knowing we had a dinner reservation at the Bruny Island Premium Winery Bar & Grill for dinner we debated on whether we should go for a walk or have a rest and read. We opted for the latter.

Fortunately our visit to Get Shucked and the Bruny Island Cheese shop was late morning because the menu at the Bar & Grill, featuring wallaby, beef, lamb, salmon – nearly all locally produced – was promising. The drive across to the other side of the south island was very pleasant with some lovely scenery and lots of wildlife. We had an early reservation so that we could get home before the 9pm sunset to avoid connecting with any of the wildlife. The narrow roads and their abundance make this a very real hazard.

Bruny Island Premium Wines, like most other businesses on Bruny, is a small family owned and operated vineyard/winery and is Australia’s most southern vineyard. Their wines are grown, made and bottled by hand. The Bar & Grill, open 7 days for lunch and Saturday and Sunday night, is set amidst the vines. We decided to bypass the oysters and settled for several Tapas sides:
Char grilled Bruny Island Lamb Cutlets: Grazed on a neighboring farm, served with Onion Chilli Jam

Marinated Mushrooms with Haloumi: Huon Valley Mushrooms marinated in secret herbs & spices topped with Haloumi

Cha Sui Huon Salmon:
Huon Salmon marinated in a Chinese BBQ sauce served on bamboo skewers

We teamed this with some of their excellent wines and followed with House Made Chocolate Sticky Date Pudding served with Bruny Island fudge butterscotch sauce and ice-cream.. We had finished and made it back to “Baywatch” a whisker before dark.

The next day we made our way down to the beach and walked it’s length and back (about 5 ks).

There was a lot of birdlife to see including a couple of very watchful swans on the waters edge, which we avoided. We passed a monument to commemorate the whales. There were four shore based whaling stations situated from East Bay to Penguin Island in the 1820s – 1830s

Towards the end of the Bay we could see four boats from Bruny Island Cruises filling with what seemed to be an endless queue and heading out to sea.

Adventure Bay could be called the birthplace of Van Diemen’s Land. First sighted by Abel Tasman in 1642 when exploring for the great southland – because of gale force winds he was unable to make a landing.

Captain James Cook in H.M.S. “Resolution” and Captain Tobias Furneaux in H.M.S. “Adventure” left England in 1772 also to explore the South Seas, becoming separated Furneaux followed Tasman’s chart and in 1773 found the bay naming it Adventure Bay. Captain Cook landed at Adventure Bay in 1777 with William Bligh as sailing master. At this time Adventure Bay, and Bruny Island, was inhabited by the Neunonne group of the South Eastern tribe of Tasmanian Aborigines, the most famous of whom was Truganini.

Captain Bligh revisited Adventure Bay in 1788 and with botanist Nelson planted a number of fruit trees at East Cove. When he returned in 1792 he found one apple tree still growing. It is said that this was the first Granny Smith apple tree. Tasmania was later to become known throughout the world as the Apple Isle of Australia.

There are many memorials dedicated to these early explorers as well as one dedicated to Truganini.

We visited most of these and other sites of historical significance that afternoon and spent about an hour at the Bligh Museum. The foundation stone of the Bligh Museum, built to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Vice Admiral Bligh. It displays historic maps, documents, paintings and other artifacts relating to the famous explorers as well as some original documents in Cook’s handwriting.

That night we dined at Hotel Bruny at Allonah on the western side of the Island. It is a beachfront hotel offering beautiful views over the D’Entrecasteaux Channel. We had a highly recommended Seafood Platter, which was so large we couldn’t finish it, and then took our drinks out to watch the sunset over the Channel.
The next day we were up bright and early for our Bruny Island Cruise, which is a 3 hour Wilderness Cruise that explores the spectacular rugged coastline of south east Bruny Island and has been the winner of Australia’s best tourist attraction for 2012, 2014 & 2015.

We set off in four boats each holding about 40 people in covered open-air seating – yes we had our ponchos on! After a brief, and amusing, talk by our guide we set off at a rapid pace for Penguin Island and then cruised beneath the towering cliffs, drifted up close to listen the “Breathing Rock”

and paused to watch a sea lion sun itself on a sheltered beach. We entered some of the deep sea caves and then powering up hurtled through the narrow gap between the coast and “The Monument” – twice!

There is a large colony of Australian Fur Seals living on a cluster of remote rocky outcrops & craggy islands off the coast of south Bruny Island so that is where we headed, leaving the relative calm of the Tasman Sea for the much more turbulent Southern Ocean – fortunately for us it was relatively calm.

At any time there are up to 1000 seals there. When we were there they were only males as the females only come ashore to give birth and mate. We watched them fish, generally laze about and sometimes fight to establish their territory. Many bore scars from encounters with sharks and with nets. They are the number one enemy of the salmon breeders, tearing the nets and taking bites out of the salmon leaving devastation in their wake. They are apparently becoming smarter at breaking through nets. When they discover a new way of getting into a cage on one farm it’ll spread round other farms within a few days – as if they’re telling each other how to do it. Some seals have become aggressive and there have been a number of attacks on the farm workers.

Both going out and coming back we saw numerous seabirds including an Australasian Gannet, which is rarely seen in these waters. These birds are plunge divers and spectacular fishers, plunging into the ocean at high speed. They mainly eat squid and forage fish that school near the surface. There were a number of schools of fish with seabirds of all descriptions taking their fill.

We were told before leaving that, if we were lucky, we would see some dolphins. Well we were certainly lucky, as there were quite a number of them surfing in the wake around the boats –and with the water so clear you could see them swimming under the boat. We were also incredibly lucky with the weather as the day was sunny and the waters calm. You can see why this cruise is a multi award winner. It was certainly the winner for us.

Back on shore we decided to go back to Get Shucked Oysters for lunch. This time we tried the Asian Fusion, which is a panko crumbed oyster on a nest of rice noodle salad with a very tasty dressing. Though we rated the Naked the top – this was a close second!

A quick visit to the Berry Farm for an icecream – blueberry was best!
and a visit to the Bruny Island Chocolate shop saw us finish off our bucket list for Bruny.
Then it was back home to pack and tidy up as we were leaving at 5.45 am to ensure we caught the ferry.

Our last memory of Bruny was driving slowly along the road in the predawn with suicidal wildlife hurling themselves at us and hoping we would get the rental car back in one piece!

And that was it. We handed in the car and caught our flight home. It had been a terrific three weeks but it was good to be back – and there had been rain and the garden hadn’t died!

The next day was our day for exploring the Huon Valley. Our plan was to drive to Cockle Creek – the furthest south it is possible to drive – and make our way back, stopping at places of interest. We had booked seats on the Ida Bay Historical Railway, the most southern railway in Australia. Located at Lune River, 113 kilometers and roughly two hours drive south of Hobart; the Ida Bay Railway enables you to enjoy the area’s secluded wilderness. The 610 mm (2 foot) gauge tramway traverses 6.8 kilometers of Tasmanian bush and beach, estuaries and button grass plains. It is a two hour return trip on a restored section of this historic line, riding in passenger carriages built on 1890s bogie flat wagons, which are hauled by 1940s Malcolm Moore locomotives.

The railway was originally built to transport limestone from Ida Bay quarries to waiting ships in the Lune River Estuary and Deephole Bay. Departing from Lune River station, we travelled through wildflower-dotted bushland and coastal heath and saw the site of the once-thriving Ida Bay township. There are fantastic water views along the Lune River’s southern shore. Deephole Bay marks the line’s end where there is a long, white sand swimming beach, accessible only by rail.
Along the way the guard talked about the history of this wild and remote place. Convicts escaping from Hobart would head down there and stake their (illegal) claim to a bit of land. It was a totally lawless wilderness. The first settlers to arrive where tough people who endured incredible hardship. The Jager family settled at Jager’s Bay and established a timber mill, built boats, developed the southern most orchard in the Huon, built an interesting homestead (the foundations and remains of gardens still exist). They later moved further up to the Lune River area and went into partnership with the Tyler family.

Edmund Tyler was a convict and later a trusted guard. He set up a brick kiln at a former convict station at Hythe (now Southport), and later a brick company at Brick Point, Ida Bay.
He set up a timber mill at Ida Bay and joined forces with the Jagers when his daughter married one of the Jager sons.

As well as the timber mill W H Tyler & A J Jager & Sons were involved in commercial fishing for many years. They built and owned several famous boats including the ‘Parappa’ (the aboriginal word for dolphin), a vintage 50’ Huon Pine fishing vessel built in 1915 that has now been fully restored and is for sale in Hobart for $65,000. In 1897, they lost everything in a bush fire and though they built a new mill they never really recovered. The Tylers discovered the Ida Bay caves and a marble cliff and a company was established to quarry the marble. The first party of tourists to explore the caves was in the year 1893.

The Tyler/Jager graveyard is one of the stops on the rail journey. There most of the adults and older children are buried. Christina Jager (nee Tyler) had 24 children and was an Amazonian figure on the Lune. Many of the children did not survive.

The younger ones and those who died of illness were buried on the Children’s Island just off the coast. The Island was then set alight to stop the spread of disease. It may be possible to drive to Cockle Creek but we took one look at the rutted gravel and sand track and decided that the drive would not be appreciated by us or Europa Car Hire. Instead we made our way back to Geeveston where, to our surprise, most of the shops were closed. We had some lunch, looked at the wonderful carved figures of local celebrities

and checked out the famous Surfing Sushi Chefs shop. The sushi chef and his restaurant Masaaki’s is so well renowned in Tasmania that he only needs to work three days a week. A notice on the door said he would be away for several weeks and was closed.

Fortunately the Wooden Boat Centre at Franklin was not closed and we spent an interesting hour there looking over the workshop. There were a number of student there who were building boats. They take a nine-week course and advance from never handling tools to building a beautifully crafted wooden dinghy. It was very interesting the process of boat building and seeing the boats in the different stages of development. There was a lovely dinghy being built by an 80-year-old master boat builder for his grandson. As well as building boats they also restore boats and had a number of boats in being stripped down and restored.

We mentioned that we had come down for the Wooden Boat Show with some friends whose son had built his own boat and had brought it down. Our guide asked the name of the boat and when we said ‘Boxer’ looked highly amused. Struggling to find the right words (I think notorious was the word he was avoiding) he said that the Boxer boys were well known in boating circles and they looked forward to them coming down when the Boat Show was on.

By then it was 5pm and the Boat Centre was closing so we went down to the marina and had a look at the wooden boats anchored there – well worth seeing as it included some restored boats.

We still had time to finally make it to Willie Smiths Apple Shed and taste test some of the ciders there before heading back to the comfort of Helmsman’s House, a fire and a long soak in the deep bath.

Next day was our long lunch at Fat Pig Farm – a day we had been looking forward to and which certainly lived up to our expectations. The tone of the day was set when we arrived to find Sadie in fits of laughter because she had managed to cause a traffic jam in their carpark. She and Matthew proved to be amusing and likeable hosts, passionate about what they are doing and wanting to ensure that everyone had a good time.

We joined the other guests on the verandah having been served a Rhubarb Cordial with McHenry’s Gin and offered little Goat Pies with Yoghurt Cream Pastry to nibble on. Chatting with the other guests we found they were a very diverse lot from all around the country. We sat with a couple from Adelaide and another from south of Perth and yet another from Melbourne. After a welcome from Matthew and Sadie and an explanation of the menu (based on what has been picked from the garden that day plus produce from nearby food artisans), started on our lunch. The appetizer was surprisingly a baby turnip, just picked that morning and tasting quite unlike the turnips you normally buy and with the crunchiness of an apple.

The first course was Roasted Vegetable Soup with shared platters consisting of Tongola’s Zoe, (which is a fresh lactic goats curd and is a finalist in the dairy category of Delicious Magazine’s Australian Produce Awards).

The second platter was an antipasto platter of Fat Pig Farm produce. The first course was served with Bruny Island Cloudy Bay IPA, a hop forward beer style made from Tasmanian grains.

This was followed by three share platters served with a 2016 Springvale Gewurtztraminer and then a Pork and Tomatilio Stew with Blush Potatoes and a Farmer’s Salad with Summer Flowers served with a 2016 Pooley Pinot Noir.

Now fairly replete with food it was time to take a break and a tour of the farm which was conducted by Sadie. Down the hill to the dam, through the apple orchard -stopping to chat to the pigs – to the heart of the farm which was the vegetable and produce garden and greenhouses.

I left with a severe case of garden envy which was only somewhat alleviated by Matthew showing me his wood fired oven and giving me some good tips on bread making.

Back to the table for a Strawberry Jam Tart with Berries, coffee or tea and little homemade almond biscuits and then it was time to go, stopping only to get a couple of Matthew’s cook books with their interesting recipes and sensational photos.

Tomorrow is Bruny Island…….

The next day we farewelled the Dumaresques – with invitations to come north and let us repay their hospitality -and set off for New Norfolk. The plan was to visit the Rosedown Gardens, drop in to see Dinie Mills (George and Martin’s aunt) and make our way down to Cygnet and Helmsman’s House, our B&B for the next three nights.

We had a lovely drive along the Derwent River and arrived in the historic pioneer town of New Norfolk. Many of the pioneers who settled around the town were from those resettled when the first Norfolk Island settlement was closed. These Norfolk Islanders were mainly farming families, who were offered land grants in Tasmania as compensation for their relocation.

The climate was colder than sub-tropical Norfolk Island, which proved a challenge for the hardy pioneers during the first few years, but eventually the district became self-supporting. In 1825 the original name of the town, Elizabeth Town, was changed to New Norfolk in honour of their former home.

Many of the founders were “First Fleeters”, transferred from Sydney to Norfolk Island when it was settled just a few weeks after Sydney. Ten First Fleeters are buried in the Methodist Chapel at Lawitta, New Norfolk. Notable is Betty King, née Elizabeth Thackery. The headstone on Betty’s well-tended grave reads, “The first white woman to set foot in Australia” from the First Fleet at Sydney Cove.

On Wednesday 6 February 1788, during the bulk unloading of the women convicts, Betty Thackery left the ship “Charlotte” and excitedly jumped from her longboat to the beach before anyone else. She therefore became the first, and most widely known of the convict girls to run up the beach in Australia – amidst much cheering from the crowd of waiting male convicts and guards. She is also believed to be the last surviving First Fleeter, male or female, when she died at 89 years of age on 7 August 1856.

Unfortunately Rosedown Gardens were closed (we were to find this a lot during our trip so it is always advisable to phone ahead!) It was starting to get quite close to lunchtime so we thought we should call in on Dinie earlier so as not to disturb her lunch. Dinie’s husband, Ernest, had been a great favourite of ours, often dropping in to Woodlands on his way north. Dinie rarely left Tasmania (probably nervous of Ernest’s flying) so I didn’t know her well but Edgar was very fond of her.

Dinie, who is now 92, lives in a retirement village in a lovely unit overlooking the Hobart Rivulet. She is remarkably spry and when we arrived we found she had set the table and cooked lunch for the three of us! Lunch was started with a whiskey and, instead of a quick visit, lasted several hours. She is very modern in her outlook and very good company.

By mid afternoon she was tiring, so we said our farewells and headed for Cygnet with a diversion to Willie Smith’s Apple Shed, which was also closed due to a function. Feeling rather exasperated (two closures in one day) we drove along the Channel Highway, which follows the upper reaches of the Huon River, and finally reached Helmsman’s House.

There are B&B’s and there are B&B’s, but Helmsman’s House is in a class of it’s own. We opened the door, to the sound of classical music playing, and found the most exquisitely furnished house with stunning views down over Cygnet Bay.

On the table in front of us was a platter of cheeses and nibbles with two wine glasses and a note saying that the wine was in the fridge. The wine was one of my favourites, a Forty Two Degree South Chardonnay from Frogmore Creek.

The Helmsman’s House is a spacious two-bedroom, two bathroom renovated Federation cottage.

Double glazing, carpet where it counts, soft beds, deep couches and a cook’s kitchen make for a very comfortable stay. The Chimineé Philippe double-sided wood fire keeps you snug; while luxurious bathrooms — each with a bath and underfloor heating plus walk-in shower —will melt tension from body and soul. Undoubtedly the star of the well-equipped chef’s kitchen is the revolving 1917 Metters Bush Pantry. This rather eccentric object is a space-saving pantry whose drawers brim with all kinds of dry goods, sauces, oils and treats. The fridge comes generously laden with seasonal and organic goodies including free-range eggs, local bacon and Tasmanian cheeses, plus artisanal Cygnet bread, milk from the dairy down the road and excellent Tasmanian butter. Tasmanian yoghurt is also provided, along with muesli and a range of breakfast cereals. Posie had even gone to the trouble of stocking lactose free milk and butter for Edgar.

The vast living-dining area has French doors leading to the limestone terrace with glorious views of water, mountains and sky. Other outside areas include a pretty white-painted “folly” – a perfect place to read or meditate embraced by the bay and the hills – and a gazebo at one end of the terrace. Sundowner drinks as you watch the sunset? Why not. We took the wine and cheese platter out onto the terrace and sat in the evening light admiring the view.

We were enjoying our drinks when there was a knock on the door and Posie and Andrew were there with a chicken and tarragon casserole and blackberry and apple crumble for our dinner!

They are an interesting couple. Posie Graeme-Evans and her husband Andrew Blaxland are the creators of the award-winning, and one of Australia’s most successful, television dramas, McLeod’s Daughters. Their 80 ha farm is their version of Drovers Run, the fictional working farm featured in McLeod’s Daughters.

The name of the property is “Frenchman’s River” to celebrate the hidden French history of Australia; history that began with the arrival of French expeditions to this region over two hundred years ago. The memory of the French remains alive since they lent their names to so many places in this tiny, exquisite region. Bruni d’Entrecasteaux (Bruny Island) mapped the bay in 1792 as “Porte des Cygnes Noire” (which became Cygnet – he’d never seen black swans before). He also named the river that flows into the bay below the farm after one of his lieutenants, Huon de Kermandec.

During their first years of ownership the couple were only able to steal brief moments at the property between work schedules. Eventually they found time and space to embark on an extensive rebuild, starting with the “Picker’s Hut”, which would become Posie’s first writing sanctuary, the site from where she wrote three of her five best-selling novels, and now the ‘Writers House’. The ‘Helmsman’s House’ (named after the men who Posie considers unsung heroes) was built shortly afterwards and they are now contemplating building a third. They are generous hosts and it should be a roaring success.

An easy drive back to Swansea was on the agenda for today so we started late and stopped off for brunch at the Christmas Hill Raspberry Farm. The weather had not been kind for harvesting so Martin had joined Susie at their holiday house and we were to spend a couple of days with them there instead of Mt. Ireh.

Christmas Hill Raspberry Farm is a popular tourist attraction and was well patronized with diners scattered through the café, the verandah and outside on the lawn. We had booked and secured a table inside on the window, which considering there was quite a nippy breeze, was ideal. We had a view over the dam with its water birds and the farm with some alpacas in the distance.

Whilst we were waiting for our meal we saw this bird flash across the view, shortly followed by another and then a third. It was like watching a movie in fast forward. These were Tasmanian Native Hens, otherwise known as Turbo Chooks, which are large flightless water birds that are distant relatives of the domestic hen and are endemic to Tasmania. Although they cannot fly, they are good swimmers and very fast runners, using their short stumpy legs to run at 50k per hour!

Having had no breakfast we were well and truly ready for brunch ………
Breakfast Followed by lunch Enough said!

We arrived at Swansea and settled in to Martin and Susie’s very comfortable beach house at around 4pm.

A cup of tea, a long catch up followed by drinks and dinner (yes we had finally digested our brunch!).

The next day Susie showed us around the cottage and the renovation plans they had. They are eventually going to live there when Piers takes over the running of Mt. Ireh. She had some great ideas that will eventually make it a stunning house.

Having done nothing but eat the previous day it was time for some serious exercise and Martin took us down to the very pretty Kelvedon beach where we walked the length of the beach and return, a distance of nearly 4 kms. Crystal clear water with fabulous views of Oyster Bay, the Hazzards and Freycinet Peninsula were our reward.

On the way back we stopped at the historic Spiky Bridge but didn’t dally long as we were due out to lunch at Springvale Winery.

The Freycinet Coast is the driest part of the state, with warm days and cool nights, which is ideal for the slow ripening of the grapes and results in excellent flavor. The vineyard began in 1986 when a small area was planted to Pinot Noir followed over the coming years by Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer then Pinot Gris and Pinot Meunier.
Whilst the Cellar Door is open most of the year the vineyard restaurant is a ‘pop up’ restaurant open only in the summer months. It specializes in local produce, particularly seafood, all served on tables set under a tent in the vineyard.

A visit to the Cellar Door to select your wines
then down to the restaurant to select your repast. Susie organised all this for us and the result was spectacular.

Pizza bread with Hill Farm oil, Tasman sea salt and fresh rosemary to nibble on whilst we waited then a couple of Vineyard Seafood Platters (East Coast Crayfish, Smoked mussel pate, pickled Top Fish octopus, Petuna Ocean trout gravadlax, Huon ‘tea-smoked’ salmon, Melshell oysters, Wasabi crème fraiche, wombok slaw, Sour-dough bread, Alpen crackers) AND Prawn Cocktails to savour whilst we drank the excellent wines.

Deciding to forgo dessert (no room) we once again adjourned to the beach, this time Moulting Lagoon, for another – shorter – walk before heading home. Martin was contemplating a swim but a few drinks later had given up the idea and we just chatted before partaking of a light dinner and so to bed.

The Tasmanian Food & Wine conservatory is a cafe/providore, promoting Tasmanian food and wine from all across the state but especially supporting boutique and small producers as well as more widely known brands. It was once a greenhouse built over 40 years ago by a Devonport man – primarily to house his grand piano. A local mother and daughter fell in love with the building and after 10 years of negotiating finally bought it. It is now decked out with golden timber floors and streams of natural light, ceilings fans and cane furniture give it a tropical Cuban style atmosphere. It opened in 2015 and has never looked back. The grand piano was still there and whilst we were there a fellow diner asked if he could play it. He was obviously an accomplished pianist and he entertained us for the next 20 minutes with beautiful classical music.Their concept had always been to develop it into a showcase for Tasmanian produce with seasonality playing a big part in the menu.

This was obvious in the Gourmet Platter we had, which featured a variety of cheeses including a fresh ricotta with walnuts and honey, both hot and cold smoked salmon, ham, salami and corned beef, chicken terrine and salmon pate with caviar, pickled walnuts and marinated octopus. The accompaniments were award winning mustard, quince jelly, tomato and chilli jam and dukha all served up with wafer biscuits and crusty bread. Not only was it all, delicious but you could buy all the ingredients in the shop – which we did!

Having brunched so well we made our way north in search of the Emu Park Rhododendron Gardens.

Three men and their passion for the genus Rhododendron conceived the Emu Valley Rhododendron Garden in 1981. The site was a scrub and blackberry infested hillside and it would have needed imagination and vision to see the potential of the world-class garden it has become.

The amphitheater consisting mainly of rich volcanic soil, which has never been farmed. The slope is quite steep into a large stepped basin fed by several natural springs, which form a series of lakes. The garden is divided and space allocated to each part of the world in which rhododendrons grow in the wild. Plants which originated anywhere from the icy Himalayas to tropical New Guinea and across the Pacific to the Americas seem to have adapted to their hillside home.

Owned by an independent, non-profit organization, members have achieved most of the development through voluntary effort, which is obviously ongoing as new areas are being opened up as well as the established areas being maintained. Maree’s mother was one of the earlier volunteers and played a big part in the layout of the garden.

The peak time to visit is in October when most of the rhododendrons are flowering, but even in February it was a pleasure to walk around this well laid out garden. An added bonus was that there were very few people visiting whereas October is very busy.

After clambering up and down the hillside, we had some afternoon tea on the balcony overlooking the gardens and communed with Edgar the Elegant Emu before setting off to Harry’s on the Hill, our farm B&B for the next couple of nights.

Due to my inability to tell left from right and some rather obscure roads, we circled the area looking with dismay at some of the rather derelict farms on the surrounding hills before finally getting on the right road. Harry’s Farm was a neat and tidy farm with a lovely house sitting high on the hill. The house had been built for Harry’s son and when Harry retired and they moved into the farmhouse it became a very luxurious B&B. Our hosts had stocked the fridge and we spent a relaxed evening reading and occasionally looking up and contemplating the view.

The next morning we were awoken by the cluck of chickens and the sounds of a working farm. Our view up towards Cradle Mountain showed dense cumulonimbus over the mountain and the weather forecast was for 3 degrees, storms and hail so we decided to give Dove Lake a miss and concentrate on some more local attractions. We decided to go to the Villarett Gardens, the Sheffield Murals, the Alum Cliffs and, if time and not too exhausted, the Liffey Falls. Edgar walked the farm but I, contemplating the walking for the day ahead, had a more leisurely start.

Villarett Gardens is the result of the overwhelming passion of two dedicated gardeners. Beginning a garden on the side of a hill with just a few mature holly, beech and oak trees, they have, with skill and hard work, developed a 4 hectare garden of great beauty and well worth visiting. We started in the arboretum part of the garden. Here single specimen trees of conifers and other striking and unusual trees have been planted so that you can see the tree in its entirety rather than as part of a shrubbery. From there we moved on to the more formal part of the garden, where the use of hedges and innovative planting combined with numerous water features and striking sculptures make this a garden full of surprises.

Villarett is a fully licensed café/restaurant with an extensive menu so is an ideal place for lunch before or after your garden wanderings. We decided to keep going as it was a bit too soon after breakfast and I had my eye on the Apple Café in Sheffield, which had some good reviews.

Sheffield is ‘The Town of Murals’ with murals painted on the side and front walls of most of the buildings throughout the town. It is an outdoor art gallery telling the history of the town through art.The first mural was painted by John Lendis in 1986 and was of Gustav Weindorfer,a passionate mountaineer, naturalist and conservationist and the man responsible for having Cradle Mountain/Dove Lake declared a National Park. The scene depicts a passage from his diary.

Now, some 30 years later, many more visually appealing, emotional and curious stories embellish the walls of the town.

We made our way to the Apple Café checking out the murals as we went, only to find that it was closed. We ended up in the rather noisy and crowded Bakery Café where we had a surprisingly good scallop pie whilst wishing we had dined in the comfortable surrounds of Villarett!

Non-deterred, we headed on to the Alum Cliffs. The Alum Cliffs lie within the Alum Cliffs State Reserve and form a part of the Gog Range. Known by its aboriginal name Tulampanga, it was a place of particular social and spiritual significance to Aborigines because of the ochre to be found in that area of the Gog Range. Many tribes travelled to Tulampanga to obtain this highly prized material and for them this was a sacred celebration place and significant as the meeting place of three Aboriginal nations.

It is a relatively short walk – about 60 minutes return. It takes you on an all-weather path through forest,along a high, tapering ridge, until you reach the breath-taking lookout platform perched high above the Mersey River as it flows along the valley through the Alum Cliffs Gorge As the walk features a number of steps, and was quite slippery in places, I was glad of my trekking sticks.

It was getting later in the day when we returned from our walk and, with visions of our comfortable retreat with its huge deep bath in mind, we decided to keep the Liffey Cliffs for another day and headed home via the Elizabeth Town Bakery for a crusty slow cooked beef pie.

Knowing we were planning to divert to the Elephant Pass Pancake Parlor for one of their famous pancakes we had a light breakfast and a short walk before setting out for Launceston.

We had called in at the pancake parlor when we travelled Tasmania in our campervan in 1989 and Ben and I had been back in 1997. It hadn’t changed at all – the pancakes were still delicious!We both had a Banaberry Pancake which was a light crepe crammed full of bananas, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. Very healthy (except for the maple syrup) and very satisfying! The café is a lot of fun is decorated with elephants of every description including two wonderful elephant carved chairs.

The drive to Launceston was lovely. We followed the Esk River Valley for most of the way and then the main inland highway. A quick stop at Dan Murphy’s for some tonic and BCF for another bag (we had been acquiring a lot of extras) and then down to Clarendon, a National Trust home with a long and interesting history.Clarendon is set in 7 hectares of parklands on the banks of the South Esk River and is a magnificent three-story Georgian house with servants’ quarters, a heritage walled garden,

several farm buildings including a barn dating back to the Early-Colonial period and significant because of its unusual construction, known as pise-de-terre in the traditional French style. The avenue of 150 year old elms is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere and has been unaffected by the Dutch Elm disease which has devastated the European tree.

Clarendon was built in 1838 as an extraordinary statement of achievement for wealthy woolgrower and merchant, James Cox. Although built with convict labor, Cox was known to treat his convicts well and later played a major role in the abolishment of convict labor and the end of transportation.

After the death of James Cox and his wife the property passed on to his grandson who obviously lacked the flair of his grandfather. The property fell into disrepair and it was only the dedication of a few local business people that saved it convincing the National Trust to intervene in 1962. It took 10 years to renovate and opened it’s doors to the general public in 1972. We were shown round by a dedicated band of volunteers and encouraged to sit on the seats, try the beds and who were disappointed that neither of us could play any of the pianos!

By this time it was late afternoon and time for us to arrive at Panshanger. We made a couple of attempts. The first time we had the destination as Panshanger B&B and the GPS took us to the back of the property and left us in the middle of a paddock. When we told George he laughed and said that this happened a lot!

Our second attempt was more successful and after circling the property we arrived at the front door and got a warm welcome from Maree. We settled down for a cup of tea and to await George, who despite his broken leg, was flying in from Melbourne in his plane.

Panshanger was built by Joseph Archer who arrived in Van Diemen’s Land in 1821 and built a ‘small but handsome cottage’ on Lake River in the Longford area. As his wealth grew, he expanded his land holdings and added to his house, creating a home that is known today as one of the finest colonial examples of Greek Revival architecture in Australia. The original cottage forms part of the enclosed courtyard.

After two generations of Archers the property was sold in 1908 to Thomas Mills, a gold miner and engineer in Charters Towers. It was purchased as a wedding gift for his son, Charles, when he married Maude White of ‘Bluff Downs’ (Edgar’s great aunt). The Mills family still runs the property with George and Maree at the helm.

George eventually arrived home and we settled in for a convivial evening with them and their son, Thomas, who is living at home whilst he builds a plane. His other son, Nick, helps his father run the property and daughter, Pip, is a vet and lives in Western Australia. Tom and Nick still remember the Bassingthwaighte boys visit in 1989!

The next day George had a date with his physiotherapist, so Maree took us on a tour of the grounds and gardens. The acres of parks and gardens feature stable yards, a water tower, horse-operated pump house, remains of a cider press and a gardener’s cottage so there was plenty to see.

Maree is an extremely good gardener and obviously loves the gardens – though her self confessed preference is for trees and the vegetable gardens, of which there are two. Despite this preference there are plenty of beds of roses, perennials and flowering shrubs. Two orchards keep the family (and the Church) supplied with fruit for eating and preserving. Hawthorn hedges, oaks, elms, laurels, lindens, maritime pines and sweeping lawns all create a magnificent setting for the house.

During our tour we visited Longdown, the former home of Ernest and Dinie Mills, which now forms part of Panshanger. It is currently being renovated in anticipation of George and Marie moving in when it is completed. Nick and his wife Stacey and family will then take over the homestead. Next to Longford are the ‘International’ and ‘Domestic’ terminals of Panshanger. The International Terminal houses George’s beloved Piper Comanche 400 and the Domestic Terminal houses the Rans V 7 that Tom is building.

That afternoon we went for a drive to visit the Fitzpatrick Inn where Edgar and his family stayed in 1956. It is one of the oldest hotels in Tasmania and used to be run by three formidable sisters. Edgar quite clearly remembers it from age 8. It is still running much as it did back then but now run by a very friendly lady who happily showed us around. That night George’s brother John and his sister, Diane, came to dinner, which we ate in the formal dining room in grand style.

The next day George and Edgar went out to look over the cattle and inspect George’s crops. George has always been an innovative farmer and his crops include, hemp for hemp oil and opium poppies for medical opium. We farewelled them both at around 10am and headed north for our Brunch booking at the Tasmanian Food and Wine Conservatory.

Catching a taxi to the airport we picked up our rental car, with the welcome news that we could take it to Bruny Island and so wouldn’t need to change cars and thus giving us extra time in the Huon Valley.

On to Frogmore Creek Vineyard and to the stand out meal of our trip. The presentation was so beautiful it almost seemed a shame to eat it – and for once the flavor and taste was as good as it looked. Torn between choices we finally settled on:

All eaten in the beautiful surrounds of the vineyard with views over the lake. Feeling slightly overfull we sampled their range of wines and instantly joined their Wine Club. Their Riesling, Chardonnay, Sparkling Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were particularly good so, ensuring we were stocked up for the next stage of our journey, we set off for Coles Bay and our B&B “Dunwerkin”.

Coles Bay and Freycinet
”Dunwerkin” was just as described with a lovely view over the little bay and comfy chairs to relax in with comfy beds to sleep in. Slightly off putting were the number of dictatorial notes around the place. Maybe she has had some bad experiences!

We threw on a load of washing and set off for the walk to Wine Glass Lookout. The track leaves the car park and almost immediately begins the 250-metre climb to the saddle between Mount Amos and Mount Mayson where the lookout is located. The parks service has done a lot of work grading the track so that it is not as steep as it once was but it is still strenuous though there are resting spots on the way. As you climb higher views open up below of the water and the town of Coles Bay – a formal lookout has been built at the best location. When you finally reach the saddle, which is studded by huge eroded granite boulders, a sidetrack leads to the lookout with its iconic view. I had a couple of concerns having walked it before with our son Ben during our stay at Freycinet Lodge 20 years ago. That time we walked the Hazzard Beach/ Wine Glass Bay Circuit, which was 11Km of fairly rough going but I was a lot younger and fitter then. Now with a double knee replacement I was worried that I wouldn’t make it to the top and/or that I would be slow and, as it was already 5pm, would be descending in half-light. However all was well. We made it in sunlight, the view was fabulous and we made it down just as dusk was descending.

Having exercised off our lunch, we settled down for a well deserved Lark Whisky and Forty Spotted Gin followed by Bruny Island cheese, Tassal salmon, Wursthause ham, baby salted tomatoes all washed down by Frogmore Creek Wines.

The next day we had a leisurely start, caught up with our washing and headed out mid morning for the second of the walks we had decided to do. We bought some hiking sticks from the Park Visitors Centre (which were to hold us in good stead throughout the rest of our stay in Tasmania) and set out for the Cape Tourville walk. Cape Tourville has commanding views of the east coast of Freycinet, which made it the ideal spot to build a lighthouse and, more recently, a walking track. The latter is suitable for wheelchairs so we didn’t really need our sticks but they helped with the scramble to the lighthouse. The walk is only 500m but there is a lot to see and some of the views are breath taking.

A nostalgic visit to Freycinet Lodge for a very late pre-lunch drink in their lounge before we headed to Freycinet Marine Farm, who are oyster and mussel growers and have a farm gate cafe. There we sampled their oysters with salmon and Brie, oysters with soy and ginger, abalone and mussels with spicy tomato sauce. oysters with soy & ginger and the mussels were the winners with the others a little overcooked (actually a lot). Full of food once again we headed home to enjoy the ambience of our B&B and get ready to travel to the Bay of Fires.

The Bay of Fires
Sadly the next day was blustery and cold and our trip on the glass bottom boat had to be cancelled. I had particularly wanted to see the kelp forests and the sponge gardens – but that will have to wait for another time.

Instead we headed straight for St. Helen’s and the Bay of Fires – another place on my must see list. For years I had heard this stretch of coast being described as breathtaking, jaw dropping and a ‘slice of coastal heaven’. Lonely Planet named it as ‘the hottest destination on earth’, which is probably going a bit far. Nevertheless I was keen to visit it and walk along the white sand beaches beside the turquoise sea amongst the orange lichen covered boulders.

We arrived at St Helen’s just before lunch. We were staying at the Tidal Waters Resort, which I was a bit nervous about, as some of the reviews had not been good. However we could not have been welcomed more warmly and our room was well appointed and comfortable with a private balcony looking out on the garden. A short walk through town to do a little shopping and book ourselves into Mohr & Smith for dinner then back to the resort for a leisurely lunch on our balcony.

Most of what they say about the Bay of Fires is true. We drove up to the Gardens and then walked the beaches and climbed the rocks on the way back. The water is crystal clear and the sea an extraordinary turquoise. The colour of the lichen is so vividly orange that you could well be forgiven for thinking that is why the Bay was named rather than Furneaux’s sighting of native fires.
We took lots of photographs and as the light started to fade headed home for dinner. Mohr & Smith was just as the reviews had said. Service was slow but the food was great. We both had the fried fish, scallop and prawn jungle curry with coconut rice and green mango followed by their much lauded sticky date pudding and coffee.